And so it begins... new kitty comes home and her highness is not amused

[ladytimedramon]

I took the plunge. I fell in love and she wasn't going to wait. So I adopted the kitty (3 years old and only 6 pounds). Her name is now Fancy.

Delilah saw the carrier and must have thought it was for her because she took one look and ran off into hiding.

I got Fancy settled into the bathroom and gave her some wet food, which she demolished. She is skin and bones. I can feel her spine and ribs. Mostly she's been on dry food free feeding.

I had to leave for physical therapy (on top of things I re-injured my bad knee and it's killing me). Fancy is in the bathroom. She had a bit of a goopy eye and the foster said she was at the tail end of a cold. Vet appointment is Wednesday.

Delilah finally emerged from under the bed and was going to walk to another room when she finally discovered Fancy. She stared at the door, hissed a couple of times, and now is hiding in the closet.

I'm worried that Delilah is going to refuse to pass the bathroom door to the living room litter box so, for tonight at least, I'm thinking of setting up a temporary litter box for the night. I don't want to worry that she's not going to leave the room and will have an accident somewhere.

I know it's just day 1. Hopefully it'll get better. Fancy is a little purring love bug but Delilah is my baby.

Edit: forgot pics

 

[Flybynight]

Welcome beautiful Fancy
Do you have any calming diffusers or sprays? A few drops of Rescue Remedy for pets in water helps.

 

[ladytimedramon]

I'll have to see about it. Fancy wants out in the worst way but not until she sees the vet. She had a near escape but I caught her before she could go far. Delilah is definitely going to be the more difficult one.

Before bed Delilah came out from under the bed, sat in her bedroom cat tree, and glared in the direction of the bathroom.


I rarely let Delilah sleep in my bedroom. I can't sleep with the door open, or with her moving around the room. And with the pain in my knee and ankle it wasn't really happening. She was in the cat tree again, so I picked her up and carried her into the living room. She hissed and struggled like crazy when we passed the bathroom door but calmed down as soon as we passed. I sat up with her for a few min, found my pain spray, and now I'm back in bed waiting for it to kick in.

I have cat calming music going on a tablet for Fancy in the bathroom and on the TV for Delilah in living room.

And now that the spray is kicking in on my knee I can put on calming music for myself and try to get to sleep.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Just take things very slowly. Have you introduced cats before? If not, these articles may help:

How To Successfully Introduce Cats [The Ultimate Guide] - TheCatSite

Introduce cats seamlessly into your household with our comprehensive guide. Gain insights into cat behavior, discover effective techniques, and make this journey as smooth as possible for your beloved pets.

thecatsite.com

Introducing Cats To Cats: The Expert's Guide To A Smooth Transition - TheCatSite

Introducing cats to cats can be a delicate process. This article offers a step-by-step guide on safely integrating a new cat into a home with a resident cat. Learn about vet visits, isolation, playtime and more to ensure a smooth transition.

thecatsite.com

LOL, when I read the title of your thread, my first thought was, "Who is this, and why is Her Highness at HER house? I thought she was in the bedroom, asleep!" I'm in touch with the "majesty" of it all!

 

[ladytimedramon]

The title was more amusing when I wrote it last night.

This morning Delilah is at least walking past the bathroom and only occasionally hissing. So that's some progress. Oh... her collar is the Beastie Bands "Princess cat". I ordered "diva cat" for Fancy.

Delilah still sits and stares at the door but she is closer. I do feel guilty because she's stressed and Fancy wants attention.

I also feel guilty because Fancy seems to need so much. Supposedly she was with her previous family for a year, then she was at the shelter for a few weeks before going to the rescue. When I adopted Delilah she was slender but not bony. I can feel Fancy's spine and ribs. I'm giving her wet food and she's demolishing it. I accidentally left the sheba container and the bag of her leftover kibble from the rescue on the counter. At some point she got on the counter. I found the zipper bag ripped open on the floor (even though she has a full bowl of kibble) and the sheba container licked clean with the foil cover chewed. I hope it's not going to be a food issue when she's healthier. I don't want to overfeed her and I want to get her on Delilah's schedule.

Tomorrow she sees the vet. I think she needs a bath but I'll ask the vet.

Fancy wants out of the bathroom badly. I'm having to use a piece of cardboard to keep her from running out. I'm trying to make sure she has plenty to do and I'm bringing her toys. It doesn't help the guilt.

What is it with this hamper? Delilah does the same thing.


Meanwhile, lurking around the corner from the bathroom...

