I Have More Trust Issues Than This Feral..

pearl99

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Oh my goodness, it hasn't been that long at all!! Your guys are doing great! I tried to go back and find your original post today to refresh my memory on Gracie's story, and I got sidetracked by the microchip feeder post. I'm so interested to hear how that works out for you. I haven't decided what I'm going to do about the feeding issue, but that microchip feeder looks promising. I'm wondering if another kitty could come squeeze in beside them and eat out of it at the same time? I look forward to hearing what you think.
And please, please please DO hijack the thread - please!! I love to see the pics and hear your updates - and I do love hearing how others' experiences go. This whole integration thing is such a crazy process! I would assume I will probably be a 'cat person' for life now - what is it my cousin says - "once you go cat, you never go back'? :lol: So I tuck all this knowledge away for future reference. ;)
As for the microchip feeder, it does close when the chipped cat leaves and you can set how quickly it closes, fast medium or slow. I had to think about that and decided Gracie's personality would just leave when Moo shows up, so I'm doing it. We'll see. I had to order the back plastic part cuz another cat could come up to the back while it's open, it doesn't come with the feeder. $$$$. I know Waffles would bop Moo if she did that, hoping Gracie would leave or bop. Moo may get a few bites, but I can live with that. Gracie eats about 3 bites then leaves so I think it will work.
Gracie is already eating out of it, you go through a step by step training to get the cat used to it and it's just sitting there open now not opening and closing- it's just like a regular bowl now. Next step coming up.
Tonight I had Waffles in the basement and Moo and Gracie out, Gracie walked out to get in the tower cubby and went right by Moo, Moo hissed as usual that close and Gracie gave no reaction- just kept trucking. Waffs is still really afraid of her. At first at the shelter Gracie was in a colony till she got a URI so she is used to other cats. Gracie is currently on the Ripple Rug scratching. She sleeps on the bed with me when it's her night, if I'm on my side she's on my side/hip. So in the future I could have one on one side, another on the other side, and Gracie on my hip.

Here's da first thread:
I have a new family member.
 

Buffster7

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As for the microchip feeder, it does close when the chipped cat leaves and you can set how quickly it closes, fast medium or slow. I had to think about that and decided Gracie's personality would just leave when Moo shows up, so I'm doing it. We'll see. I had to order the back plastic part cuz another cat could come up to the back while it's open, it doesn't come with the feeder. $$$$. I know Waffles would bop Moo if she did that, hoping Gracie would leave or bop. Moo may get a few bites, but I can live with that. Gracie eats about 3 bites then leaves so I think it will work.
Gracie is already eating out of it, you go through a step by step training to get the cat used to it and it's just sitting there open now not opening and closing- it's just like a regular bowl now. Next step coming up.
Tonight I had Waffles in the basement and Moo and Gracie out, Gracie walked out to get in the tower cubby and went right by Moo, Moo hissed as usual that close and Gracie gave no reaction- just kept trucking. Waffs is still really afraid of her. At first at the shelter Gracie was in a colony till she got a URI so she is used to other cats. Gracie is currently on the Ripple Rug scratching. She sleeps on the bed with me when it's her night, if I'm on my side she's on my side/hip. So in the future I could have one on one side, another on the other side, and Gracie on my hip.

Here's da first thread:
I have a new family member.
You know, I watched your thread when you first created it, but I was receiving notifications for all these threads I never followed, and didn't receive notifications for yours, nor did I receive the tag. Thank you so much for posting the link - I was able to go watch the videos and see the pics! I had forgotten that Gracie was 13 - that changes everything, doesn't it? It's not like you have a new young thing in the house. I hope this whole transition is unbelievably smooth for everyone and every cat.

About the feeder, what black plastic part are you referring to that has to be purchased separately? I never saw that when checking out the link that I recall. Charlie used to be a grazer - he would eat a bit then leave, then come back and eat some more. He has learned to wolf his food now since Finn joined us, makes me feel so bad for him. I separate them when I feed them, but Finn will yell from behind the door quite angrily when he's done, and I think that sound really bothers Charlie, so he scarfs his food down to be sure he's done by the time Finn is done. I need to come up with a feeding solution for when clinicals start..I'll have time to put some thought into it, now.
 

Buffster7

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Well, I ordered some Soft Paws and I'm going to try them out. I have cat scratchers all over the house, yet Finn still goes for my chairs and ottomans. Thank the Lord that he has stayed away from my expensive furniture so far and only likes my cheaper stuff, but I tire of having my furniture all taped up. I am always walking around with double-sided tape stuck to me and the furniture looks awful with tape everywhere. I have allowed the cats in my home office and they would enjoy sitting on my desk and looking out the window while I worked. Well, apparently there was a tussle in there that left some deep gouges in the wood. I took a pic of the worst, but there are others on a desk that was previously pristine. I love this desk and I felt just sick about it. The cats are now banned from the office and I have to keep the door shut. I am not one to say, "It's just furniture, cats are more important"...yes, living things are more important than inanimate things, but I take good care of all my things, both living and not, and it really bothers me to see things unnecessarily destroyed or fall into disrepair.

