Cat Intro's.....

[meriad]

My neighbour mentioned quite some time back that she had a black cat regularly visiting her garden and eating the food she was putting out for the foxes and hedgehogs. Cat has been sleeping in a box by my neighbours front door for quite some time and she hasn't been able to figure out who it belongs to (and she knows most people nearby)Fast forward a few weeks and after my Monty having quite a few arguments with said black cat I managed to nab him to get him to a vet. No chip and unneutered (the latter issue is now rectified).

Anyway, I cannot have (nor really want) another cat as my 6 are more than enough. But knowing that all local shelters are quite full I have said I'll hold on to him (we've named him Bobby) until we can find a good new home for him. At the moment he's in a crate in the bathroom. Today I've let him have the run of the bathroom because I just couldn't bear the thought of him being in the crate for yet another day. But the big problem is that the bathroom doesn't have a window so it's really not a good life for that poor cat right now. But I don't have another spare room to put him elsewhere, esp this time of year as most of my gang tend to be home and all rooms are occupied by my cats. My last three were all adopted in the warmer months so the cats were outside most of the time.

Anyway, the neighbour who first noted him said she was willing to take him in, but for various reasons it really honestly and truly is not the ideal place for him and I'm not going to let go there. She said she would just put him in a crate in the lounge and then let him get used to her other cats that way - no separate bonding room etc. Have any of you ever done that with any form of success? To me - who has always done the bonding room, scent exchange etc - it sounds tantamount to torture for the poor cat.

BUT in all honesty it would potentially solve the issue of poor Bobby being stuck in a windowless bathroom? I could put him in the crate into the dining area where he at least would be able to see outside and see something. But it's not a room I can block off in anyway as it's open plan kitchen dining - but it is a room that the cats don't necessarily need to come into if they don't want to?

I'm just trying to figure out best option for both Bobby and my gang, ie trying to make best of a not ideal situation.

What do you all think? x

[Crewella]

I had a think about it, and I think there is a chink of light here in the fact that this cat is probably familiar to the resident cats (in both your place and the neighbours) so a crate might not be the 'torture' you imagine as there will be familiar smells and faces around. With reservations, and careful monitoring, it might be worth a shot? As long as you can abandon the project quickly if iut does seem to be causing stress? There's no easy answer here!

[meriad]

Thank you - it's not the easiest issue to solve. I need to win the lottery and get a bigger house so I have a separate room just for situations like this

I think poor boy may have to stay in the bathroom on his own for two more days and I can then move him Friday evening when I have the evening and all weekend to monitor him. The bathroom really isn't ideal but hey - I don't want to muck this up and end up with stressed cats that cause all sorts of issues

At the moment - when I'm home- I pop him back in the crate and have the bathroom door open so the others can sort of see him and he them. Ava, Henry and Harry are very curious thankfully but poor Bobby is (understandably) quite hissey and defensive. Monty just slinks by the bathroom and more often than not just turns and heads straight outside again.....

[Lilith]

Hi, I hope it's not too late for me to add my 2 cents' worth to this thread. I haven't always been able to go through the proper isolation/introduction thing with a new cat (especially in this house) but when my feral girls, and later the toms, moved in, they all knew each other from the street. Even cats I didn't know came strolling in to pinch some biscuits and nobody said a word!

When Molly arrived as an adolescent, she was a complete stranger - and I'd nowhere to put her apart from the bathroom - like yours Meriad this has no window and although I'd once kept a litter of feral kittens in it for 3 days it isn't ideal - if the light is on, the fan goes on, which is oppressive. So I took a chance and let Moll muck in with the rest. Being so communal they said nothing - and maybe that's one answer; a cat community may be more tolerant than a lone cat whose house is its kingdom. At that time there were two older females and an elderly tom; not the easiest mix. But nothing said.

Do hope you've found a solution for Bobby.

[meriad]

Hey there, thanks for replying

Well, I moved him and the crate into the dining area on Friday night and rigged up a temporary gate for the door way which works quite well. He did managed to escape last night about midnight but thankfully I managed to grab him before he realised the cat flap was open phew (I know the garden is cat proofed, but still - Monty has figured out a rather acrobatic way of getting out and I'd worry Bobby will figure that out as well

Anyway, this morning when I left I used duck tape to firmly attach the gate to the door frame so hopefully that'll hold him. He now has the kitchen / dining area to himself so more than enough space when I'm not home.

he's now on the local CP website for re-homing so fingers crossed someone shows some interest very soon otherwise I'm going to struggle letting him go

So so far, it's OK - still not ideal but he has vast amounts more space and a huge double door to see out. And gradually this week and next I'll increase his space until I'm 100% happy he's OK with the rest of the gang

[meriad]

Also to add that I do think there is something in what you say about a cat community being more tolerant than a single cat... my lot seem quite tolerant generally of other cats - more curiosity than anything else

[Lilith]

Bless him, give him a love from me, and the rest of them too

Do I detect signs that he might be stopping on with you?

[meriad]

In all honesty - I would rather not have 7 cats so it would be better he finds a home very very soon before I get too attached because then it will be hard. But my own six have a good balance with each other, and whilst Monty and Harry will never be best friends, it all works out.

[Crewella]

Oh well done - it sounds like you've managed it well. I agree about 'communal cats', my gang are pretty good overall about newbies.

It will be interesting to see if you do manage to rehome him!

[meriad]

he is a gorgeous boy - he really is..... he's being rehomed via my local CP and they've got this on their page:
http://woking.cats.org.uk/woking/adopt- ... cid=136459

[Crewella]

Oh he is gorgeous - a sleek, glossy beauty like my Merrick. I wish him all the luck in the world, bu he seems to have gotten pretty lucky recently anyway!

[Lilith]

What a handsome chap - a right Bobby dazzler in fact - hope he finds his furever home soon!

[meriad]

Just a quick update on Bobby. Saturday 27th Bobby was roaming around in the lounge and generally minding his own business and the others sort of ignoring him so all going OK(ish). Unfortunately Monty then decided to make an appearance, saw Bobby, turned and headed off which resulted in Bobby giving chase and the two of them having a fight. Thankfully I managed to separate them and put Bobby back into the dining room. However shortly after Bobby - obviously still very much on edge and who can blame him - tried to have a go at Henry through the barrier I'd put up which barely held up . So I popped him into the crate to calm him down and contacted CP to please put him on the list for a pen when they had one free as he very obviously wasn't happy. 1/2 hour later got a reply to say they had a free one due to a cancellation so by 2pm that Saturday I settled Bobby in his new temporary home.

Last night I got a message from my contact at CP to say that Bobby was going to his new home today. Apparently a family came to see him the Sunday after I'd dropped him off but he was a bit growly so they left; but the lady who was fostering him called the family again towards the end of last week to say that he'd settled loads and would they like to come meet him again - they did, they fell in love and he's off to join them today.

Poor boy, in the space of three weeks, he's been nabbed, neutered, chipped, moved from being an outdoor stray, to being confined in my house (with too many other cats) then to a pen - no wonder he wasn't overly happy at that first meeting. But I'm just so glad he settled and that the family gave him that 2nd chance.

Happy new home Bobby - hope you're very very happy x

[Crewella]

That's wonderful news - a really positive outcome! You must be so pleased (and relieved!), well done you. And good luck for the future to the gorgeous mini house panther Bobby. xx