Took In Two 1 Yr Old Ferals

[MikeAW2010]

Thanks for the advice. I just got home and they seem to have been up there all day. None of the food on the ground has been touched. Should I continue to wait?

Also no other bathrooms so I feel I'm taking a risk everytime I have to go there.

Edit: I tossed a few hotdogs up there for them to eat. Not the best cat diet but better than nothing I guess.

Edit 2: Panda came down to use the litterbox after the hotdogs. Sandy didn't eat any until I pretty much (slowly and extremely cautiously) put it in her face. I hope she comes down as well.

Edit 3: Panda says Hello:

 

[Maria Bayote]

Panda is very slowly getting relaxed. Sandy is the concern especially if she is not eating or drinking and even using the litter box. But I am sure she will come around. Do not make eye contact with any of them when you use the bathroom. Play a soft music, put toys in the bathroom before you leave for work, try to play with Panda using these feather wands (but do not get too close). Soon he will relax, and when he does, Sandy will pick this up and realize there is no danger anymore.

 

[maggiedemi]

Did Sandy come down? Do you have something more sturdy you could put on the sink for her to jump down on? Maybe a big Rubbermaid box with something heavy in it? Set some food on it to entice her? That thing on the sink looks like it could fly out from under her if she jumps down. Maybe she thinks so too.

 

[calicosrspecial]

If Panda was up there and got down then Sandy can and will as well. If you have a cat tree put it near there in order to make it easier for her to come down.

Are you sure only Panda used the litter box? Any chance Sandy did as well?

You may want to put another litter box in the bathroom so as to attract her to it.

Please update us to anything new.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Also, is there any chance that Panda is in anyway causing Sandy to feel uneasy or unable to move around (whether in reality or just in her mind)? Sometimes cats can be a bit territorial and a cat can try to keep another cat in a certain area. It is possible that Sandy does not feel safe to come down for fear of what Panda may do.

If you are seeing any of this in Panda towards Sandy then we may have to have them physically separated so that Sandy feels safe an can come down from there in order to eat, drink, use the litter box.

You also may want to put some of the stinkiest food you can find in the bathroom along with some water and possibly a litter box and then close the door a bit and stay more quiet in another room along with Panda. Not eating is not too big a deal for a short time but stinky food can be a good attraction to a cat and help her come down and drink and use the litter box. But I do want her to be drinking and using the litter box. Also, anything to help her be able to come down safely and more easily is a good idea (like a cat tree).

I do want to understand the relationship between Panda and Sandy to see if that might be a reason why she may be staying up there.

Also, are there any noises (workers, neighbors, etc) that might be happening when you are gone or at home.

Also, watch for any litter box activity so that we can know if she is using the litter box.

 

[MikeAW2010]

Sooo, I came home and Sandy is still up there. Panda as well.

I can't tell if she's using the litterbox or not but there's no stench near her or my bathroom so she hasn't used it up there. Unless I put the food up there she won't come down to eat it...Panda will however.

I put a cat tree nearby so it is accessible to her

Sandy and Panda seem to be from the same litter. I don't know for certain of course, however; they appear to be the same age.

Panda and Sandy usually came to eat at our office together, Panda typically ate first then saved food for Sandy. Panda actually seems to be pretty protective of her.

Should I continue to wait?

 

[tarasgirl06]

Sooo, I came home and Sandy is still up there. Panda as well.

I can't tell if she's using the litterbox or not but there's no stench near her or my bathroom so she hasn't used it up there. Unless I put the food up there she won't come down to eat it...Panda will however.

I put a cat tree nearby so it is accessible to her

Sandy and Panda seem to be from the same litter. I don't know for certain of course, however; they appear to be the same age.

Panda and Sandy usually came to eat at our office together, Panda typically ate first then saved food for Sandy. Panda actually seems to be pretty protective of her.

View attachment 290921

Should I continue to wait?

I would say yes. They know one another, and feel able to trust one another. Sandy is more traumatized than Panda, but she WILL eat, drink, and use the box. That's good about giving her the cat tree.

 

[MikeAW2010]

I was exhausted this afternoon when I came home from work so I went to lay down and decided to try what a poster told me to do...I laid on my back face up and as I was falling asleep I noticed Panda ontop of the cabinet looking down at me...he just stared at me for awhile.

