My Quarantine Adoption

[SlightlyIvy]

Joking. She's not a plague kitty. But I joke that she is since I adopted her during this whole pandemic business.

She came to me named Abi, and I didn't mean to request to meet her, but here we are. In my heart I knew I was taking her home. And I did yesterday. I had been planning to adopt a cat for awhile, but the need during the quarantines had me step up my time line. I met Abi (aka Ivy, now) yesterday evening right before PetSmart closed. She was pushing to get out of her carrier before I even set it down and she was friendly enough, but much more interested in mapping the room. Fair enough. I looked at my roommate and we agreed. I was taking her home. We got her crated and got the essential supplies, plenty of food, litter boxes, food bowls, some cardboard scratchers, and of course some toys. I wish I'd gotten some Feliway.

Get her home and take her up to my room. Our place being how it is, we didn't want to put her in the laundry room or the bathroom because both are way too small for a litter box and a cat. So my room at was. I let her out, she explored, met my roommate and didn't cave. My roommate went to attend her own business and then Ivy and I were alone. She was friendly and curious, maybe a little tense, but way better than I was expecting. She had some food and drank some water, and she cried when I wasn't in the room, and later she used the litter box, no problem. Okay, I thought, this is going so well! She'll be a breeze of a first cat!

I was wrong.

She'd been wanting to get out of my room for about an hour before I turned off the light and tried to sleep. I of course, didn't let her out. All the advice I've read says to confine them to a room for a few days until they feel settled. Midnight rolled around and I finally let her out because she didn't wear herself out like I thought she would. She laid on my bed for only three minutes and then stuck both paws under the door to rattle the door on its hinges in a valiant effort to LEAVE. Well fine. The advice I've gotten is to let the cat set the pace. If she's confident, she's confident. So at 1 am I let her out, took down her kitty litter and filled up the litter box on the ground floor. I put her in the box, she sniffed it and jumped out. I brought down some of the things she'd been scent marking so she'd have some markers to tell her the place is hers. Did I mention this entire time she's meowing? She's not loud, but Lord bless her, she's TIRELESS.

I sit with her awhile, pet her, love on her a bit. She's wandering around, rubbing up on things, exploring. I go back upstairs. She goes up and down the stairs endlessly meowing the whole while. I catch her and put her back in her crate so she won't wake up my roommate. She sounds so pitiful I let her out. She goes down again, meowing. I try to influence her with catnip and this DOES NOT WORK in the slightest. I take her upstairs and put her back in the crate, and I am daydreaming about strangling her the whole while. I'm trying not to be angry, I knew this was coming, sort of. But the lack of sleep is making me vicious, which is normal for me, unfortunately. (No, I didn't hurt Ivy. I did stick her back in her crate where she continued to meow and beep pitifully until I let her out around 7:30 this morning.

She's been downstairs ever since, hiding under the loveseat. Her foster mom says she's just overwhelmed and to leave her be. When I call her, she'll come out and recieve pets. She's tried to scratch the furniture a few times, and I've clapped at her. I know she needs to scratch, but the cardboard scratchers I got her don't seem to do it for her. I dont know how to teach her to use them.

I need advice. HAve I screwed up here? Should I take her back upstairs or let her come out from under the loveseat on her own? She isn't terribly interested in playing, though I get some interested looks when I bring out the wand toy.

I like her. I'm a bit overwhelmed, and a little anxious, wondering, "What did I just get myself into?" but I want to make this work. If the problem isn't sorted soon though, I think I'll have to give her back to her foster mom and just swear off pets forever. (I tried adopting a dog and that was not good). Help me out here guys? I only have the internet to turn to.

Also, apologies if this is the wrong forum to submit this to, I figured this fell under cat behavior.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. She is probably just overwhelmed - new home, new owner, another new person, etc. She wanted out at night because it was darker and quieter and that probably made her feel more brave about roaming. Now that it is day time, she is a bit less brave! I would let her come out from the loveseat on her own, but make sure you have food and water very close by as that might help to get her to move - and to make sure she eats/drinks. Also, set up a cardboard box or two that she can see from where she is hiding in case she might choose one of them over being under the loveseat all the time. Putting something with her scent on it in them could help with that as well. Sit nearby and if nothing else, just read a book out loud so she hears your voice, and becomes more accustomed to hearing it.

