Feral Advice

[angela15]

Another positive evening and morning I believe!

Yesterday we left the crate door for as long as possible while we were home. We left her alone for most of the time so I am not entirely sure if she came out on her own.

We played a bit and fed her dinner. She sniffed around the room for a bit and sniffed my husband and I. After she ate, I spent some time in the room doing some school work but she slept in her carrier the whole time.

This morning after I fed her breakfast she sniffed around the room some more. At one point she hopped up onto the small nightstand we have and looked out the window. She didn't make any attempts to try and escape, just sort of peeked out.

This weekend we will have more time to let her out/ spend time with her in the room. I am hoping we will feel confident enough to let her try being out of the crate for the night.

A good amount of grooming happening over the past couple of days after we feed her.. all over her body and including her belly, but she doesn't seem to be spending a longer amount of time on her belly than other areas. Am I in the clear as far as monitoring her for excessive licking near her incision area?

 

[shadowsrescue]

Wonderful news!! She is really progressing nicely. Keep up the good work! Also keep the updates coming!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Not much to say other than GOOD JOB! As for the incision, since she isn't grooming obsessively there, you're probably in the clear. Just keep a bit of an eye out for a few more days. I'm NOT expecting anything to change, though. I'm just cautious.

 

[dustydiamond1]

I suggest moving her food dish further away from her litter box and putting several fleece or soft small rugs, towels or blankets on the floor, on the bed and in her crate for her to snuggle in and on. You are doing a great job sticking by this dear girl?

Meant exclaminition mark not question mark

 

[Mamanyt1953]

LOL, good to know someone else does stuff like that!

 

[angela15]

A pretty good weekend overall I believe.

We have been leaving her crate door open for longer amounts of time so that she can explore the room. She seems to want to explore most after breakfast.

Added the feliway diffused and a cat condo to her room. Also giving her the composure treats.

Sunday we left the crate door open all day long. After breakfast she sniffed different parts of the room and even climbed up into the cat condo for a minute. After that, I don't really think she came out very much, but we did give her the option to. She didn't eat any of the kibble I left scattered in different parents of the room. Whenever I checked on her she was sleeping in the carrier. She did look a lot more relaxed, always sprawled out in the carrier and once she even slept with her back to the door which was a first.

This morning before I left for work I also left the cage door open. She ate some of her breakfast and then began to walk around the room. She looked up at the window and cried for a little bit. It was so sad. I know that she is safe, dry, and warm inside of the house but I know she doesn't understand that of course.

We will see what I go home to this evening!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Fingers crossed all goes well for her today. The weekend seemed to be pretty smooth sailing. Let us know how she does today.

 

[dustydiamond1]

A pretty good weekend overall I believe.

We have been leaving her crate door open for longer amounts of time so that she can explore the room. She seems to want to explore most after breakfast.

Added the feliway diffused and a cat condo to her room. Also giving her the composure treats.

Sunday we left the crate door open all day long. After breakfast she sniffed different parts of the room and even climbed up into the cat condo for a minute. After that, I don't really think she came out very much, but we did give her the option to. She didn't eat any of the kibble I left scattered in different parents of the room. Whenever I checked on her she was sleeping in the carrier. She did look a lot more relaxed, always sprawled out in the carrier and once she even slept with her back to the door which was a first.

This morning before I left for work I also left the cage door open. She ate some of her breakfast and then began to walk around the room. She looked up at the window and cried for a little bit. It was so sad. I know that she is safe, dry, and warm inside of the house but I know she doesn't understand that of course.

We will see what I go home to this evening!

Try to distract her with food or a toy when she cries at the window. Gypsy is the neighborhoods ex-stray. She will chitter at the birds and squirrels outside when she watches from one of the several window perches she has. She use to mew at the back door but we would just leave the kitchen. Now she only mouths to get out when she has her harness on and her hooman's are moving too slow to get the door open to go for walkies
You three are doing fantastic

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Yes, to every bit of dustydiamond1 's post!

 

[angela15]

She was an angel all day! Didn’t mess the room a bit.
Wish i knew if she came out at all. Kibble is still where i left it so not sure.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

She'll get there. She's making the first small steps.