Finn is really good about allowing me to trim his nails, so I think I may give the nail caps a try until I can afford to replace some of his scratchers. I spent a small fortune on scratchers when he moved in, and they're all over the house. The ones in the place he likes to scratch the most are those PetFusion cardboard ones, the infinity and the triangular scratchers. Now I suspect that he likes carpet scratchers as he'll scratch the ones on his cat tree and the other tall sisal one, but I can tell he finds the cardboard unsatisfying.
shadowsrescue shadowsrescue , I know you found the nail caps to be a real PIA, but do you have any tips for application or tips for using them in general? Or anyone else that has experience with them? Here's a pic of my motivation for trying them.
Desk.jpg
 

foxxycat

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Not me. :( I currently have aluminum foil over the tops of my sofa and loveseat, as Ruby was in the habit of running into the living room, leaping up on top of the sofa or loveseat, and proceeding to scratch. :( Foil probably looks ridiculous, but it does deter her. However, it's been there for months, and one day I was cleaning behind the sofa and the foil fell off, and guess who was instantly up scratching? :rolleyes3: Looks like the foil is going to be part of my decor forever. :sigh:

She does have scratchers, btw. And this is the one she likes the best: Whisker City® Cat Scratching Post | cat Scratchers | PetSmart



Oh, no. :alright:



Have all those bites broken the skin? As lovable as he is, if it were me, I think I'd refrain from lying beside Finn while he is unpredictable with his biting, to protect your face and neck. And I'd probably wear long sleeves/pants when I went into his room, just to put something between him and my bare skin. But still visit with him, of course. And play with him. And if he does bite, try to yelp "owwwww" loudly.
don't feel bad about the decor, We use sheets on all the furniture-cause miss Bee likes to scratch any furniture..Foil is a good idea...
 

rubysmama

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Here's a pic of my motivation for trying them.
Oh no ... :(

I did a site search on "nail caps" and these are the threads that came up. Maybe there'll be something helpful in one of them.
Search Results for Query: nail caps

Foil is a good idea...
It does work. Now, however, I'm trying to figure out how to "foil" her love of scratching the front sides of the cushions, which she does even with me sitting right there on the sofa saying, "Ruby, no". :sigh:
 

pearl99

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I had forgotten that Gracie was 13 - that changes everything, doesn't it? It's not like you have a new young thing in the house. I hope this whole transition is unbelievably smooth for everyone and every cat.

About the feeder, what black plastic part are you referring to that has to be purchased separately? I never saw that when checking out the link that I recall. Charlie used to be a grazer - he would eat a bit then leave, then come back and eat some more. He has learned to wolf his food now since Finn joined us, makes me feel so bad for him. I separate them when I feed them, but Finn will yell from behind the door quite angrily when he's done, and I think that sound really bothers Charlie, so he scarfs his food down to be sure he's done by the time Finn is done. I need to come up with a feeding solution for when clinicals start..I'll have time to put some thought into it, now.
Gracie's pretty mellow and sleeps a fair amount and likes to watch life from the cat tower cubby, so I think once I get Waffles acclimated all will be fine. Moo is almost there. Waffles is tough because he's very cautious and very scared of change (even closing the basement door to keep him upstairs freaks him out) and I can't pick him up (he was a stray, likely semi-feral) to place him in a space where he can play and get food and treats on the other side of a gate or door, he has to start it. I use Gracie in the crate to help him get closer- he LOVES Bonito flakes so I can put those in a bowl to tempt him closer. But I have no doubt he'll get there, it will just be a much longer time. I ordered CBD oil and he is getting it to see if it helps with anxiety! And I have two types of Bach's flower for fear- Rock Rose and Mimulus to try.

So on to the feeder- the sides and back are open so another cat can stick its head through to get to the food. It's a clear plastic back to fit over those areas of the feeder. I could fashion something myself but I don't want to spend the time figuring something out :) .It's on the SureFeed website. Also, I just saw Gracie sticking her head through the side to eat and that doesn't trigger the chip reader to open the cover to the food, they have to go through the arch in the front. Once I get the back thing I will post a picture. It'll be here by the 20th. Some people put the feeder in a tight box but I know Moo and she would not rest till she got the thing out of the box then she'd look like this :redtabby:.
Last thing, the feeder comes with a divided bowl and a bowl with no divider. I put Gracie's food in one side of the divided bowl so only room for one cat head! Will get a picture up today.
Gracie is exactly like Charlie was.
 

pearl99

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Well, I ordered some Soft Paws and I'm going to try them out. I have cat scratchers all over the house, yet Finn still goes for my chairs and ottomans.
I have read people have used double sided sticky tape on scratching areas also. I don't know if it can be bought in a wide size or not though. Could stick two sides of the wide packing tape together or Duck Tape I guess, now that would be some interesting decor!
I pinned the arm covers that came with a couch and chair I bought a while ago to cover where Waffles was scratching when I first adopted him. That helped, I had to use strong safety pins.
These critters! I've resigned myself to some scratched furniture and rugs.
 

