Feral Momma Trouble Adjusting

[kittylove14]

Mommas coming home. it's bittersweet. i just want what's best for her. can't wait to spoil her. yes it is more stress for the clan but i do think they can handle it. going to brush and treat her for fleas JIC if she can let me handle her. sad it didn't work out but there is always room in my heart for her.

 

[ondine]

Looks like Momma has found her home - with you!

We are all "failed fosters" here and lately, I've been wearing that title with honor.  Without us, many, many cats would be suffering and that is unacceptable.

It will take hard work but she'll adjust and soon be part of your household.

 

[kittylove14]

thanks yes she will. she's a sweet girl underneath it all and even though the kiddos bug her she was starting to participate in clan activities. so, she is coming back and is safe and not outside and not at the pound [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[kittylove14]

she has been back with me now for half a day after three months at her rehome... and she climbed up on the bed and rubbed my face and licked my face! she has never done that ever.
momma clearly missed me and i believe is thanking me for bringing her home!

i am overjoyed that we have not taken steps backwards and will probably only go forward from here.
Just sharing that all of my hard work with her in those first months together has been very rewarding and i encourage everyone with feral or semi feral not to give up

 

[kittylove14]

Having a bad time of it with momma.
At first Sahara screamed and growled at momma
But now it is mookie. he lashed out at me three times. he is internally agitated by momma. he tore through a box of treats and is exhibiting aggression he doesn't have.
momma is getting bold. she starts to sleep with me and follow me which insenses the whole gang. my girl bear and mookie sleep with me, and now momma kicks bear off the bed mookie won't come up and my girl and her go toe to toe.
i am at my wits end. there is no peace anymore.
my husband says stop interfering let them do their thing -well i just want to shut everyone out --this better be over with soon if not momma may find herself looking for a new home and it's not even entirely her fault. she gets cranky but she doesn't throw her weight around mookie does. mind you-- mookie bear and sahara are all her babies does it matter? no.

 

[kittylove14]

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• kittylove14
• Mar 22, 2017

IMG_6188.JPG

• kittylove14
• Mar 22, 2017

 

[kittylove14]

Made it through the night. caught mookie up on the counter eating food i was warming for them~~i think he is just displaying his dominance. Momma is "high" today -on the window sills for example being very confident. i worry a lot about the clan maybe more than the clan worries about its members! adjustment is hard pray for THIS momma- me!

 

[ondine]

Prayers and vibes coming your way.  It is really like starting over again, so slow introductions may be the best approach.  Getting up high is their way of feeling safe.  I bet if you add a new cat tree somewhere, it will ease the tensions a bit.  We have seven trees for seven cats  They play "musical trees" sometimes but I've notice each of them has a favorite.

 

[kittylove14]

just added two and even though momma isn't using them, the others are and it's helped the kitties space out. today was a much much better day between them. sigh of relief, thanks for the positive thoughts

 

[ondine]

 

[kittylove14]

long story short momma sliced her paw open by accident on corningware and is now residing in the guest room again until her sutures heal. everyone is very happy she is secluded. she is in love with me and we cuddle in the guest room. she was in the cone of shame for a bit and when i took it off she was all over me. she even let my significant other pet her while she was in the cone. i think she knows i saved her (again)
there was blood everywhere i cried like a crazy person and rushed her into the vet- she wouldn't let me put pressure on it so it made me feel very helpless. it has been quite an ordeal. at least the vet this time didn't look at me when she saw the estimate and say "do you plan on keeping her?" like she did when baby bear got sick. she chose me and for better or worse she's mine.

 

[ondine]

Wow, what an ordeal.  So glad Momma is better.  This may be a golden opportunity for her to make the final adjustment to inside life.

 

[kittylove14]

Wow, what an ordeal.  So glad Momma is better.  This may be a golden opportunity for her to make the final adjustment to inside life.

she has been as my so says leaps and bounds. she slept with my so last night and let me sleep with the rest of my babies. she's really a good girl. this week we are going to try and break her of using her litterbox on the main and put the whole contraption downstairs for her. fingers crossed. we might shut them all down there for a bit to let them work it out. it's a territory thing. i wish she just fit in.

 

[ondine]

Sooner or later, she will, even if she just learns to co-exist with the others.  My cats are all like that.  No one really likes anyone else but they tolerate each other.

I have Feliway Multi-Cats in every room and it really helps.

Can't remember if everyone is fixed?  If not, get that done ASAP.

You're right, too.  They do chose their humans!  You must have done something right - she chose you!

 

[kittylove14]

we are at our wits end with momma and are looking to rehome again. i contacted the rescue group who told me to return her to the wild. i emailed them back that at this point i cannot do that. they basically told me that they have 30 unadoptable cats in her situation that are living with them probably forever. that doesn't help me. i do all this good for this colony and basically these people tell me "sorry we're full" when it comes down to it.
so i'm back to, what have i really done for momma?
prevented new litters yes but her QOL or life itself is up for debate right now. should i rehome her it wouldn't be long until she ends up in the pound and therefore euthanized.
feeling defeated.

 

[shadowsrescue]

So what is the major issue? Cats that have lived outside for long periods or former feral cats can take a very very long time to adjust to inside living. I have brought two inside to live with my clan. The first one took a solid year to adjust. It was very difficult. But in the end it was so worth it. He is just the sweetest kitty. He had his own room for that entire year. It all can take a very very long time. Please do not let her back outside.

 

[kittylove14]

well i feel we needed to hit rock bottom as a family to make any progress. two main issues prompted our rock bottom- momma slit her paw open after knocking down a corningware and a failed attempt at getting her to toilet along with the rest of the clan.

$600 and a lot of heartache later,
momma is adjusting again, and the in-fighting has been dare i say minimal. i had to kick them all out of my bedroom last night for just plain being annoying. my SO thinks she has been playing with her one child, who she also cleans, and was out in the woods the longest with. She would like to clean my Girl- she sits next to her and tries to lick her legs and tail. maybe in time but right now Girl isn't having it and hisses and gets up. All very tolerable behaviors and i'm happy to report we are doing the best we can be at this point. Fingers crossed!

 

[kittylove14]

momma

 

[ondine]

So glad you stuck with it. Thank you for this good news.

Blessings on you all!