Author |
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Wednesday, May 18, 2005 - 11:15 pm
Critter is a she, but yes, definitely she has to be primary in all of this. She's 15 and has been the queen of all she surveys for 14 years that I've had her and of course I adore her! I've had the back bedroom shut off since the ceiling fell in, but I'll get it cleaned up for Angelina to start out in.. I do use that bathroom so I go through there myself. I understand part of the problem is that Angelina will smell like cats at Petco and that will torque Critter, but I plan to put a towel with lots of Critter scent into the carrier so maybe Angelina will be a bit less of an intruder. But yes, I'll shut Critter into my bedroom and then spirit Angelina into the back bedroom. Of course they will know about each other quickly. The switchoff suggestion is that one day cat A is in the separate room, next day cat B is in the separate room. I don't think I could do that to Critter for an entire day, but may pull a switch for short periods of time. I just get so upset with some of the cats found running loose.. Shirley actually rescued a cat.. an Occicat, placed it and later heard that someone had paid $1000 for this cat but just let it run loose! (and no she didn't give it back). There is a tiny mamma cat in there.. she's a MaineCoon but obviously was allowed to be loose and got bred as a kitten herself. Her three kittens are drop dead gorgeous tabbys.. some sadist took the mamma cat and her kittens and had taped them inside a box; they could barely breathe when someone rescued them from the box. Anyway, Critter is sleeping sweetly nearby on the floor; little does she know that things change starting tomorrow afternoon.
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Kep421
Member
08-11-2001
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 4:06 am
Three weeks? Really? Wow...I've always had two cats...never got any of them at the same time, but I never had the 3 weeks "get to know you" period. But then I've never had a "spare room" either!!! I got Busy from the Animal shelter, when he was about a year old, I got Grassy as a kitten about 2 years after Busy. Busy spent one day ignorning the little fur ball, then accepted him without further intrigue. I got Allie when she was about 4 years old, rescued her from an abusive home, and she took about 6 weeks to come down off my dryer (didn't have any other cats at the time). She was my only kitty for a couple of years, as I thought I would never be able to have another animal because Allie was so pyscho from the abuse. Then my daughter asked me to "cat sit" her Billy for 2 weeks while she was on vacation. That was the only time I was worried and thought I would have to separate them somehow...But Allie just retreated to her dryer for about 4-5 days...then just kinda "pu$$y-footed" around him for the rest of his visit. When Billy left, I noticed Allie seemed to have "come out of herself" a bit and actually began to act like a cat and not a traumatized animal, so I got Katie who was a kitten...Allie retreated to her dryer for about one week, then spent a about a week ignoring the over friendly Katie..but eventually accepted her as a playmate/sister. I've never had to keep any of my cats separated...maybe because I was introducing a kitten (Except for Billy)? Anyways...Congratulations on the new addition Sea!!! Critter is in for a treat!!!
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Kep421
Member
08-11-2001
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 4:17 am
Hey Sea....I just thought of something. Since scent plays such a huge part in the "get to know" stage, maybe the faster the new cat acquires YOUR scent (through cuddling and petting and what not)the more willing Critter will be to accept the new comer? Jes a thought...
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 8:01 am
I've had to do the "newcomer' thing twice and it wasn't pretty either time. Then we added a new puppy . Sheesh. Sea, what I've always done is let them each have separate rooms and then give them each their own time to have the run of the house. That way they don't feel like their special place has been invaded but they do get used to the smell of the other kitty in the common areas. At some point I also put two baby gates on top of each other to close off the temporary home of the new kitties. They get to see each other without being able to hurt each other. My oldest kitty is gone now, but he was better at accepting newbies than our second kitty. But now he just adores the kittens and is always grooming them while they purr madly.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 9:00 am
I think part of this is the rescue lady wanting it to go well.. she's had too many people panic and want to return a cat. And I think if this was a kitten it might help.. or if she was smaller than Critter.. but she's much bigger.. or if she had been declawed, but she's not (Critter is). or if she was a male, but she's not. My heart just was captured, no matter what. I am fortunate in having three bedrooms. One is mine for sleeping (and Critter's too, of course), the small one is where Critter eats (and at the moment my open air closet too) and the back bedroom has been shut off since the ceiling fell in, but the attached bathroom is the one I always use upstairs and where I shower, etc. I can do the separation fairly easily. Kep, I agree.. getting my scent on Angelina will help .. of course I'll respect her if she isn't an immediate cuddler. I respected Critter as far as picking up and holding and she became a great cat in that way. Hmm I think if I can find some cheap babygates that might be the way to go after awhile.. thanks, Kar!! Maybe I'll post to freecycle.org for some freebies and then pass them along. When I was married and we were breeding a few litters of labradors we just used an actual screen door between the kitchen and the back bedroom where we had a bed, a whelping box and where the puppies and mom would be.. that way the mom wasn't so isolated from the other dogs but they couldn't rush in willy nilly to see the puppies, but I'm not likely in this lifetime to install a screen door. OK.. I'm better kick into a higher gear, here and finish my preparations. Oh, I looked at soft sided carriers but yikes, the price! And I figure I'd be better served to have Angelina home and really know her size and all before that investment. I have a hard sided carrier that will suffice to get her home and then to her vet appt the day after I return from Arizona.. she's been vet checked, had all shots, wormings and so on so my vet figured let her settle in. Especially since I'll probably have them microchip her at that time.