pearl99

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Ok Buffster7 Buffster7 , here's a link to the feeder:
The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder from Sure Petcare

If you see the picture of the longer haired gray tabby cat, scrolling part way down the page, that's where the cat should put it's head in. There's the door angled up at the back of the feeder to uncover the food. In front of the folded up door a cat can stick their head in for food.
Then scrolling down 3/4 of the way of the page there is "Rear Cover," that's what I ordered to cover the back of the feeder. It's not on Amazon or Chewy, has to be from the company. But at least the shipping was free. I wasn't happy with the fact that I had to order this, but I need this feeder so did it :livid:.
 

foxxycat

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I have read people have used double sided sticky tape on scratching areas also. I don't know if it can be bought in a wide size or not though. Could stick two sides of the wide packing tape together or Duck Tape I guess, now that would be some interesting decor!
I pinned the arm covers that came with a couch and chair I bought a while ago to cover where Waffles was scratching when I first adopted him. That helped, I had to use strong safety pins.
These critters! I've resigned myself to some scratched furniture and rugs.
Ain't that the truth! My Bee loves to scratch wicker furniture-I had a wicker square basket for socks and odds n ends and there's now or was a pile of shavings where she scratched..the new kitty is in this room now so Bee hasn't had a chance to scratch it..plus it's on top of a box to make a step stool for new kitty to jump up into her tree...

The hasic in the living room has scratch marks and we yell NO! at Bee but I know she scratches at it when we aren't home..we only paid $6 for it at salvation army so not too ticked off-we have blankets ontop of it to make a larger seating area cause the cats I used to have would sleep on the couch and no room to sleep-so I got 3 hasics pushed up to the couch to make a "twin" bed with 5 blankets for padding..lately only Bee sleeps on the hasic or scratches it..but i used to have Floey and Pumps and they both slept on the couch for many years-which meant one had to get creative to fit in...the things we do for our furbabies!!!
 

pearl99

Pearl, my labrador who loved cats. RIP.
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Ain't that the truth! My Bee loves to scratch wicker furniture-I had a wicker square basket for socks and odds n ends and there's now or was a pile of shavings where she scratched..the new kitty is in this room now so Bee hasn't had a chance to scratch it..plus it's on top of a box to make a step stool for new kitty to jump up into her tree...

The hasic in the living room has scratch marks and we yell NO! at Bee but I know she scratches at it when we aren't home..we only paid $6 for it at salvation army so not too ticked off-we have blankets ontop of it to make a larger seating area cause the cats I used to have would sleep on the couch and no room to sleep-so I got 3 hasics pushed up to the couch to make a "twin" bed with 5 blankets for padding..lately only Bee sleeps on the hasic or scratches it..but i used to have Floey and Pumps and they both slept on the couch for many years-which meant one had to get creative to fit in...the things we do for our furbabies!!!
That's the thing! They scratch when not home.

I've also used this:
https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/naturvet-bitter-yuck-dog-training-aid
to keep Moo from eating my african violet flowers. It may help with repelling from furniture.
 

shadowsrescue

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I had to completely give up on nail caps. They were the biggest PITA to get on. It definitely took 2 people. The glue got everywhere including poor Marvin's fur. He hated the nail caps so badly that he would obsess about getting them off. The next day I would find 1/2 of them all over the house. I tried a few different brands and it didn't matter. All were so small and hard to get on. Then I had one that didn't come off for over 8 weeks. They say max of 6 weeks to leave them on. They are supposed to fall off as the nail grows. I had to soak the nail with warm water and pull with all my might to get it off.

Marvin is a scratcher. I have tried every scratching surface and he only wants carpet that is attached to the floor. UGH... So I trim his nails every week. When they are short, he cannot do much damage. He is the type of cat who will go right next to the scratcher or scratching surface and instead scratch the carpet! I have tried old pieces of carpet and he will not touch them. So frequent nail trimming is the best I can do!
 

Buffster7

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Well, I may have come up with a temporary solution...:lol::yess:
You know those rolls of carpet-protector that realtors/builders use?
Ordered some on Amazon and I'm wrapping my furniture in it - the two pieces he scratches the most, anyway. It looks awful, but at least I won't be sticking to my own furniture! Let's see how this goes...
Carpetroll.jpg
ottoman.jpg
 

Buffster7

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I have used these
on furniture. They work well and don't look terrible. My kitty Jake will sometimes scratch my LR furniture. I put these on and they work really well. He hates the feel of them. Too bad I can't do my entire house in sticky tape for Marvin!
Do they stay on the furniture? I've tried several brands of the large sheets, and all but one have not been sticky enough and just end up falling off the furniture. Sadly, I cannot remember which of the ones I ordered was the one that actually stayed on!
 

Buffster7

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I have had mine on for about 9 months and they are still going strong. I have them on fabric chairs.
That's impressive! Those do have some staying power. That would work for my 'nicer' furniture. The trouble I'm having with the daily furniture is that I like to sit on it..and then the tape ends up sticking to me when I get up to leave. Or the blanket that I've wrapped myself up in. If I could just get Finn accustomed to using his scratchers only..
 
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