Introducing Geoffrey...

[LTS3]

The specks can be combed out. I use a flea comb. Bonus: the cats get to chew on the wooden handle afterwards No idea why they like to chew on the handle.

 

[rubysmama]

artiemom : How did Geoffrey's vet checkup go?

 

[artiemom]

The new regular vet was really good.. She graduated from Cornell and was in an ER practice for a year before coming to this practice. She has worked there for a few years..

So kind, gentle.. soft spoken. She saw how frightened G was.. She took the top of the carrier, instead of forcing him out of it.

She briefly looked at Artie's records.. Told me that she realizes I know a lot about cats.

G has a bit of gingivitis and some tartar around only one tooth. Agrees G is about 3 years old; good physical shape except for the acne..

Surprisingly, G was so frightened he allowed to to slowly cut his front claws, while he was in the bottom of the carrier. Dr W kept her hand on him at all times.. not losing contact with him.. and talking very softly and gently to me...

Dr W explained that the acne can be from many things; the same things that cause it in humans; Stress is a big one..

She suggested that the best, initial treatment is an antibiotic. Since G is so frightened and so new to his home; she suggested an injection. I agreed.

She also sent me home with some chlorohexadine wipes.. not to be used until after his follow-up, in 2 weeks... sigh..

Some cats just have flares of it periodically, after it clears up.. just like humans..

We discussed pet insurance. She suggested it was a good thing to get.. Got several pamphlets. She said that the ASPCA one has suddenly improved dramatically. I can set my yearly payout limit...

I also got a pamphlet from Nationwide and Embrace.

I am not using Trupanion.. long story..

now to decide which one to get, and what I want my yearly cap to be; this will determine my monthly payments.

I need to research it..

Geoffrey was so hard to get into the carrier..
Don't forget, he associates it with bad things.. leaving all the homes he thought he had.. poor thing..

I had to close off all the doors, I have. That left just the great room and kitchen open.. OMG G knew something was up.. and ran away from me when I took a step toward him.. It was a 4 ring circus after that..chasing him all over the place..

First try, I got scratched, and was not fit enough.. Second try, with a towel, he escaped when the towel got caught in the door.. Third try: chasing as he was pooping.. yes, pooping on the run--so frightened.. he broke my towel rack, jumped on top of the dish drainer, on top of the refrigerator, dropped all the stuff off the top of the refrigerator, dug his nails in so hard to the sponge kitchen mat, that he pulled out a chunk.. he was wild.. I had to corner him, put the towel over his head, and body and put him in from the top.. slamming the door down shut, as I was pulling the towel out.

I had to quickly pick up what poop I saw...

I have been smelling poop since last night. I scrubbed the floor, where the poop was--- 4 times with Natures Miracle.. sprayed my recliner (jumped over and on it) the couch, the throw pillows, the wastebasket, the floor lamp, yet I still smell poop.. I cannot see it, but I smell it..

I have been literally on my hands and knees sniffing.. and I still cannot get rid of the smell..

Geoffrey will not have anything to do with me today.. He is so frightened.. He was just coming around.. dam...

He is not eating much, spending all day under my bed.. not even wanting to play.. he is emotionally exhausted.. and I am certain the antibiotic wore him out, also..

When I try to play with him, with a wand toy, he is cautious of MY movements.. and will not leave my bedroom.. sigh..

Man, so different from Artie..

Geoffrey has to go back in 2 weeks.. I do not know how I am going to accomplish that..

What trust/love he had for me has all disappeared..
sigh....

He was just starting to come around.. sigh..

I do not know what to do.. sigh.. I love him, but he is so scared of me.. I would just love him to cuddle with me. I do not think that will happen. He is a different cat.. so sensitive, and who knows what he went through, and how he was raised.. gut feeling is that he was closed in a bathroom, hidden away from the apartment management.. he is much ore comfortable in the dusk, and in the bathroom.. sigh...

 

[Lari]

Poor Geoffrey. Poor you. I truly believe love and trust will come, but setbacks are hard. Hopefully after the next visit in two weeks you two can settle in and really build your relationship.

 

[DreamerRose]

I just found this thread too, and was so happy that you adopted another cat. But I'm sorry for the distress it is causing you. I think it's going to take a long time for Geoffrey to adjust, and some cats never do completely. Mingo was very much like G when I got him, which hurt me terribly, because I wanted a close relationship with my cat. A year later, I adopted Lily, and she is so affectionate that it changed Mingo's behavior. He has become very loving and sleeps with me, which he never did before, and will even climb up into my lap for snuggle time.

But poor Lily was abandoned with five kittens, and she has never really gotten over it. If I go into another room, she cries likes she's lost.

Hang in there, there are better days coming. G was affectionate with you in the beginning, and he will be again.

 

[jcat]

Congratulations! I saw mentions of Geoffrey in other threads, but somehow missed this one! I called Mowgli my feline grief counselor, and Geoffrey is yours.

