Hi,
I am so thrilled to have found this site! I got my first kitty when I was 12 and have been a "cat person" ever since. My husband and I got our first kitty together pretty much the day we got off the plane from our honeymoon almost 25 years ago. After we adopted Kirby, a few years later we rescued Duchess. Kirby lived to be 16, and we just had to put my beloved 18 year old Duchess to rest last month.
My husband reminded me that we had never been without a cat, and it was lonely without Duchess. I decided to adopt/rescue again and 2 weeks ago brother and sister, Max and Ruby were coming home to live with me! They have brought such joy to us in this short time! They do have some issues, though. I would love any advice.
They were discovered abandoned at about 2 months old. The foster mom worked to socialize the pair, and Max is doing wonderfully. Ruby is still very timid and scared. The shelter would only adopt them out together and considered them a special case since they felt Ruby would not do well on her own.
I am definitely up for the challenge, but I have a few road blocks: I am finding that having Max around does give Ruby a little more confidence, but he also interferes when I am trying to work with Ruby to trust me. If I give them a treat, he will eat his quickly and then go after Ruby to eat hers. I give them each a bowl at meal time and he will stop eating out of his to push her out and eat hers.
He has held her down to groom her, and in the event she feels brave enough to sit at the top perch of the scratching post, he will climb up and knock her down. Max is a great kitty; he also has been encouraging her to run around and play.
Sorry so long! I love these guys and want to help her out of her shell. I am open to any advice. Thank you in advance.
Lola
I am so thrilled to have found this site! I got my first kitty when I was 12 and have been a "cat person" ever since. My husband and I got our first kitty together pretty much the day we got off the plane from our honeymoon almost 25 years ago. After we adopted Kirby, a few years later we rescued Duchess. Kirby lived to be 16, and we just had to put my beloved 18 year old Duchess to rest last month.
My husband reminded me that we had never been without a cat, and it was lonely without Duchess. I decided to adopt/rescue again and 2 weeks ago brother and sister, Max and Ruby were coming home to live with me! They have brought such joy to us in this short time! They do have some issues, though. I would love any advice.
They were discovered abandoned at about 2 months old. The foster mom worked to socialize the pair, and Max is doing wonderfully. Ruby is still very timid and scared. The shelter would only adopt them out together and considered them a special case since they felt Ruby would not do well on her own.
I am definitely up for the challenge, but I have a few road blocks: I am finding that having Max around does give Ruby a little more confidence, but he also interferes when I am trying to work with Ruby to trust me. If I give them a treat, he will eat his quickly and then go after Ruby to eat hers. I give them each a bowl at meal time and he will stop eating out of his to push her out and eat hers.
He has held her down to groom her, and in the event she feels brave enough to sit at the top perch of the scratching post, he will climb up and knock her down. Max is a great kitty; he also has been encouraging her to run around and play.
Sorry so long! I love these guys and want to help her out of her shell. I am open to any advice. Thank you in advance.
Lola