Need you cat lovers, please....

banslug

banslug

Cathlete
I know there have been a few questions about cats lately, so here's another one. I need your input on this.

I have Valentine, who we've had for about 1.5 years. Great cat. Best I could have picked! Very loving, friendly, likes to occassionally go outside, etc. We got him as a lost cat and kept him after not being able to find his owner.

This past week, we adopted a cat from my Aunt. He's over 24# and is coming from my Aunt's apartment in Boston, where there were 6 (yes, SIX) other cats in the house. Tinker's 'issue' is that he keeps eating all the other cats' food. My Aunt can't keep an eye on that because of the hours she works, and she has to put all the food out before work and can't be there to monitor it. So she asked me to help her out and adopt Tinker from her. OK. No biggie.

My Aunt is a VERY doting 'parent' to this cat...speaks baby-talk, cleans his eyes and teeth daily, wipes his butt occassionally, and plays with him a LOT. Me??? I'm SO not the doting type...lol. I love my cat(s)! Don't get me wrong. It's just that it's more of the low-key, we-live-in-the-same-house-and-I-promise-to-keep-you-safe-and-fed-and-happy type.

OK, so HERE'S THE SITUATION I'm asking about. Right now, the cat hasn't come out of hiding to just hang out with us. He's stayed under my bed upstairs at all time (besides the one incident where he got stuck behind my washing machine). Because of this, my Aunt put his food and water dishes under the counter in my bathroom (attached to my room of course) and the litter box up there as well. Since she's still in town and is visiting Tinker everyday, I've left things just that way to make HER happy (she's really upset and sad about leaving Tinker behind, which I understand so I don't want to upset HER). However, she leaves tomorrow and my plan is to bring the food and drink down to the kitchen and the litter box in the laundry room....same exact setup I have right now for Valentine. I DO NOT want food and litter upstairs at all. Is the move too drastic? When we got Valentine, we put everything immediately in those places and he was fine. Will Tinker adjust or should I make the move more subtly???

Sorry to ramble...I just want to give you guys as much info as possible.

THANKS!

Gayle
 
Are the cats going to share the litter box? I would put the litter box where ever is best for YOU, but I would suggest having at least two. I've even read that you should have one more litter box than cats, so in your case that would be three, but I think that sounds like overkill!

Good luck! I've had some issues lately with my own cat and while I think cats are wonderful, they are very high maintenance!
 
Yes, the plan is for the cats to share the litter box. Valentine (not the new cat) has been taking lessons from my 2 sons....mixes the target and peeing all over the place! LOL Occassionally, he'll miss the box and get the wall and rug underneath.

I guess that's a good question for you 'experts'. 2 cats...how many litter boxes? If more than 1, where??????? I am such a clutter freak and don't want another box laying around the house.

THANKS!

Gayle
 
Not your same situation, but, when we moved 8 years ago and brought our outdoor cat with us (a stray that had been in the same house for 10 years) she was fine. Never got lost, always came back and found her food.

One thing DH did was put one of his workshirts (that he used to wear when he'd pick her up to pet her after work) in her house.

We also had two dogs (lost the "cat hunter" last year). Then Sis (the cat) came out into the yard since our remaining dog is not at all interested in chasing cats but would rather befriend them.

Now at times, DH forgets to feed and water Sis (bad boy DH !:mad:) so she comes around the house and drinks out of the dogs water bowl right on our patio. (She usually hangs out on the other side of the house).

Morale - let her know where her litter box is, where she can find food and water, possibly have something that reminds her of your Aunt around for a few weeks or so and I would be she will be fine.

Remember cats are hunters.

Best of luck - so nice you are taking care of Tinker.
 
Hi Gayle!
How nice of you to take in little Tinker :)

Okay, about Tinker hiding... don't worry, cats will do that when their surroundings are changed. Familiar surroundings to a cat are EVERYTHING!! I got a stray from a shelter last year and it took her weeks to come out from under my bed when I was around. As far as what she did while I was at work, I knew she at least came out to eat and use her litter box because there was evidence of that! I'm SURE Tinker will come out when she is hungry or thirsty and she will find her food! With that said, you should put the food wherever you want it. If Tinkers comes out of hiding and you can pick her up, take her to it and show her. If not, she will find it! It is a good idea, however, to at least place her in the litter box once you move it so she knows where it is. I've also heard, but am not 100% sure, that you should get two litter boxes just in case your other cat is dominent over his litter box and won't share. I have three cats and they all use the same one, I guess it's just a matter of their personalities.

I hope this helped, and good luck!!

(By they way.... about my shelter cat - she is the most LOVING little girl now!! She just needed her own time to adjust!)

