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After nineteen years I had no clue when or if I'd be cat-owned by a successor to Weasie after she died two years ago tomorrow. Blaliko made that call for me. Named for her distinctive tortoiseshell/calico coat, she had first appeared on my property at just about the same time Weasie must've been initially stricken with the cancer that killed her. (There who those who firmly believe Weeze found her for me. ) She looked to be a cat-olescent, about a year old - physically mature but very "young." But this may have been partly due to having to survive outdoors for some time, so no one can tell her actual age. Anyhow, before her skittish wily self could be TNR'd she wound up being the mother to six kittens. (Her months-long successful dodging of the city Animal Commission kept the neighborhood entertained and was recounted in separate threads.) It took all the way from July of '11 to May of '12 (Mother's Day, to be exact) before I was allowed to so much as touch an ear. But it was all downhill from there. Blaliko is now a well-established household member, along with Seteria (the runt of her litter, who steered clear of traps too long to be easily re-homed.) The "grrrrlz," both spayed, are now leading lives far better than would've been the case had Blaliko not wandered - OK, or been led by Weasie - into my existence two summers ago.
What being adopted by Blaliko taught me is that many homeless cats are mistakenly assumed to be feral (born outdoors and never cared for by a human.) They take on the behaviors necessary for survival but with time and patience can become great pets. Seteria, because of having started life being shuttled around between various porches, was "feral" in every way for a while. It took over two months before she let me close enough to touch her. And to this day she's still very shy with any person but me. Had it not been for her mom's living in the same house it likely would've taken much longer to earn her trust. Based on this I'm sure the OP's new addition was also once part of a household only to end up lost or abandoned. (When Merf goes to the vet I hope they check for a microchip since "you never know.")
Also, usually the extent of "training" (for lack of a better word) required to convince a cat to use a litter box is to plop the cat into the box, grab a front paw and guide it in a digging motion. Generally that's enough to get your average cat squared with the program. I've been in various living situations with various numbers of cats and owners who were lax about the litterbox. Gotta say, if you let it go a few days, cleaning it is a chore. I stockpile plastic grocery bags for various uses, and on a daily basis as part of my morning routine, I get a clean one (checked for holes in the bottom) and take it to the box. I pull the scooper out of yesterday's new bag that it's stored in, and scoop into yesterday's bag, then I put the scooper in today's new bag and pop it back in the cabinet where I keep it. Tie up the bag full of waste and pitch it and wash my hands thoroughly, and this entire process takes 3 minutes.
Once in a while, every few weeks or so, I guess 3 to 4 weeks (I used to do it weekly but that's a waste of litter and unnecessary) I empty the whole thing, clean it, and put fresh litter in.
I know that this stuff all seems really "duh" to some people. But it's shocking to me how many cat owners I know who let it go for days or even weeks and then complain about the chore, or when their cats eliminate outside of the box, or claim that a catbox always stinks up a home. I tell the worst offenders, if you couldn't flush your toilet but once every several days or whatever, would you really want to use it once it was full? Especially if you had to gingerly step around in it? Ew!
The other thing is that every clue to a cat's health is important, because they do hide discomfort instinctively. Knowing how much a cat passes in a day is a useful thing in case they ever develop certain illnesses. So yeah, scooping every day...it's worthwhile.
Anyhoo...not implying you don't already know or do all of this, just sharing. I hope your new friend is healthy and you have many years of happy companionship!
Merf didn't like the ride to the vet and meowed the whole way. Makes me wonder if I should have waited a few weeks. The Vet said to pick her in the morning which is fine by me. I brought Bailey for the ride LOL me and Bailey go everywhere together. Bailey will come around, she seemed a little sympathetic to Merf today.
More to follow.
I don't think you should have waited. Most cats react that way, with much crying and carrying on, when they're not used to car rides (and most aren't.)
It wouldn't matter if you'd waited, in my opinion, and it's better to get the health check sooner than later.
Merf will probably NEVER learn to like the ride to the vet's office - no matter how long you wait. You did right by taking her in right away - she needs to be checked out and started on her shots and get used to being handled, having the toenails trimmed, and after she's used to you guys and being in the household - time to start thinking about the spay (unless you're already doing that?) My cats always scream on the way to the doc, but surprisingly they are quiet as mice on the ride home. When we arrive and I let them loose in the house - of course they have to meow and act pitiful so the others will know how miserably they were treated by the hoomans!!!! Bailey and Merf will eventually become the best of friends, I predict. It's really important that Bailey doesn't feel pushed back with all the excitement of the newbie in the household - you know how kids are!!! I'm sure you and the wife have enough love for both of them.
My cats meow their heads off goin to and from the vet. The 9 year old isn't one bit better than she was the first time. I'm glad it's not that far away.
The Merf is a feline thug who likes to stare out the window at the birds eating seed from the feeder. She isn't very active yet since her procedure but she is using the litter box. She hates her collar, but not as much as the halter. She goes out with me and the bay dog when we walk. Well not willingly but she will get it. No lazy members allowed. My manhood made my wife lead Merf in case the neighbors drive by. LOL They only made it about 50 feet before my wife caved and took her back in.
The Merf is a feline thug who likes to stare out the window at the birds eating seed from the feeder. She isn't very active yet since her procedure but she is using the litter box. She hates her collar, but not as much as the halter. She goes out with me and the bay dog when we walk. Well not willingly but she will get it. No lazy members allowed. My manhood made my wife lead Merf in case the neighbors drive by. LOL They only made it about 50 feet before my wife caved and took her back in.
If you want to melt some female hearts on here, take a photo of you walking that little kitteh on the harness.
Yay...another kitty off the streets! Thank you for giving Merf a home with attention and love.
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) She looked to be a cat-olescent, about a year old - physically mature but very "young." But this may have been partly due to having to survive outdoors for some time, so no one can tell her actual age. Anyhow, before her skittish wily self could be TNR'd she wound up being the mother to six kittens. (Her months-long successful dodging of the city Animal Commission kept the neighborhood entertained and was recounted in separate threads.) It took all the way from July of '11 to May of '12 (Mother's Day, to be exact) before I was allowed to so much as touch an ear. But it was all downhill from there. Blaliko is now a well-established household member, along with Seteria (the runt of her litter, who steered clear of traps too long to be easily re-homed.) The "grrrrlz," both spayed, are now leading lives far better than would've been the case had Blaliko not wandered - OK, or been led by Weasie - into my existence two summers ago.
