Desperately seeking advicešŸ«£šŸ„ŗšŸ¾

Mamanyt1953

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This is going to unfold VERY slowly. When you do finally let them out, don't move towards them. It's fine to sit on the floor and read out loud to them, or simply talk with them. If they get hissy or swatty, SLOWLY move out of range. Nothing fast, nothing loud.

Since you are removing things to give them more space, google "climbing shelves for cat." You'll find a ton of ways to enrich their environment, especially since Miss Babycakes (maybe I should call her "Mrs." since she has a family) seems to like a high perch.
 

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I am sure they will come to appreciate all the work you are doing to give them a safe and loving home! :redheartpump: I did work with my mama cat for a while before reintroducing the babies, but that was kind of accidental. I regret keeping the babies and the mama totally separate because I could have skipped over the whole reintroducing phase I just didnt know what I was doing at the time. The mama wanted absolutely nothing to do with me when she was still in the catio. She would hiss and hide all the time pretty much. I am wondering if Babycakes will be a little more receptive when she comes out into the room like mine did. When I finally let my mama cat out into the room, she hid a lot of the time initially. I had a piece of furniture that she was always under if I was around. I also watched her on the camera all the time and was thrilled when she finally felt comfortable enough to start exploring when I wasnt home. There were 2 things that got her to interact with me when she was still under the furniture... one was just a flexible piece of plastic that had come wrapped around a cardboard box that I had delivered (not sure if you know what I mean) but I used to kind of wiggle it around on the floor in front of her and you would see the little paws come out from under the furniture to play, but she would still be under there. We played like that for weeks and eventually she would pop out for a little while, then she would remember I was there and would go back under. But a little at a time she would come out and stay out for a bit. I think Babycakes peeking out at you is definitely progress! That is probably the type of progress you will see, veryyy slow and sometimes it feels like one step forward three steps back but you will get there! The other toy she liked when she was still under the furniture all the time was one of those track toys that has the little ball that rolls inside of it - we would hit that back and forth to each other. Those were the big ice breakers. My mama cat does not like when wand toys are held above her head like how you would typically play with one. She likes it when you scoot it around on the floor in front of her but she still gets freaked out if you hold it up high. I'm not sure if it was mentioned but the Cat Dancer is another toy that Ive had success with, its very simple but I keep it low to the floor and let the little thing on the end float around and she loves that I guess it looks like a bug or something.

Eventually she would eat in front of me and I would slowly move her bowl closer to me while she was eating and I would just sit there quietly. I started putting my hand down in a fist near the bowl and she will now eat even if her face is rubbing up against my fist while she is doing it. I also found treats that she really liked and I would give her one every time I entered the room after I had been out for a while so she would look at me as the treat dispenser instead of being so scared. She still wont take a treat directly from my fingers but if I am holding a treat she will tap my hand (claws in lol) and I think that means put that down so I can eat it.

As far as you jumping if they swat at you I think that is normal it definitely hurts to be scratched. I dont know your cats, but I would imagine they would be more afraid initially while approaching you especially if you are still. It is beneficial that you work in this room because they will have a lot of time to get used to you! I used those anti scratch gloves initially too but I found that mine were afraid of them and they ended up being better with my bare hands but of course you risk getting scratched.

As far as your hissy Maxi I know what you mean about that half-hearted type hiss. My baby girl was like that too when I first got her and she has since turned into the biggest mush lap cat! I know the mama cat will never become a lap cat like the others but it did take quite a few months for me to feel convinced that I wasnt torturing her by keeping her inside and that she was starting to enjoy her indoor life! Ive had her for about 2 years now and she is still making progress... she recently just started laying outside the bathroom watching me wash up like the other cats and coming in the living room to hang out on the carpet. She definitely warmed up to the other cats and even my dog more quickly than me, which I've read is common with cats like this, they sometimes bond with other animals more quickly than humans. Babycakes chose you for a reason she will come around!
 
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KodaBear

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Hi KodaBear! You had asked how long before I let my cats into the rest of the house after I brought them inside. After about two and a half months in their safe room, I opened the door, but blocked off the stairs so they couldn't go down and closed the other bedroom door so they only had access to the hallway and a bathroom. They were VERY hesitant to leave their room! The stray cat who was much braver did venture out for seconds at a time, then dashed back into his room. The semi-feral just peeked out the door but didn't leave. I continued to give them the opportunity to explore this small part of the house for a couple of weeks.

