# New rescue cats, advice appreciated.



## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Hi there. I need lots of advice, please. Apologies for long tail [tale]..

I adopted 2 rescue cats a week ago, Betty and Dora [The Explorer].
They are 11 mths old and have spent 8 of those months in a cage in the rescue centre.
Both are very shy and undersocialised and spent their first 24hrs in their new home laying on top of each other like a cat sandwich at the back of their carry case.
But, progress is slowly being made, jaunts are being made around the kitchen [in which they have been contained since arrival], games are being played and last night they took food from my hands! I'm winning!! But they still won't be touched or stroked.
A few days ago I noticed Dora [the more intrepid of the 2] had all the symptoms of a UTI. I made a vet's appointment and then spent a distressing 30 mins this morn trying to get her back in the carry case. Dunno who was more traumatised, but I was definitely bleeding, so I lost.
The vet has prescribed 4 tablets a day, the problem is that she rarely eats in front of me, doesn't eat that much anyway, and I can't just leave the food out while I'm at work as usual in case her sister Betty eats it.
Speaking of Betty, she too was completely traumatised by watching me trying to jam her sister into a carry case head first this morn, and has been in hiding since. She also hissed and swiped at Dora upon her return, behaviour never exhibited before. I can't separate them as Dora sits and cries like a baby if she can't see Big Sis.
So, now they are both back to hiding and refusing to come out. I feel like we're on Day One again and all our progress this week has been lost, so saddening.
I'm trying to let them go at their own speed, I don't force my attentions on them but do I talk [and sing to them], and I make time to play with them. Am I going about this in the right way? Should I be attempting to touch them more? It doesn't make them happy when I try.

So, thanks for still reading. My questions are;
How do I get Dora to eat all them pills? Will they stop hating me? How long before Betty loves Dora again?

Thanks everso.


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## Clairey1234 (Apr 3, 2012)

hiya. 
i know all too well about cats and their carriers lol. luckily, my younger 2 love their carrier. they just stroll into it when needed. it's my older one who has the issues with it!

as for the pills. wrap them in a bit of meat and see if that will work. 

i've never tried it, but if the meat fails, then the pill in butter. put it in her mouth and try and keep her mouth closed while you rub her neck. it should slide down.

i don't know if the butter works for cats...i'm sure somebody will mention if it does or not. i've just heard it on an old dog years ago. 

you are doing well with what you are already doing. i would suggest trying to stroke them a little bit more throughout the day. 
just they can only learn being stroked is an 'ok' experience. otherwise, if they don't experience it they will never know. 

good luck. i'm sure they will settle in soon


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## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Thanks Claire.
The problem I have with both trying to stroke them more and trying to slide pills down their throats is that I can't catch the little buggers in order to achieve it.
They move faster than I do, unfortunately. 

I'm going to go to M&S and buy something delicious and expensive that I wouldn't be able to afford for my own tea and see if wrapping it in that helps!

Thanks again.
Heather.


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## Treaclesmum (Sep 26, 2011)

My cat's littermate sister is called Dora the Explorer, as apparently she was the first to open her eyes and start exploring! Good luck with the meds


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## jill3 (Feb 18, 2009)

Poor Dora. I would ring the vet up and mention that you are having trouble giving her the tablets as she is not socialised yet. Thay might be able to give an long acting injection for the UTI.

I think that because they have been in a cage for all those months it must be quite daunting for them.
I would get a feliway plug in which might help them become more relaxed.
I also would not atempt to stroke them for a while until they become more relaxed with you.
I would try and keep the noise down in your home for a start. No loud music or hoovers. If they have been in a cage they might not have heard all these different kind of noises.
It looks like things are going the right way if they are taking food out of your hand:thumbsup:
You have just had a little hiccup they will come to you again. I would not touch them I would just carry on what your are already doing.
Maybe ignore them and then they might take more of an interest in you.
They don't hate you they are just frightened. They will grow to trust you it will just take time.
As for Dora and Betty maybe Betty could smell the vet on her. I am sure they will be fine in a couple of days.
Good luck and try not to worry xx


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## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

Hiya

what a sad start to a hopefully long relationship. I agree that the vet could come up with other solutions - could you have meds to sprinkle on food?

My rescue Bibi (in my pic) was incredibly timid and also needed meds when I first had her in Aug (she had had a couple of homes in short succession and I think may have been hit - she was also shut out and left to fend for herself). Bibi spent 3 weeks under my bed - then a month being timid, then she escaped for 10 days and I went back a lot to gain trust.

The main thing that changed for Bibi was a change of diet to Royal Canin Calm, it contains Zylkene which is an enzyme that they get in their mum's milk. I would recommend that you talk this through with your vet as a possibility Calm CC 36 - Royal Canin

I have a few other things that worked for us...


Toys on long sticks and strings (da Bird is excellent) that encouraged her to play and come out
Dreamies - lots of them!!! Bibi was rewarded for coming out from under the bed, and then for coming close - I kept them everywhere in case she came close
Avoiding eye contact - this worked a treat actually, hard as it is, recommended by;
Vicki Halls books - great at coming up with solutions and making you think from the cats perspective

Because Bibi is long haired, grooming has been key to us too, and we are now getting there (with some light sedation from the vet) but it has taken a long time

Keep posting, and let us know how you get on - and please can we have photos!!!