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Karuuna
Member
08-31-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 10:27 am
Sea, have you ever looked into those covers made for laundry baskets that make them into kewl cat carriers? That's what I use, and I really like them. Easy to store too!
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Kep421
Member
08-11-2001
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 11:45 am
I got a really cool soft sided carrier for my Katie at Walmart...it only cost about $16. I know "expensive" is relative to the individual, but I didn't think that was too bad. It has a nice shoulder strap which I find really convenient as it leaves my arms and hands free. I also got a larger hard carrier for Allie (my BIG cat) and the top comes off so she can stay in the carrier at the vets (makes her more comfy...not sure why). The hard one was about $10.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 1:33 pm
Thanks, I'll check Wal*Mart one of these days, or look online.. No these were more like $30 to $50!! $16 isn't bad at all. I've never heard of those either, Karuuna.. interresting.. What I have is one of those little pet taxi things which is fine for now and sort of a miniature of ones we had for our dogs.. I just figure I should have two carriers eventually in case we ever have to evacuate (earthquake or flood or flood .. of course one must play Capture the Cats first)
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 1:42 pm
In a pinch, a pillowcase makes a great carrier. They can breathe just fine.
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 1:51 pm
Yep.. that is definitely what I'd use if necessary to get them out of a fire or something like that. I brought one of the workers from Curves over to see Angelina this morning and she fell in love with that face, too I have to wait until 3pm, because Shirley the cat rescue lady has a sick kitten at the other Petco and has to wait til the vet opens, so I'm meeting her at 3pm now. Julie, did you go look in my folder? You'll fall in love too.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 2:02 pm
Seamonkey, she really is the most gorgeous kitty. I love all my cats, but none are as pretty as Angelina. Will you keep her name? It is pretty too! What is her story? OR is she just an unknown stray? (A very lucky kitty though, to end up with you as a mom!!)
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 2:16 pm
I think just an unknown stray and I think she's adorable, but your cats are all attractive as well.. and of course Critter is the queen for me!! I love the name Angelina, so yes, I'll keep it. I thought of Angelina Jolie, but one little girl, when I told her the name on the card, said "oh, Angelina Ballerina!"
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 5:18 pm
She's here! She sort of bellowed and yodeled all the way home but is settled in her room.. She immediately went under a dresser, so I just sat on the floor and she came out. I've shown her food, water, litter box.. she eventually ate some food, sniffed the water and ignored the litter box. She hung out on the bed with me for awhile, she purrs loudly and rubs my hand. I think she is nervous, naturally, looking around.. plus she saw this other cat in the mirror .. She has discovered all sorts of "caves" under dressers and the nightstand. I'll go hang out more with her, but I wanted to let Critter out of the other room and found HER under the bed!! Not her usual haunt.. She clearly knows something is up.. Angelina was vocal on the way upstairs too. So I got Critter to come downstairs and sit with me for awhile and now she's in her cardboard "tent".. a current favorite.
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Julieboo
Member
02-05-2002
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 5:23 pm
Hey that is a good start. When we brought Frosty home, he totally hid for four days. Then growled a lot too.
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Pamy
Member
01-02-2002
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 6:02 pm
I also adore the name Angeline, and she looks like a Angeline! I showed her pic to Dopey and he has the hots for her now!
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Thursday, May 19, 2005 - 10:15 pm
LOL!! The woman who actually rescued Angelina and paid for her first vet bills, named her Thomasina but the rescue people just didn't think it fit her. She's really sweet, purrs loudly, has let me pick her up and weigh her, brush her for quite a long time.. lol and when that time was too long she bit me lightly.. and got a little tap on the nose. I need to go spend another session with her before I go to bed. So far she's delightful. Still laughing about Dopey..
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Gina8642
Member
06-01-2001
| Monday, May 23, 2005 - 9:29 am
Not a cat - but awfully cute none the less... Baby Elephant:
(From the BBC)
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Monday, May 23, 2005 - 9:50 am
Listen, I think I heard it purr.
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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Monday, May 23, 2005 - 6:06 pm
Did they name it Juju?
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Seamonkey
Member
09-07-2000
| Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 2:45 am
Tonight I got to hold a sleeping Sugar Glider.. they also purr. Probably a bit larger than a golf ball when all curled up!
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 8:51 am
Awww! They are so sweet. Lucky you!
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 9:00 am

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Juju2bigdog
Member
10-27-2000
| Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 10:17 am
Is that a photo of Seamonkey's hand holding the Sugar Glider?
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Ophiliasgrandma
Member
09-04-2001
| Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 10:58 am
I don't think so. I just did a 'search' and these were the cutest pix I could find.
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Vacanick
Member
07-12-2004
| Tuesday, May 24, 2005 - 11:42 am
OG ... and they are very, very cute! 
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