Introducing Betty White

[daftcat75]

She’s shy. I’ll post better pictures when she’s had more time to acclimate. It took me about an hour to get her all settled in to her room with cameras only to realize there are significant blind spots. I’m out of practice with my cat surveillance. In any case, I don’t want to keep interrupting her. She did a lap or two of the room, used the box, dug to China, and now she’s back under the tree.

 

[FeebysOwner]

So, how did you meet Betty White? Tell us more! From afar she looks like a cutie!

 

[daftcat75]

So, how did you meet Betty White? Tell us more! From afar she looks like a cutie!

I’ve been having the itch for a new cat for a few weeks now. I have been checking in on the shelter website because the shelter itself is still closed due to Covid. This cutie showed up a heart-tugger of a story. She was an owner surrender because her previous owner couldn’t afford vet bills. (Get your kitty insured!) She had a superficial corneal ulcer which has been treated and her eyes look good. Especially since I just went through Krista’s hospitalization in her Remember thread, I just felt so bad for her sitting at the shelter because of a vet bill for a condition that seems to have cleared up. I thought I’d give it another week to make sure I was ready and to see if any new updates were posted about her. But then the excited nerves creeped in and I knew I couldn’t wait any longer. I made all the preparations to adopt her on Sunday. The shelter was closed yesterday. And first thing this morning, I went down to the shelter to meet her. Unfortunately, due to Covid, they weren’t letting me in. I had to meet her while she was confined in her carrier in the cold morning outside. She was shy and merely putting up with my attention. But the shelter worker assured me that she’s sweet and cuddly once she comes out of her shell. So I took a gamble on her. And now three hours later, we still haven’t really met. She left her box for under the tree and she’s been sitting there ever since. She briefly explored the room before returning to her spot. And that was only because I left her alone and watched her on the cameras. If I go back in there, under the tree she goes. It’s the closest thing she has to a hiding space. I’m going to give her a few more hours before I change out food and clean the litter box. I thought it was such a huge step that she used the box and that she was out and about that I fought back the urge to burst in and clean up right away. It’s kinda bothering me right now. Like having a roommate who won’t flush the toilet.

I hope to have more updates and pictures in the next few days as she settles in.

 

[Margot Lane]

Congratulations!! That reminds me, I meant to make a donation to my local shelter on Betty’s birthday, I’ll go do that now. What a sweetie. Yes more pictures please.

 

[daftcat75]

Congratulations!! That reminds me, I meant to make a donation to my local shelter on Betty’s birthday, I’ll go do that now. What a sweetie. Yes more pictures please.

I’d like more pictures too. All I’ve really seen of her was leaving the box she came home in and heading for the cozy space under the shelf-style cat tree. She’s been on sort of relaxed alert this whole time. She has a relaxed posture. But I haven’t seen her put her head down for more than a few moments. I’ve got the cat rock (Music For Cats) playing for her. The room was pre-sprayed with Feliway before she came home. And I’m just resisting the urge to check up on her. It’s just so different than Krista’s homecoming. She needed no acclimation. She started exploring the place the moment I brought her home and was in my face for loving once she had completed the site survey.

Betty is five years old (or so they think.). She’s also had her life recently upended between the surrender and the shelter time. Patience is the name of the game. I have the rest of her life to get to know her.

 

[artiemom]

Congratulations!! I love her name!! I did donate to a couple of shelters in honor of Betty: One to where I adopted Geoffrey and the other to MSPCA, where he gets his care and Artie did...

I love BW!!....Just look at her peeking out from the box/carrier!!

Need more info and pictures, when you are able to got them!! Seems like a sweet girl...

 

[tarasgirl06]

She’s shy. I’ll post better pictures when she’s had more time to acclimate. It took me about an hour to get her all settled in to her room with cameras only to realize there are significant blind spots. I’m out of practice with my cat surveillance. In any case, I don’t want to keep interrupting her. She did a lap or two of the room, used the box, dug to China, and now she’s back under the tree.

View attachment 408797View attachment 408798

Well helLO, Betty! Aren't you a kittenish-looking charmer! Five, schmive -- more like five months is what she looks like! She's absolutely adorable (what I can see of her...)
Has she eaten anything yet?
How long had she been in the shelter for?
Was she eating well there? Playing?
I have a thousand questions.
I'm so glad she's home!!!

 

[daftcat75]

Well helLO, Betty! Aren't you a kittenish-looking charmer! Five, schmive -- more like five months is what she looks like! She's absolutely adorable (what I can see of her...)
Has she eaten anything yet?
How long had she been in the shelter for?
Was she eating well there? Playing?
I have a thousand questions.
I'm so glad she's home!!!