At night, you can try to crate her in your room and place a blanket to cover most of it. If it is big enough, you could place food/water in it, as well as her litter box. If you can place it where she can see you, that might help too.

How old is she? The older she is, the longer it might take for her to come around. Adult cats adapt a little less easily than really young cats/kittens, so give her time.

Some TCS articles you might like -
First-time Cat Owner’s Guide – Cat Articles
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home – Cat Articles
Why Do Cats…? A Guide To Understanding Feline Behavior – Cat Articles

Keep us posted. And, when you can, share a pic of her!!

 

[SlightlyIvy]

She's a little under two years I think. her foster mom was surprised when I told her how she cried for hours. Said at her house Ivy hadn't made a peep!

I had her in her crate twice last night/this morning, and I put a shirt over it. She promptly dragged it through the mesh on the gate and was doing something to it...I'm not even sure. She definitely doesn't like her crate, but she's so sweet and didn't scratch or hiss at me when I basically shoved her in there, and anyway, its not big enough for anything but her. I have her food and water right by the loveseat, and I can put out a box, but she seems to prefer being UNDER things, if that makes sense. Where she can escape in any direction.

The good news is, she doesn't seem to resent me for locking her up, she will come when I coax her out, and she doesn't run from me if I approach. She ate and drank last night, like I said, and she knows where her food and water are-she's sniffed at both but taken neither today. She's also tried to scratch a couple of times, but on the loveseat, which i know would help her confidence but my roommate would dislike that, so I'll have to duck out later and get her a vertical cat scratcher. Hopefully she knows what sisal rope is.

Thank you for your reply, and the posted articles. I'll definitely give them a once over, and hopefully find some answers. But I'm also getting earplugs tonight. Do you think I should bring her back upstairs tonight?

And I'll definitely attach a pic once she comes out lol

 

[FeebysOwner]

I had her in her crate twice last night/this morning, and I put a shirt over it. She promptly dragged it through the mesh on the gate and was doing something to it...I'm not even sure. She definitely doesn't like her crate, but she's so sweet and didn't scratch or hiss at me when I basically shoved her in there, and anyway, its not big enough for anything but her. I have her food and water right by the loveseat, and I can put out a box, but she seems to prefer being UNDER things, if that makes sense. Where she can escape in any direction.

Too funny about the shirt!!! LOL! If you can find a bigger cardboard box, turn it upside down, so it is more of a cave, and cut a couple of entry-holes in it for her. Maybe that will work?

Do you think I should bring her back upstairs tonight?

Maybe, but if you do, perhaps use a cardboard box - like noted above - and see if she will settle down in it, rather than the crate. I am not sure what she is doing with the nighttime thing, but it would probably be best if you could keep her in the room with you - along with all of necessities, of course. See if a horizontal scratcher being placed in front of the door would discourage her from trying to get the door open. It's pretty much a trial and error on this aspect.

This might take a bit of time, but I think she sounds like once she can settle in, she will do very well!!

 

[SlightlyIvy]

I've got some cardboard boxes and a boxcutter; I'll get some earplugs, and we'll try again tonight. I'll try a vertical scratching post too, she doesn't seem to know what to do with a horizontal one.

And good news, she did eat a little! Just a mouthful. No water yet. I have some cans of wet food; I'll give her a bit tonight before bedtime and maybe that will settle her. If I can get her to play, so much the better.

Thanks so much for your reply; just having a plan of sort is so comforting.

 

[Krienze]

I like her. I'm a bit overwhelmed, and a little anxious, wondering, "What did I just get myself into?" but I want to make this work. If the problem isn't sorted soon though, I think I'll have to give her back to her foster mom and just swear off pets forever. (I tried adopting a dog and that was not good). Help me out here guys? I only have the internet to turn to.

