Mia - a new chapter begins

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Ruth B
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Ruth B »

So sorry to hear about your Father, my Mother died earlier this year and I remember well the performance of trying to get everything sorted out, the one time you want everything to go smoothly and it just seems like there are more hurdles put in your way than ever. Granted that most people I dealt with were really good, but there were a few that left a lot to be desired.

Vets always tell us that cats shouldn't be allowed to run around or jump after treatment, i really wish they would tell the cat that as well. I'm glad to hear he is on the mend and that he and Mia are getting along better. It really sounds like your Hendrix and my Saturn came out the same mould, Saturn is frequently referred to as 'my little fallen angel'. December 17th is the old Roman Festival of Saturnalia, when accepted rules of behaviour were overturned and the god Saturn would take on the mantle of the Lord of Misrule, my Saturn seems to have adopted this mantle most of the time.

Fusses to Hendrix and Mia, and my thoughts are with through this difficult period.
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote:Hi, very sorry to hear about your father but so glad Hendrix has recovered - the little horror! They'll always do what we least expect them to! He's obviously going to be one of THOSE cats, isn't he ...

Fusses to him, and to sweet Mia too and all the best to you all during this sad time.
Thank you

Hendrix IS one of those cats!

Today, I made a tough decision as Hendrix has learned to come back IN though the cat door.

He gets very frustrated when we won't let him out so I have decided to give him a degree of freedom and he has been out 2-3 times this morning and has come back in without any problem. No manic behavior - so far today - and he has settled down without any problem.

I learned with both Mia and Stealth that you have to trust them. I am beginning to do that with Hendrix BUT keeping a very close eye on him as well in case I need to plug a hole in our security.

I have plenty of CCTV cameras around so able to keep an eye on him at a distance ;)

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Ruth B wrote:So sorry to hear about your Father, my Mother died earlier this year and I remember well the performance of trying to get everything sorted out, the one time you want everything to go smoothly and it just seems like there are more hurdles put in your way than ever. Granted that most people I dealt with were really good, but there were a few that left a lot to be desired.

Vets always tell us that cats shouldn't be allowed to run around or jump after treatment,
Thank you.

I know exactly what you mean and we have had some difficulty particularly my father's care home as they were unwilling to hand over his personal belongings and have STILL not given us his bank cards. All bank accounts were frozen as soon as I could to ensure that no one could access his money

We were as sure as we could be that his problem was self inflicted and it did not seem to bother him much. The vets have been brilliant and all the checks and medication have cost us nothing at all. They are happy with his weight and general development although his weight gain has slowed considerably since his op.

Mia has spent all morning watching Hendrix's antics on the CCTV monitor. Now that he has settled on the cat tree, she has gone upstairs and is asleep in front of the landing radiator.

Lots to do!

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Lilith »

Yes, be careful around these 'care' homes ...

My ex-partner and his new partner (sorry, complicated I know but we're all friends) - her father was in what seemed to be a very good small nursing home; they took him a huge expensive television, which he appreciated, but after his death the TV vanished. A vague story of 'it had gone to be repaired because someone had opened a window on it and knocked it over' was produced, but the TV wasn't ... after what sounds like a waiting game for my ex and his partner to get tired of the conflict, the TV finally reappeared ... suspicious imo.

I'm sure there are many caring and honest nursing homes out there but I suspect certain places and staff just hope that bereaved relations don't notice details ... :evil:

All the best x
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote:Yes, be careful around these 'care' homes ...

I'm sure there are many caring and honest nursing homes out there but I suspect certain places and staff just hope that bereaved relations don't notice details ... :evil:

All the best x
I am sure there are - but I have yet to find one :(

Anyway I locked everything down immediately to protect the estate which is mostly going to his grandson who will use it to buy a house - with a cat proof garden ;)

Hendrix better start behaving as there will be an instant re-location on the cards if he doesn't!

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Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Lilith »

Lol - I suspect even a feline boot camp couldn't quell that Hendrix - like my awful Molly he'd probably end up running it! :o :lol:
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote:Lol - I suspect even a feline boot camp couldn't quell that Hendrix - like my awful Molly he'd probably end up running it! :o :lol:
LOL and he would lead them all astray!

