Maya & Tabby

[Lilith]

Hey, that's great news, lots of progress!

A cat charity offered to trap and neuter my first feral boy (who was also injured from a fight) but then sadly let me down, so we went it alone. Every day he would get fed in a large cat carrier. Came the day when he strode into his carrier to find a little titbit of tuna - and the door closing behind him - poor guy! I thought he'd never speak to me again. It is awful, to have to betray that trust, but better that than the existence of an unwanted feral entire boy, stealing and spraying and possibly being a target for cruel behaviour.

My Finn moved in with me in under a week. I'm not a cat-whisperer. I think it was the bed. He PURRED ...

Good luck with Maya and Stealth

[ThorpeDave]

Hey, that's great news, lots of progress!

My Finn moved in with me in under a week. I'm not a cat-whisperer. I think it was the bed. He PURRED ...

Good luck with Maya and Stealth

One of the odd things about Maya is her meow. It is more like a kitten's squeak and that is why we thought she was only about one year old coupled with her size. We were very surprised to find out she is 3 years old

We have never heard her purr but long for that day.

Stealth by name, Stealth by nature. Stealth simply makes no noise at all, no meowing, no purring, absolutely silent. He appears from nowhere and vanishes just is quickly!

My wife also has a stray cat turn up at the rail depot where she works. She is a great mouser and sleeps wherever she can. She has become a proper fusspot and is very vocal, but, she does not purr either even when being fussed!

Although great progress has been made I think we still have a long way to go with Maya and Stealth will either plonk himself down one day or simply disappear back from whens he came!

Regards

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

Maya came in tonight, sat around for a bit then went to sleep on the stairs after a full grooming session.

Progress

Now back in the neighbor's outside loo

[Kay]

I suppose cats used to living outside need to feel safe in whatever nook or cranny they go to sleep in, so maybe that is why she is sticking to that outdoor loo, and why my Tonka will only sleep in the kennel if it faces towards the direction I appear from

he is getting a bit better at feeding time though - I can almost put his dish down without him leaping away from my hand - two years to get to this stage

grooming with you around is a very good sign though, and shows total relaxation

[ThorpeDave]

Hi Kay

I suppose cats used to living outside need to feel safe in whatever nook or cranny they go to sleep in, so maybe that is why she is sticking to that outdoor loo, and why my Tonka will only sleep in the kennel if it faces towards the direction I appear from

From what I understand, cats like 2 or 3 places where they can hide and feel safe. I think Maya already knows where those places are.

Tonight's stay was a bit weird to start with as she just sat on the hard wood floor looking around for about ten minutes before disappearing. The stairs is the only place in the house which is carpeted although there are a few mats lying around hear and there.

I agree that the full blown grooming - even on her back - is probably the most encouraging sign yet.

It is beginning to get cooler in the evenings and I see that Maya was testing the water - she did pick a difficult place as I need to go the the bathroom and had to wait!!!!

Fingers crossed

Dave

[Kay]

It is beginning to get cooler in the evenings and I see that Maya was testing the water - she did pick a difficult place as I need to go the the bathroom and had to wait!!!!



Dave

so your training as her future slave has started in earnest

[ThorpeDave]

so your training as her future slave has started in earnest

I have been married for 38 years so this will be just a refresher course

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

Although the steps are small, great progress has been made with both Maya and Stealth this week.

Maya's visit on Wednesday was not an isolated event and she has continued to come in each night for supper followed by a good clawing session on the scratching post, a nose around then disappears to the first landing on the stairs for a proper grooming session.

Depending on her mood, she often then goes upstairs and lies on the hard wood floor on the landing for a catnap. Visits now range from 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Her feeding routine has settled down (touch wood) and she continues to enjoy what we feed her although, she rarely comes and ask for food but responds when called.

Fantastic progress has been made with Stealth this week.

Instead of 2 bowls of food in the morning - then rarely seen again - we are now seeming him 3 times a day. He appears from nowhere ind just sits and looks at you. We are trying to stop him from stealing anything that Maya leaves and have been quite successful in satisfying his appetite.

Saturday morning saw Stealth curled up fast asleep on an outside storage cupboard with Maya only a few feet away watching. On opening the back door, Stealth bolted over the wall in an effort to hide that he was sleeping close to our house then sauntered up the back garden looking all innocent and hungry!

