Need input - FIV+ and FIV- cats living together. Risks/Concerns

[chaucer]

 
How are the kitties doing? I hope Chaucer is better 

Chaucer is better. He's eating and his UTI seems better. I tried giving him a pill, but that's not going to work. I'd forgotten how difficult it is to pill a cat!   The Feliway seems to help, plus I'm giving him a lot more attention and taking him outside. Today, he visited with the neighbor's cat who comes for a snack. I kept them at a safe distance and Chaucer is in a harness, but he is back to his friendly to other cats style, at  least the outside cats.  I'm the one who is upset about all of this now. It breaks my heart to see the old photos of Chaucer and Henryetta together and now she won't have much to do with him. Orville wants to be his friend, but Chaucer wants none of it. Orville's even stopped pestering Chaucer other than an occasional "fight" for Chaucer's chair. Chaucer runs him off that chair.

@kittyluv387    He is my baby and he did really well with Henryetta when she joined us. He did well with Orville for two or three months and then all this started when Orville took over and won Henryetta's affection. Those two are really sweet together, but it's hard to see Chaucer being rejected.

 

[zed xyzed]

Hi just checking in on how the kitties are doing. I hope Chaucer is better 

 

[chaucer]

Thanks for asking. Chaucer is doing well. He's eating, playing and even engaging with Orville and Henryetta (a little). He's not on the meds, so I think that the Feliway is working.

One thing I noticed, and I may have mentioned this before, is that Orville and Chaucer treat Henryetta differently. Chaucer gets overly excited when he grooms Henryetta and then "attacks" her which elicits hissing and growling from her, and it always has. Orville, on the other hand, grooms her a little then lies down next to her. Most likely, this is typical male/female behavior in the "wilds." Chaucer wouldn't know this having been neutered at around 2 months or so and never having lived outside or with other cats.

I was thrilled to see an article recently that said that it was no longer considered a danger for FIV+ and FIV- cats to live together.

 

[zed xyzed]

That is a wonderful update, maybe Chaucer will observe Orville and  figure out how to better interact with Henryetta. 

 

[chaucer]

So the three are all doing really well together and Chaucer, thanks to the Feliway, is doing great.  HOWEVER, there's a new situation.

I volunteer as a co-manager at a charity shop.  One of the workers found this tiny kitten outside after a customer notified her that it had nearly been hit by a car. The co-worker took the kitten home, but she isn't financially able to care for another cat - we took five of her rescues to the local shelter last year.  She has one inside cat and currently three others, including half-wild 5 month-old kittens. These three live outside. She cares for a toddler great-grandson who doesn't know how to handle a tiny kitten.The woman had it over a week. It is underweight because she can't afford special food, but it's very playful. (Also has fleas, I discovered as it was living outside most of the time she even had it.) This little thing's eyes are just now beginning to change so it is probably about 6-7 weeks old. Long story short, I said I would take the kitten, foster it for a short time and take it to the local shelter. Unfortunately, the shelter had an outbreak (again) of URI (before it was FIP twice) and is under quarantine for cats so are not accepting them right now.  I am, essentially, stuck with the kitten.   It is living in my hall closet floor - bed, food/water, smalll litter pan, toys, carrier to hide in if needed.

Major issue with Henryetta - she hates this kitten. Growling/hissing at it.  I NEVER take it out where the other cats are. Orville didn't mind it when I introduced it to him - Orville runs from any sort of confrontation or if a cat hisses or growls. I am at a loss as to caring for a very tiny kitten in a household with three adult cats who are not accepting of it.  I have a lead on someone to take it, but it's one of those "It depends if..." things.

Kitten.jpg

• chaucer
• Jul 8, 2016

 

[foxxycat]

Aww don't worry. My old cat Floey also hissed at the kitten for a few weeks. They ended up becoming tolerate of each other. Give it time. Its easier to integrate a kitten than grown cats. The hissing is just postering. She is doing the kitty cussing. It will be like this for a week to a month. as time goes on this will lesson. Keeping them separate is good for now. you can do the clothe switch-a blanket each one slept on and switch it so your older kitty gets used to kitten smells. The hissing is because of an unfamiliar smell.

Thank you for rescuing that cutie pie!

 

[chaucer]

@foxxycat   Thanks. It's at the groomer right now. I didn't realize how dirty it was until I saw the white towel this morning. I knew it had some fleas and I could see the ones that fell off on the towel. The little thing wasn't scratching this morning though. It was brought into a flea-free home so hopefully there won't be any in my linen closet!  I asked a couple of people in the grocery store this morning if they were interested in a kitten, and I also told the groomer.   It's adorable but just can't keep it.  

