Callie and Anna

[thanatos0042]

So, I lost Anna last Thursday. These two cats always kept pretty closely with each other. Callie is obviously a little calico cat. She's about 5 or 6 I believe. She's was feral originally, but she's very tame and sweet now.

I can pick her up, though she doesn't to be held for long. She will sit in my lap and roll around while I pet on her. She'll come to me when I call...when we had the big freeze or we have really bad weather she is usually close by or in the feral fort.

But since last Thursday, I've kept her inside. I'd just break entirely if something happened to her, especially so close to losing Anna. We are debating trying to transition her into an inside cat. Our other inside cats know her and just pretty much leave her alone.

I'm not sure how successful or possible that is. I've never tried it before and I've read posts and articles where some people have had success and others failure.

Anyone done this? So for the days inside, she doe go outside into our enclosed catio, but it doesn't seem to make her feel better. I'm not sure how much may be missing Anna and how much might be with being locked up lol. She cries and yaowls at night, it can actually interrupt sleep. I can come down and lay back in my recliner with her and she stops for awhile until she gets up to wander off.

I feel a bit like I'm torturing her for her own good, because I want to make sure the dogs aren't coming back and we've had bad weather anyway. But I am torn.

Her and Anna were really the only ones I ever brought inside due to bad weather or other dangers we knew about. Neither liked to be inside more than a few days a time. So it's not like I am considering doing this with them all. She is just especially tame and now alone without Anna.

Any thoughts or advice?

 

[Cat McCannon]

The average life span of an outdoor cat is 2-5 years. Callie is already living on borrowed time. Bring her inside and catify your home.

 

[thanatos0042]

I thought it was closer to 6-8 years...seems like all but my newest ferals are then.

My house is already catified...and to be honest, catified beyond what a normal person does lol.

Any thoughts on the yaowling?

 

[fionasmom]

Firstly, I just read your posting about Anna and am so sorry for your loss. I am unfortunately quite familiar with dog attacks on cats. I saw it happen once to a neighborhood cat who was not allowed in by her owners....dogs, in this case, not coyotes....and the feral colony that a few coworkers and I maintained at my workplace was ultimately decimated by dogs who roamed at night. We all took one or two survivors home with us and shut down the feeding station.

Callie has to come in and has to be given time to adjust. My area is full of coyotes, but their attacks are more random, even if regular. Dogs, being domesticated and more attune to human interaction, are more likely to come back after her than even a coyote would.

I have only ever rescued ferals and strays. Any feral with any possibility of being made into a pet has been taken off the street. I do feed a few who are not adoptable; some are not. However, my criteria for not adoptable is that they are truly wild, maybe not safe to try to get close to, have only been TNRed but never touched otherwise by me, and still hiss and spit when I bring them their meals. Callie has crossed that line where you are her friend even if she is not "there" yet.

The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside – TheCatSite Articles

I have brought cats in because of emergencies like yours. My avatar and her sister were brought in under those kinds of circumstances, with the door literally being slammed in the sister's face as she put her paws up on it and yowled. However, both were like Callie in their interactions with us, so I knew it would work in the end. The article mentions making indoors interesting for a cat and it sounds as if you have done that. Give her treats and play with her as she adjusts. She is possibly crying for her friend as animals do grieve, but it seems as if she stops if you are with her, so it may be loneliness or just uncertainty in a new place. She needs you to be her new friend and may warm up to your other cats as friends as well. The fact that your other cats know her is a huge plus. My indoor cats also knew and recognized Lily and her sister, so the transition in that respect was not an issue.

If I were you, I would first give it time for the howling to stop. If you give in and let her out, she has only learned that it works because if she does it enough the door opens. Thursday to Monday is not a huge amount of time for her to settle down and realize that this is her new life.

I am not sure if Callie needs this since she has the catio, but some cats respond to a sanctuary room where all of their things are and begin to see that as their home base which then bonds them to the rest of the house.

 

[Kflowers]

yes, now, keep her in, especially now while she's grieving. She'll be detracted and more likely to be killed by a predator or a car. Expect at least 40 days of grieving since Anna was her main connection to another being and she was just making that connection with you. Cats are actually very social animals and need companions. Your inside cats seem to know she needs them. Do not let small spats distress you, it's just adjusting.

My heart broke for Anna, you, and Callie.