When he returned for lunch he came right up to me when I put the bowl down and thought a little head tickling would be worth a go. Ok so he has needle sharp claws and not afraid to use them !!!!!! lesson learned. A good nibble at cat nip had him rolling over the path and acting very silly. Another attempt to stroke hime however got the same swift swipe of the paw with claws out!!!!!!

Sunday morning was a little different. No waiting cats for breakfast.

A quick look round however we spotted Stealth in the greenhouse, curled up fast asleep in a cat bed looking very cute. Calling them both in for breakfast only brought Maya in and Stealth stayed in the bed, awake with his head hanging over the side. He stayed there even though I put his dish down.

A little concerned, I took the dish down to the greenhouse an put it on the table next to the bed, and he just looked at me.

Still concerned I tried to stroke him and this time met no resistance and he seemed to quite enjoy it so I continued. Eventually a big yawn and a good stretch he was up, got out of bed and ate breakfast

Must have been a good night out on the tiles!

Roast chicken dinner on Monday so I am expecting mayhem and Stealth is going to get a good dose of worming powder

With the evenings getting cooler and frost not far away we have deiced to give Maya the opportunity to come in and out when she likes. She certainly knows it is warmer inside and why we believe she is spending time inside late evening.

A cat door has arrived today - microchip controlled one. We already know that Maya is chipped so no problem there and it will ensure that she can have the freedom to come and go as she please while keeping stealth away from the house until after he has paid a visit to the Vets. No progress on the trapping front yet but that is down to me!

Regards

Dave

[Lilith]

Hey, that's brilliant news - they're doing so well - congrats!

[ThorpeDave]

Hey, that's brilliant news - they're doing so well - congrats!

No more biting and scratching - Stealth is now putty in my hands

[Lilith]

Aww he is gorgeous! Ferals can often be like that - once they decide to adopt you they never look back - and they are SO soppy. My two oldest are ex-feral and more loving cats you couldn't wish to meet.

Give Maya and Stealth my love

[Mayday21]

HimDave been reading your posts. Sounds like things are progressing at a good pace - comfortable for Maya & Stealth who is a handsome boy. Fusses to them both. Vivian

[ThorpeDave]

HimDave been reading your posts. Sounds like things are progressing at a good pace - comfortable for Maya & Stealth who is a handsome boy. Fusses to them both. Vivian

Stealth is indeed a handsome boy!

We can now fuss Stealth and progress with him has been fantastic. I am 90% sure that he would move in tomorrow if invited.

Maya is very complex and remains very timid. Her reaction to people walking near her gives me the impression that she has been kicked by someone and it is still very easy to get her running for next door's outside loo.

Stealth has however done her a big favor and the male cats who chase and terrorize Maya are now noticeable by their absence. Stealth has claimed the immediate area as his own and has and will defend it. They are not exactly close friends but don't seem bothered by the other's presence.

Maya's health has improved now that she is being regularly fed and been wormed. Stealth is being wormed today and he too is beginning to settle down and establishing a feeding schedule.

Initially Stealth would eat 2 bowls of food for breakfast and possibly come back late at nights. He is now only have one bowl at a time 3 times a day.

Stealth has also settled down in the greenhouse where a fluffy bed was initially placed for Maya - but Maya does not seem to like fluffy beds.

When Maya comes into the house late in the evening she lies on the stairs which is a bit of a problem for us. I am trying to rack my brains as to how I can present her with somewhere warm where she can stretch out.

I am still hoping to get the cat door installed this week but will need someone with good eyesight to do that job for me. I am hoping that will provide Maya 24/7 access and the freedom to move into somewhere safe and warm whenever she wants

Regards

Dave

[MarySkater]

You might need some cooperation from Maya, to program the cat flap chip reader for her. Do you have the instructions? How does it say to do it? With my microchip feeders, I have to get the cat eating from the dish for at least a few seconds, while I press the button that says "memorise this chip number."

[ThorpeDave]

You might need some cooperation from Maya, to program the cat flap chip reader for her. Do you have the instructions? How does it say to do it? With my microchip feeders, I have to get the cat eating from the dish for at least a few seconds, while I press the button that says "memorise this chip number."

It should be easy - a piece of roast chicken in the tunnel should do the trick? A piece of roast Duck and she would probably fit it for me too

There was/is a cat door in her original adopted home so I think she is used to them.

Stealth will be no problem when I grant him access either. He has being going through other cat doors and stealing food in recent weeks - he knows the drill

The microchip feeders look a great idea and may consider them at a later date when they are both (hopefully) settled in.