 

[vince]

I think your kitty might already be bonding with you. Fancy probably smells you from the clothes in the hamper and wants to be near them and you, by extension.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Delilah had been doing the same thing since I adopted her. You would have thought I sprinkled the top with catnip

It's getting hard to want to keep Fancy in the bathroom. She wants attention and affection. But I'm not going to introduce her to any other spaces until she sees the vet tomorrow.

Delilah is still hissing at the door but at least she's not hiding.

I am wondering if Fancy may have a tooth problem. She's not really wanting to eat the dry (which was her main diet at the shelter, rescue, and petsmart adoption center) bur she's scarfing down any wet I give her.

 

[rubysmama]

Just seeing this thread now. Congrats on the new kitty. Fancy is a cutie pie. You're doing the right thing, btw, keeping her in the bathroom till her vet checkup, just to make sure she's healthy and can't give any illnesses to Delilah.

Hopefully, in time, both your girls will be besties. But right now, if that pic of beautiful Delilah is any indication, she's not too thrilled about the newbie.

 

[ladytimedramon]

I'm making sure that I wash or sanitize when I finish with Fancy before I touch Delilah. I just checked on her and hopefully she's just tired. This was the first time she wasn't all over me when I went into the bathroom. Her nose seems dry. But at least she likes the new bed.



I caught Delilah trying to peek under the door long distance. She's not thrilled but it's only day 2. She's walking past the bathroom door and only hissed a couple of times.



I'm debating on leaving the bathroom open when I take Fancy to the vet. It would give Delilah a chance to sniff around and get Fancy's scent, but if Fancy has a cold I don't want to risk Delilah getting it.

 

[ladytimedramon]

A little update.

Fancy had some diarrhea. It's on the lid of the automatic litter box. I'm hoping it's just the food change. She wasn't touching the kibble at all and she's so underweight I want to make sure she's eating. She's laying in the bed napping and not interested in eating right now.

No way am I letting Delilah in here on the off chance it's more than a food change. I'm glad we have the vet appointment tomorrow.

 

[ladytimedramon]

 

[Mamanyt1953]

A food change is one of the most likely causes of diarrhea, so crossing my fingers for that! And many, MANY cats prefer the "gushy fuds" to tthe "crunchy fuds." She's in excellent company. Generally, the wet food is better for them, being lower in calories and with a lot of liquid content, but you're trying to get weight on her.

 

[rubysmama]

Yes, more than likely the food change, and maybe even eating so much of it, that caused the diarrhea. But good you've the vet appt. today. Let us know how it goes.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Last night before bed we had a couple of "didn't make the litter box" incidents. This morning I'm just leaving her the kibble she's used to. She just sniffed at it. I'm wondering if the foster didn't notice what she was or wasn't eating. From what I can tell from her papers she was possibly dropped at a shelter then picked up by the foster. My instincts told me to go get her when I did.

Delilah is still hissing at the door but at least she's walking past it.

Later I'm going to have to clean up the scoopfree litter box. It's fine on regular but doesn't do soft well, which is why I don't give Delilah fish based foods.

 

[ladytimedramon]

Well, just finished with the vet. Fancy is healthy except for the fact that instead of weighing 6 pounds she only weighs 4.5 pounds. Vet agreed that food changes are probably the reason for the diarrhea and her teeth are just fine. Odds are she was not eating much of the kibble, just enough to survive. She didn't show any interest in the Crave that Delilah eats. I may stop by Hollywood Feed and get some Fromm samples, which Delilah used to love. So until we get her food adjusted there will be upset stomachs but nothing contagious for Delilah to catch.

So I have 1 cat that needs to lose weight and 1 that needs to gain. Plus introductions.

Fun times ahead!

Pic from the vet office.

 

[rubysmama]

That's good it's just tummy troubles from change of food, and nothing contagious. Probably good she'll be confined for a bit longer, as you work out how to do the introductions.

About food for her, you could get some kitten food, as it has a higher caloric count than adult cat food.

 

[ladytimedramon]

What about senior food? I had placed a Walmart order a couple of months ago and they sent me the wrong food (a box of senior Fancy Feast Pate, and Delilah won't eat pate - they gave me a credit and said keep the box). I haven't donated it yet.

 

[rubysmama]

What about senior food?

Maybe check the calories either on the can, or the website, and compare with the regular cans. Though, it's possible, senior food might have vitamins or other things that a younger cat wouldn't really need. But I don't really know if there's much difference or not.

 

[ladytimedramon]

They're 95 calories per can average.

Even the vet was surprised at her weight.

 

[rubysmama]

Poor little kitty. Glad she's with you now.