To make a long story short, I continued to let them out for short periods of time, gradually opening up more and more of the house, always keeping the basement door closed so they didn't disappear and get lost. I would shoo them back in their room (not hard to do since they usually ran back on their own) after a period of exploring and at nighttime. It took about three months for the whole house to be an option for them and for the door to their safe room to be left open all the time. So the total time from bringing them inside to letting them have the run of the house was about five months.
Dear Avery, I somehow missed your response to my earlier question, sorry!!

Iā€™m curious, when you opened up the safe room to allow your babies to explore the hallway and bathroom, what did you use to block them from entering other rooms? I suspect baby gates will not work because they can easily jump/climb over them. I found indoor cat screens on Amazon that can be taped on the door frame, but I wonder if theyā€™re really cat resistant screens. I bought one but havenā€™t installed it yet because my kitties are DEFINITELY not ready to explore other rooms of the house yet.

So it took five months for you? Thatā€™s amazing they felt so comfortable after a relatively short amount of time. I realize every cat will determine their own timeline to warm up and fully acclimate but I love reading about others experiences. Thank you!!
 

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ā€™m curious, when you opened up the safe room to allow your babies to explore the hallway and bathroom, what did you use to block them from entering other rooms? I suspect baby gates will not work because they can easily jump/climb over them. I found indoor cat screens on Amazon that can be taped on the door frame, but I wonder if theyā€™re really cat resistant screens. I bought one but havenā€™t installed it yet because my kitties are DEFINITELY not ready to explore other rooms of the house yet.
Take look at this thread on how one of members Jcatbird Jcatbird use vinyl lattice as cat screens.

Post #7280 of this thread :- My Feral And Rescued Cats
 
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KodaBear

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This is going to unfold VERY slowly. When you do finally let them out, don't move towards them. It's fine to sit on the floor and read out loud to them, or simply talk with them. If they get hissy or swatty, SLOWLY move out of range. Nothing fast, nothing loud.

Since you are removing things to give them more space, google "climbing shelves for cat." You'll find a ton of ways to enrich their environment, especially since Miss Babycakes (maybe I should call her "Mrs." since she has a family) seems to like a high perch.
Ahhhh, yes, I will move slowly and get out of their way if they feel threatened by me. I will not initiate engagement and will follow their lead. Iā€™m excited for this stage of the journey but am nervous at the same time.

I have another bookcase in the room that will remain. It looks like small cubbies with no backing so the cats will have that space to explore as well. I removed all books from that space and placed carriers in two of the cubbies on the bottom level for them to hide in. I have little cat beds in other cubbies of the book shelf for more opportunities to lounge. I also have an almost 6ft tall cat tower set up near my desk that they can play on. I looked up climbing shelves and wow, there are so many cute and creative ones to choose from! Thank you for the suggestion!!
 
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KodaBear

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Take look at this thread on how one of members Jcatbird Jcatbird use vinyl lattice as cat screens.

Post #7280 of this thread :- My Feral And Rescued Cats
Wow, brilliant idea! Iā€™ll be looking into vinyl lattice ā€œdoorsā€ when the time comes. And those adorable little faces peeking through the holesā€¦ oh my heartšŸ’—!
Thank you for sharing!
 

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To answer your question about what I used when my two outdoor cats were inside and ready to do a little bit of exploring, I'll try to keep this short! I love to MacGyver things and there are many ways to block cats from going where you don't want them to go! Here is what I did....

When they were first in their safe room, I used a baby gate at the door. I then added a tall barrier (I think about 5') that I made out of wire shelving units (super simple to make, info on the internet, taller sizes also usually available) and put that in a semi-circle around the outside of the gate, attached at either end to a door knob or stair railing with bungee cords. This way, I could unlatch one side of that tall wire barrier and go inside it, then open the baby gate without worrying that a cat would charge out. It can't hurt to also have a pillow or something to block the door as you enter.

To keep them from going downstairs, I bought two very tall (about 6'-7') white semi-flexible panels from Home Depot. I punched a few holes on the ends and used zip ties to attach these panels to the wire gate. The safe room was right at the top of the stairs so I could open one side of the wire gate with the panels attached and pull it around to block the stairs. When one of the cats figured out how to push past it, I piled heavy boxes on that end to hold the panel in place and block his way.