Not eating or playing yet. I have so many questions too. She’s been through a lot in ten days: owner surrender, shelter stay, and now this. Maybe we’ll finally meet tomorrow.

 

[artiemom]

I’d like more pictures too. All I’ve really seen of her was leaving the box she came home in and heading for the cozy space under the shelf-style cat tree. She’s been on sort of relaxed alert this whole time. She has a relaxed posture. But I haven’t seen her put her head down for more than a few moments. I’ve got the cat rock (Music For Cats) playing for her. The room was pre-sprayed with Feliway before she came home. And I’m just resisting the urge to check up on her. It’s just so different than Krista’s homecoming. She needed no acclimation. She started exploring the place the moment I brought her home and was in my face for loving once she had completed the site survey.

Betty is five years old (or so they think.). She’s also had her life recently upended between the surrender and the shelter time. Patience is the name of the game. I have the rest of her life to get to know her.

Artie was like Krista... He was on my lap, his first night in my apartment.
Geoffrey went directly under my bed... took months and a lot of hard work for him to emerge....

Artie was 8 years old, and Geoffrey was 4 years old, when they came to their FUREVER home...

Yes, Patience....

 

[tarasgirl06]

Not eating or playing yet. I have so many questions too. She’s been through a lot in ten days: owner surrender, shelter stay, and now this. Maybe we’ll finally meet tomorrow.

Ten days, for a little cat, is a long time. And all these changes must be difficult for her to deal with. Good on ya for having patience. She has to be reassured. She may very well come out at night for a good look around. Don't be surprised if she joins you.

 

[daftcat75]

Ten days, for a little cat, is a long time. And all these changes must be difficult for her to deal with. Good on ya for having patience. She has to be reassured. She may very well come out at night for a good look around. Don't be surprised if she joins you.

I’m confused now. Should she be locked away in her acclimation room for a day or three or should I leave the door open for her tonight?

 

[tarasgirl06]

I’m confused now. Should she be locked away in her acclimation room for a day or three or should I leave the door open for her tonight?

Oh, I would definitely leave door open! She will hide as long as she feels the need to, and come out when she feels confident enough. Unless you don't want her close -- and I can't imagine why you wouldn't! -- I'd just let her acclimate at her own pace. Don't try to force her to come out but do make sure she has her food and fresh water close by, and that she knows where they are. She already knows where her box is, so that's not a problem. She will be able to investigate the climbing and scratching surfaces when she wants to, and make herself comfortable wherever she wants to, to sleep and relax. You might want to leave the door to her room open just a crack, not wide open, if you think this would be more reassuring to her.

 

[daftcat75]

Oh, I would definitely leave door open! She will hide as long as she feels the need to, and come out when she feels confident enough. Unless you don't want her close -- and I can't imagine why you wouldn't! -- I'd just let her acclimate at her own pace. Don't try to force her to come out but do make sure she has her food and fresh water close by, and that she knows where they are. She already knows where her box is, so that's not a problem. She will be able to investigate the climbing and scratching surfaces when she wants to, and make herself comfortable wherever she wants to, to sleep and relax. You might want to leave the door to her room open just a crack, not wide open, if you think this would be more reassuring to her.

This is an acclimation room setup. The box is in the nook behind my desk chair. That’s not a sustainable location. So one friend told me just leave her locked away in her acclimation room tonight and you’re saying open it up tonight. Maybe I need to make a new thread for this question?

 

[aliceneko]

A purrfect name for her! I don't have much to add, but I hope you find a solution soon.

 

[Kat0121]

I love that name so much. I know Betty White is tickled that this little sweetie is now in a loving home and bearing her name to boot. I paid the adoption fee on a pretty 14 year old girl who is at a local shelter on Betty's birthday. I asked them to put in memory of Betty in the sponsored by line to bring more attention to her. They did.

We had our boy Henry (RIP sweet boy ). He had never been in a home before. He had been in the shelter since he was a kitten. The shelter said that he was 8 but I think he was older. Anyway, I had him in a room to acclimate. At first the door was closed. As he became comfortable with me, I opened it. That didn't take too long. Lilith was my shining star. Before he came to live with us, I had a talk with her. She was the alpha in our house and I know that if he was going to fit in, he would need her on his side as I was sure that if SHE was ok with him, Sophie and our dog (RIP also little girl ) would too. I told her about him and that he was alone. I told her that he was really going to need a friend and could she please look after him? She's very intelligent and I could tell by her body language that she understood me.

