Hi, my name is Olivia. My husband and I have been cat parents for the last 4 years and our 8 fur babies are our world. I’ve never posted before, but I’ve read posts on this site that have saved us many times over the years! So thank you for your wisdom, empathy, and patience.
This post isn’t about any of our 8 cats. Well, it will be about them soon because we took in two stray kittens, but I need support regarding the two little strays. Allow me to explain...
Just to clarify, 8 cats isn’t burdensome for us or for our cats. I don’t want anyone to think that we’re irresponsible or starting to hoard cats. We have a descent sized house, there is plenty of vertical space, we did proper introductions, they have ample resources everywhere, we have a big catio with all the amenities for them, they all have health insurance, we can afford their vet bills, wet food for all feedings, etc. Our cats all either tolerate one another, or consider themselves bffs.
Taking in two kittens was not in our plans because we aren’t looking to expand our already large cat family, but we felt compelled to help because we cannot look away when someone or something needs help. Two weeks ago, a small kitten (maybe 4-6 month old) was under a car in front of our home. We live on a busy main street (So. California), so we never see cats in front of our home. Not long before this, a cat around her/his size was killed by a car and we saw it on our way out to work. We didn’t want this little one to meet the same fate, so we tried to lure it close to us so we could bring her in to safety. It was relatively easy because she was starving. We gave her food and treats and she got close and started eating immediately. Then, we put more food in a carrier, she jumped right in, began to eat, and we carried in to her sanctuary room right away. She was so distraught and cried all the time for the first week...
We modified the catio outside to allow this little one outdoor time. It was a small area, but big enough for her to feel fresh air and hang out outside. Two days after working very hard on creating this separate catio, we trusted she could go out to explore so she could feel a little more freedom. Well, she ended up escaping. We still don’t know how she got out. We checked every angle and even though we think it’s kind of impossible (apparently not), there is a 2 inch gap between a wide pole and the wall. We used the pole to wrap the netting around it and our cats have never tried to wiggle out of that space, so we were devastated when we couldn’t find her anywhere.
A day after this, I hear this little escape artist crying in our backyard! I recognized her cry right away and gave her kitten wet food. She gobbled up two entire cans of food and went on her merry way. Since we couldn’t stop thinking about her safety, we decided to leave a water bowl out and keep waiting for her to return. We saw her again a few days in a row and since she wasn’t warming up at all, we set up a humane trap and we caught her the first time after two days of feeding her.
She/he is back in her sanctuary room, hiding under the bed most of the time, eating well, using the litter box, etc. We also managed to give her flea meds and a dewormer. She’s dirty, but not suffering anymore. She doesn’t allow us near her at all and she hisses at me sometimes, but if we’re still in bed, she’ll explore the room or go on the towers. She’s always looking for a way out and crying.
Last night, we added a new layer of complexity to this already stressful situation. Her sibling showed up. He must have heard her cries. I cannot explain how this little one was undeterred to get in our house. He was sniffing our cats in the catio and when I went outside, he came running to me, hookey tail and all and rubbing his face all over me. The friendliest stray I have ever met! He allowed me to pick him up and bring him in to the sanctuary room. There is no mistake about it, their markings are nearly identical and they are the same size, so they’re from the same litter. He was so happy to be inside and ate a lot. She was quietly observing near the edge of the bed, but when their eyes met, there was growling and hissing on her part.
The boy, who showed up last night to save her, has been very passive, but playful with her. He is not aggressive towards her, but she is towards him. She won’t allow him near her. Boy kitty sits next to her, yawns, goes belly side up, but she’s not having it. This prompted him to kind of stalk her and she’s even more upset. There were no fights last night. He slept on the bed with us. They both ate and used the litter box. But this morning, he’s trying to go after her when she tries to come out from under the bed. I’m guessing she wants to use the litter box. I was considering bringing boy kitty to the living room to give her space, but I want to take him to the vet first. He’s friendly, but I don’t think my cats will be super thrilled to meet him without desensitizing them to his scent first. Also, the flea meds were just applied last night, so there’s a chance he could take the flea stragglers to the other side.
My husband is supportive of our rescuing efforts, but he wants to find a home for them as soon as possible. It’s kitten season, so i know it’s hard to find rescues right now. The shelter isn’t an option for us. I have successfully rehomed foster pups in the past, but never cats. We’ve kept all our cat rescues.
My concerns are: How can we make the first stray kitty feel safe with her sibling in the room if she doesn’t recognize him anymore? Or does she? Because she went back to her home base after she escaped and be came looking for her.
Besides posting flyers everywhere and reaching out to all the overwhelmed rescues in the area, what else can we do to help rehome these little ones?
I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up keeping them, but can this work? Will the harmony be disturbed? The first kitty (I don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy) is very semi feral like and won’t budge. She is warming up at a snail’s pace while her brother is all over us. How can we help her adjust with an intruder in her sanctuary room?
I apologize for the wordiness. I wanted to give as much feedback as possible. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thanks in advance for the time you took to read this post!
This post isn’t about any of our 8 cats. Well, it will be about them soon because we took in two stray kittens, but I need support regarding the two little strays. Allow me to explain...
