Re-Homed 8 Year Old Cat

[iloveglee]

we have just re-homed an 8 year old female cat whose owners were going abroad and were not able to take her. she has found herself a safe hiding place and we have given her her own space for eating and toileting away from the rest of the house where she can be undisturbed. i have noticed she does come out of her hiding place and explores a little during the night when we are in bed. she is eating and using the litter tray with no problems. how long is is likely to be before she feels safe to venture out when we are around. she is quite a shy cat anyway i am told but was friendly with her previous owners when she wanted to be. i am wondering what is the best thing to do over christmas when the house will be full of noisy kids. we know a really good cattery but wonder if taking her away from the house when she is just getting used to it would distress her even more. her 'safe' space is one of our spare bedrooms which we will need to use on christmas night.

[murraymints]

I'd keep her at home poor thing will get stressed if it has another change of environment....Will whoever is using the room mind her being there ?

[Buenchico]

Your feline friend should be well settled in by Christmas. She'll also start exploring during the day soon if you give her good reason to do so. (Freshly cooked trout would probably be enough to tempt her!).

[woofgang]

If you are going to need to evict her from her safe space anyway, then maybe the cattery would be a better bet? Have you tried using a Feliway diffuser? When do you have to decide what you will do?

[Tilly2]

Well done for taking her in. I have no advice as I am not a cat person but I just wanted to say, 'Good on you.'

[wolf63]

If it were me I would put her into a cattery. Noisy children would probably freak her out. She will settle into a routine if given time and patience.

You could consider a Feliway diffuser for her - happy cat pheromones.

There was a website called FAB (feline advisory board I think) it has been renamed. Google and you will find it. They have some good info.

Good luck with your new boss.

[ferlew]

Warm diced chicken is a good bribe too. Never known a cat refuse it.
Three weeks ought to see her ok, could you not sleep in the spare room with kitty, if it's still needed?

[iloveglee]

thanks for all the advice. i am feeling uncomfortable with moving her away again so soon but want to do the best for her. the bedroom where she hides is ours, under our bed, her feeding toileting room is a small bedroom. i guess maybe we could shut her into our room and forbid the kids in there and just move everything into there for just the 2 days over christmas. can you buy the feliway in pet shops??

[DSJ]

How far away from your place did her previous owners live?

I think you're doing all the right things in giving her time to settle in her new home. Is she micro-chipped with her previous owner's details?

Personally, I would put her into a good cattery over Christmas when your house will be full of noisy children. They may freak her out. Afterwards, she can return and get herself settled. Good luck, anyway.

[Wharton]

She's not distressed, she's only wary of her new surroundings and in a couple of week's time you'll be wondering why you asked this when she's lying in your lap snoring. As for Christmas with the noisy kids, she'll find her own way of keeping clear of them so don't worry. No cattery!! What's her name?

[Buenchico]

>>> can you buy the feliway in pet shops??

Yes - but take out a bank loan first!

Pets at Home charge £24 for the spray
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/feliway-cat-comforting-pheromone-spray-60ml-15440?cm_re=barilliance-_-up%20sell-_-product%20details
or £37 for the diffuser
http://www.petsathome.com/shop/feliway-cat-comforting-pheromone-diffuser-15436

It's far cheaper online. Animed Direct (which is highly-praised and, incidentally, just up the road from me) charges £14.50 and £18.60 for the same products, respectively:
http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/feliway-diffuser.html

[iloveglee]

crikey the feliway is expensive. her name is molly and she has now begun to head butt my hand when i stroke her chin. i believe this is a positive sign. we have had cats before but never re-homed a mature cat, only ever had them from kittens. she is coming out of her hiding place more, although still remaining upstairs during the day. she does go down the stairs at night though because i have caught her half way down when i went to the toilet in the middle of the night. she purrs a lot, but i do know that this can be pleasure or nervousness so not sure which just now - both probably. from previous experience of cats, they are lazy anyway and like to sleep 23 hours out of 24 so this is probably her normal life. all the cats we have ever had, plus next doors which like to come in, like the hiding place under the bed on an old mattress we keep for when the kids stay en masse. looks like this year one kid at least will be sleeping on the hard floor!!! i am hoping to be able to keep her here over christmas with the small positive signs i have seen over the last 24 hours, and that it is 3 weeks to christmas i am hopeful she will have settled in.

[charlieuniform3]

The worst thing you could do for her now would be to put her in a cattery - if she is still nervous come Christmas then let her stay in your room - cats are very good at hiding if they don't want to be bothered with slaves or slave visitors.

[Sqad]

Please don't take her to a cattery as she has been "dumped" once and is now adapting herself to her new environment, so don't let her feel that she has been "dumped" again by sending her to the cattery.

Xmas and noisy kids only lasts a couple of days.

[boxtops]

Glee, as a cat person myself, I'd keep her at home in a place which is starting to smell familiar - shutting her in your bedroom is a great idea. Re Feliway - even if just for the holiday period when it'll be noisy - I can't recommend it strongly enough. Yes it's not cheap, but it's has changed our cats' lives so much for the better!

I paid £26 for the original diffuser and a refill at my vet's - and I am now paying £12.99 per refill by buying on-line from MedicAnimal website, so cheaper can be found. It's wonderful stuff, and a refill lasts a month.

On another tack - have you registered her with a vet yet? Thinking that if she is microchipped, you'll need to get the contact details changed - and if she's not, I can't recommend it highly enough. We'd never have got Rover back two years ago if he hadn't been microchipped.

[woofgang]

awwwww Sqaddy has a heart.......

[wolf63]

Maybe Sqad should retrain as a vet - he could specialise in cats. He would have to be tactful with the human slaves that the cats bring into the surgery though.

[iloveglee]

I have to admit that i am not at all happy with the cattery situation really, for the reasons mentioned by other people on here. on balance we will probably ban the children from our room and put her in there. she already uses underneath the bed as a hidey place so will not feel out of place in there. i will consider the feliway in a week or two when we see how she is adapting. she is chipped and we have all the paperwork to change ownership. i won't, though, be letting her go out until after new year. around here at new year we have loads of fireworks and as my next door neighbour lost her cat for 6 months due to his being spooked by fireworks don't want to take the risk. at least in winter most cats are not especially bothered about going out in the cold.

[boxtops]

Let us know how you get on, glee!

[woofgang]

Its not a question of whether you will let her go out...cats are amazing escape artists and she may not wait for your permission!

[boxtops]

We know that feeling well, woof!!