After I opened his door, he would not go near the door much less come out. Lilith went in. I kept a sharp eye out just in case but my gut told me that it would be ok. He spent his life around many, many cats so I was pretty sure he'd be fine and he was. I had a large plastic tote on it's side in the room as his safe place. In it was a soft blanket that belonged to my DH and a plush toy. He liked it a lot. She greeted him and settled down on the floor beside him. She stayed there for hours just keeping him company. It took him a long time to get the courage to approach the door and finally come out but he did. I think I was part of the problem at first because in my mind, he should have been out of the room much sooner. Once I relaxed and decided that he'd come out when he was ready, things progressed nicely. Lily visited him often and was always very patient with him. She spent SO much time in there with him. Not really interacting, just being there. Sophie visited too but with her it was more like a quick hello and then she'd leave.

Some things I did to help him relax were sitting in the room with him and reading to him. I bought some children's books at the thrift store. I'd read them to him and show him the pictures like you would with a small child. He was also very intelligent and sometimes when I would read these books to him, I'd catch him looking at me like, "Woman, how old do you think I am?" It was funny but he liked it. I also just talked to him. I told him we loved him, we were happy that he was with us and we wanted him to be happy too. When he finally did come out, I was doing cartwheels on the inside but acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was like that the first time he came in my room. He jumped up on my bed and snuggled on a pillow. I almost cried.

Anyway, you're doing a great thing. Just be patient. Betty will decide when she wants to come out. I doubt it will be very long. She will want to be with you.

 

[daftcat75]

I love that name so much. I know Betty White is tickled that this little sweetie is now in a loving home and bearing her name to boot. I paid the adoption fee on a pretty 14 year old girl who is at a local shelter on Betty's birthday. I asked them to put in memory of Betty in the sponsored by line to bring more attention to her. They did.

We had our boy Henry (RIP sweet boy ). He had never been in a home before. He had been in the shelter since he was a kitten. The shelter said that he was 8 but I think he was older. Anyway, I had him in a room to acclimate. At first the door was closed. As he became comfortable with me, I opened it. That didn't take too long. Lilith was my shining star. Before he came to live with us, I had a talk with her. She was the alpha in our house and I know that if he was going to fit in, he would need her on his side as I was sure that if SHE was ok with him, Sophie and our dog (RIP also little girl ) would too. I told her about him and that he was alone. I told her that he was really going to need a friend and could she please look after him? She's very intelligent and I could tell by her body language that she understood me.

After I opened his door, he would not go near the door much less come out. Lilith went in. I kept a sharp eye out just in case but my gut told me that it would be ok. He spent his life around many, many cats so I was pretty sure he'd be fine and he was. I had a large plastic tote on it's side in the room as his safe place. In it was a soft blanket that belonged to my DH and a plush toy. He liked it a lot. She greeted him and settled down on the floor beside him. She stayed there for hours just keeping him company. It took him a long time to get the courage to approach the door and finally come out but he did. I think I was part of the problem at first because in my mind, he should have been out of the room much sooner. Once I relaxed and decided that he'd come out when he was ready, things progressed nicely. Lily visited him often and was always very patient with him. She spent SO much time in there with him. Not really interacting, just being there. Sophie visited too but with her it was more like a quick hello and then she'd leave.

Some things I did to help him relax were sitting in the room with him and reading to him. I bought some children's books at the thrift store. I'd read them to him and show him the pictures like you would with a small child. He was also very intelligent and sometimes when I would read these books to him, I'd catch him looking at me like, "Woman, how old do you think I am?" It was funny but he liked it. I also just talked to him. I told him we loved him, we were happy that he was with us and we wanted him to be happy too. When he finally did come out, I was doing cartwheels on the inside but acted like it was the most natural thing in the world. It was like that the first time he came in my room. He jumped up on my bed and snuggled on a pillow. I almost cried.

Anyway, you're doing a great thing. Just be patient. Betty will decide when she wants to come out. I doubt it will be very long. She will want to be with you.

I loved reading all this. Truly.

But was this a vote for door open or closed tonight?

 

[Kat0121]

I loved reading all this. Truly.

But was this a vote for door open or closed tonight?

Open. She may feel more comfortable exploring when the house is quieter.

 

[dustydiamond1]

Sweetheart you have found a wonderful loving furever home. We dearly hope you settle in soon.
Gypsy thinks she may get lonely with the door closed and since your place is kitty proofed she votes for door open a bit. We put a shoe in the doorway to keep them open enough for her to get through, no closed doors in our home except for the front & back doors.
So glad you knew you were ready and waited for this little girl. We're sure dear Krista is proud of you

 

[daftcat75]

Open. She may feel more comfortable exploring when the house is quieter.

I sleep with the TV on. It may not get that much quieter tonight.

 

[dustydiamond1]

I sleep with the TV on. It may not get that much quieter tonight.

TV on is good. When Gypsy first moved in we left the tv on when we had to leave her at night. We still leave it on for her and of course lights on.