- Joined
- Apr 5, 2012
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It's been a rought trip for the little one. She was taken from a hoarding situation where there were 20 or so cats, and didn't handle the shelter well. she hid in back of her cage, and bit (not badly, more defensively) staff who tried to socialize her. One male member was having luck, but when we dropped in back in November to see if they needed volunteers, we were asked to foster her. They said that she needed to be socialized before she was adoptable. So we talked it over with the family, and my son agreed to lend his room to her as a 'safe room. She took over his closet, and we set it up the same as her cage had been. There were some trouble between her and my eldest daughter, but they had a hissing contest and came to an 'understanding'..now they get along great. Also, she bit my nailclippers while I was cutting her claws and broke a fang. But it's not bad and the vet cleared her health-wise.
It wasn't long...maybe 4-5 days before Matt, our resident cat barged into the room and decided to meet her. He hissed, growled and was brought out of the room. This happened about once a day for a week(Matt can open doors) before he decided to make nice, and then he was confused when it took her another week to make friends with him lol! She made friends with Midnight before the end of the second week, though, as he's young, and let her boss him around. Here they are playing on the tower in the safe room while I watched. I always made a point to give treats in the back of the house, so as to include Helen, and I always took the boys away with me after we were done...so she learned quickly that the room was her refuge, but was in their house.
Once Helen started showing signs that she didn't like the closed door, I would leave it open for her to look around. bit by bit she began to creep out and explore. Soon she got brave enough to come out and about, but ran for her room at the slightest noise. Now she's friendly, talkative, and plays with the boys like she owns the place. Sometimes having three cats makes one feel left out-Helen likes to give her attention to only one at a time, but Matt likes having peace and quiet now that Midnight's pouncing Helen and not him
and she loves to snuggle up to him and enjoy mutual bathing or a good long nap in his arms.
So as we come to the end of our three month fostering period, I am coming to the conclusion that Little Helen is a "failed foster"..........and I need to come up with the adoption fee rather than send her back to the shelter
I don't think that the boys will be very happy if I send her back, and we like having her around. Even if she is a loudmouthed, gluttonous pushylady at mealtimes
She's also a thief and hoards things in places that I have yet to find...including my daughter's USB tht she needed for school....so we will have to buy lockboxes
It wasn't long...maybe 4-5 days before Matt, our resident cat barged into the room and decided to meet her. He hissed, growled and was brought out of the room. This happened about once a day for a week(Matt can open doors) before he decided to make nice, and then he was confused when it took her another week to make friends with him lol! She made friends with Midnight before the end of the second week, though, as he's young, and let her boss him around. Here they are playing on the tower in the safe room while I watched. I always made a point to give treats in the back of the house, so as to include Helen, and I always took the boys away with me after we were done...so she learned quickly that the room was her refuge, but was in their house.
Once Helen started showing signs that she didn't like the closed door, I would leave it open for her to look around. bit by bit she began to creep out and explore. Soon she got brave enough to come out and about, but ran for her room at the slightest noise. Now she's friendly, talkative, and plays with the boys like she owns the place. Sometimes having three cats makes one feel left out-Helen likes to give her attention to only one at a time, but Matt likes having peace and quiet now that Midnight's pouncing Helen and not him
and she loves to snuggle up to him and enjoy mutual bathing or a good long nap in his arms.
So as we come to the end of our three month fostering period, I am coming to the conclusion that Little Helen is a "failed foster"..........and I need to come up with the adoption fee rather than send her back to the shelter
I don't think that the boys will be very happy if I send her back, and we like having her around. Even if she is a loudmouthed, gluttonous pushylady at mealtimes
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