Panda came down again tonight while I was napping. I found him pretty close to me and he was pawing and playing with my phone charger cable. I didn't do anything, just hoped he didn't destroy it. When I started to move alittle bit he moved back to a safe distance and just looked at me. He didn't go back up however. He stayed down even after I got up. I found sandy still up there curled in a half U face looking slightly over the edge of the cabinet looking completely 'meh' almost sick looking so I got a bit concerned because I haven't really seen her eat or use the litterbox. (I'm praying she isnt staying up there and holding it in)

I got up and made her some food (I make raw cat food and have 4 other cats I havent introduced either of these two to yet until I feel more comfortable with them) and slide some up there to feed her. Of course... she wasn't happy to see me but I managed to get her to eat ... Panda heard her eating and started meowing, and jumped up there after the food:

After dining Panda came back down:

And fell asleep:

 

[maggiedemi]

I tamed my feral Demi by petting him with a long handled duster. When I touched him with that and he realized I wouldn't hurt him, he came out from under the steps. Also teaching them a lot of words helped. Every time I did something, I used the same words so they could learn them, like "dinner."

 

[Maria Bayote]

Panda seems to be assessing you. Surely he is getting "there". Do not be surprised one day you will wake up to find him sleeping beside you. Just continue what you do.

I do think Sandy is using the litter when you are not around. She is clearly more scared of any human contact and it could take a long while with her. But she will ultimately get there.

Keep us informed. This is still an unfolding story. LOL.

I make raw cat food and have 4 other cats I havent introduced either of these two to yet until I feel more comfortable with them

Did I understand correctly that you have another 4 cats? Where are these other cats?

 

[MikeAW2010]

Good morning from Panda and Sandy:

Yeah, she's still up there..
She looks 'slightly' less mean.
She didn't hiss at me when I put her food up there, but Panda did. She just backed away... while she was eating I sang a song to get them used to my voice, hopefully associating it with a good thing. Then laid on my back on my mattress in the bedroom with the door open so she could see me. She stared me while I was laying on my back for a good 5 minutes before she repositioned herself.

Hopefully this is progress.

Panda seems to be assessing you. Surely he is getting "there". Do not be surprised one day you will wake up to find him sleeping beside you. Just continue what you do.

I do think Sandy is using the litter when you are not around. She is clearly more scared of any human contact and it could take a long while with her. But she will ultimately get there.

Keep us informed. This is still an unfolding story. LOL.



Did I understand correctly that you have another 4 cats? Where are these other cats?

I have them locked out the room for now. Once in awhile I will let Rabbit in (who is the most curious and about the same age as them so hopefully the most likely to relate). His claws are trimmed but Panda's and Sandy's aren't yet.

If I do let the rest of them in, I close the bathroom door as to prevent confrontations.

Meet my family:

Baxter:
The most friendly cat I have ever had, he will literally give you a hug and lick your face if you hold him up to you. I got him from Austin Keep Pets Alive in Austin TX which is a no kill shelter that practically gives these guys away. He once decided to ingest some cheetos when I wasn't looking ... that didn't turn out well. He was vomiting out blood later which resulted in a vet visit for gastriel sedatives. He loves sleeping with me and LOVES being pet.

Rabbit: He was semi-feral and didn't really like being pet when I first got him. He tolerates it pretty decently right now and sometimes will surprise me by rubbing against me wanting hand attention. He is the wildest and most cat like of them all. If you've watched YouTube videos of Sabian the Savannah Cat, he is basically a miniature Sabian, gets into EVERYTHING, meows alot and is very vocal, very playful but is also very attached to my other cats. His favorite cat is Marshmallow whom she snuggles with anytime he can to groom or be groomed. Marshmallow hated Rabbit at first but Rabbit just couldn't take no for an answer and pretty much adopted Marshmallow from me. I also obtained Rabbit from Austin Keep Pets alive (before I obtained Baxter) last year. Because he was so energetic I had to get him a playmate (Baxter) as he was alittle too much for my matured cats.

Marshmallow:
He is the softest cat I have ever had. He will come down and snuggle you if you're sick and he will rest his head on your hand and lay beside you when you're asleep. When you're sitting down on the computer he will jump on your lap and fall asleep. He and Ginger were fairly large as kittens. I got him and his brother Ginger from a Humane Society back in Douglasville Georgia when I still lived in Atlanta. They were originally intended for my girlfriend but I later found out they had a severe kitty flu. It took a moment to stabilize that and Ginger specifically wasn't breathing very well but they both made a full recovery:

Ginger: I often call him a big baby because he is one. He hates not being able to be around me and cries when I leave. He was the most ill when I got him and Marshmallow and it was questionable if he was going to make it but I kept treating him and he eventually recovered. Like Marshmallow, he was intended for my girlfriend at the time but the relationship didn't pan out and I ended up keeping him. I took him and Marshmallow all over the country. Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, Austin. Ginger will thrust his paws into my gut and knead into me while cuddling as close as he can and pur himself to sleep when I am laying down.

