I adopted a 4 year old cat (long-haired tortoiseshell) from a no-kill shelter about 7 months ago. The volunteer at the shelter who helped me with the adoption said Mama (that was her shelter name, so I kept it) was very shy, and said that since I had no kids or other pets, I would be a perfect adopter. When I brought her home, she hid under the bed for 2 weeks. I kept her food, water and litter box in the bedroom (it's a very large room) where it still remains today,.
When she was done hiding under the bed, she approached me and eventually she would sit on the couch beside me, she liked to be petted and enjoyed playing with her toys and in the kitty tunnel. She did NOT like to be picked up at all, and would run if I made sudden movements. I have had her to the vet twice since I adopted her--once to see the tech to get her nails cut (she wouldn't let me do it) and once for a dental visit which involved an overnight stay and removing 2 teeth. The vet gave me some tranquilizers to give her for further vet visits (acepromazine)-- I had to use one a couple weeks ago because she really needed another nail trim which I did at home, rather than have another battle getting her into the carrier. It calmed her down a little bit, I was able to get a better grip on her to work on her (I did all 10 nails!) but she has to be the fastest-moving cat I have ever seen! (Probably from her feral background).
Anyhow, now I discovered she has a mat on one of her back legs, and I doubt very much if I can remove it at home, tranquilizers or not and now from the previous vet visits and getting her into the carrier, she has become worse. She won't even sit with me on the couch anymore, I guess because of my previous "examinations" that resulted in vet visits. I feel horrible because I thought we were really making progress, but I'm not going to ignore her and let things get worse. I could never understand (before Mama) how people could say "Oh, I can't take my cat to the vet" and just let things go. I am wondering if I made a mistake adopting a semi-feral (I have no idea how long she was in the colony) but on the other hand, I do not want to give up on her. I think she is really picking up on my anxiety and it is just an ongoing battle . Sorry this is so long, but I would welcome any advice!
When she was done hiding under the bed, she approached me and eventually she would sit on the couch beside me, she liked to be petted and enjoyed playing with her toys and in the kitty tunnel. She did NOT like to be picked up at all, and would run if I made sudden movements. I have had her to the vet twice since I adopted her--once to see the tech to get her nails cut (she wouldn't let me do it) and once for a dental visit which involved an overnight stay and removing 2 teeth. The vet gave me some tranquilizers to give her for further vet visits (acepromazine)-- I had to use one a couple weeks ago because she really needed another nail trim which I did at home, rather than have another battle getting her into the carrier. It calmed her down a little bit, I was able to get a better grip on her to work on her (I did all 10 nails!) but she has to be the fastest-moving cat I have ever seen! (Probably from her feral background).
Anyhow, now I discovered she has a mat on one of her back legs, and I doubt very much if I can remove it at home, tranquilizers or not and now from the previous vet visits and getting her into the carrier, she has become worse. She won't even sit with me on the couch anymore, I guess because of my previous "examinations" that resulted in vet visits. I feel horrible because I thought we were really making progress, but I'm not going to ignore her and let things get worse. I could never understand (before Mama) how people could say "Oh, I can't take my cat to the vet" and just let things go. I am wondering if I made a mistake adopting a semi-feral (I have no idea how long she was in the colony) but on the other hand, I do not want to give up on her. I think she is really picking up on my anxiety and it is just an ongoing battle . Sorry this is so long, but I would welcome any advice!