So first, let me preface this with the fact that I don't know much about adjusting cats -- as I've been very very lucky with most of mine. (Jasper, a kitten we got last month, is now king of my house. Sammy was born in it, and Isabel is 'whatever') I've only had two cats I've had to adjust. CiCi, who had been abused and never adjusted, and Mia -- who I'm working with! With CiCi, we didn't have the heart to bring her back. We knew she was a 'damaged' cat when we adopted her, but we also knew she'd be put down if we brought her back (kill shelter) -- so I want to just say that while she didn't recover and adjust, it's because she had some severe issues. YOU should not lose hope.

I adopted Mia during the quarantine, too. How about we call them the quarankitties? Sounds cute. Lets go with that? ^_^

Mostly I wanted to reply to tell you I FEEL YOUR PAIN HERE! You're not alone in that overwhelmed feeling and I really really hope you can feel the virtual hug I'm sending you! Don't give up!

Someone, maybe correct me if I'm giving bad advice here, on My Cat From Hell, I seem like I recall Jackson having a situation like this and using some kind of air device that triggered when the cat came near the door. It would puff air at the cat and deter them from going near it, and they ended up leaving it alone? I'm not sure if that would work in this situation though :3

 

[SlightlyIvy]

Quarankitties is great

I'm not sure about the compressed air thing. Maybe as a last resort. I don't want her to never come to my room. I'll try the box, the scratcher, the wet food, and any feliway spray I might be able to find at walmart, and see how that goes. Also I'm going to cover the mirror on the back of my door. I forgot to mention-she might think it's a window? She got really confused with it last night.

And if all else fails, the rescue that I adopted her from is strictly no-kill. They have a two week grace period, no questions asked, in which you can return the animal to them without judgement, and you get a refund. The woman who fostered her is an upstanding lady who just wants whats best for Ivy. I am going to try my best to keep her though.

 

[aliceneko]

Quarantine with kitties is 100x better than without! I hope it works out for you both.

Have you tried Feliways or calming music? There are plenty of videos that contain several pieces of calming music for cats and dogs on YouTube. I used the piece's from RelaxMyCat's channel when Toffee and Fudge were kittens.

 

[Krienze]

Oooh, if you have an alexa, I think they even have a 'calm my cat' ability you can use.

EDIT: It's called "RELAX MY CAT" not calm.

I have it playing right now for Mia =D

 

[Sonatine]

Just chiming in to add that the meowing thing sounds fairly normal. Both of mine (adopted at a similar age as Ivy) did that for the first night. Both stopped the night crying after a few days and adjusted pretty quickly after that. I also felt overwhelmed at first and wondered if I was doing it wrong. But they calmed down and everything ended up being fine.

Only you can decide ultimately if she's right for your home. But at this early stage, I'd try not to worry too much, if I were you. I know it's hard not to when the kitty is crying sadly and depriving you of sleep, but it will end!

 

[molly92]

She sounds normal to me. I do not think the clapping or compressed air are going to have a positive effect on her. Cover places that she tries to scratch and shouldn't with tin foil, or if you can get it, sticky paws, which is large double-sided tape. Try a few different styles of scratching posts-some cats only touch cardboard, some prefer sisal rope, and some like carpet. If she doesn't touch it, you can probably return it. Put the post near where she likes to scratch, and then move it gradually once she's consistently scratching it. Also make sure it's really sturdy, because cats don't like wobbly scratching posts.

I don't think the crate will be helpful. A box as suggested is good. The best thing you can do for her is keep both of you on a predictable schedule. When you go to bed, stay in bed, and ignore the meowing. Get up at the same time every day, and feed her and play with her at the same times if possible. Knowing what to expect and when to expect it will help her settle down enormously. Be patient, though, because cats are amazingly persistent and convincing! But ignoring her at night is key, or you'll never get a good night's sleep. She will get quiet once she learns the rules, but if she thinks she can get your attention successfully, she'll keep trying.

If that sounds like way too much for you to handle right now, then I think it would be wise to take advantage of the two week grace period. She could settle down tomorrow, or she could take a few weeks or a month, and if other behavioral problems develop in her life, they have to be handled with the same kind of patience and adaptations. If all this sounds doable to you, then go for it. Whichever you choose is fine.

