Rescued a "semi feral", have a resident cat, 1 bedroom but I want to make it work so badly!

fionasmom

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You are doing the right thing to keep him calm and crated. If there is an emergency because he opened the wound, it gets much worse. I kept a kitten with a URI whom I rescued years ago during the summer in a large dog crate, all set up for her and safely locked, for several weeks as it was persistent. Like Yoda, her other options in life were pretty grim; keep reminding yourself of that.

The tapeworm can be easily dealt with but, I know, one more thing.
 
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noani

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I guess I will have to treat both cats either way just to be safe. Let's see what she says. I kind of hope he doesn't have to come along to the vet (I put the segment in a Tupper ware container). He gets soooo stressed out in the carrier. Let's see.
Oh first i have to do a covid test tomorrow to see if I can actually go to the vet (been two days of fever now). Maybe have to recruit someone else to take him to the vet. We'll have to see.
Never a dull day at my pad :flail:
 

aliceneko

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As an owner of two former semi ferals (or more likely, as someone owned!) you're doing a great job. It takes a while for cats of such a background to come out of their shell, but as long as you keep at it, you'll get there. Two months of constant attention and TLC has turned my cats into happy and sociable lap cats. They still don't like strangers or being picked up, but that's natural given their background.
 
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noani

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Update:
Yoda doesn't have to go in to the vet, I contacted our new vet and she gave me a treatment plan (drontal plus flea treatment to repeat in a few weeks as they both had frontline a week ago) which I ordered from pharmacy and will be available in the afternoon. I also got some natural flea treatment for furniture and blankets etc to get both flea and worm problem sorted before it becomes a proper out of control infestation.

Also i don't have covid but have decided to take a day off work today to rest and get rid of the fever and cold hopefully.

Now I'll just have to see how to give both of them the drontal. I don't imagine they will just want to take the pill so... I'll do some research.
 
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noani

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As an owner of two former semi ferals (or more likely, as someone owned!) you're doing a great job. It takes a while for cats of such a background to come out of their shell, but as long as you keep at it, you'll get there. Two months of constant attention and TLC has turned my cats into happy and sociable lap cats. They still don't like strangers or being picked up, but that's natural given their background.
I think I'm very lucky in that regard, as in Yoda is an incredibly cuddly purry lovey kind of cat. He loves nothing more than cuddles and pets and general attention. He has always been used to humans to a certain degree and he seems to immediately forgive me the vet visits, cleaning his wound, all the uncomfy (for him) stuff. He is a bit wary of strangers at first but he just loves being pet too much to resist. He's adjusted incredibly well to being inside so far.

In this whole endeavour, I am much more worried about Charly, who is wary of humans, get jealous around me when my partner is here and isn't socialized to cats at all. Hasn't even seen or smelled one since he was 4 weeks old. I had a (fever)dream just now of them getting along and woke up a bit sad it was just a dream.
 

fionasmom

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At least you are spared a vet visit and are not suffering from COVID! Yoda has to be so incredibly happy that he lives with you and that you have changed his life from the terrible one that he had. Charly may never be friends, but I have owned cats who kept to themselves when it came to other cats but existed peacefully.
 
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noani

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Yoda is officially out of the crate now. The wound is almost closed (the last bit is going excruciatingly slowly). I've set up the wire fencing as a barrier for (me) entering and exiting his room. So far, so good.
Except now they're at the door ALL the time pawing under the door and Charly scratching on it wanting to get in.

Tomorrow with my partner here I want to give site swapping a go. I really prefer having him here so he can observe Charly in yoda's room and I can supervise Yoda in main area (he's still in the cone).

How do you know they are ready for visual after isolation, scent swapping, we'll do site swapping now. How do you tell it's time to try gradual visual access (i.e. lifting the blanket on the fence a little bit in my current setup)?
 

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Is there any spitting or hissing when they play "pawsies" under the door? If there is not, then they will probably do well, after the site-swapping, getting short looks at each other. Just be prepared to block their view again if anyone gets too upset.
 
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noani

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No spitting. Yoda hissed once very briefly a couple weeks ago but went right back to it and I haven't heard anyone hiss since.

They kept me up half of the night with their door pawing. It's a small place so by design my bed is now next to the door. It just fits between the entrance door and bedroom door in the living room. :flail:
 

Mamanyt1953

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I really think, after a few site-swaps, that they are ready to get to see each other through the barrier. This sounds like good stuff, so far!
 
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noani

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I just finished morning rounds lol, well turns out Yoda has peed on top of my chest of drawers. There was a woollen scarf on it in a sort of fabric box and one of the carrier cushions that I used to put in with baby Yoda in the crate.

Now, is it possible that he went there because of the little cushion he is used to was on it?

His litter box was out in plain sight but unused yesterday.
I'm not sure if it happened overnight or yesterday when I noticed absence of anything in the litter box. This morning, there was something in the box (both numbers) so he has used that too. Which is why I'm unsure when the other incident happened.

It was the first day out of the crate for him and the litter box, and I didn't want to change too much too fast.
Maybe I should give him a bigger one now?

Also, I've been using puppy pads and newspaper as his litter because of the wound. I'm wondering if it would be okay to switch him to normal litter now (I use wood pellets with Charly). He may be more inclined to use that before this becomes a habit.
The wound is very very small now, less than 1 cm ,(about 1/3 of an inch).
I'm still cleaning the wound so it might be ok?

