New cat, new cat dad. Meet Rivel :)

Hoboforeternity

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She's a stray who lived near work the last 1/2 years and i decided to take her in last thursday.

around in may, she had a kitten, which i july got wounded on the streets and i took him in. the little fella unfortunately didn't survive, and after that i tracked the mom, befriended her and finally took her in. Both the kitten (named Sniper) and Rivel are my first pets ever.
 
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Hoboforeternity

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How wonderful that you took her in. She is a beauty and seems to be very relaxed in her new home.
she is still a bit skittish, especially from outside noises. like neighbor's garage door or dog barking, passing vehicles, etc. i keep her confined in my room so far, but she began slowly exploring the rest of the house. i think it's good every day she spent more time outside my room before something spooked her and she retreats to her cave in my room. on saturday she spent a minute looking outside, sunday she took few steps, and just today she explored a bit sniffing everything :)
 
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Hoboforeternity

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You are correct. Your room is her safe place and knowing she can run back to it if she needs to make her more confident to explore. She doesn’t seem to be feral so she likely had a home at some time in her past and is quite thankful to have one now.
she's used to humans at least. there are a lot of foot traffic where she lived. most stray cats get food from food sellers who give them scraps sometimes there are cat people who just spread around kibbles. i wouldn't rule out someone had hit her before because she really is easily surprised.

also she likes to hide under the bed. i watched jackson galaxy's video about it, basically try to block the unders and provide her with a "cocoon". i made temporary one out of cardboard lined with my old clothes, it seems 50/50 works. sometimes she goes in it, sometimes she still crawl under the bed. i blocked it with some pillows, bed cover sheets, and once she just seem panicking and clawed the cover so i opened it again. either that or she found a narrow opening and manage to crawl into it anyway.

i already ordered a cat tree with hidey hole in it which i hope helps her better.
 
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Hoboforeternity

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thanks. i just don't want to make it a habit since those spots accumulate dust so fast and cleaning them constantly are pain.
 

lavishsqualor

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She's beautiful and you're fantastic for taking her in so thank you! Given that she's been on the streets, she probably has worms and even fleas. If you take her in for a spay the vet would address those things all at the same time.
 

maggie101

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She's a stray who lived near work the last 1/2 years and i decided to take her in last thursday.

around in may, she had a kitten, which i july got wounded on the streets and i took him in. the little fella unfortunately didn't survive, and after that i tracked the mom, befriended her and finally took her in. Both the kitten (named Sniper) and Rivel are my first pets ever.
When I rescued Coco,after her being outside for 2 yrs, she stayed under my couch for 3 months then bedroom for a year. The box springs under my bed were removed earlier because of one of my cats so Coco had no where to hide. She stayed on my bed,bureau, window sill, and I got a tower for her. She now plays with my other cat. She is afraid of the outsoors
 
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Hoboforeternity

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She's beautiful and you're fantastic for taking her in so thank you! Given that she's been on the streets, she probably has worms and even fleas. If you take her in for a spay the vet would address those things all at the same time.
she already got flea medication and deworming pills. as for vaccination vet said to play safe because she's new. monitor her condition first at home so basically in 2 weeks if there are no problems, she will get her 3 vaccines, then 2 weeks after rabies shot, after that spay.
 
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Hoboforeternity

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When I rescued Coco,after her being outside for 2 yrs, she stayed under my couch for 3 months then bedroom for a year. The box springs under my bed were removed earlier because of one of my cats so Coco had no where to hide. She stayed on my bed,bureau, window sill, and I got a tower for her. She now plays with my other cat. She is afraid of the outsoors
how much she plays during that time? i've got random luck trying to get her play. i;ve got 3 toys so far:
1. crumpled paper tied with rope
2. crinkle ball attached to a string and stick
3. feather stick

i have some luck with number 1 and 2, sometimes she would chase it, sometimes she would just swipe once, then lost interest. like she plays for 5 minutes at most. with feather stick, she's kinda scared of it. i am trying to stimulate her as much when i can because the house is small plus she is still mostly confined in my room. outside view is also blocked because the window oversee outdoor garage and my car blocks the view to outside.

she's new so it's probably normal.
 

maggie101

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how much she plays during that time? i've got random luck trying to get her play. i;ve got 3 toys so far:
1. crumpled paper tied with rope
2. crinkle ball attached to a string and stick
3. feather stick

i have some luck with number 1 and 2, sometimes she would chase it, sometimes she would just swipe once, then lost interest. like she plays for 5 minutes at most. with feather stick, she's kinda scared of it. i am trying to stimulate her as much when i can because the house is small plus she is still mostly confined in my room. outside view is also blocked because the window oversee outdoor garage and my car blocks the view to outside.

she's new so it's probably normal.
how much she plays during that time? i've got random luck trying to get her play. i;ve got 3 toys so far:
1. crumpled paper tied with rope
2. crinkle ball attached to a string and stick
3. feather stick

i have some luck with number 1 and 2, sometimes she would chase it, sometimes she would just swipe once, then lost interest. like she plays for 5 minutes at most. with feather stick, she's kinda scared of it. i am trying to stimulate her as much when i can because the house is small plus she is still mostly confined in my room. outside view is also blocked because the window oversee outdoor garage and my car blocks the view to outside.

she's new so it's probably normal.
once she is more confident she will like wand toys. Almost all other toys in existence are for kittens. Though my cats still like chew toys. They do love the sound of trash so I throw a ball and they jump in the shipping trash. When she is ready to explore get scratching posts square or slanted so she can stretch
 

tabbytom

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Hoboforeternity, and Rivel, on behalf The Catsite community, a warm
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So glad that you’ve joined this site and you are in the right place for all things cat and this site is loaded with tons of rich resources and you’ll find friendly and helpful cats around and many of our cats are very knowledgeable in cat related stuffs.

Thank you for taking Rivel in and for giving her a warm and fur-ever loving home and a safe sanctuary for her to live out her life :clapcat: . She's a cutie! :hearthrob: :redheartpump:

Since this is your first cat, do read the articles below to refresh yourself on taking care of a cat.

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Enjoy your stay and see ya around :wink:
 

felinelover2

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Agree with maggie on the toys, while she is adjusting she may be too frightened to engage much but keep at it and eventually she will. It took almost two months before my kitties would play - otherwise they would mostly ignore the toy, sometimes would watch it, and maybe a give a half-hearted swat. Just keep trying, keep the play sessions short but frequent, and reward with a treat after (even if she doesn't play) and she will come around when she's ready.
 

rubysmama

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Hello and welcome to TCS. :wave2: And thank you so much for bringing that beauty, Rivel, in off the streets, and giving her a home. :petcat:

Here's another TCS article that might be helpful: The Five Golden Rules To Bringing An Outdoor Cat Inside – TheCatSite Articles

Thank you also for taking her kitten, Sniper, in after he was wounded. So sorry he didn't survive, but at least he didn't die alone, and knew what it was like to be cared for and loved for a short time. RIP sweet kitten. :angel:
 
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