I hope you can help us, my problem is a bit complicated to fix, I think, due to my lifestyle....
About Hope:
Hope is 5 years old, has been with me for three years. She was a feral kitty, was trapped pregnant, taken to the shelter and had a spay abortion. She was then pulled by a rescue where she lived for a little while. I was called in to foster her as she wasn't doing well - in fact, she was so shy with the other cats, she wasn't even getting to the food bowl.... She was 24x7 hiding under the couch.
She flourished in my house, and became a total lap cat - as long as she approaches me. As the typical shy/semi-feral, I still can't approach her standing up, do sudden movements towards her, and she startles very easily with any noise.
She does come to me if I am sitting down, or lying on bed.
She is also best buddies with Lucky, my other cat. Not so much with Bugsy (I have 3 cats).
The problem I am having now is that my lifestyle has changed quite a bit, and she is having a hard time adjusting to it.
My work requires me to travel 3 weeks out of the month – Monday-Thursday, weekends and the fourth weekend at home.
I do have a live-in pet sitter that is absolutely loving to them stay here while I am gone, so their routine is not broken as much as possible. Their feeding schedule (they eat raw 3 times a day) remains the same, and they have someone to play and to give them attention.
Hope has started to hide more and more since my work schedule changed. She also started to be bullied by Bugsy, an otherwise absolutely sweet and lovely to the “T” Ragdoll.
She has had a clean bill of health – senior panel done, urinalysis, the works – twice. Nothing wrong with her.
Bugsy usually bullies her during meal times (he is VERY food driven, and obese). They eat next to each other.
Hope comes out for all meals, and sometimes to play with Lucky, she does come to me at bed time, but more often than not she is hiding under the bed.
While I live in a small one bedroom apartment, I have tons of vertical space with cat trees, window sills, an entire wall of wall shelves, etc.
Things that are not an option for me are rehoming any of them, or changing my job – aside from that, what can I do to make her a bit more comfortable with this situation?
Oh, yes – I also have Feliway on the walls.
Thank you so much!!
EDIT: I should probably mention that Bugsy's bulling usually happens while I am preparing their meals, and not while they are actually eating - during meal times they are fine.... If he approaches, she hisses and he stands back. She holds her own.
About Hope:
Hope is 5 years old, has been with me for three years. She was a feral kitty, was trapped pregnant, taken to the shelter and had a spay abortion. She was then pulled by a rescue where she lived for a little while. I was called in to foster her as she wasn't doing well - in fact, she was so shy with the other cats, she wasn't even getting to the food bowl.... She was 24x7 hiding under the couch.
She flourished in my house, and became a total lap cat - as long as she approaches me. As the typical shy/semi-feral, I still can't approach her standing up, do sudden movements towards her, and she startles very easily with any noise.
She does come to me if I am sitting down, or lying on bed.
She is also best buddies with Lucky, my other cat. Not so much with Bugsy (I have 3 cats).
The problem I am having now is that my lifestyle has changed quite a bit, and she is having a hard time adjusting to it.
My work requires me to travel 3 weeks out of the month – Monday-Thursday, weekends and the fourth weekend at home.
I do have a live-in pet sitter that is absolutely loving to them stay here while I am gone, so their routine is not broken as much as possible. Their feeding schedule (they eat raw 3 times a day) remains the same, and they have someone to play and to give them attention.
Hope has started to hide more and more since my work schedule changed. She also started to be bullied by Bugsy, an otherwise absolutely sweet and lovely to the “T” Ragdoll.
She has had a clean bill of health – senior panel done, urinalysis, the works – twice. Nothing wrong with her.
Bugsy usually bullies her during meal times (he is VERY food driven, and obese). They eat next to each other.
Hope comes out for all meals, and sometimes to play with Lucky, she does come to me at bed time, but more often than not she is hiding under the bed.
While I live in a small one bedroom apartment, I have tons of vertical space with cat trees, window sills, an entire wall of wall shelves, etc.
Things that are not an option for me are rehoming any of them, or changing my job – aside from that, what can I do to make her a bit more comfortable with this situation?
Oh, yes – I also have Feliway on the walls.
Thank you so much!!
EDIT: I should probably mention that Bugsy's bulling usually happens while I am preparing their meals, and not while they are actually eating - during meal times they are fine.... If he approaches, she hisses and he stands back. She holds her own.
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