All of this sounds kind of crazy and is probably hard to picture, but it worked well and actually was kind of fun to figure out! Just wander around Home Depot for ideas!
 
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KodaBear

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To answer your question about what I used when my two outdoor cats were inside and ready to do a little bit of exploring, I'll try to keep this short! I love to MacGyver things and there are many ways to block cats from going where you don't want them to go! Here is what I did....

When they were first in their safe room, I used a baby gate at the door. I then added a tall barrier (I think about 5') that I made out of wire shelving units (super simple to make, info on the internet, taller sizes also usually available) and put that in a semi-circle around the outside of the gate, attached at either end to a door knob or stair railing with bungee cords. This way, I could unlatch one side of that tall wire barrier and go inside it, then open the baby gate without worrying that a cat would charge out. It can't hurt to also have a pillow or something to block the door as you enter.

To keep them from going downstairs, I bought two very tall (about 6'-7') white semi-flexible panels from Home Depot. I punched a few holes on the ends and used zip ties to attach these panels to the wire gate. The safe room was right at the top of the stairs so I could open one side of the wire gate with the panels attached and pull it around to block the stairs. When one of the cats figured out how to push past it, I piled heavy boxes on that end to hold the panel in place and block his way.

All of this sounds kind of crazy and is probably hard to picture, but it worked well and actually was kind of fun to figure out! Just wander around Home Depot for ideas!

Ahhh, so creative, thank you for sharing!! This is such a wonderful group, canā€™t thank you all enough for the ideas!

Babycakes is finally making more of an appearance when I enter the room. She hisses at me but will come out and eat in my presence. Sheā€™ll then retreat back in the cubby but thatā€™s okayā€¦baby, baby stepsšŸ¾šŸ¾
 
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KodaBear

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How are things going there? Any new advances? Steps back?
Hi! Thank you for checking in!!
The cats now have access to the entire room and they are loving it! I watch through the camera the babies running like little maniacs in circles around the Catio and all throughout the room chasing each other, playing with the toys, jumping up and down from the second cat tower (one is inside the Catio, one is outside it) to my desk to the open bookshelf to back into the Catio.

Babycakes (mama) is also exploring outside the Catio but is very cautious, even with the toys. She watches her babies play with the toys and is learning from them not to be afraid. She still hisses at me when Iā€™m nearby, so I ignore her and talk gently to her without staring. This evening, I was laying on the floor outside the Catio, she was in one of the cubbies inside the Catio, and she actually got up and scurried past my legs to join her babies in the room!

Cupcake, Babycakesā€™ lookalike, greets me when I enter the room, PURRING, RUBBING on me, allowing me to pet her head!! sheā€™s the most energetic of all three. In fact, omits 1:25am as Iā€™m writing this and I can hear her running around the room playing with the toy mice. Babycakes is currently sitting on MY desk chair, which Iā€™m thrilled about because Iā€™m hoping sheā€™s soaking in all of my scent. She usually sleeps in the Catio or in the corner of the room.
Maxi, the grey baby, loves baby food I feed them occasionally. Itā€™s the only way I am building a bond with her. She loves playing with the feather wand but she wonā€™t approach me, that is, unless Iā€™m on the floor feeding her baby food. She will then lay right next to me after feeding time is over. I still havenā€™t pet her because she hasnā€™t given me the okay sign to do.
Iā€™ve caught all three sleeping (separately) on my desk chair when Iā€™m not in the room, so that makes me happy. After their morning feeding, theyā€™ll play for a while and then sleep allllll afternoon, then like clockwork, by 5-6pm, theyā€™re up playing, running, chasing each other (the babies that is).

More good news is the babies are no longer afraid of Babycakes. No hissing or swatting at each other šŸ™ŒšŸ™Œ. I caught Babycakes and Maxi spooning last week during the their daytime nap.
Itā€™s 1:33am and Cupcake is still playing hard, throwing her mice up against the dooršŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø. Iā€™m in my bedroom a few feet away with my dogs and can hear the commotion loud and clear, BUT, the noise is not phasing my dogs at all. Theyā€™re here sleeping soundly šŸ™‚.