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## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

p.s.

Has your vet suggested Feliway? It worked brilliantly for my last cat but didnt work for Bibi - it's a pheromone plug in that helps to calm them down


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

A great way to give tablets to cats is to wrap the tablet in a bit of cooked chicken skin. I roast some drumsticks in a foil covered tin in the oven, with added water about 3 quarters inch to 1 inch up the pan. This keeps the chicken skin from drying. (Keep the juice afterwards and skim when cold, to give as broth)

Cook the drumsticks about 1 hour, top of oven, gas Mark 5, cool then peel off the skin. Cut 2 small pieces (mouthful-size for a cat) spread the inside of one piece with a tiny amount of butter, put tablet on top, then put the other piece of chicken skin on top making a little sandwich. 

My cats have always gobbled this down in one go, which is good as it means they don't get the taste of a bitter tablet. 

If it's a capsule, then I empty the contents on to the buttered skin and sandwich it.


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## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Thank you all so much for taking the time to soothe my fevered brow.
Who knew having cats was this stressful? Oh, I guess you all did...you could have warned me.

I got home from work last night to find Betty still hissing at Dora and that Dora had been sick and peed on the floor, she also seemed quite lethargic, whereas normally she gets up to Olympic speed.
So, I immediately went into meltdown and assumed she was at death's door. 
I found the vet's number to call first thing in the morning, moved all my bedding into the kitchen, so as to be there in her hour of need, mashed her medication into some tuna in case she made a miraculous recovery and opened a bottle of wine [for me, not her]. 
The tuna went down a treat [so did the wine], I fell asleep only to be woken up by the 2 of them zooming round the kitchen, jumping on to the worktops and inventing a new game called 'pull all the magnets of the fridge and then use them as a puck to bash around the kitchen really loudly'.
I went to bed.

She seems tired again this morning, but in retrospect maybe that's because she was busy having a raucous cat party all night, my bath is covered in footprints, I think that's where they keep their beer..
Got 2nd dose of medication down her too, I'm grinding all tablets up into tiny portion of tuna that she can't resist and can eat all in one go.
I'm assuming that the pee and sick of yesterday may have been the outcome of the stress of the vet's? She was diagnosed with cystitis and I realise that after a while they may not use their litter tray and that this is an option, but she hasn't done it since.
If the same has happened when I get home tonight then I'll call the vet.

So thanks for your support and tips and hints, some I have used already, the Feliway, the eye contact, and some I will be checking out. I just want the best for them, they had a crap start in life and I want the rest of their days to be joyous.
I've only had them a week and I love them already, how do they do that to you, huh? Dora was obviously a comedian in a previous life and I can't wait to find out who Betty's going to be.
Funny wee things.


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## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

Aw, bless 'em (although none of us feel like that when woken by their games!)

Glad she is taking the meds ok


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## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Bibi is completely gorgeous, what a doll, you must put in some time with the brush!


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

theheatherjane said:


> > Thank you all so much for taking the time to soothe my fevered brow.
> > Who knew having cats was this stressful? Oh, I guess you all did...you could have warned me.
> 
> 
> ...


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## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

theheatherjane said:


> Bibi is completely gorgeous, what a doll, you must put in some time with the brush!


Ha ha, thanks, she hates being brushed, but I had her properly brushed out under sedation and that has helped!! The vet nurses couldnt beleive how much fur came out!!!


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## Dincy (Apr 17, 2012)

I use tuna for my cats worming tablets, definately a cat favourite. I remember when I was younger my mum got a terribly shy cat, she used to throw herself against the walls when ever she went into the room we kept her in for 
the first few days. I also remember her just sitting in there for hours at a time just so the cat would get used to her and realise she wasn't actually a big scary thing. Mum had a good 15 yrs with her. Your kittens will come round in time, just in their own time. 

Cats can also get symptoms of cystitis when stressed but not actually have the infection, my female gets it as she is quite a 'stressy' cat at times. There's tablets that you can use to help but not sure you can give them to kittens.


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## Lunabuma (Dec 12, 2011)

My Mitzi (RIP) had cystitis and being the little devil that she was (I still remember the noise she made when trying to get her into a carrier) the only way I could get her to eat the tablets was to cut them into quarters and mould them in a little bit of babybel cheese.

I know that you aren't supposed to give cats cheese but it was just a little bit and it worked with a success rate of 25 - 50% which was better than 0%.

It sounds like you have it under control now. What lovely looking cats. Give it a few months - year and you wont know how you lived without them.


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## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Ladies, an update.

The pills are finished!! 
Today was the last day of getting 5 pills a day down Dora's neck and I couldn't be happier. I think she'll miss the tuna, but I keep trying to explain to her that cat cannot live on tuna alone.
Both cats seem well, and I think they seem quite happy. 
They now pound up and down my flat on their little hooves, waking up the neighbours and driving the poor man downstairs to distraction, taking it in turns to run each other into the ground.
Dora, being fairly dramatic by nature, is prone to throwing herself to the floor with a flourish at every given opportunity, and Betty now comes out of hiding for long[ish] periods of time. She is now well over her initial fear of the telly, and is slightly obsessed with it, I think she's just warming up for Wimbledon.
Sometimes I come home and the place is in such chaos that it's like I've been burgled. In fact, I'm blaming the cats but the mess is so bad maybe I should check on my valuables...