It's early days, and at 3 he just might need more time to settle in. It's a shame he was so frightened of the carrier. How long does it take you to get to your vet's office? Do you have, or could you get, a cheap twin-sized duvet cover? It should be thin enough, e.g., 100% cotton, to allow him to breathe properly. Several months ago I had to get an extremely scared shelter cat into a carrier for a vet visit all by myself, and in desperation used a duvet cover (it's like a giant pillow case) when a towel didn't work. He'd hidden in a covered litter box, so I slid the cover over the litter box, which caused him to run into the cover. I put the whole cover plus cat in the carrier and loosened the opening with one hand while holding him down with the other. Oddly enough, he calmed down right away. We put him in an exam room immediately and slowly slid the cover out. He went back into the carrier voluntarily. Now we keep a supply of them at the shelter.

There are blood tests to determine allergens. Some people say they're not worthwhile, but they were spot on for Mowgli and our last cat, Jamie, making it much easier to find the right foods. We don't do elimination diets for the shelter cats and dogs when a food allergy is suspected, since some of the volunteers aren't great about reading feeding instructions, but go straight to the blood test. Chicken has turned out to be the main culprit.

 

[rubysmama]

Vet visits are so stressful, for both feline and human. Here's something to maybe consider for next time:
Study: Gabapentin Reduces Stress in Cats Before Veterinary Visits

 

[Kflowers]

Again, just found this thread. Now you only sort of know me, but long before I joined I followed your Artie thread. Every time I turned on the computer the first thing I did was see how he was. My heart cried for you, than eased with the knowledge that he will never know pain again and never be parted from you for a moment.

I rejoice to see that you and Geoffrey are together. My heart sings for you both.

Now because I'm playing catch up, in no particular order notes as I read through this thread.

Peroxide smells really strong, unpleasant, got to be worse for kitty


I may just "Yes" her to death.. and do my own thing... I do have to work with her, so it is a fine line.. Absolutely do this, it’s called survival. Just try to remember what she said to do, which isn’t that hard as people like that usually kind of let you know what the right answer to their questions is.

What’s right for her isn’t necessarily right for her. I completely believe that Artie told you to give his bed away. That he knew a needy cat was waiting for it, needing more than you did. He also knew there’d be another kitty in your life and you’d be able to buy him a bed. I believe he sent Geoffrey to you and you to Geoffrey.


I think having a good safe place will help Geoffrey come out of his shell faster. I always like having a safe place. It builds confidence.


I don’t think Geoffrey is scared of you. I think it’s just been a huge amount of change. I think he might be a little afraid that he’ll end up back in the shelter. He probably thought that when you were trying to put him in the carrier for the vet. That trip and a return to your house actually provided some reassurance that he wasn’t going back to the shelter. (I had a dog who’d been returned to the shelter 3 times. She was terrified of the car her entire life. But, the good part was, the car was a very small part of her life.)

 

[tarasgirl06]

Very good to see you here, Antonio65 -- I've missed you. How are you doing?
artiemom Just putting in my 2c worth -- My big yellow King Nicolas I never had any food allergies. Neither did my flame-colored beauty Rojita. Nikki T. was very healthy until the last; Rojita developed Mast cell lymphoma and left us far too soon, but she never had any food allergies.
Two things occur to me: If it truly is a food allergy and he never had them in the shelter, you might feed him only the foods he ate there. Or, as other posters have posited, it may just be a reaction of some kind to new foods, which may go away. Experts advise to mix new foods gradually with established foods, increasing the former and decreasing the latter over a period of a couple of weeks until only the new foods are served. That might help, too. Or it could be "none of the above". I wouldn't worry too much at this stage. As long as he is otherwise healthy and happy, you're doing it right. *Wishing you all a happy CATurday!*

 

[Antonio65]

Very good to see you here, Antonio65 -- I've missed you. How are you doing?

Well, I've alwyas been on TCS, though I was posting a bit less often.
I'm fine, thanks for missing me, I feel honored!!!
How are you doing?

 

[rubysmama]

How are things going?

 

[artiemom]

How are things going?

Well, things have really not been improving..

Geoffrey is constantly under my bed. The noises of the apartment building spook him..

We had One day of fairly normalcy--exploring, playing, eating well.. then, I do not know what spooked him, but he was back to hiding..

He has curled way up in the top center of the underside of the bed, where I cannot reach him.. not at all..

He is refusing a lot of food.. even the ones he had at the shelter. That is what I have been feeding him.

It kind of seems that his survival instincts came in initially, about the food. He was eating 3 cans a day, and dry. Now, he is down to just over one can up to 2 cans per day. The dry is when he does not like a food.

He despises turkey.. anything with turkey, he covers up...

It seems everything is spooking him.. no matter what I do, he gets spooked and reverses any gains he acquired.

He comes out of hiding for a bit, around 4-5pm,,, eats a bit, then goes back into hiding.. Then he is out for a while, around 8pm....

Wakes me up early, 4-5AM... tries to cuddle with me, during the night, but his attention span seems to be very short.. perhaps this is why he was named Goofy?

He is never relaxed.. even when eating. He does not sit to eat. He is in a squat; ready to run.

His eyes are always on me, watching what I am going to do... weird.. as if I am going to do something to hurt him...