Hendrix is having a quiet day and went for a stroll in the garden at lunchtime. I captured some video from the CCTV camer so you could see him at his best!

https://youtu.be/0zi2LdjgNng

Enjoy

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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Lilith »

:lol: :lol: :lol:

And you call that a QUIET day??? :o :lol:
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote::lol: :lol: :lol:

And you call that a QUIET day??? :o :lol:
YES - honestly, he has been no trouble today at all!

Wish I could take a photo of them now. They are both lying on a mat under the coffee table together

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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Firstly I am sorry for not updating this thread for a couple of months.

The passing of my father has obviously caused a lot of unexpected work and both my wife's parents have been in hospital just before and ust after Christmas with Pneumonia - it has been a very difficult period all round :(

To cut a long story short, we are getting extremely concerned about Hendrix. Following his castration at the beginning on November we were hoping he would start to quieten down - far from it.

His behavior continues to be on the manic side and he continues to want to attack and bite both us and Mia. He has also continued to grow and at 6 months he weighed over 4kg and is catching up with Mia rapidly. His power and speed are really coming to the fore and he spent a couple of hours attacking the cat tree and finally broke the top tier from it. this has now been replaced with an RHRQuality cat tree which is big and strong!

We thought that the relationship between Mia and Hendrix was improving. When Hendrix about 4 months old, Mia started to back away from Hendrix and we thought that this may be due to his hormones kicking in. At Christmas, Mia started to interact again and headbutted and rubbed herself against him but Hendrix seems to have interpreted this as a green light for play fighting and he chases her and often pins her down resulting in a fight.

when Mia refuses to play, Hendrix has started getting really frustrated, vocal and aggressive towards us and his bite really hurts! He has also started spending long periods outside no matter how cold. It was suggested that we do let him out to "run off" the vasts amount of energy that Hendrix has and, while this has been beneficial, he has become used to being out.

At present we have managed to contain him within our garden but we cannot secure it completely and, sooner or later, he will get out which scare me stiff.

After reading a book on cat behavior, and talking to someone at Cat's protection, it does seem likely that Hendrix's "problem" stems from being hand reared - something we have always thought.

The fact that he had no interaction with his Mum or siblings, means that he has not learned from them. As he was 8 weeks old when he was introduced to Mia he had passed the point when he should have already learned that discipline and how to play fight/hunt

At the moment we are concerned that we have not been able to correct these problems.

It is not all negative however.

Mia has continued to develop, is playing with toys, is more visible, rarely hides, ask for fusses, is far less timid around us and - when pushed hard enough - puts Hendrix down.

Mia has shown considerable tolerance towards Hendrix and we feel sure that she would be lost without him, but she is also finding him "difficult.

Again, we feel sure that Hendrix wants to be friends with Mia, Despite the exchanges we are not seeing aggressive postures and neither have shown any sign of injury.

Perhaps I am being over concerned, but several people have confirmed that Hendrix's behavior is not "normal" and that he should not be chasing and pinning Mia down even if it not intended to bully or hurt her.

We know he is still a kitten and he should calm down in time but we seen no signs whatsoever yet.

any advise would be gratefully received.

Happy new year to everyone

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Ruth B »

While it probably isn't what you want to hear, your Hendrix does sound very like my Saturn, who having just turned 4 years is finally starting to settle down.

Like Hendrix Saturn will play rough. While he would chase both Tiggy and Freyja, Tiggy always managed to get away from him or give him a hard enough wack from time to time to stop him going too far. Freyja on the other hand has been on the receiving end of his play and he has pinned her down at times, biting her neck in a dominance move.

When he can get out and about he isn't too bad, he's like a teenager, spends all his time away, comes home, demands something to eat, falls asleep and then heads off when he wakes up. If i'm lucky he will come and let me know he is home and make a really big fuss to let me know he really loves me but then he is off out again as soon as he has refueled his stomach and batteries. He has free roam and can be gone for over 12 hours at a time, he can miss two meal times before I start to worry.

The problems really come when he can't get out, if the weather is bad for example, then he will take all his pent up energy out on the girls and anything else he can get his paws on.

Saturn was either born at the rescue or brought in with his Mum and I think two siblings when he was very young. He had his sibling to play with, as well as any other kittens in the rescue, I think his Mother was still at the rescue when I got him at 6 months old and they had never been force separated, he was also neutered early at 12 or 13 weeks.

