Sorry this is long, but I really am at a loss and need some encouragement and support. You see, I'm a newbie here but I'm also a newbie to the stray/feral care. I have come to this board because I really do not have anyone who understands or can help me much with this. I moved to a new state and into a house about nine months ago. Since December, I've been feeding some cats who would come round. I thought this was a good idea at the time since it was so cold, plus my own male (neutered) cat enjoyed seeing the other cats, One cat seemed to start coming by and I recalled seeing her across the street. I think she was abandoned. It took me some time but she started trusting me and looking for me, eventually running over to see me and rub around my ankles, even if her journey involved jumping over fences or crawling under them. I thought about taking her in at that time but waited to be sure she was tame enough. A little later I discovered she was pregnant and it broke my heart to think she was going to have those kittens outside without care, and in a couple of weeks finally managed to coax her into my cat's carrier and drove immediately to my vet's because I was very worried about her.
It's been since Tuesday that I took her and she stayed there a couple of days, due to some things he did that I did not authorize, which is another issue, and then I brought her home Thursday afternoon. It went okay that day but since Friday things have gone downhill through a series of mishaps, including a frightening one yesterday, culminating with today when she had to be contained in my laundry room while I was having some renovations done in the other part of the house, and they have to come back tomorrow. My own cat was shut up in my bedroom. Now the new cat won't go into the laundry room at all because of her fear of being shut in and I cannot let her roam the house at night and get into things. She is not avoiding me per se, but she is definitely not as loving. The constant rubbing around my ankles and purring has become a lot less and she runs when she sees me at time. My cat cannot come out of the bedroom because they had a brief fur-flying fight when I stepped on her foot and he reacted to her shriek and running off on Friday and she now hisses and growls at him, even when he is in his new carrier. Prior to my misstep they had been touching noses. Because she is pregnant, I do not want another fight so I'm keeping them separated.
I thought things through before I took her in, but have now started second-guessing what I've done. I felt that since I started feeding her and showing her affection that I am committed to caring for her, and I still believe this, but she is so very unhappy being inside. She goes from the glass door to the picture windows and cries most of the time and she has had a time of it the past few days, and she is especially terrified of other people and will run and try to escape any way she can. Yesterday, it was down an ash chute which she unplugged and went down into the base of my fireplace. Talk about a scared caretaker! So now I wondering if I have done the right thing by taking her out of her element and I'm worried about the state of the kittens as she is nearly 6 weeks along and all of these things including shots, sedation and worming (without my authorization) has truly hurt the kittens. My intentions have been good, but it is heartbreaking seeing her so upset and thinking of the mishaps she has had since here, not to mention my own cat who is being really good about the situation but he can't love being shut up most of the day.. He'd really like to be her friend but after their set-to she is avoiding him like the plague and growling. I plan to have her spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned but I'm not sure I can handle all of this. Is it just early days and will things improve? I feel really guilty and I'm blaming myself for all the problems. I know it is hard for all three of us, her, my cat and me. right now. Will things improve?
Thank you.
It's been since Tuesday that I took her and she stayed there a couple of days, due to some things he did that I did not authorize, which is another issue, and then I brought her home Thursday afternoon. It went okay that day but since Friday things have gone downhill through a series of mishaps, including a frightening one yesterday, culminating with today when she had to be contained in my laundry room while I was having some renovations done in the other part of the house, and they have to come back tomorrow. My own cat was shut up in my bedroom. Now the new cat won't go into the laundry room at all because of her fear of being shut in and I cannot let her roam the house at night and get into things. She is not avoiding me per se, but she is definitely not as loving. The constant rubbing around my ankles and purring has become a lot less and she runs when she sees me at time. My cat cannot come out of the bedroom because they had a brief fur-flying fight when I stepped on her foot and he reacted to her shriek and running off on Friday and she now hisses and growls at him, even when he is in his new carrier. Prior to my misstep they had been touching noses. Because she is pregnant, I do not want another fight so I'm keeping them separated.
I thought things through before I took her in, but have now started second-guessing what I've done. I felt that since I started feeding her and showing her affection that I am committed to caring for her, and I still believe this, but she is so very unhappy being inside. She goes from the glass door to the picture windows and cries most of the time and she has had a time of it the past few days, and she is especially terrified of other people and will run and try to escape any way she can. Yesterday, it was down an ash chute which she unplugged and went down into the base of my fireplace. Talk about a scared caretaker! So now I wondering if I have done the right thing by taking her out of her element and I'm worried about the state of the kittens as she is nearly 6 weeks along and all of these things including shots, sedation and worming (without my authorization) has truly hurt the kittens. My intentions have been good, but it is heartbreaking seeing her so upset and thinking of the mishaps she has had since here, not to mention my own cat who is being really good about the situation but he can't love being shut up most of the day.. He'd really like to be her friend but after their set-to she is avoiding him like the plague and growling. I plan to have her spayed as soon as the kittens are weaned but I'm not sure I can handle all of this. Is it just early days and will things improve? I feel really guilty and I'm blaming myself for all the problems. I know it is hard for all three of us, her, my cat and me. right now. Will things improve?
Thank you.