Feral in my garage

[Bitsy's Mom]

Hi -

My girl left yesterday. It was so hard. I had to give her drugs starting at 6 am to keep her sedated since she was fear-aggressive with strangers. Anyway, my other dog Benny was blocking the vet from me and my girl and it was so sad. She lay on her bed in the living room and passed at home. She's gone now and the house is so quiet. She was a black 80 lb German Shepherd whom I adopted. If you go to ILSAABLE at youtube - you can see her videos and her licking my newly adopted black kitty Bitsy who is now 11. Anyway, I am glad i have my little buddy in the shed to talk to - even though I never see him.

My two indoor cats and my other dog are totally subdued. Totally. The house feels really empty and I feel empty too.

 

[shadowsrescue]

She was a beautiful girl. Losing a beloved pet is so very hard. Grief takes time. I am sure your other animals will miss her too.

Thinking of you and sending you healing energy.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hi -

My girl left yesterday. It was so hard. I had to give her drugs starting at 6 am to keep her sedated since she was fear-aggressive with strangers. Anyway, my other dog Benny was blocking the vet from me and my girl and it was so sad. She lay on her bed in the living room and passed at home. She's gone now and the house is so quiet. She was a black 80 lb German Shepherd whom I adopted. If you go to ILSAABLE at youtube - you can see her videos and her licking my newly adopted black kitty Bitsy who is now 11. Anyway, I am glad i have my little buddy in the shed to talk to - even though I never see him.

My two indoor cats and my other dog are totally subdued. Totally. The house feels really empty and I feel empty too.

We are "still" in deep grief for ourselves over losing our beloved Suha on June 26th. I can't believe it has been a month. Time is never linear for me, and when we have a loss, it just stops.
I empathize so much. Take it as slowly and easily as it's possible for you to do in this frenetic time; staying busy, though, is a way of coping that I have to utilize as I have PTSD and it doesn't help to have time to sit and think.
Hard to know what the "right answer" is; but very glad your furmily is there with you.

 

[pearl99]

Rest well, Ilsa. I'm so sorry. I do still miss my dog we lost when I was 10 years old. It lessens but stays. I'm happy that Oscar is there with you.

 

[tabbytom]

Hi -

My girl left yesterday. It was so hard. I had to give her drugs starting at 6 am to keep her sedated since she was fear-aggressive with strangers. Anyway, my other dog Benny was blocking the vet from me and my girl and it was so sad. She lay on her bed in the living room and passed at home. She's gone now and the house is so quiet. She was a black 80 lb German Shepherd whom I adopted. If you go to ILSAABLE at youtube - you can see her videos and her licking my newly adopted black kitty Bitsy who is now 11. Anyway, I am glad i have my little buddy in the shed to talk to - even though I never see him.

My two indoor cats and my other dog are totally subdued. Totally. The house feels really empty and I feel empty too.

Hugs for you

 

[Norachan]

I'm sorry to hear about your dog Bitsy's Mom

 

[rubysmama]

Ilsa was really beautiful. RIP sweetie.

Hugs to you, Bitsy's Mom .
I hope your other pets, plus that little black panther in the luxurious kitty shed will help heal your broken heart.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your sweet notes regarding the passing of my girl. It's been really sad here.

Despite the fact that I have two indoor cats and another 70 lb dog, the energy in the house feels so empty. It is amazing how much soul and energy these sweet companions bring. Also, it's soooo quiet. You wouldn't know there was anyone or any other animal in the house. The cats are usually busy and wake me in the morning, and they are silent. My other dog, whom I adopted when Ilsa was already here, is lethargic as well.


As for my mini-panther Oscar, of course he has to worry me. He only ate one can last night and left the other two . . .so I worry. Hopefully he is fine. And, when the Vet was here on Wednesday - she said she would try to get the name of a handyman for me so I could fix the opening.

Fingers crossed my little dude out in the shed is doing OK in his penthouse apartment.

 

[shadowsrescue]

I remember the silence in the house after the passing of a dog. My girl left me 4 years ago and the silence was maddening. I still had 6 cats, but none of them made a sound for weeks. My crying was the only sound. Grief is so hard but a necessary process. Take the time to grieve and know your other animals are grieving too.

There is a chance Oscar is slowing down on his food needs. Since he's not active, he shouldn't be needing so much food. When you say 3 cans, are you talking 3 oz or 5 oz? I would imagine he only needs 1-1.5 cans be day. At first it is best to allow them to eat as much as needed. Now that he is settling it might be his way of saying he doesn't need so much food. Are you still seeing him on the camera?

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

I remember the silence in the house after the passing of a dog. My girl left me 4 years ago and the silence was maddening. I still had 6 cats, but none of them made a sound for weeks. My crying was the only sound. Grief is so hard but a necessary process. Take the time to grieve and know your other animals are grieving too.