Personally I would say that Hendrix's main problem is that he is the equivalent of a teenage lad trying hard to prove he is big and clever he is. That he is the boss of the house and has the same attitude to authority that some teenage lads have, the type that make stupid videos on Youtube of them prating around with knives thinking it will impress someone.

I will also add that Saturn tried the neck biting dominance trick with me, unfortunately for him I'm bigger, have hands and don't mind a mouthful of fur so could turn the tables on him. Some might think me daft, but I only needed to do it a few times before he fully accepted me as the dominant member of the household. Mother cats use the technique to control the kittens if they get too boisterous so it is cat language that says 'i'm boss do as i say'. I'm not sure but I also think the same technique or a similar one is carried through to when a male cat mates a female one as a method of subduing her, which is what, even though they have both been neutered, Saturn and Hendrix are still practicing, instincts can run deeper than hormones.

Finally, please don't feel the need to apologise, we all answer and update things as and when we can and if home life gets hectic then this is one thing that can wait. I know how much time it takes to deal with everything when a parent has passed away, and it is often even worse when they are ill in hospital. You have had your hands full over the last few weeks, you need to make sure you take all the time you need to be there for your wife and your family. I hope your in laws are both on the mend.
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Ruth B wrote: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:58 pm While it probably isn't what you want to hear, your Hendrix does sound very like my Saturn, who having just turned 4 years is finally starting to settle down.
Well at least we know we are not alone!

My initial concern was for Mia as she had been bullied out of her previous home and lived rough for over 18 months and obviously do not want this to happen again. Having said that, Mia really come on since Hendrix's arrival and her tolerance of him is simply amazing. However she is very reluctant to slap him down - which is what he needs.

We still believe that Mia wants Hendrix around, she looks for him at treat time and rubs herself against him frequently. She also "talks" to him when he starts getting ready to pounce and often stares at him like a mother ready to lose her patience!

Having lost Stealth within 9 months of rescuing him our fear is now losing Hendrix. it won't be long before he manages to escape the garden which will expose him to other cats - 2 bullies in particular - and of course dogs and cars

The fear that Hendrix will self destruct or get himself into serious trouble/danger is high.

When he is good he is glorious. He loves being groomed, playing but has a nasty habit of getting under the bedclothes and scratching our feet :o

He is adorable and full of character and we just want them both to be happy and safe

Someone suggested getting another kitten or youngster who Hendrix would be able to interact with and be more willing to play and fight with - but I am really not sure that that is the answer (although very desirable) Mia is 4 years older than Hendrix - perhaps too big a gap for this couple?

BTW I have no worries about biting the little sod myself but know he would run outside and sulk!

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Ruth B »

I have often heard it said that when you have a dog you become part of it's pack and use that to explain why a dog can behave as it does, and that cats are independent, don't like living together and when you have them neutered they remain kittens. Someone recently pointed out that this isn't true about cats. If you study ferals, even through the internet, you soon realise that they form colonies. They are still more independent than dogs but they do interact and work together for the benefit of the colony, when we have cats we become part of that colony and we have to find a place within it and work out our role.

Through internet streaming I've watched a pair of cats from the same colony co parenting, happily nursing and looking after each others kittens, I've seen an aging male cat with chronic kidney disease know exactly how to deal with kittens, happy for them to play around him until it gets too boisterous and then he just grabs them and holds them down until they calm down. Cat interactions are far more complex than a lot of people realise and they aren't the loners people think.

It's sounds like Mia knows Hendrix is still a kitten and is still learning so isn't threatened by him. It also sounds like she enjoys having him as company. One interesting one I have notice among mine, Saturn is a real coward when it comes to confronting other cats, he will hide upstairs and leave the girls to defend the territory, Freyja has even learnt from Tiggy how to use the catflap as an offensive weapon, batting it with her paws in the face of an intruder. They also know they only have to call out and if we are in we will come and help drive off other cats. I think Mia is learning that Hendrix is part of her colony and you and your family are part of her colony and if anything happens she won't be left alone to deal with it.

