- Joined
- Feb 1, 2018
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- 22
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I work at Olive Garden (Italian eatery) and have a Fogo de Chao (Brazilian steakhouse) right next door to us. Our area has a feral cat colony, and a few of them were being fed regularly by employees at the steakhouse next door. However, just before Christmas, they had a kitchen fire and their doors have been closed for repairs and renovations ever since.
At that time, a young, beautiful short-haired black cat (1 1/2 years old, I remember when she was a kitten) started coming around to the front door of our restaurant asking for food. She had no qualms about making her presence known and, though somewhat skittish around people, she is a very sociable kitty.
"I don't like cats," has always been my motto, but Buster did something to me. I started feeding her and building her shelters for the cold, and she would just melt my heart more each day. She had no qualms about rubbing up on me and letting me pet her, pick her up, and just hang out with her at any time, singling me out from any group of people even if someone else was offering her food.
So, just a couple days ago, I took her home and gave her my bedroom that I don't use. She was naturally frightened at first but has since become an imprinted duckling at my feet wherever I go (it's a battle trying to walk around the apartment with her rubbing, bunting, and kneading at me). Yesterday, I took her to the vet for a check-up, vaccines, microchip, and preventative medicines, and the doctor gave her a clean bill of health to my relief.
That said, I am still concerned about her reluctance to eat. She would devour a grilled chicken breast like a starving dog before I picked her up, but now she is reluctant to eat anything even if I mix piece of chicken breast into her food (I have been trying different flavors of dry and wet foods). Her room is hers alone and she only wants to eat after a good 30 minute or so petting session, if even then. Thankfully, she is drinking plenty, but I want to make sure she isn't malnourished. I understand that it takes a couple days after bring them indoors for a feral or stay to begin eating again, but it has been 4 days and she only eaten 3 times since.
Is there anything I can do? I love my baby so much and am worried, but don't know cats well yet. I am reading up everything I can find but feel like I can't let this go on another day without blowing a blood vessel from worrying so much. Please help! Anyone!
At that time, a young, beautiful short-haired black cat (1 1/2 years old, I remember when she was a kitten) started coming around to the front door of our restaurant asking for food. She had no qualms about making her presence known and, though somewhat skittish around people, she is a very sociable kitty.
"I don't like cats," has always been my motto, but Buster did something to me. I started feeding her and building her shelters for the cold, and she would just melt my heart more each day. She had no qualms about rubbing up on me and letting me pet her, pick her up, and just hang out with her at any time, singling me out from any group of people even if someone else was offering her food.
So, just a couple days ago, I took her home and gave her my bedroom that I don't use. She was naturally frightened at first but has since become an imprinted duckling at my feet wherever I go (it's a battle trying to walk around the apartment with her rubbing, bunting, and kneading at me). Yesterday, I took her to the vet for a check-up, vaccines, microchip, and preventative medicines, and the doctor gave her a clean bill of health to my relief.
That said, I am still concerned about her reluctance to eat. She would devour a grilled chicken breast like a starving dog before I picked her up, but now she is reluctant to eat anything even if I mix piece of chicken breast into her food (I have been trying different flavors of dry and wet foods). Her room is hers alone and she only wants to eat after a good 30 minute or so petting session, if even then. Thankfully, she is drinking plenty, but I want to make sure she isn't malnourished. I understand that it takes a couple days after bring them indoors for a feral or stay to begin eating again, but it has been 4 days and she only eaten 3 times since.
Is there anything I can do? I love my baby so much and am worried, but don't know cats well yet. I am reading up everything I can find but feel like I can't let this go on another day without blowing a blood vessel from worrying so much. Please help! Anyone!