Regards

Dave

[Kay]

my girl doesn't like traditional cat beds either, and often lies on the laminate floor - though she is not averse to sleeping on my down duvet - you have mentioned Maya going on your bed so you might like to consider buying a single duvet for her - they are cheaper than most cat beds, and folding them in half allows the cat to get inside for extra warmth - also easy to clean by changing the cover

you could put the cat duvet on your bed during the day, which will keep your covers clean, and move it to wherever you want her to sleep at night

for a hard bed she might well like a cardboard one like this http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/scra ... ure/315507

as you can see from the reviews, my Tiffany is not the only cat to like them, and could tempt Maya off the stairs

[Lilith]

Emily (avatar cat) my eldest cat, was like Maya at first - slightest movement and she'd fly off. Now I have trouble dislodging her from under my feet - half the time I have to walk through the great soppy lump!

She liked to sit on the stairs too when she first started to visit

[ThorpeDave]

my girl doesn't like traditional cat beds either, and often lies on the laminate floor - though she is not averse to sleeping on my down duvet - you have mentioned Maya going on your bed so you might like to consider buying a single duvet for her - they are cheaper than most cat beds, and folding them in half allows the cat to get inside for extra warmth - also easy to clean by changing the cover

I think the problem is that for the last 12 months - at least - she has been sleeping in a box in our neighbor's outside loo and has simply got used to it.

With all things Maya, things will take time I guess.

I will look at your suggestions - thanks

Regards

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

Emily (avatar cat) my eldest cat, was like Maya at first - slightest movement and she'd fly off. Now I have trouble dislodging her from under my feet - half the time I have to walk through the great soppy lump!

She liked to sit on the stairs too when she first started to visit

It seems to vary from day to day. I am trying not to creep around the house so that she gets used to the noise and us walking around. Some days the slightest movement can make her run!

Again she is stretched out on the stairs BUT she is inside, warm, relaxed and that is progress. We can work on the inconvenience later

Regards

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

The cat door is now installed.

After getting some help in, we installed the cat door last night. Maya would not go though it so left it unlocked.

some cheeky Puss came in later and ate the scraps that she had left

At the 3rd attempt this lunchtime her chip has been recorded so just need to get used to it now and the door is locked to all other cats so no more stealing food

Regards

Dave

[Mayday21]

Hope Maya's popping in & out the new cat door. And Stealth...? Vivian

[Kay]

you're coming along nicely with your two projects, Dave

and I too have made a bit more progress, with Titch and Tonka coming into the enclosure to eat, and Tonka now going into the L-shaped kennel which has it's back to the enclosure, so he obviously no longer feels he must be able to spot me coming - that's a big relief because it won't mean he will be exposed to the elements on windy wet days (otherwise known as the usual round these parts)

I think it would only take a couple of months to get them in the house, but I can't allow it whilst I have Tiffany of the fierce temperament and dicky heart - but like Maya and Stealth they do not have a bad life - food, shelter and warmth rate further up the scale than human company and fusses for most cats

[ThorpeDave]

Hi Kay

Progress is being made on several fronts but also some things have also changed.

I have adopted two cats previously but both were house cats. These 2 are a totally different ball game.

As I am sure you are experiencing yourself, adopting stray/feral cats is a totally different challenge and as both seem to have been living outdoors for quite sometime, it will be hard, if not impossible to get them inside where they can be safe and warm.

I have certainly learned over that past few weeks that you cannot apply human logic to cats!

Frustratingly, Maya has not come into the house in the evening for cat naps and self grooming for the past 3 days. However, she certainly seems more relaxed both in our presence and when she has been sunbathing in the greenhouse where she now sprawls herself out. she remains timid but certainly not as bad as she was.

We have certainly seen a difference in her health, general appearance and the regularity of feeding. It is still rare however, for her to come asking for food and we normally have to offer it to her.

She has put on weight and her coat is much sleeker now she is being fed 3-4 times a day. She now eats at least 300gms of food a day although the intake of treats has declined - which is probably not a bad thing.

Now that the cat door has been installed, I actually closed the door behind her this morning and it did not seem to bother her. when she wanted to go out, she used the cat door. However she has yet to come via the same route. Roast chicken tomorrow will test her will

We have had terrible weather today and we have not seen Stealth for over 24 hours. I am less concerned about him as he can clearly look after himself and does not seem to be stressed or struggling with life. If he wants food, he presents himself or steals from us or our neighbors! While I would love to adopt him, Maya's need is greater.