I can also understand your worry about him escaping and can't really give any guidance baring the obvious, either trying to cat proof the garden more, or trying to keep him in at night, which won't be easy.
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Interesting

Mia strayed from her original home due to another cat bullying her - which has obviously generated some concern that it may happen again.

However, there is a slight difference now in that Mia was not socialized and had never been fussed/stroked.

After Stealth passed away, Mia came to us to be fussed and she now asks for it! although still only upstairs while my wife lies on the bed it seems to give her some comfort and we think she knows that we are doing our best to look after her. I am now also able to give her the odd stroke at treat time and she often headbutts my knee too as well as standing on my knee when boiled chicken is on offer! I still find it odd that she goes looking for Hendrix at treat time to tell him that goodies are available and she rubbs herself against furniture with a quivering tail and lots of "chatter" when she does so.

When Mia was living rough, there were always lots of cats around especially when our neighbor put food down for her. All the other cats helped themselves with Mia having what was left or what had been put down for the hedgehog! She was, of course, subjected to bullying by 2 other cats and was often involved in scraps with them.

since Hendrix arrived and started going out we have done what we can to secure the garden to stop him getting out. This has also had the benefit of keeping other cats out and Mia has not been chased by other cats for several months. Mia now rarely goes out especially if Hendrix is out too.

As yet, Hendrix is not jumping and prefers to climb up things while Mia will jump on a wall or a 6 foot fence with ease, Hendrix seems reluctant to try - only a matter of time I fear.

Yesterday saw Hendrix at his worst and he was a pain all day and Hendrix and Mia avoided each other. We think that they may have had a scrap over night although we could find no evidence on our CFTV cameras.

However, I did catch some really nice footage of Mia playing last night at https://youtu.be/aubZGq8DB4E What strikes me about this video is that Mia is obviously NOT an unhappy cat and we are seeing her play more and more. It is now very rare for Mia to hide but, when necessary, she knows exactly where to go to defend herself.

Today, Hendrix is a different cat altogether. He has only spent a few minutes out, settled on my lap for a few minutes and is now curled up on the cat tree.

At present, we are able to close the door at night with both cats coming to bed soon after we go and they stay settled until the alarm goes off in the monring. As the days get longer and it gets warmer, this may change but we still have a couple of months before that happens so hopefully a couple of months for the 2 to sort themselves out.

Obviously, I don't expect them to be curled up together all the time and have to expect some conflict. However, I hope that they can learn to live together without Hendrix being out of control.

We are trying to divert his attention with more toys and it only took one day to train him with a "clicker" With us in the house and Hendrix at the bottom of the garden some 50 feet away, a single click has his running in looking for treats!

We will have him checked by a vet later this week - again - as his claws are getting long again and they need clipping to ensure he cannot inflict any damage to Mia - or us!

Thanks for your continued support and advice.

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Just to illustrate why we think Hendrix's behavior is not "aggression" but simply wanting to "play", I have just captured this footage on CCTV

As you can see, the body language and postures are not aggressive although Mia is clearly irritated by Hendrix's prodding and poking.

What the video does not show is the chattering that is going on between them. Hendrix is whining and once re-buffed by Mia, Hendrix comes downstairs howling and stomps off outside where he is currently sulking

The video is at https://youtu.be/oLEciJdA_UQ

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Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Ruth B »

Two great videos and I don't think you have a lot to worry about.

The one with Mia playing reminds me of Freyja, happily throwing toys about all by herself. Freyja would much rather have a play session alone with a jingly ball or a cat nip fish than to be chased around by Saturn. Saturn would rather the rough and tumble of a play fight.

In the second one it is quite obvious that Hendrix wants to play and Mia doesn't. You mention that Hendrix was a hand reared kitten, I do wonder if this has played a part, one of the things a kitten learns from its Mother is frustration. The mother cat will decide when kitten gets fed, and particularly as they get older you will see a mother cat just get up after she has had enough of them nursing whether they are still hungry or not. It teaches them they don't always get what they want. I'm not sure Hendrix full learnt that lesson, he wants to play and Mia doesn't, she gently puts him off by moving away and when that doesn't work retaliates. You say he is now sulking because he didn't get his own way, Mia is merely teaching him what his mother would have, how to behave in a social group and that he won't get everything he wants.