 

[angela15]

Another good day/evening. When we fed her dinner, she came out and used the scratching post on the cat condo! She also came out of the carrier to supervise as my husband cleaned out her litter box. It was funny to watch her watch him. She also used the second litter box that we added to the room yesterday for the first time.

Left her home again today with the crate door open. She ate breakfast this morning, had a composure treat, and snuggled back up in the carrier. I left classical music playing right outside of the door and the feliway is plugged in.

I still have paper over the windows. Should I take this down so that she can see outside? Yesterday she cried a bit in the morning after her breakfast as she looked out the window (she couldn't see outside though because the paper was covering the window). Not sure if it would make her more calm or anxious to be able to see outside. I know it is going to take awhile for her not to "want" to be outside.

I also feel bad that there isn't anything at the bottom of the carrier. When we brought her home from the vet there was a soft towel at the bottom, but since then it had been nudged out to the point where it was out completely. When I tried to put a towel at the bottom of the front of the carrier the other day I got a hiss (I get it, I was in her space). Today I tried to add a towel to the cage in front of the carrier and got the same response. I just feel bad that she is laying on the carrier floor instead of something soft. I did scatter some towels around the room, but she doesn't appear to lay on them (I leave a treat or two so I am assuming she would have eaten it). But I guess the carrier is better than the cold/wet floor outdoors!

 

[dustydiamond1]

You tried, sometimes there is no fathoming the feline mind. Maybe she associates something soft in her carrier with the vet. As you said she is much safer and comfortable inside than out. I'm not sure about the papers over the windows. If there is a place for her to widowperch maybe she will realize it's colder out there. You are all doing great, would love to see a picture of her supervising dad cleaning the litter box

Gypsy commandeered our paper-sorting box. She doesn't want anything soft in it, just bare box. She does however need a soft paw rest...

 

[shadowsrescue]

You could start by taking 1/2 of the paper off and see how she does. If she seems ok with 1/2 then you can remove the rest.

She is doing so well!!

 

[angela15]

You could start by taking 1/2 of the paper off and see how she does. If she seems ok with 1/2 then you can remove the rest.

She is doing so well!!

I can do that! Should I start with taking off from the top or the bottom?

 

[shadowsrescue]

I don't think it really matters. You want her to be able to get a partial look at the outside and then you can see how she reacts. If she is agitated by it, then just cover it back up. If after 5 days or so she seems fine, then remove the rest.

I have had to put up paper, take it down and then put it back up again.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I just feel bad that she is laying on the carrier floor instead of something soft.

But she is lying where she chose. You have to remember that. Make soft beds available, but...this is a new thing for her. She's accustomed to sleeping rough. Right now, just indoors is probably as much as she can handle.

 

[angela15]

Good Morning everyone,

We are continuing to make progress each day. Cat now quickly comes out of the carrier when we enter the room with her bowl or a treat. She spent a good amount of time playing with her feather toy last night. She seems to enjoy using the scratching post part of the cat condo. Sometimes if we are sitting in the room with her and we scratch on it, she will come over and scratch too.

Still leaving kibble around the room when we leave for the day. Most of it usually isn't eaten so I'm not sure if she is coming out during the day or not.

We are on a good track I believe! Maybe we will try a night with the crate door open soon.

The paper flew off the windows because of the wind so that made my decision for me! I was so happy knowing she was inside last night because temperatures dipped into the 30s last night.

 

[shadowsrescue]

Great news! So glad she is safe and sound inside with her new family.

 

[angela15]

Food question..

I would like to give Cat a better quality food.. One that will be better for her but also won't break the bank.. Since we began feeding her outside she has had Kit and Kaboodle (no judgement, please).

I've been doing a bit of research and have narrowed it down to the following:

Blue Buffalo Freedom Grain Free Kitten
Whole Hearted Grain Free Chicken (Kitten)
Wellness CORE Grain Free Kitten
Merrick Backcountry Grain Free Raw Infused Kitten

If anyone has any experiences with any of the above I would love to hear it. I have read that limiting grains is ideal, but have also read that too much protein could also be bad so I am a bit confused!