I will post again after I reach another milestone momentšŸ’•šŸ¾šŸ’•šŸ˜»
 
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KodaBear

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Hi! Thank you for checking in!!
The cats now have access to the entire room and they are loving it! I watch through the camera the babies running like little maniacs in circles around the Catio and all throughout the room chasing each other, playing with the toys, jumping up and down from the second cat tower (one is inside the Catio, one is outside it) to my desk to the open bookshelf to back into the Catio.

Babycakes (mama) is also exploring outside the Catio but is very cautious, even with the toys. She watches her babies play with them and is learning from them not to be afraid. She still hisses at me when Iā€™m nearby, so I ignore her and talk gently without staring. This evening, I was laying on the floor outside the Catio, she was in one of the cubbies inside the Catio, and she actually got up and scurried past my legs to join her babies in the room!

Cupcake, Babycakesā€™ lookalike, greets me when I enter the room, PURRING, RUBBING on me, allowing me to pet her head!! sheā€™s the most energetic of all three. In fact, itā€™s 1:25am as Iā€™m writing this and I can hear her running around the room playing with the toy mice.
Babycakes is currently sitting on MY desk chair, which Iā€™m thrilled about because Iā€™m hoping sheā€™s soaking in all of my scent. She usually sleeps in the Catio or in the corner of the room.

Maxi, the grey baby, loves the baby food I feed them occasionally. Itā€™s the only way I am building a bond with her. She loves playing with the feather wand but she wonā€™t approach me, that is, unless Iā€™m on the floor feeding her baby food. She will then lay right next to me after feeding time is over. I still havenā€™t pet her because she hasnā€™t given me the okay sign to do so.

Iā€™ve caught all three sleeping (separately) on my desk chair when Iā€™m not in the room, so that makes me happy. After their morning feeding, theyā€™ll play for a while and then sleep allllll afternoon, then like clockwork, by 5-6pm, theyā€™re up playing, running, chasing each other (the babies that is).

More good news is the babies are no longer afraid of Babycakes. No hissing or swatting at each other šŸ™ŒšŸ™Œ. I caught Babycakes and Maxi spooning last week during their daytime nap.

Itā€™s 1:33am and Cupcake is still playing hard, throwing her mice up against the dooršŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø and chasing Maxi around the room. Iā€™m in my bedroom a few feet away with my dogs and can hear the commotion loud and clear, BUT, the noise is not phasing my dogs at all. Theyā€™re here sleeping soundly šŸ™‚.

I will post again after I reach another milestone momentšŸ’•šŸ¾šŸ’•šŸ˜»
**excuse the grammatical errorsšŸ«£! I wish there was an edit option šŸ˜•
 
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Mamanyt1953

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Wonderful news! Everything is moving forward beautifully!

Oh, and you should get an edit button shortly. It pops up after you've been a member for a set time, and have made a certain number of posts, neither of which, I am ashamed to say, I can remember, or find! I know the info is on here somewhere!
 
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Wonderful news! Everything is moving forward beautifully!

Oh, and you should get an edit button shortly. It pops up after you've been a member for a set time, and have made a certain number of posts, neither of which, I am ashamed to say, I can remember, or find! I know the info is on here somewhere!
Yes, things are progressing beautifully thanks in large part to the support I found herešŸ’•šŸ˜»! Itā€™s 2am and the babies are finally sleepingā€¦yayyyy, lol!

And thank you for the info regarding the edit buttonšŸ™ƒ
 
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KodaBear

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Yes, things are progressing beautifully thanks in large part to the support I found herešŸ’•šŸ˜»! Itā€™s 2am and the babies are finally sleepingā€¦yayyyy, lol!

And thank you for the info regarding the edit buttonšŸ™ƒ
I just found the edit buttonšŸ™ŒšŸ™Œ
 

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More good news is the babies are no longer afraid of Babycakes. No hissing or swatting at each other šŸ™ŒšŸ™Œ. I caught Babycakes and Maxi spooning last week during the their daytime nap.
Itā€™s 1:33am and Cupcake is still playing hard, throwing her mice up against the dooršŸ¤¦šŸ½ā€ā™€ļø. Iā€™m in my bedroom a few feet away with my dogs and can hear the commotion loud and clear, BUT, the noise is not phasing my dogs at all. Theyā€™re here sleeping soundly šŸ™‚.
IMG_3321.GIF
 
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