 

[FeebysOwner]

And if all else fails, the rescue that I adopted her from is strictly no-kill. They have a two week grace period, no questions asked, in which you can return the animal to them without judgement, and you get a refund. The woman who fostered her is an upstanding lady who just wants whats best for Ivy. I am going to try my best to keep her though.

It could take longer than 2 weeks - hang in there!!! She already sounds very promising! It will work, and I am keeping Feeby's 'fingers' crossed for the both of you!

 

[susanm9006]

it is not uncommon for a new cat to find a place to stay there and hid for a few days. But in a house where they are the only cat some just need to roam, meow, explore and generally do everything except settle down and be quiet. This is temporary behavior and not a true indication of what this cat will be like long term. As long as she is eating and using the litterbox she is going to be okay. Let the roommate know this, leave your door open, do your best to ignore her while you are sleeping and give her a few weeks before stressing too much about her behavior. Make sure there are lots of fun toys that she can play with during the night. If you don’t have a cat tree then find an up high place she is allowed to go, a window she can look out of and plenty of play time with you before bedtime.

 

[SlightlyIvy]

Thank you to everyone who posted with their advice and encouragement! I really appreciate it.

I did a little shopping and got some temporary scratching posts to occupy her, some treats (for positive reenforcement training), AND some feliway. Both spray and plug in. The plug in is in my room and I've spritzed both scratching posts with the spray. She seems really averse to my room but that might be because she thinks I'll keep her in there like last night. I'm debating the best course of action tonight, if I should take her upstairs with me or let her roam as she pleases. I'm in an apartment with neighbors on both sides, so no matter what I do, I think someone will complain.

Either way, I have earplugs and I guess I'll be using them.

As for keeping Ivy, I'm pretty set on that (when I'm not so sleep deprived I start hearing colors, I really do like her), BUT if I feel she's putting too much strain on the house at large, then I'll give her back to her foster mom. I feel a lot better about keeping her, than I did when I tried to adopt a dog (they are so much work you guys), and while I have general anxieties of "what if this was a bad idea" "what if she ruins something expensive" "what if I spent all this money for nothing" I think she and I might work out in spite of them.

Thanks again everyone, I'll let you know how tonight turns out!

 

[SlightlyIvy]

So!
I did sleep. (HUGE fan of sleep I am).
She's eating and drinking, though sparingly, and has used the litter box.

Last night was...better?

I plan on feeding Ivy three times a day, small portions of dry food (I'll have to switch later when theres not a pandemic going on on), and then the last meal of the night being a mix of dry and wet food. I don't want to encourage free feeding, so after she's eaten her bit, I put it away. Maybe that's not the right way to go, but she's eating sparingly anyway, so I figure it's not doing too much harm.

So last night I manage to get her playing with a mouse toy- I just skidded it across the floor and she went right for it. She was born feral of course, and lived outside for a few months, so I figure she knows better what that is than the wand toy. We got about 15 minutes in, which is a stunning record considering the zero she had been getting. Then I mixed her some wet and dry food and she ate a bit. I did leave it out at night, since it's pretty cool in my house. She hadn't finished it, but she did do this weird scraping thing on the ground, like she was trying to hide her food. Thankfully, there was nothing there for her to throw over it.

I tried playing this morning but she wasn't having it.

She did meow on and off all night, but armed with earplugs, I could only hear her when she came into my room, which wasn't often. I don't know if she wants to play, or wants more food (even though she didn't finish her final bowl of the day), or is just acclimating to her surroundings. She's out and about lately, and greeted both my roommate and I this morning. So, progress?

 

[molly92]

Definitely progress! She'll be fine. I like scheduled meal times, and leaving her food out at night. As long as she's steadily increasing the amount she's eating bit by bit, I don't think you need to worry about her eating. Also just a tip: the more wet food you can get in her diet, the better it is for her health in the long term.

she did do this weird scraping thing on the ground

This is an instinct all cats have, to bury anything that smells so not to attract predators. It's more residual than practical since there's usually nothing to bury the food with besides air. Most people assume this means the cat doesn't like the food, but that's not necessarily true. It can also mean the cat didn't feel like finishing and is saving it for later.