:)Christine
 
Jacque & Christine-thank you very much for your input. Valentine was this same way...hid under the bed, didn't come near anybody human, etc. He slowly got better and now he just ingores us unless he wants to play, eat or go outside. lol

I just want to make sure that Tinker doesn't experience culture shot between my Aunt and myself! ;)

Gayle
 
I have 2 cats (now about 1.5 years old), but, got them from the same litter, and had heard about having 3 boxes, I started them with 3, they shared all 3, but soon found preferences, they primarily use the downstairs one in the bathroom, infrequently the one in my upstairs bath, and after a while they NEVER used the third one I had in a spare unused bedroom, so I took that one out of the mix a while ago.

If you can have 2, I think it is a good idea to have 2, especially with cats that don't know each other. The last thing you want is a cat using your carpet as the litter box over turf wars. Maybe in the future, after they get to know one another, you will be able to reduce to 1 box. But I found, I did not need the third one at all.
 
I agree with the 2 boxes at first too. If both these cats are adult males, they may not want to share right away. They will probably need some time to adjust to each other.As for the missing the target, have you considered a covered box. I loved ours when we had our cat. Much less mess and I thinked she like she liked the privacy. Helped reduce oder too.

Jean
 
Tinker's litter

Has the cat used the litter box where it's been in the bath? If so, be careful moving it quickly. If the cat is too afraid to come out to hang with you, it will be too scared to seek out the box.

Give the cat a few days, then once he has calmed down move the box but be sure to show him where it is....or you'll be in for a nasty surprise! :)

If you already have a cat you will need a minimum of one other litter pan - it is recommended you have one box per cat plus one more. (Because some are very selective; they pee in one and poo in the other....)
 
I'd give him a bit more time, then move the food and the litter box where you want to put them. Cats can find their boxes very easily (they can smell them, even when we can't). It's a good idea to show the new guy where the box is, though.

I agree that two litter boxes is a good idea. Cats can share, but sometimes, they like to have one for #1 and another for #2 (I have 4 cats, 5 boxes--a big, partially finished basement makes this no problem--and they seem to have designated one as 'pee-only' while the others are usually mixed. Don't ask me how they decided this: I wasn't at the meeting!).

You can put the boxes right next to each other: no need to scatter them throughout the house (unless you find the new guy doesn't take to the regular location and starts having 'accidents').

Someone suggested a covered box. I would only recommend this if you plan to keep it scrupulously clean (I know a woman who uses one, and cleans it every time anyone uses it.) They do reduce odor for us humans, but can concentrate the odor inside for the cats, to the point where they will not want to use it because it stinks to them!

Has he been checked for thyroid problems? Overweight and ravenous appetite can be a sign of that. (In fact, it might be a good idea to have the vet do a complete blood test on him, to check for any physical reasons for his behavior. On the other hand, it could just be leftovers from when he was a kitten and had to compete for food with others).

I wouldn't worry about the hiding. From my experience, it can take up to 2 weeks for a new arrival to adapt to his/her situation (some adapt right away with no problem, others take the full 2 weeks). Also, it can take that much time for the old and the new cats to warm up to each other.

HTH!
 
Gayle,

Cat lover and veterinarian here;)

I agree with the others that you need at least two litter pans - preferably three (no. of cats +1 is the ideal as others have stated). Be sure you are using the same type of litter that she used for him - cats can be extremely finicky when it comes to litter type/litter pan type, etc.

My primary concern is that you have a 24 pound cat that is stressed out and hiding. If he goes on a "food strike" and doesn't eat for days, he could be in dire straits. Obese cats that stop eating can develop what is called hepatic lipidosis, and this disease can be fatal! My recommendation is to dote perhaps a little;) to ensure he is eating - even offer up some canned to entice him if needed. I'd leave the litter pan near him as well. It's going to take him some time to adjust, and you'll have to be patient. Once he comes out and is adjusting to his new environment, THEN move the food and litter pan to areas you want them to. This may take some time, but, trust me, you don't want a sick, obese cat on your hands...treating lipidosis is serious and costly:(

Eventually, once he adjusts, you may have to separate their dishes/diets or put them on diet food. This can be difficult when you have two cats that essentially free-feed and only one is obese. You may have to put your other cat's food up where he can get to it, but the 24 pouder can't reach;)

Good luck - it may be a sensitive situation for a while, but hopefully he'll come around soon and become more social. But, you may have to be somewhat of a doter initially -- I know you can do it, lol...:p

Heidi
 
Tinker's update

OK....so who ever said that I am not the doting type? LOL I guess that was me...but listen to how sappy I am too!

My Aunt went on and on, telling me about all the things Tinker likes....fresh food (no leftovers), tickle his ears, a special round (human) brush, and head butts.

Well, each day, I've been going to the bed where he's been hiding, and I just lay on the floor next to the bed and talk to him, and pet him if I can reach him. 10 minutes. That's it. For the last 2 days, he'd scooch a little bit closer to me for me to reach him. TODAY....he actually came out from under the bed, ate from the bowl of FRESh food I brought to him AND AND....get this....came out and gave me a head butt! It brought tears to my eyes, to know he is starting to feel safe with me, the kids and our home.