I prefer introducing older cats because at least they can defend themselves if there is an eventual confrontation. I have one cat who is nearly 12 pounds and another who is over 13 pounds.   Henryetta aka Lady Growley is notorious for hissing and growling at other cats. She still does it with Chaucer and Orville.   Orville runs from confrontations and Chaucer is puzzled by them and will continue whatever he is doing to annoy her.  The kitten is so tiny - maybe a half-pound or a little more-that if it gets loose I'm afraid for it with Henryetta and Chaucer. It's only been less than a full day that it's been here.  I am calling it "Izzy" because I'm not quite sure if it is male or female yet.  I think the latter. Name could work either way - Isadore or Isabella depending on the sex. I want it to have a good name when it is taken to the shelter, but I still have to wait to see if the person I know is going to be able to work out the logistics of getting this kitten. (Other state and needs family here to take care of it for a few weeks until she can come get it.)

 

[foxxycat]

I love Izzy. It looks like a girl kitty. That could explain the hissing. Sometimes girls want to be the only girl in the kingdom

 

[kittyluv387]

Aww shes so adorable...

 

[chaucer]

AND, best of all....They came through!  Izzy is going to her temporary home for a few weeks before she's on her way to sunny Florida!  I'm so glad that she didn't have to go to the shelter. I just don't like how the cats seem to contract epidemic-style illness there and have to be euthanized.

 

[zed xyzed]

It has been a while since you posted an update, I hope all is well 

 

[fifimanchu]

This is belated, but you sound like the type that will, in the future, foster a cat now & then until it can be placed in a home or shelter.  You might wanna invest in a huge, dog crate or huge folding dog cage, the latter is about 80-90 bucks at Tractor Supply.  If cage, throw a light blanket or sheet over all but front door so they feel safe.  Or put smaller carrier inside to hide in.  Large cage accommodates litter box, carrier, bowls.  Then your cats aren't threatened and strange cat doesn't share food, water with an untested (for Felv/Fiv) cat.  Just a thought.

 

[fifimanchu]

This is belated, but this may help you in the future. Regarding pilling a cat.  Go to Tractor Supply or buy on line a few 3-6cc syringes (without needles).  Get a flat plate & an Xacto blade or you can even use paper, I suppose, if you have no blade.  Unscrew/pull apart capsule & empty onto plate.  If pill, crush with a spoon until ground up well.  Take syringe & draw up .5 to 1 cc or so of water (or tuna juice or diluted cat can gravy).  Put your finger on end of syringe to keep liquid from dribbling out while you remove plunger from syringe.  Scrape up powdered pill or capsule powder with blade of even small piece of paper and tap it into syringe. It will take a few scoopings to get it all in.  Then hold top and bottom ends of syringe and shake it up.  Still holding the nipple end of syringe, insert the plunger end in and wha-lah!  It sounds difficult, but it really isn't.  I suppose you could take a smallish (soda?) bottle cap and put tuna juice & pill powder mix in it and just draw it up in a syringe.  I've just always found it's easier to squirt liquids in a cat's mouth than it is to pill them.  I've used Fancy Feast Fish & Shrimp juice I created by adding a little water into almost empty can.  If your cat likes the stuff, they are less likely to fight you.  The syringes are easy to wash in soap & water to reuse.

 

[chaucer]

 
It has been a while since you posted an update, I hope all is well 

Thanks, Zed.  Orville, the FIV kitty, is doing very well. He's still a little skittish at times, hiding from storms, loud noises and such. He also scares easily if others are here or even if I make a sudden move. Sometimes the sounds my different shoes make when I walk will startle him and he will run, but he loves for me to pet him and rub his belly. Mostly, he prefers to spend his time with Henryetta, the former abandoned female. They have seriously bonded and it's cute to see him wait for her to leave a room before he does. They chase each other, eat together, sleep together and groom each other.  Chaucer is doing well. He's back to eating a lot - almost two 6 ounce cans of wet food a day. He's still lean but it is his metabolism. Chaucer is just very active. He and Henryetta have a tenuous relationship now that Orville is with us. Chaucer is much more aggressive than Orville and is definitely the Alpha Male despite being only 8 pounds while Orville is over 13 pounds and Henryetta is getting close to 12.

I had a terrible incident a few weeks ago where I ran over a cat in my carport. I had never seen the cat before and I was so very upset, even though it was an accident. A kind stranger saw that I was in distress and stopped to help me. He buried the little thing in my backyard and cleaned my carport. I'm still so very sad about it. My neighbors must think I have OCD now.  I slap the hood of my car three times and then when I get in, I honk the horn.  I don't know why this little cat didn't run when the door to the house closed, I walked out, the car door slammed and the engine started. I sat in the car a minute or so while the engine was running too.  Anyway, I haven't been feeding cats for a while, other than my neighbor's two, and now I don't want to encourage cats to come around. I have been that upset.

 

[chaucer]

@fifimanchu    Thanks for the tips and ideas!  I have a dog crate for 15-30 pounds.  I use it for my 13 pound male cat who is too large to fit in a cat carrier. In fact, I bought the dog crate to trap him when I knew I was going to be able to get him neutered and possibly make him one of the family.

I love the idea about the syringes. I have some extras from when Chaucer, my smaller male, had UTIs and I had to give him the liquid anti-spasmodic.  Mixing a pill into some "juice" and putting it in the syringe is wonderful!  Thank you so much!

