Some of you have followed my story in the ferals and pregnant cat forums and those who have offered advice have been lifesavers for me so now I'm hoping someone can offer me some guidance on this matter. Please forgive the recap if you already were following the other threads of mine..
1. Henryetta was apparently abandoned by people I didn't know who lived across the street when they abandoned their house last November, and yet they took their dachshunds. I noticed her hanging out on the driveway for a while and then wandering into my backyard so I began feeding her outside in December. It took a few weeks before she was somewhat comfortable with me but eventually she was and would come to me when I called or if she heard me outside since she seemed to live under a tarp under one of my now out-of-state next-door neighbor's vacant house. I continued to feed her outside and worried about trapping her. My resident male cat named Chaucer enjoyed watching her through the glass door and eventually I would serve breakfast to them both at the same time so they could see each other through the glass or screen, depending on the weather. Long story short, they "knew" each others scent.
2. Henryetta went into heat and I still wasn't sure that I could trap her. She mated with a male cat, presumably one who also was abandoned from across the street in late February. She became pregnant and I worried about her then. She ate a lot, by the way. On the first of April, I noticed her not looking so well and lying on my door mat so fearing she'd lost the kittens and was ill, it was now or never. So I took a chance and brought out Chaucer's carrier, put some tuna in it and surprisingly she went in very easily. The vet put her under and checked her out (gave her shots, worming without my authorization, but that was another thread) and I brought her home the next day. She stayed in the house laundry room mostly and I kept her and Chaucer separated some but they still "knew" each other by scent.
3. Five healthy kittens were born May 1 in the large storage room where I moved her for the birth. All but one have been adopted and that one is being picked up next month. She was a great mother and trusted me completely through all of this. She is very loving towards me.
4. Currently, I allow Henryetta, Chaucer and Miss Honeychurch (the kitten) to get together both inside and in the storage room where Mother and Kitten still live. Henryetta and Chaucer greet each other with nose touches and snifffing. They will even eat together. Chaucer and Miss Honeychurch love to play together and he is very good with her. Henryetta apparently trusts him with her baby to playfight, but oddly enough she does NOT want him to mess with her.
She hisses and growls very loudly and repeatedly at him if he approaches her in a friendly manner (he is very friendly, playful and sociable). She has swatted him and screeched at him as well. This occurs more in the house than in the storage room but it does occur both places. He doesn't puff up at her, except for a time when he was not feeling well, but will walk off. Today he bit her behind in an attempt to play and she went ballistic (for her) by screeching and swatting along with growls.
They have gone through the slow introductions and it is now over four months later, not counting the morning breakfast times going on since late January. Henryetta clearly trusts him with her kitten and she will eat with him and lie down in the same room with him, but she does not want him playing with her or bothering her. Chaucer doesn't mind another cat around. Is there hope or is Henryetta better suited to an only pet home? After going through all of this with Henryetta the past nine or ten months, I'd like to keep her and don't want her to feel abandoned again.
1. Henryetta was apparently abandoned by people I didn't know who lived across the street when they abandoned their house last November, and yet they took their dachshunds. I noticed her hanging out on the driveway for a while and then wandering into my backyard so I began feeding her outside in December. It took a few weeks before she was somewhat comfortable with me but eventually she was and would come to me when I called or if she heard me outside since she seemed to live under a tarp under one of my now out-of-state next-door neighbor's vacant house. I continued to feed her outside and worried about trapping her. My resident male cat named Chaucer enjoyed watching her through the glass door and eventually I would serve breakfast to them both at the same time so they could see each other through the glass or screen, depending on the weather. Long story short, they "knew" each others scent.
2. Henryetta went into heat and I still wasn't sure that I could trap her. She mated with a male cat, presumably one who also was abandoned from across the street in late February. She became pregnant and I worried about her then. She ate a lot, by the way. On the first of April, I noticed her not looking so well and lying on my door mat so fearing she'd lost the kittens and was ill, it was now or never. So I took a chance and brought out Chaucer's carrier, put some tuna in it and surprisingly she went in very easily. The vet put her under and checked her out (gave her shots, worming without my authorization, but that was another thread) and I brought her home the next day. She stayed in the house laundry room mostly and I kept her and Chaucer separated some but they still "knew" each other by scent.
3. Five healthy kittens were born May 1 in the large storage room where I moved her for the birth. All but one have been adopted and that one is being picked up next month. She was a great mother and trusted me completely through all of this. She is very loving towards me.
4. Currently, I allow Henryetta, Chaucer and Miss Honeychurch (the kitten) to get together both inside and in the storage room where Mother and Kitten still live. Henryetta and Chaucer greet each other with nose touches and snifffing. They will even eat together. Chaucer and Miss Honeychurch love to play together and he is very good with her. Henryetta apparently trusts him with her baby to playfight, but oddly enough she does NOT want him to mess with her.
She hisses and growls very loudly and repeatedly at him if he approaches her in a friendly manner (he is very friendly, playful and sociable). She has swatted him and screeched at him as well. This occurs more in the house than in the storage room but it does occur both places. He doesn't puff up at her, except for a time when he was not feeling well, but will walk off. Today he bit her behind in an attempt to play and she went ballistic (for her) by screeching and swatting along with growls.
They have gone through the slow introductions and it is now over four months later, not counting the morning breakfast times going on since late January. Henryetta clearly trusts him with her kitten and she will eat with him and lie down in the same room with him, but she does not want him playing with her or bothering her. Chaucer doesn't mind another cat around. Is there hope or is Henryetta better suited to an only pet home? After going through all of this with Henryetta the past nine or ten months, I'd like to keep her and don't want her to feel abandoned again.