I'm not seeing anything in Mia's body language that says she is feeling threatened by him, annoyed, yes, but not threatened, and she is obviously confident enough to say no to him.

Videos when you can catch the action are a wonderful way to see what is actually happening.

I personally would advise against getting another cat. While they might play together they might also end up ganging up in a play session against her. At the moment she obviously feels she can tackle him, she might not stand against two of them.
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Ruth B wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 1:40 pm Two great videos and I don't think you have a lot to worry about.
Videos when you can catch the action are a wonderful way to see what is actually happening.
Thank you - it is re-assuring to know that someone else is thinking the same way that we are.

At treat time this afternoon, Mia headbutted and rubbed herself against Hendrix and we really think that she is in "mother mode"

We don't know the exact story but Hendrix was separated from his Mum at 2-3 weeks and was being fed on wheetabix and milk. Someone took him away from that environment as the owner was saying that Hendrix and one of his brothers was "going in the river" :shock:

The couple that rescued him already had a cat who was biting him so Hendrix was put in a cage for his own protection before he was re-homed with us.

While I don't know the extent of the "biting" I am not 100% at ease with him being put in a cage. Perhaps that is what Hendrix needed as he clearly had learned very little from his Mum and siblings.

What is done is done and we cannot turn back the clock. At least Hendrix is safe and well and not at the bottom of a river.

Many years ago, they used to let a female cat have a litter before they neutered them. If ever there was a cat who deserved a litter of kittens, it is Mia. She would have made a fantastic mum and clearly has a maternal instinct.

When Stealth was very poorly she stayed with him all the time and would not leave his side. She was so distraught when we took him to the vets and returned without him.

Everyone told us that Mia would never be fussed or become a pet and a vet described her as "wild" and refused to treat her when she was poorly with stomach problems. Taking her to the vets was very traumatic and she ripped me to bits and we won't be trying that again unless it becomes absolutely necessary!

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Ruth B »

Weetabix and Milk!!!

I can't think of much worse to give a kitten, poor lad he has had a rough start in life and you can't blame him for not having any manners, no one has taught him them.

It does sound like we have a matched pair. Saturn and Hendrix, Freyja and Mia.

Freyja was scared stiff when we got her, we could not get near her, some at the rescue she came from admitted that they thought she would be a long term resident, most people wouldn't want a cat that was that frightened you couldn't view them, except as a white streak running from hidey hole to hidey hole. Like Mia, getting her to the vets isn't a fun experience and both me and my husband have been shredded when we have tried, if i'm lucky now i can get her by the scruff and in a box, but it is one chance only, get it wrong and it takes at least a month before she has settled enough to let me have another go. I'm lucky she has only been to the vets for vaccinations and they have been happy to examine her in the carrier and give her the injections in there. Fortunately she freezes when there. I dread anything serious going wrong as we could never get medication into her, I can rarely even deflea her, i tend to rely on doing Saturn and Tiggy and a bit of herd immunity to keep the fleas off her.

I have never regretted having her, she may not be an easy cat to look after, but when she wants she can be incredibly loving and demanding fuss and attention, she is just still very skittish.
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Ruth B wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 4:50 pm Weetabix and Milk!!!

I can't think of much worse to give a kitten, poor lad he has had a rough start in life and you can't blame him for not having any manners, no one has taught him them.

It does sound like we have a matched pair. Saturn and Hendrix, Freyja and Mia.
Hendrix was one of those cats who stood no chance so rescuing him was a must. When he came to us at 8 weeks old he was tiny. He went straight from Wheetabix to solid kitten food (Dry)

When he went in his tray he was producing rabbit droppings and seemed to struggle and cried. Within 2 days of being with us he went onto 100% natural grain free cat food - he preferred Mia's food.

The Vet moaned at us but Hendrix has gone from a tiny ball of fluff to a monstrous 4.075kg 6.5 month old. He could easily reach 7kg by the time he is one!

Mia was born to a feral mum and was 12 weeks old when she finally let her go. When she first started to come to us we had to be 20ft away before she would eat and it has only been since July that we did not have to sit down before she would eat.

We can now walk around freely and even step over her - she has come a very long way

So we have a cloned pair!

Hendrix has made another attempt to make it up with Mia today but was once again rebuffed which clearly causes him frustration. He is very demanding and seeks a lot of attention.