He knows his name; but does not come when called.

Playtime is pretty much non-existent at this point.. I try several times a day, but he does not seem to trust...
very strange...

I wish Jackson Galaxy was available for a consult.. sigh....

I am really at a loss, as what to do. I have to vacuum, clean, around here, Yet, I do not want to spook him anymore..

When I leave the house, I put classical music on... I do not think that helps him.. he is still under the bed...

Artie was not like this.. not at all..

I even put up Artie's quilt tent, for Geoffrey.. nope... I am thinking about putting it away.. sigh..

The cat tree has only been used a few times, for a few minutes.. and that is to look at the outside lights, when it is pitch black.

I did catch Geoffrey on my desk, parting the drapes, to look out at the darkness....

Weird..

I am beginning to wonder if something psychologic is going on.. no trust, noises spook, afraid of sun, always hiding, not playing...

Man, he was better his first night here... and is worsening. I do not know what to do...

Should I close off my bedroom, during the day? or keep it as his hiding spot?
I do not want to upset him even more..

It has been 18 days... he should be getting more comfortable, instead of getting more spooked... weird...

 

[maggiedemi]

I don't know if this will help, but the way I got my 2 ferals to be comfortable with me was words. I taught them maybe 20 words. Once we could communicate with each other, they seemed to relax.

 

[Kflowers]

It appears he had a rather frightening time before you got him. Just keep on keeping on the way you are. If something terrified him in the long ago, it's going to take awhile for him to work through the fear barrier. The short attention span is because he goes back into high alert looking for the danger.

However, this

Wakes me up early, 4-5AM... tries to cuddle with me, during the night, but his attention span seems to be very short

this tells me he is trying to work through it and he loves you.

 

[rubysmama]

Poor Geoffrey. I suspect there's more to his history than his previous owner told the shelter.

Since not everyone comes into this forum, maybe you can start a new thread in the Cat Behavior forum so different eyes will see it, and hopefully reply with ideas/suggestions/support.

 

[foxxycat]

Hi Cindy, glad to see you got a new baby. I can't remember if I told ya earlier so forgive me if I'm repeating myself.

I've got a super shy cat. Pumps took weeks to get used to being with me. And she was a 8 to 12 week old kitten. She hides when strangers come over.

Whenever we go to the summer rental she hides for 2 days but only during the day. As soon as sun goes down she magically appears next to us on the couch or bed. For some reason she was easily spooked during the day. This kitty you have just takes time. Who knows where or what he was put through before you. Also some cats are just skittish no matter what we do. The fact he comes out in the early morning tells me he's slowly coming around. Don't be surprised if it takes 6 months for him to adjust. Keep offering play and maybe treats too. Does he like meat baby food? You can try ham. I've yet to meet a cat who hates ham. Seems to be more wanted than the chicken flavor.

 

[weemomma]

I am so happy to log back into the site and see that you took a chance on another cat.

Let me tell you about my Hariette. She is the scardiest of cats. She won't have anything to do with anyone else and has always been that way. She hides, she won't come when called, she growls at the door bell. But, she loves me. It took a long while before we would simply sit with me, but here we are, 12 years on, snuggling together any time I sit still.

He has been living on guard for so long, I'm sure that he will take time to relax. Don't give up on him. He'll come around when he realizes that he is absolutely safe.

 

[neely]

It appears he had a rather frightening time before you got him. Just keep on keeping on the way you are. If something terrified him in the long ago, it's going to take awhile for him to work through the fear barrier. The short attention span is because he goes back into high alert looking for the danger.
However, this
Wakes me up early, 4-5AM... tries to cuddle with me, during the night, but his attention span seems to be very short
this tells me he is trying to work through it and he loves you.

My thoughts exactly!
Patience is a virtue and I know you have an abundance of patience so give him time. He will do things on his own terms even if it means hiding under the bed for now. He needs to build up his trust in you but when that day comes you will be waiting with open arms.

 

[Antonio65]

Cindy, unfortunately I do not have any advice to give you about this issue, but I do feel what you feel.
This is why I am/was so wary to adopt or advicing people to adopt another cat after such an incredible life with a special cat who passed away.

I'm so sorry for what you're going through with Geoffrey. He must have had some traumatic life before knowing you. Sometimes when a cat is looking for a forever home, he/she acts in a way they look lovely and sweet, then they completely change their behaviour when they have that home.
It happened with Pallina, as sweet as a candy before I took her home, a fierce lion a couple of days after getting her. It took months to have her not shredding my hands! And about a year to have her on my lap, but not completely relaxed.
For this step I had to wait a dozen years...

I wish you will have Geoffrey on your ap soon!

 

[Kflowers]

I think sometimes they are sweet at the shelter because someone came to visit them. They have no idea they are being adopted. They only know that they've been taken from the relatively safe place (food and no one attacking) them to WHAT? It probably took time for them to relax a little at the shelter, time to learn that it was okay to let strangers pet them.

When you are prey the unknown means probable death. I think that's why it takes some cats a while to settle in, learn to trust - no just you but the whole situation - and to come out of their shells.