On the downside; they are still both timid. 
Loud noises, sudden moves are to be discouraged. Neither will allow me to stroke or touch them . 
Mostly I leave them to their own devices, figuring they'll come to me in their own sweet time, but this has yet to happen. 
Occasionally I try to reach out a hand, but the chosen subject will go stiff and move in the other direction before I've made contact. And then they'll sit 10ft away, staring at me with big eyes, looking so cuddly that it's a constant torment to my soul .
We've been together 3 weeks now. Progress has most definitely been made but I have a slight nagging worry that in 15 years time I'll look at them and think, 'we never did make contact'.


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## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

I wouldnt give up yet! Bibi was 3 weeks under my bed, we are now 9 months down the line and she will happily jump onto my bed for a cuddle now - but doesnt sleep there. She will happily sit for a stroke etc on my bed, but wont tolerate it downstairs in the lounge... She will play with stick/rod toys with me too now.

Have you/they found Dreamies yet?! They were a bonding tool for us!


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## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Betty LOVES a Dreamie. Are they crack for cats?
Dora's not so bothered, she likes a Catnip Drop but is prone to dropping it after spitting on it and then it sticks to the floor and she gives up, leaving me to prise it back up again.
It's reassuring to hear other people have shy cats, because I read so many posts where on its first evening the newly adopted cat is sat in front of a Columbo rerun with its slipper clad paws on the pouffe that I constantly question whether I'm doing something wrong.


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## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

My previous cat, Henry, did that (walk around, curled up on the sofa within 10 mins) and it can be hard with Bibi sometmes when she is not as responsive as him. It is rewarding when she DOES do something affectionate though, however small!!


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## Lucyh (Dec 30, 2010)

I've had my two rescue cats for about 18 months now. They were so terrified when I got them and spent all their time behind the sofa and hissed at me when I went near! Oskar was the first to start being friendly, after about 6 weeks I managed to get him on my lap. I said then that I thought Max would never come round, but after 6 months he relented and now is even more cuddly than his brother, he wails and throws himself on his back for a tummy rub when I come near him and they both sit on my lap most evenings.

So don't give up! It can take longer than expected sometimes.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

It has taken about a year for my 2 young adopted rescue cats to really start showing me affection and coming to me or my OH for cuddles. They weren't timid when we got them (aged 16 mths) but were rather standoffish, and I felt it was due to them lacking self-confidence. 

They were rescued by the Animal Shelter from a neglect situation, and I can guess they probably did not get much fuss made of them by their previous owners. Certainly I could tell they were not played with, as it was evident they had never seen a little ball before or a wavy wand. As for a piece of string they backed away in fright when I first trailed it along the floor! 
Perhaps they thought it was a snake They soon came round though, and became very playful kitties. 

I would highly recommend using bribery to get them to come to you! If one of them doesn't like Dreamies much there will be something else he/she likes.
I sometimes used to offer little pieces of roast chicken as a treat, to get them to come closer, or even jump onto the sofa next to me. 

Don't lose heart -- it'll happen in time


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## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Oh, I've no pride. Not anymore. I'm prepared to try anything. 
I've bought treats and toys and balls and chicken and fish and fluffy beds and furry blankets, but it seems mostly what they like is an empty box and my plants.
STAY AWAY FROM THE PLANTS!

I cannot even begin to imagine the day they may deign to sit on my lap but, reading your stories, I'm beginning to believe that miracles do happen. 
And I'm happy that they're here, with me, and not in a cage at the rescue centre.

I'll keep you informed...


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

theheatherjane said:


> > Oh, I've no pride. Not anymore. I'm prepared to try anything.
> 
> 
> :lol: I know what you mean!
> ...


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## theheatherjane (Apr 30, 2012)

Kitty Grass, never heard of it but I'm on it.
They like my spider plant best, anything with an insect in the name is popular..


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You are doing wonderfully well with these two, and I am certain that they will come round. Remember that each and every single tiny show of affection from them will be incredibly precious.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

theheatherjane said:


> Kitty Grass, never heard of it but I'm on it.
> They like my spider plant best, anything with an insect in the name is popular..


I believe Spider plant is one that is not good for cats  Not as dangerous as some, but not recommended eating.

I expect it is the *grass-like* nature of the Spider plant that's appealing to your two.

Cats do need grass regularly in their diet. It is a kind of 'medicine' or supplement for them, and it regulates their digestive system, helps them deal with any minor digestive upsets. It is not a treat, but an essential part of their diet, even for indoor cats.

Note, that kitty grass grown in a pot has a limited life, usually a few weeks, so it is a good idea to start germinating a fresh lot when the kitties are 2 weeks into the first lot. Germination takes a few days that's all. That way you will always have some grass available for the cats.


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