There is a chance Oscar is slowing down on his food needs. Since he's not active, he shouldn't be needing so much food. When you say 3 cans, are you talking 3 oz or 5 oz? I would imagine he only needs 1-1.5 cans be day. At first it is best to allow them to eat as much as needed. Now that he is settling it might be his way of saying he doesn't need so much food. Are you still seeing him on the camera?

Last night I saw him come down for about 5 minutes. He came down the left side ramp and past the opening - and ate one small can (I put 3 small down) and a tiny hit of dry - and then headed up the right side. That was it.

The camera doesn’t always pick him up but there was poop in the litter box.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

Update - not sure if this is a big deal or not but I was in there as usual and I saw a little head pop up over the side rail of the loft. Oscar peeked at me! I looked up at him a couple of times and talked to him and then left. I know you’re not supposed to stare but I wanted to look at his eyes quickly so that I he saw that I saw him and didn’t do anything. He was still safe.

then I left.

is that right?

 

[Norachan]

That sounds like great progress! He obviously feels confident enough to let you see he is there. If he looks at you make sure you do a long, slow eye blink as you talk to him. If you do that a few times they'll usually relax and sometimes even blink back.

My cats eat a lot less in the summer than they do in the winter. I think the amount of food they need is less in the summer as they don't burn off so many calories trying to keep warm

 

[rubysmama]

Update - not sure if this is a big deal or not but I was in there as usual and I saw a little head pop up over the side rail of the loft. Oscar peeked at me!

I would say that's a super BIG deal !!!!

Definitely do the slow blink at him. And talk softly. Tell him how sad you are about Isla. Cats can sense when we're sad, and he might find he wants to comfort you, in whatever way he can. He's a sweet boy, and just these tiny changes from how he was at your old place, makes me think he finally getting comfortable enough to let you know he loves you.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

I would say that's a super BIG deal !!!!

Definitely do the slow blink at him. And talk softly. Tell him how sad you are about Isla. Cats can sense when we're sad, and he might find he wants to comfort you, in whatever way he can. He's a sweet boy, and just these tiny changes from how he was at your old place, makes me think he finally getting comfortable enough to let you know he loves you.

Don't make me cry . .. even more than I have been! I don't think he loves me . . . and I worry about that effing open hole in the soffit. Waiting for vet to get back to me with handyman.

I am glad that it is a big deal that after 3 week . . he popped up his head. I saw these two black ears suddenly and I almost fainted. Then slowly . . . the tops of two eyes. All I could think of was that I needed some suspense music playing!! It was like slow motion!

 

[rubysmama]

But he didn't growl or hiss at you, right? I think that means he was waiting for you to come visit.

 

[Bitsy's Mom]

But he didn't growl or hiss at you, right? I think that means he was waiting for you to come visit.

He never growls or hisses when he is a good distance away. And he was up in his penthouse looking down at me. So no, not like when I would approach him on ground level with his food outside . . then he would hiss.

 

[rubysmama]

I know you've still got a lot on your plate, but just try to spend a little more time with him each day, so he gets used to you being around. And then once you open up the catio, he'll be able to watch you when you're outside working in the yard.

I think the move has changed his mindset a little bit, which is a good thing. Try to keep seeing the paws-itives.

 

[tabbytom]

Update - not sure if this is a big deal or not but I was in there as usual and I saw a little head pop up over the side rail of the loft. Oscar peeked at me! I looked up at him a couple of times and talked to him and then left. I know you’re not supposed to stare but I wanted to look at his eyes quickly so that I he saw that I saw him and didn’t do anything. He was still safe.

then I left.

is that right?

He's registering you. It's good sign

 

[tarasgirl06]

Such a good sign! Yes, the slow blinks are the "cat 'I Love You'" and he will definitely know what you are saying to him when you do this. When he responds in kind, you KNOW you're making great progress in gaining his trust.
Every loss leaves a void in our environment and in us. Our house is always very empty after a loved one leaves us, and as cats are extremely intuitive and sensitive, they know and grieve, too. We miss our beloved Suha so much. She left us on 26 June. I can't wrap my mind around the fact that it's been a month and 3 days already. It seems like a minute ago. I guess being sick has helped, in that way, to disperse some of the pain and put attention on getting well.
It's always been helpful to me to stay busy doing positive things -- giving love and care to my loved ones who are with me, working, etc. Grieving is necessary! but for me anyway, it has to be combined with the positive things to keep me going and "here" for my loved ones who ARE here.
I agree about the food. It's summer; Oscar is feeling much more food-secure; and he is not being as active as he would have had to be outside. His intake will stabilize as time goes on. As long as he is eating something, drinking, and eliminating, it's all good. He may settle down to 2 small cans a day. That would be kind of ideal for an adult male cat. Elvis eats less; he's 14, though, and not as active as Oscar probably is.

 

[pearl99]

My 4 cats are all eating less too. I worried at first then remembered it is summer. And Oscar was very hungry when you trapped home most likely and then didn’t eat at first in the shed. So, I also think he likely ate a lot at first and is now slowing.
That’s so cool he popped up at you!! That’s a great sign!