I wish you all the best with Titch and Tonka. It certainly seems that progress is indeed being made.

Even though winter is just around the corner I have learned not to push things. Accommodating change and being flexible is more important. I am sure that things will continue to move in the right direction if we let the changes happen at their pace rather than our own - despite our concerns for them.

Regards

Dave

[ThorpeDave]

It has been some weeks since I posted an update.

Probably a good thing as it would have turned into a book running to several volumes.

to cut a very long story short, Maya suddenly decided to sleep in the house at the beginning of October and Stealth moved into Mr Snugs on the same night.

Maya progress continued slowly but then became unwell and we decided to take her to the vets.

that was a mistake.

The stress it caused her was considerable and the vet cold not examine her so there was no benefit and we had to start again.

Stealth spent more and more time in Mr Snugs so we decided to get him trapped and off to the vets after putting out appeals to find an owner. No one came forward so on November 20 at 09:30 this cold, homeless hungry boy was off to be neutered.

At 17:00 he was returned to us and by 19:00 he was getting restless in his carrier so we put half a tray of food down and let him out.

the food was demolish and he ran upstairs returning 15 minutes later wanting more food. He then disappeared and we found him in the airing cupboard so put water down for him and left him alone.

At 23:30 the water was refreshed and some more food was put down together with a litter tray and off we went to bed.

Within 5 minutes he was on the bed lying between myself and my wife and purred - and I mean purred until 04:00

His recovery has been a bit slow and he went back to the vets who confirmed he was constipated.

He is now quite well settled and recovering well.

Maya is now confused. She want's Stealth to be around but bonding is taking time. At least she has now stayed in the house all night and we were woken up this morning by lots of meowing and purring - happy days

Stealth is a total fusspot and adores my wife and son. As I was present at the trapping and had the responsibility of getting him back to the vets, I think his love for me may take a little longer. He does sit on my knee but certainly prefers my wife

One feral cat sorted and re-homed - Maya is going to take a little longer to totally settle down.

Regards

Dave

[Lilith]

Awww!

This is wonderful - congrats!

Maya will come round, I'm sure of it. It just takes time. Loads of love and fusses to them both

[ThorpeDave]

Awww!

This is wonderful - congrats!

Maya will come round, I'm sure of it. It just takes time. Loads of love and fusses to them both

When he came and cuddled up to us with a few hours of being neutered, I must admit I shed a tear or two.

Typically it is Maya who is uncomfortable at the moment. She is like a teenager screaming at her pop idol - just sit down next to him, I am sure everything will be ok!

It is clear that Stealth has previously been homed as he shows such affection, he knows what a bed is for, uses a tray (occasionally) and is not frightened of a vacuum cleaner.

Maya who was definitely homed is frightened of everything - even snow flakes

Regards

Dave

[booktigger]

So pleased to hear this, it is often females who are more standoffish

[ThorpeDave]

Devastating news

We started to get concerned about Steal as his recovery from his castration was slow.

Although he was eating and drinking very well for first couple of days, this stopped and he became very withdrawn and unresponsive to fusses.

Taking him back to the vets he was diagnosed as suffering from constipation and appropriate medication was supplied. Other than that he was thought to be in good health.

He did pick up but went downhill again and this was particularly noticeable a short while after eating.

Again we became concerned especially as he was drinking a lot - normal for Stealth and raised with the vet on 3 occasions.

On going back to the vets on Saturday he tested his urine for diabetes BUT also immediately noted he urine was over diluted and suspected a kidney problem. A blood test was done.

The blood test test positive for FeLV and stage 2 CKD - absolutely devastated by this.

The vet wanted to have him put down but we have taken him home and will try and do our best for him.

Normally he is quite bright and an adoring cat and generally appears in good health.

I have yet to fully understand the FeLV side of things but hopefully we can manage the CKD

I would really welcome any first hand advice. There is loads of information on the internet but it can be very overwhelming and confusing.

Obviously we have great concern for Mia too as her risk of contracting FeLV has now increased significantly. Unfortunately, getter her to the vets and having her tested is going to be extremely difficult or impossible.

Regards

Dave

[booktigger]

Poor Stealth, cats can live a decent amount of time with Stage 2 CKD, but the FeLV will affect this and it is normally recommended they are isolated from other cata

[bobbys girl]

So very sorry to hear the news. CKD is bad enough on it's own. Stealth was doing so well. Fusses to him. Thinking of you.