Muffin's kitten--Cupcake

msaimee

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Before my beautiful feral, Muffin, passed away, he brought one last kitten to me to care for. She just came home from the vet clinic this morning. She is healthy and recovering from the spay and vaccinations. I named her Cupcake. She has his stripes, eyes, and large pink nose. Please send healing and peaceful vibes and prayers for her and me and my other cats. I do feel Muffin's spirit is around. I miss him terribly, but now I have another part of him with me.

 

DreamerRose

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She is so pretty. I hope she fills that hole in your heart and becomes that loving companion we all want.
 

shadowsrescue

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She is just so beautiful.  I can see Muffin in her.  I hope her socialization will be an easy one.
 
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msaimee

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Cupcake has made good progress over the past 3 days (today is day 4). She somehow got out of her room on the morning of day 2 (squeezed through the narrow bars of the baby gate with the room door ajar in front of it) and settled into a chair in my sunroom. She's met my 4 other cats and so far, with my supervision, there hasn't been any real problem, though my alpha males are sizing her up.  I let her out yesterday for a few hours, too since she's decided that she doesn't want to be in that room all the time. I am able to corral her back into her room after her time exploring the house. She still doesn't want to be touched and she's still really scared, but she's also pretty bold at the same time. This morning for the first time she ate some wet food. She hasn't had a regular BM yet, so I'm waiting for that to happen. She's crying more often, which is difficult for me, but I know it's part of the process. I return to work tonight and she'll be alone for 12 hours in her room, and of course I'll be worried. I placed a radio in there at 4am today. She hasn't caught onto the concept of playing with a wand toy or any toy, but it could be that she's still sore from the spay.  She is making good progress and I just need to relax and be patient. Do you guys think her crying bothers my other cats the way it bothers me? Some of them have been through that before, watching me socialize cats who cried. But at least she isn't climbing the walls or scratching at the door or seeking a way out of the house. Please continue to send prayers and healing vibes to her and the others, including me.

 

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She is adorable and you can definitely see the resemblance to Muffin. I love her name. everyone loves a good cupcake. 


The alpha males might be in for a surprise if she decides to kick them out of the throne and take over as queen. My Lilith is tiny. She's 5.5 pounds and she thinks she's a lioness. Henry is easily twice her size and she rules him with an iron paw. Sophie is Lily's sister and her second in command. She doesn't get nearly as much sass as Henry does. 
 

Mamanyt1953

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She is a little beauty.  What a wonderful thing for Muffin to have done for you, and what a wonderful tribute to him, to name her Cupcake!
 

supermax1943

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Thoughts and prayers being sent for both of you.

She is such a little cutie!

My crew (the part of the colony that comes in the house at night) doesn't pay any attention to anyone else's crying unless it means something to them (like a potential fight or someone shut in a closet or the bathroom). 

One of my rescue's "Yodi" had Alzheimer's in her declining years. She would often sit in the middle of the room take the biggest breath she could and then Yell at the top of her lungs until she decided to stop. It was unsettling, to say the least!

Most of the time it was so loud it sounded as if someone was torturing her.

It would bother me, but I would look around the room and none of the cats would be the least bit interested or concerned about it.

I believe all "cat talk" is understood by all other cats.

I'm guessing they won't pay any attention to it, and won't be bothered by it at all.

So happy for you and Cupcake and Muffin too because I am sure he is enjoying watching the two of you.
 