I will try to find kitten pictures of Ginger and Marshmallow. They are 8 years old I believe. Hoping they live a long life.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Great that Panda and Sandy get along. Panda is going to be a help to getting Sandy acclimated. That is very helpful.

You have 4 other cats. This could be the reason why Sandy is more cautious. She is in new territory that is owned by 4 other cats. Do the 4 cats have access to the door to where Sandy and Panda are? If so, is there any way to create a buffer zone? Is is possible Sandy hears or smells the other cats and is afraid to come down. BUT the good news is she sees Panda and everything is ok so that should help her get more comfortable.

GREAT that you have a cat tree near her so it may help her feel more comfortable to come down. I am guessing she has come down when you were gone or asleep.

BUT I am worried about your comment she may have been looking sick. The pictures are hard to tell.

Do you have a motion activated camera you can put in there so we can see if she is coming down? And also monitor the litter box.

I do think you should put food and water lower as that may encourage her to come down. It is really tricky. We want her to eat and drink BUT we don;t want her to be staying up there expecting food and water. It is good that you aren't smelling anything or seeing any evidence BUT she may have been holding it. It is just so hard to know. But I think we should have seen or smelled evidence at this point.

Panda is doing great I am not at all worried about him. And I believe he will be the conduit to help Sandy.

Please make sure there is water dish in the bathroom near Sandy. Water is extremely important. Also, if you can feed her some wet food so she can get liquids that is important.

Right now I suspect she is coming down using the litter box but I don't know for sure. I am worried about her water intake.

Please monitor the litter box. If at all possible I would add a litter box in the bathroom as it is probably more removed from the resident cats and it could attract her to come down to use it. When you leave or go to sleep you may want to close the bathroom door about 1/2-3/4 of the way to also give her a bit more "protection".

Cats move around during the night so it is possible she is coming down then or when you are gone at work. Please monitor how she looks. If there is any sense of lethargy we will have to do something more sooner. I do think Panda would be showing concerning behavior if she wasn't well. I know you don;t know Panda that well but I think you will be able to tell any change in his behavior.

 

[calicosrspecial]

I really want to keep the other cats away from that room and the bathroom if at all possible. Rabbit is a great cat BUT Sandy doesn't know that. In intros it is VERY important to slowing build trust and confidence. An unknown animal is a predator and a threat to a new cat regardless of how they really are.

We'll go through the formal intro process in time but we need to stabilize Sandy and build her confidence slowly. Which means getting her more comfortable and starting to "own" that bathroom and eventually the room attached to the bathroom.

I really would like to use that room attached to the bathroom that Sandy is in as a "buffer" safe zone. Keep the food and water and litter box furthest from the door leading to the other cats. So that there is a distance from the other cats for Sandy.

Right now it is all about Sandy. Getting her to come down and drink, eat, and use the litter box. Once we get that then we can start moving forward. But Sandy needs to start to build confidence and territorial ownership. We can start with that bathroom and slowly expand it using food and scent soakers.

When you are not with Panda and Sandy please step up play with the other cats in their territory and feed after. Also, just give them attention and love.

Oh, is the cat tree a new cat tree or was it used by the other cats? IF at all possible a new cat tree without the other cats scent would be more helpful so as to give Sandy something she can "own" getting her scent on it and building confidence. Also adding a scratching post would be a good ownership item as would bedding etc.

Your cats are ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE!!!

 

[tarasgirl06]

Your feline family are very handsome cats! They look very healthy and happy. In time, Panda and Sandy will be extremely glad to join them, I predict. Keep on doing what you're doing -- and I absolutely agree about the need for water and wet food for Sandy, a possible monitoring system, and checking her frequently to make sure she is not in need of a vet visit.

 

[MikeAW2010]

Thanks for the advice so far as always.

My other cats have no access to Sandy or Panda unless I provide it, they're buffered by two rooms. I will avoid letting Rabbit in going forward.