Just to clarify, 8 cats isn’t burdensome for us or for our cats. I don’t want anyone to think that we’re irresponsible or starting to hoard cats. We have a descent sized house, there is plenty of vertical space, we did proper introductions, they have ample resources everywhere, we have a big catio with all the amenities for them, they all have health insurance, we can afford their vet bills, wet food for all feedings, etc. Our cats all either tolerate one another, or consider themselves bffs.
Taking in two kittens was not in our plans because we aren’t looking to expand our already large cat family, but we felt compelled to help because we cannot look away when someone or something needs help. Two weeks ago, a small kitten (maybe 4-6 month old) was under a car in front of our home. We live on a busy main street (So. California), so we never see cats in front of our home. Not long before this, a cat around her/his size was killed by a car and we saw it on our way out to work. We didn’t want this little one to meet the same fate, so we tried to lure it close to us so we could bring her in to safety. It was relatively easy because she was starving. We gave her food and treats and she got close and started eating immediately. Then, we put more food in a carrier, she jumped right in, began to eat, and we carried in to her sanctuary room right away. She was so distraught and cried all the time for the first week...
We modified the catio outside to allow this little one outdoor time. It was a small area, but big enough for her to feel fresh air and hang out outside. Two days after working very hard on creating this separate catio, we trusted she could go out to explore so she could feel a little more freedom. Well, she ended up escaping. We still don’t know how she got out. We checked every angle and even though we think it’s kind of impossible (apparently not), there is a 2 inch gap between a wide pole and the wall. We used the pole to wrap the netting around it and our cats have never tried to wiggle out of that space, so we were devastated when we couldn’t find her anywhere.
A day after this, I hear this little escape artist crying in our backyard! I recognized her cry right away and gave her kitten wet food. She gobbled up two entire cans of food and went on her merry way. Since we couldn’t stop thinking about her safety, we decided to leave a water bowl out and keep waiting for her to return. We saw her again a few days in a row and since she wasn’t warming up at all, we set up a humane trap and we caught her the first time after two days of feeding her.
She/he is back in her sanctuary room, hiding under the bed most of the time, eating well, using the litter box, etc. We also managed to give her flea meds and a dewormer. She’s dirty, but not suffering anymore. She doesn’t allow us near her at all and she hisses at me sometimes, but if we’re still in bed, she’ll explore the room or go on the towers. She’s always looking for a way out and crying.
Last night, we added a new layer of complexity to this already stressful situation. Her sibling showed up. He must have heard her cries. I cannot explain how this little one was undeterred to get in our house. He was sniffing our cats in the catio and when I went outside, he came running to me, hookey tail and all and rubbing his face all over me. The friendliest stray I have ever met! He allowed me to pick him up and bring him in to the sanctuary room. There is no mistake about it, their markings are nearly identical and they are the same size, so they’re from the same litter. He was so happy to be inside and ate a lot. She was quietly observing near the edge of the bed, but when their eyes met, there was growling and hissing on her part.
The boy, who showed up last night to save her, has been very passive, but playful with her. He is not aggressive towards her, but she is towards him. She won’t allow him near her. Boy kitty sits next to her, yawns, goes belly side up, but she’s not having it. This prompted him to kind of stalk her and she’s even more upset. There were no fights last night. He slept on the bed with us. They both ate and used the litter box. But this morning, he’s trying to go after her when she tries to come out from under the bed. I’m guessing she wants to use the litter box. I was considering bringing boy kitty to the living room to give her space, but I want to take him to the vet first. He’s friendly, but I don’t think my cats will be super thrilled to meet him without desensitizing them to his scent first. Also, the flea meds were just applied last night, so there’s a chance he could take the flea stragglers to the other side.
My husband is supportive of our rescuing efforts, but he wants to find a home for them as soon as possible. It’s kitten season, so i know it’s hard to find rescues right now. The shelter isn’t an option for us. I have successfully rehomed foster pups in the past, but never cats. We’ve kept all our cat rescues.
My concerns are: How can we make the first stray kitty feel safe with her sibling in the room if she doesn’t recognize him anymore? Or does she? Because she went back to her home base after she escaped and be came looking for her.
Besides posting flyers everywhere and reaching out to all the overwhelmed rescues in the area, what else can we do to help rehome these little ones?
I wouldn’t be surprised if we end up keeping them, but can this work? Will the harmony be disturbed? The first kitty (I don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy) is very semi feral like and won’t budge. She is warming up at a snail’s pace while her brother is all over us. How can we help her adjust with an intruder in her sanctuary room?
I apologize for the wordiness. I wanted to give as much feedback as possible. Any and all feedback is appreciated. Thanks in advance for the time you took to read this post!
, and this may help as well;
thanks so much for the update!
Hi! Thanks for asking for an update! Skittles is getting more comfortable in his room. He doesn’t desperately try to claw his way out, nor does he cry all night. Skittles now plays in his tunnels and climbs the towers while we’re in the room (as long as we stay perfectly still lol), but we can’t approach him yet. He still hisses when I bring him his food, but happily gobbles it up. I ignore him, but I do sing to him and talk to him while I’m in his room. Last night, I put catnip on the bed, and he climbed up and slept on the bed several hours. I had the widest smile on my face. 
He was out most of the night instead of staying under the bed! I’ve never had a cat warm up to me this slowly, so it’s breaking my heart. Thankfully, we are off of work two more weeks, so we have plenty of time to spend with him and the others. 