THANKS to everybody for their input. I still have the litter box upstairs in addition to Valentine's downstairs. I'll keep you posted, but thanks so much!

Gayle
 
banslug said:
OK....so who ever said that I am not the doting type? LOL I guess that was me...but listen to how sappy I am too!

My Aunt went on and on, telling me about all the things Tinker likes....fresh food (no leftovers), tickle his ears, a special round (human) brush, and head butts.

Well, each day, I've been going to the bed where he's been hiding, and I just lay on the floor next to the bed and talk to him, and pet him if I can reach him. 10 minutes. That's it. For the last 2 days, he'd scooch a little bit closer to me for me to reach him. TODAY....he actually came out from under the bed, ate from the bowl of FRESh food I brought to him AND AND....get this....came out and gave me a head butt! It brought tears to my eyes, to know he is starting to feel safe with me, the kids and our home.

THANKS to everybody for their input. I still have the litter box upstairs in addition to Valentine's downstairs. I'll keep you posted, but thanks so much!

Gayle
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Gayle, that it too sweet!!! I am misty eyed now, thanks :p:D:D

Missy
 
Gayle...

Glad to see that Tinker is finally adjusting! I won't add in my 2 cents since our resident vet is the best advice. I have had "turf" wars with my cat boxes though. Usually only when I leave on vacation. I think it was more mad at me, than each other. (I have three...mom and two kids that I couldn't give away.)

Just remember the saying....Dogs have masters, cats have staff.
 
Man, I have five cats and wish I knew what to tell you. I used to have six litter boxes, which got crazy hard to take care of, so I gradually cut it down. I had issues with several of my girls and my one boy (a sprayer) likes to leave puddles outside the box, regardless of how many boxes I have, where they're located, or how clean they are. Oddly enough, when I cut back to TWO litter boxes (which I'm able to keep ridiculously clean) the only one I STILL have trouble with is my boy, Tangerine. All my cats were fixed, as babies, but my vet warned me my boy would probably always spray and that a lot of his strange behavioral issues (he turns violent at the flick of a switch, scaring everyone, including me). He was bottle fed as an infant and she (and her vet techs) say bottle-fed animals of all types often grow up angry and possessive. No kidding. So with litter boxes I've found the number one thing is cleanliness, over everything else. If you can scoop them twice a day and change out the litter once a week, unless you also have a Tangerine, you should be fine, though you should always have enzymatic (cat pee) cleaner on hand.

My big fluffy lady, Gracie (my avatar) is scared of her own shadow, has no clue how to fight, and is the gentlest creature... except at breakfast. My five have dry food 24/7 but at breakfast, when the canned food is served, Gracie will choose one other cat to hover over and stare at until the poor critter is so intimidated he/she walks away from his/her food. And she hasn't even finished her own! Her vet isn't worried about her weight yet but I think I'm going to have to start rationing-out the chow pretty soon. You might not have to worry about Tinker eating Valentine's food for a long time, maybe never, with only two cats in the house (man, TWO cats sounds soooo nice). As for the hiding, give him a little time but, maybe you can go to where he is and talk to him. He won't come out, of course, but he'll at least know you don't mean him harm.

God bless you for taking Tinker into your home. I live in a less than fab neighborhood, where there are endless new additions to the stray cat population. I used to go broke neutering strays, which I just can't afford to do anymore. It's nice out so, right now, I make sure they have food and water but when cold weather hits, it's off to the Humane Society. I really hate that but, with limited funds (in addition to my 5 I care for 3 others in my kitchen), there aren't a lot of options. People around here just move and leave their cats behind. It's so sad because each and every one has so much love to give to end up euthanized.
 
banslug said:
TODAY....he actually came out from under the bed, ate from the bowl of FRESh food I brought to him AND AND....get this....came out and gave me a head butt! It brought tears to my eyes, to know he is starting to feel safe with me, the kids and our home.
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Awwww! I love kitty head butts!

Some 'head butters" are also kissers: you can kiss them on top of the head rather than "butting" them back. My dearly departed Frisco would respond to my "kiss, kiss!" prompt by lowering his head in 'head butt' position to get kissed: usually several in a row! When he died, I missed that, so I taught Simon to do it. Now, when he comes up to me in bed and I say "Simon, kiss kiss!" he does the same.

I met a head-butter/kisser at the shelter a few weeks ago, and quickly convinced a visitor to adopt her!
 
Rhea said:
I've got head butters too and if I don't pay enough attention, I get swatted as I go by!:p
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We have a head-butter as well! AND he will definately swat you (and sometimes BITE) if you don't pay him enough attention!!! Here he is (his name is Pig!) nappin' in the sunshine!

IMGP0209.jpg
 
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