The main reason I put the food up there is because I only provide wet (or raw) food as I have no kibbles so when I leave food it has to be eaten fairly quickly. When I left it on the ground it went untouched for over a day. I replinished it and then Panda came down and ate ALL of it and Sandy didn't come for it. Problem is if I leave it out there on the ground, it will most likely just get confiscated by Panda or won't get touched. Otherwise I have no real way of knowing if Sandy is eating or not.

The room adjacent to my bathroom is my closet, really trying to avoid letting them go in there, all my clothes are in there.

I have a spare cellphone with a Camera - I'm going to install a motion detecting app on it and position it infront of the food & litter box tomorrow to see if she's coming down... if she isn't I may have to try to bring her down.

 

[calicosrspecial]

You are very welcome.

I think there is actually some progress. She didn't hiss at you which is very good. And she did eat what you gave her. And she looks "slightly less mean". Anytime she has an encounter and nothing is negative and something positive is offered (food) it is a really good trust and confidence builder. You are doing the right things and I get a sense your aura is of calm and confidence which will help a lot as cats take on our emotions. So they more confident we are the more they tend to be.

Great. A 2 room buffer is terrific. Keeping them totally separate will help Sandy build that confidence and territorial security every cat needs. We'll help you through the intro process when the time comes.

Totally understand the food situation. It is better to have her eat and drink then to risk her not coming down. Now, cats usually will take chances in order to eat when hungry (that is how we trap ferals - getting them to take a chance into a trap). But it really is art rather than science. A positive of you feeding her while she is up there is to build that positive association between you and her with food. So she associates you with something good (food) and that you are not a threat. So when she sees you over time she thinks "hey, I know that person and they are cool, they bring me good food that makes me happy". Food is the BEST way to build trust with cats in my opinion. I do it with ferals all the time and it never fails. Just don't stare at her when she is eating as eye contact can cause cats to worry a little. I have a feeling that it is not you she is most scared of but probably the scents of the resident cats. The more she realizes they are not a threat the more she will gain confidence. And her seeing Panda moving around and doing it safely will really help her feel more confident.

Yes, it is best for them not to have access to the closet. What I do is also block off any difficult areas where a cat might go. So under dressers or beds etc. There is a balance to having them feel safe but also not getting into hiding too much. If you have any areas that may be potential hiding places I would consider blocking them off.

The bathroom leads into the bedroom, correct? How far from the bathroom door is the door that leads to the other cats? I would try if possible to keep Sandy and Panda's food, water and litter box as far from the other cats as possible for now. If that is just outside of the bathroom Sandy is in now that is good. The goal is to try to give enough space for Sandy to feel comfortable to eat, drink and use the litter box as far away from the resident cats as possible for now.

Great. Hopefully the video will tell us what we need. Agreed, if she isn't then we will have to get her down and I think I would probably block that area off above the cabinet in the bathroom. But I would like to get the opinions of others before we do that. It is tricky. We don't want her to lose "her" territory BUT we don't want her to only own that territory. I suspect she is coming down though. Let's hope. I don't want to force her down from there unless we absolutely have to. For your safety and hers.

We have a lot of unknowns and what ifs right now. Any information we can find out should be very helpful. One thing I am certain of is you have the experience to handle this and the people on this thread have dealt with these issues as well. So I am highly confident we will find success. But more information about where Sandy is exactly should be very helpful. Let's hope the video gives us good news. You may have to have a little light on in order to see the movement.

Hang in there, we will figure it out.

 

[MikeAW2010]

I put a motion detecting app on my phone, put the camera up facing the bathroom and left food on the floor just outside the doorway to the bathroom then I left the house for a few hours. When I came back, the motion detecting app caught Panda coming down to eat and use the litterbox, but nothing of Sandy. She's still up there. I may try again tomorrow but Im beginning to become very worried about her.

 

[MikeAW2010]

Didn't want to do this but I had to go up there to get her down. It was starting to become apparent she wasn't coming down for anything. She put up a fight too (as I was expecting) but I was pretty well armored. She's now in my bathtub and she's shaking like a leaf.

I stuffed the area in the cabinet with pillows and fabrics to hopefully keep them from going back up there.

 

[maggiedemi]

I'm so glad! You did the right thing, I think things will be easier now.

 

[MikeAW2010]

Yeah, Panda is pissed too because I had to get him from up there as well. He and Sandy are showing pretty apparent fear of me right now, hoping that this wears off in time.