 

[zed xyzed]

Thank you for the update. I am so sorry about the awful accident. You are so kind to the animals and do so much for them I can only imagine how devastated you must have been. Hugs 

 

[catwoman707]

 
Thanks, Zed.  Orville, the FIV kitty, is doing very well. He's still a little skittish at times, hiding from storms, loud noises and such. He also scares easily if others are here or even if I make a sudden move. Sometimes the sounds my different shoes make when I walk will startle him and he will run, but he loves for me to pet him and rub his belly. Mostly, he prefers to spend his time with Henryetta, the former abandoned female. They have seriously bonded and it's cute to see him wait for her to leave a room before he does. They chase each other, eat together, sleep together and groom each other.  Chaucer is doing well. He's back to eating a lot - almost two 6 ounce cans of wet food a day. He's still lean but it is his metabolism. Chaucer is just very active. He and Henryetta have a tenuous relationship now that Orville is with us. Chaucer is much more aggressive than Orville and is definitely the Alpha Male despite being only 8 pounds while Orville is over 13 pounds and Henryetta is getting close to 12.

I had a terrible incident a few weeks ago where I ran over a cat in my carport. I had never seen the cat before and I was so very upset, even though it was an accident. A kind stranger saw that I was in distress and stopped to help me. He buried the little thing in my backyard and cleaned my carport. I'm still so very sad about it. My neighbors must think I have OCD now.  I slap the hood of my car three times and then when I get in, I honk the horn.  I don't know why this little cat didn't run when the door to the house closed, I walked out, the car door slammed and the engine started. I sat in the car a minute or so while the engine was running too.  Anyway, I haven't been feeding cats for a while, other than my neighbor's two, and now I don't want to encourage cats to come around. I have been that upset.

Oh my gosh @Chaucer  I can only imagine how you felt and still feel about running the kitty over!! 

Gosh I have not hit a dog or cat before, but have hit a baby possum, it was so small and didn't spot it until I was nearly on top of it and it went completely under my tire, thankfully, instant. But geez I felt traumatized just for that! I bawl if I see a cat dead in the road, and have this huge fear of hitting a cat and not instantly killing it, like screaming, flopping around kind of thing, yes, that's my ridiculous imagination at work.....but not impossible! Especially since I drive with my work and at night, all over the place. 

 Hope it never happens.

What a kind person that buried kitty and cleaned up your carport. He's a hero in my eyes

It happens, no telling why kitty didn't take off, maybe it wasn't well, who knows. Hope it was at least fast. Poor little punkin is okay now. 

I just love how your kids have settled in to their ranks so well! You did such a great job from the start!

 

[chaucer]

@catwoman707   Thanks. I saw what you described not wanting to see. It was horrible. I think it was relatively quick, but not instant. Time slowed down for me as I tried not to watch it happen.  That man was so kind. There was no one around at 7:45 am on a Saturday morning when I was leaving for a volunteer thing I was hosting, so I had to be there. I had no one to call. I happened to look out toward the street to see if anyone was passing and this man was right at the end of my driveway, and he was watching me. I called to him for help and he came over, calmed me down, went to check on the kitty, and we both saw it pass. He came over, asked me for a shovel. I got a towel from inside and he wrapped up the poor thing and buried it where my childhood pets were buried in the yard. He placed bricks on top of it. They're still there so I have that reminder for a while. I paid him, but he was a little hesitant to take the money. He also bleach-washed the carport for me.

The consensus seems to be that there might have been something wrong with the cat that it didn't run off with all the noise I was making. If it had been sitting on a tire, it would have had time to jump off before the car started to move as I sat there, looking in the mirror to check my makeup. Even if it had been deaf, it would have felt the vibrations from the sliding door, and most certainly would have felt the car door's slam and the engine starting up. I don't know. It was just horrible. I thank God for that man. I don't know what I would have done. I couldn't have touched the poor kitty myself. I was in shock. Lucky I had somewhere to be most of that day.

 

[catwoman707]

OH MY GOSH........I would be out of my mind, traumatized, wow. I am SO sorry you had to go through that!!!! 

  

Of course you know it was not your fault, something was wrong...that is not natural for a kitty to not flee like that, but still, doesn't erase what you saw/heard just the same.

SO sorry!

 

[chaucer]

I didn't hear anything. At first, I thought it was just injured because it had moved away from the car, and I was hoping to help it when it calmed a little, but....The blood was probably coming from it's mouth as there wasn't a mark on it I could see in the brief moment I had to pass it to get a shovel for the man.  That man was a Godsend. I had no idea what to do, but I knew I had to do something. I was standing just outside my carport, which is only partially visible around the side of my house, saying "Oh my God," over and over again. I do remember that, and then there was that man - at the very right moment.  I am so sorry about the kitty, but I am glad it was not one I knew, and that it was not one of my neighbor's two.  An elderly friend had this same thing happen to her when she was in her 20's, except it was her family's cat and was closed in a car door. No one to help her and she had to put it out of its suffering herself. She teared up telling me this and she is 89. Well over 60 years and she still remembers it.

Honestly, on the following Monday I called a therapist  I see sometimes for anxiety issues and went to see him the next day. He told me to focus on the goodness of that man.