Also, forgot to add, the area he peed on is far from the door so I don't suppose it's marking ? Although I did put out two more cardboard scratchers for him just now I case he needs more things to mark to feel secure.
 
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noani

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So he peed in a couple more places. The couch. The fabric box again. I took out a lot of stuff from the room, stood the couch on its end and went out to buy an enzyme cleaner.
I've been running errands, cleaning, taking care of the kitties, doing some grocery shopping etc, all day. And when we finally sit down at 10pm to have a quick takeaway dinner Yoda starts jumping the fence at the door, remaining trapped in between the two. Charly goes to the door and starts growling and hissing. A lot. We distract him with a toy. Rearrange more furniture to have the fence in a way he can't jump in between it and the door. Charly hasn't hissed or growled since but I'm a bit shaken as I haven't seen him exhibit this behaviour towards the door the whole month. He did hiss outside in the hall where I took the couch cushions for cleaning after Yoda peed on it.

I'm exhausted. Overwhelmed. I want this to work but with constant changes in the bedroom Yoda is so confused. He didn't even really want to come out the bedroom earlier when Charly was sleeping on the balcony (door closed). He's becoming very scared overall.

I don't know where to go from here, how to proceed, how to make a gate that works for us to keep them separated in a reliable way and that I can still get in and out. We need something which is why I put up this makeshift fence because they will door dash otherwise.

I'm worried if prolonged isolation is now making it worse but I also don't know how to move forward with yoda being so scared and Charly showing the behaviour he did earlier.
 

Mamanyt1953

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You're doing fine. Semi-ferals take a LOT of patience, He knows what the litter box is for, but sometimes goes other places. Extra boxes should help with that. I imagine the dresser incidence was because there was a box with a soft material in it. If it is ONLY peeing that he does out of the box, he may need a vet check. That CAN be an early sign of a UTI.
 
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noani

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Thank you for replying :redheartpump:

So after another (almost) sleepless night of Yoda trying to tear down the wire fence(and managing), I decided to just give up on that idea as a means of separation and removed it. More treats and toys flying in opposite directions to avoid door dashing but they are both calmer without the ruckus Yoda was causing (for Charly) and not trying to climb and tear down a fence all night (for Yoda).
We've ordered an extra tall baby gate which should come in a week. Until then I don't think they'll be complaining about extra treats.

Now since I've cleaned the couch, surfaces, etc with urine off, and put in two litter boxes for Yoda, he has used it consistently (for both numbers). He still has the small one from the crate with puppy and newspaper but he's not using it. He is using the big (huge) angular box with wood pellets. No more accidents :)
I haven't put back the two fabric boxes he peed on, I'll wait a bit to try that. The couch so far has stayed dry :) but I covered the cushions under the cushion covers with puppy pads just in case.

This morning, while Charly was napping on the balcony, I tried to coax Yoda out of the bedroom again, but he is very tentative. Should I go full site swapping or is it better to allow him to familiarize a bit with the inside of the house before Charly goes into his safe room? Or is that counter productive?
Oh, I also switched their tall scratching poles for the first time today and they responded very well to it. Curiously sniffing at most.
 
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noani

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Just a couple of pictures to show his recovery (going well :)) got him some big/dog toys which are big enough so he can bunny kick and bite them at the same time despite the cone. He was so frustrated with small toys, bless him.
 

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Mamanyt1953

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Sounds like the litter box issue is under control! Cats can be VERY specific about where they do their business...and who can blame them? I am, too, come to think of it! GOOD JOB!

As for the site swapping, I'd just go ahead and do it. He'll probably spend the first several sessions under something, then begin exploring. And when he goes back to his safe place, he'll smell Charly, and that scent will come to feel safe to him, as well.
 
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noani

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Yep, for now he seems to have made the association :) and there haven't been any "accidents".
They are both calmer now, Yoda was so stressed before with changing furniture and cleaning and the fence. And I think that's what stressed Charly out. The only time he hissed and growled was when Yoda was stuck between the fence and door, so the fence was making very loud noises and Yoda was meowing in distress (I went in asap of course so I didn't go on long).

They're back to playing pawsies ALL the time now, no hissing spitting anything. I divide the morning between them, spend the night with Charly and evenings with Yoda. Last night, after some cuddles Yoda went to lie in front of the door and fell asleep sprawled out up against the door.

When I left him to settle in for the night, I was in the kitchen doing some dishes and started wondering where Charly was. Well, he was sleeping right in front of the door too :)
IMG_20211020_012440353_HDR.jpg

I'm taking this as a good sign :)

We'll do a proper site swap starting tomorrow then when my partner is here so he can see charlys reaction in yoda's room and I can monitor Yoda in the living area.

Thank you for the encouragement and advice, it means a lot! I feel overwhelmed sometimes but the kind words and tips here really, really help :)
 

Mamanyt1953

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LORD< I hope you read what I posted yesterday, because it has disappeared, and I can't remember exactly what I said, other than, you really are progressing very well, so far!
 
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noani

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Yes, I read it. I think I either replied or was about to when the site went down. Thank you very much for the encouragement and kind words, it helps a lot.
 
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