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msaimee

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Hi Shadow, thanks for asking. Today is day number 8 with her in my home. Although she came out of her room her first two days in my house to explore, she hasn't left her room since. She is always in a cubby hole in the cat tree and won't leave it while I'm in the room. She comes out at night to eat, use the litter box, and I think she plays with the catnip toys because they're in different places. For a few hours a day, with my supervision, I leave the door to her room open and my two young boy cats, Harry and Sonny, come inside to look around and visit. Harry went up to her on the cat tree the other day and sniffed her, and she didn't hiss or move away. Harry acts like a protective big brother to her, and positions himself at the foot of the cat tree sometimes when Sonny is in the room. Harry also was sleeping on the level above her on the cat tree yesterday. I play with Sonny and Harry in front of her with the wand toy and she sees me petting them. I also spent time alone with her in the room, talking to her and singing to her. She is still very scared if I get too close and won't allow me to touch her. I'm thinking of leaving her room open a bit at night when I'm home to see if she'll come out to explore again. My other two cats, Mia and Leo, give her space and don't bother her. So far there hasn't been any fighting, chasing, or hissing. But I do wish she'd come out of the cat tree.  She hardly cries at all, and hasn't scratched at the windows or doors, so this is going a lot easier than some of my other cat socializations have gone in the past.  She feels the most comfortable with her brother, Harry.

 
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msaimee

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Cupcake left the cat tree and is in my bedroom behind the door. Mia and Leo are under my bed close by. Still no cat conflicts. I think she is making good progress with them. Is this just the calm before the storm or are my cats feeling all of your prayers and healing vibes? Now she is in the window cushion in my study. I think she will have the run of the house in no time.
 
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shadowsrescue

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Thank you for the update.  It seems like things are going very well for her.  It's only been a week and she is moving around and not hiding all the time which is great news! 

Hopefully soon she will start to want some human contact too.
 
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msaimee

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Cupcake is back to being shy and staying in her cubby hole in her cat tree in her room. She seems depressed to me, but she's eating and using the litter box. I spend time with her each day alone in her room, and I allow the other cats into her room a few times a day, and play with them and pet them in front of her. There has been no aggression, and they allow her to have her space. Her older brother Harry acts protective towards her and doesn't allow my spirited cat Sonny to get too close to her. This is her 12th day in my house and I know it will take some time, but I hope she will find some contentment over time. Thanks for all your support and positive energy.     
 
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msaimee

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Tomorrow it will be 3 weeks that Cupcake has been in my house. There isn't much new to report. She is eating and using the litter box, and playing with her toys at night. During the day, I open the door to her room for at least a few hours, once or twice a day. The other cats come into her room and play with her toys and sniff around, and I pet them and play with them in front of her. Harry is a protective big brother and doesn't let the other cats get too close to her--and she mostly stays in her cubby hole in her cat tree. Today, though, Harry and Cupcake were sniffing and I don't know what happened, but he popped her a quick one and ran off. I think they know they have the same cat dad, and are going to act like siblings :)  She is still nervous around me, though I spend time alone with her each day. I can't touch her yet and don't try. She's not bribed by food--she doesn't like cat treats, chicken, or baby food. She does eat a little tuna along with her dry food. She's come out twice to eat the tuna while I was standing a few feet outside of her room with the door open, so I suppose that's progress. This AM she was on top of the cat tree, looking out the window at the birds, and meowed a few times because she realized she was inside and not outside---but she normally doesn't cry or scratch at the door or windows or try to get out. I guess she's still scared and trying to get a hold on her surroundings.  I'm off this weekend and will be able to spend more time with her. She has made eye contact with me from the start. I do the slow blinking, but she also makes steady eye contact. I think she may be depressed and/or angry at the changes in her life, but I know that in time she will adjust and relax. That is exactly what happened with the other female feral I took into my house 3 years ago.

I know people have differing ideas about what constitutes a "socialized" feral cat, but I'm satisfied with her progress so far, and it won't bother me if she never warms up to me, as long as I can eventually handle her if I have to get her to a vet. She seems more comfortable with my cats than with me, and that is fine, because eventually she's going to feel comfortable having the run of the house and will be spending long hours alone with them while I'm at work. She will be safe and well-cared for, and I won't have the stress of caring for another feral cat outdoors. Letting her back out, at least in my area, is not an option since there is Feline AIDS in the feral community around my house. I really think she is going to work out fine, and so far, her transition to my house has been easier than many of my other cat transitions, including non-feral cats. I don't have expectations that she's going to be a friendly or affectionate cat--just a safe and well-cared for cat who will be very pampered, and I know Muffin's spirit is around and he is very happy that his offspring all have wonderful homes.

Thanks for asking, and for all of your support
 
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