 

[SlightlyIvy]

. Also just a tip: the more wet food you can get in her diet, the better it is for her health in the long term.

I'm planning on switching her to a purely wet food, and then a raw food diet. I don't know if I'll be making my own yet, we'll see how it goes. There are some good wet food brands out there for sure, but I want to get her eating regularly first, before I start mixing things up.

 

[Krienze]

I feel a lot better about keeping her, than I did when I tried to adopt a dog (they are so much work you guys), and while I have general anxieties of "what if this was a bad idea" "what if she ruins something expensive" "what if I spent all this money for nothing" I think she and I might work out in spite of them.

I have been having those anxieties about Mia. Not so much the money issue (the rescue gave her to us, since we adopted Jasper) but the whole 'maybe this was a mistake' 'what if she never acclimates' etc etc. Take a deep breath when those anxieties hit and try to remember positive things about Ivy and about the situation, like how much you like her and what progress she has made, even if it's small, progress is still progress, you know? In the end, our anxiety can be a REAL pain in the butt and it can make us view situations as so much worse than they actually are, so make sure you take a step back and REALLY look at the situation too. Sometimes, I feel like that helps me.

Last night was...better?

Awesome news!

I'm planning on switching her to a purely wet food, and then a raw food diet. I don't know if I'll be making my own yet, we'll see how it goes. There are some good wet food brands out there for sure, but I want to get her eating regularly first, before I start mixing things up.

If it helps, I feed mine both. Several people suggested KFC/rotisserie chicken for Mia when I was trying to get her eat, but thankfully she seemed to start eating on her own when I gave her a small taste of the wet food. I would definitely not worry about brands at the moment and get focus on getting her eating well first, I think. I have no advice on cooking at home for them though, the most I have done is make rice and chicken for my dogs when their stomachs were upset :3 so I'm ill-informed there =(

I'm really glad to see you're making headway though! Don't let your anxiety kick you around too much. Just remember, you're the boss of your anxiety! You do the kicking!

 

[SlightlyIvy]

Hello guys and gals!

This weekend wasn't bad at all. I'm sorry about the long time between updates. Ivy is now on a feeding schedule, and is getting better at playtime. No litter box mishaps, except for this morning when she spooked herself getting out of it. She still doesn't want to cuddle, but she seems to be just edging closer as the days go by. I worry she's getting bored, so I open windows for her, but she doesn't really seem interested, so I guess thats okay? She is tearing around upstairs this morning, fighting the carpet, and I don't know if that's normal or not. I haven't been able to get her a cat tree that both my roommate and I agree on yet, what with the pandemic and all.

All that being said, I've come to the conclusion that a cat is like a roommate. You live together, you feel one another out, and then you either end up liking one another or you don't. So we'll see how it goes. I'm going to try to enjoy her. And not freak out.

 

[Krienze]

Hello guys and gals!

This weekend wasn't bad at all. I'm sorry about the long time between updates. Ivy is now on a feeding schedule, and is getting better at playtime. No litter box mishaps, except for this morning when she spooked herself getting out of it. She still doesn't want to cuddle, but she seems to be just edging closer as the days go by. I worry she's getting bored, so I open windows for her, but she doesn't really seem interested, so I guess thats okay? She is tearing around upstairs this morning, fighting the carpet, and I don't know if that's normal or not. I haven't been able to get her a cat tree that both my roommate and I agree on yet, what with the pandemic and all.

All that being said, I've come to the conclusion that a cat is like a roommate. You live together, you feel one another out, and then you either end up liking one another or you don't. So we'll see how it goes. I'm going to try to enjoy her. And not freak out.

Have you gotten her any cat toys?

Mia really loves the catnip ones and Jasper has a few tennis balls he goes nuts playing with. Sammy enjoys the laser and catnip toys, too. Isabel doesn't really want to play (but she's an old girl) but will sometimes play with a feather. Def gotta occupy them or give them something to occupy themselves with, or you risk them getting destructive and what not. Don't freak out. Just play with her. =) I bet she'd love a laser toy or feather!