Re homing a stray

mrsdwhite

elsien wrote: »

Could you have them in a room together in the evening, after your little boy has gone to bed which might make it easier to keep doors etc shut? Maybe watching TV and getting her used to being around you.

She is in the living room, left along most of the day when we're at work then we sit and watch tv or whatever in the evening. She doesn't seem interested in our company, just our cats I'm thinking now to leave it another week then try letting her explore the rest of the rooms and do what we can to keep her in. I think 3 weeks will be long enough for her to understand that this is a place of food and shelter so if she does get out he will hopefully come home.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

sorry to intrude youve had lots of information and all good eventhough theres some conflicting advice i would like to offer a little to add on to your efforts.

At this time has the cat still got an eye infection? if so her vision is impared a little, think of how conjuctivitis affect us and how blurry the vision gets when its bedded in, to a cat taking away some vision is like taking away your main defense system, and relying on their sense of smell and hearing everything is new to the cat so she is assuming partially that everything is a threat to it in its new surroundings, so talking constantly to the cat when your around it will let it know your not oging to harm it, youll slowly become an ally than a foe. Also if the infection is still present at this time even though your treating it dont let cat mingle with other cats yet it will pass on infection, older elderly cats as they get older pick them up more easdily and is harder to get rid of.

feliway hand gell is what i would recomend your DH should put on his hands when he want to touh her, he should talk to her in a soft vocal tone (this cat may suffer from PTSD from slight or mild abuse from a male in her past i have known this to be the case in several cats i have taken in) he should come down to below her max head hight level if he need to lay on the floor then so beit (its only temporary), no swift actions, his body language need to be relaxed, if he's tense being round cat then cat will react to his body language and either flight or fight!. after a few days she may trust him enough not to go for him.

non feral but abandoned cats have major trust issues, your all going to have to be patient, it can take a long time for a cat with trust issues to start trusting a human again.

cat being at a hight on a shelf is not a good sign, it shows signs of nervousness and distress, think of how a dog chases a cat its first reaction is to get high and out of reach and if needs be attack from high ground if backed into a courner. if this happens back away (that means everyone in the room) supply an escape rout at the other end of where youve backed out, and supply a hiding space the cage covered, close to a felway diffuser plug would be ideal to aid calming cat down and regaining a bit of confidence keave cat be for a hour after this scenario.

DH can engage with "treats" for cat, first of all he'll have be calm and as above be on her level or lower, you place a treat near cat and back off out the room, then DH places them as far away from him as possible, he then inches the treat closer (at this point he is not to try and attempt to touch or stroke cat this is a trust building excersize) to a point cat wont go any further, at this point DH is to cease in his attemp, leave the treat on the floor and leave them room and leave it for a day and repeat this process, youll find cat will get a little closer as a few weeks pass by once cat is confortable, with DH being higher than her level and taking treats from the hand, is when DH can attempt to touch, but dont force the issue you can try this practice when DH isnt around your going to be main food and water person this will gain cats trust enough to warrant trusting you but also giving treats, at the moment if your the eye drop person she is going to be terrified of you imposing on her ailment each time you give a drop you give a treat as a reward.

after the infection, introduce cats, all looks to be ok on that front, so you need to show her that play is common so playing with your cats will show new cat that your not harmful if other cats trust you. same with DH.

be patient, as cats whoshow allot of aggression from being traumatised and abandoned, usually turn out to be a little timid around strangers and fast body movements, but will show you love and affection all day long!.

be patient it took me 3 years before i could rehome my Cleo who came to me because she was so timid and angry from being beaten and abused she lost all faith in humans, thats untill i won her trust, then she started to trust others then started being affectionate, that when i new it was time she could be rehomed with loving people and as soon as she got into her new home she was sleeping on the couch with their other cat, and shows them more effection than i ever got out of her she learned to love and trust again! patience and perservierance is key!