I just wish I could find a way to calm him down when he gets like that - playing or fusses only works occasionally and he prefers to go outside and sulk or attack what ever takes his fancy. He has destroyed 2 cat trees in the past month so hoping the new one will stand the test of Hendrix!
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Lilith »

I think Mia has everything in paw. Look at the way she bodychecks him out of the way and sits on a lower step - doesn't even have to proclaim 'I'm superior so I'm sitting in a higher place'.

Ruth, that bit about pinning a pesky kitten down - that suddenly illuminated the Molly problem to me - she hates being touched or stroked (bites and claws) but she'll snuggle up and if there's anything near me, any clutter like a book or envelope, she'll 'rummage' under it and hide her head ... and then I can stroke her face :o I can 'scruffle' her back and 'hold that tiger down' but this is a new development. I'm still peppered with clawmarks though and she's going on 8, or is it 9 ...

Dave, these problem kittens ... I think they get wished on the people who can cope with them ... oh loved the other video with Mia playing btw. :) She looks content!
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

Lilith wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:42 pm
Dave, these problem kittens ... I think they get wished on the people who can cope with them ... oh loved the other video with Mia playing btw. :) She looks content!
Glad you like the videos - here is another one of her playing tonight https://youtu.be/J_-tiuCYcXs

Her confidence is growing day by day at the moment - we have NEVER seen her play like this before.

It has taken well over 18 months to get this far with her and it has been worth every second

Our challenge now is find a way to help Hendrix cope with his frustration - I am sure everyone can see why he wants to be with Mia!

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

BTW - Have you seen the cat tree - bottom left corner!
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

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She certainly looks happy, and in the end that is what we all want for our cats.

That is quite an impressive cat tree, hopefully Hendrix won't tear it to pieces too soon.
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

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Ruth B wrote: Mon Jan 07, 2019 9:53 pm She certainly looks happy, and in the end that is what we all want for our cats.

That is quite an impressive cat tree, hopefully Hendrix won't tear it to pieces too soon.

It is designed for Maine Coon's and is the smallest one they do!
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

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Where to start?

Yes it has been a long time since I have posted and much has happened! some good, some not so good

HENDRIX

Well the little horror is now a very BIG Horror weighing in at more than 6kg and still only 10 months old.. His behavior continued to be manic which really started to oppress Mia and she started to keep well out of his way.

In February we took him back to the vets for his quarterly checkup, worming and claw clipping. We made an appointment with a vet who is also a behavior specialist.

The vet was surprised how much he had grown but again found nothing wrong with him, no fleas so no poisons. He was wormed and thankfully had his claws clipped. The best advise the vet could give was try and distract him with toys when he got manic and also try and change his cat food just in case something was winding him up.

The toys worked to a degree - but also had another amazing side effect - more on that in a mo ;)

Hendrix tends to eat anything in sight and the more manic he got the more he ate and the less Mia ate. We always put some dry food down for Mia at night as she needs to crunch on something as her teeth are not too good.

the vet advised us to as natural as possible food wise and even consider raw meat. We found a local supplier and went straight down and collect some raw cat food and, also picked up a sample bag of Carnilove Fresh.

The raw food went down like a led balloon but Hendrix in particular really like the Carnilove dry food. We were amazed than within 48 hours of him eating the Carnilove rather than a "main brand" dry food, he calmed down and became, almost, normal.

He still tends to go berserk occasionally and gets frustrated and really shows his anger but, he really has calmed down generally.

One day when he was really upset the Mia would not "play" he shot out of the back door and took one mighty leap and cleared a 6ft high wall and landed in our neighbor's garden. Panic set in! he could net get out of there but if he tried to get in our neighbor's garden on the other side of us he could easily get out onto the street.

All was OK for a couple of days, he kept visiting our neighbor but came back. We started to look at securing our garnden but it would take some planning, a lot of money and considerable help.

One evening a couple of weeks ago the situation really turned bad. Hendrix found his way on to our neighbor's shed that jumped from there to the next garden then onto a 12ft wall belonging to a church. He found he way back again but we knew that he had his sights on getting further afield.

With the situation now urgent we pressed ahead and planned a full garden security fence which would be provided by ProtecaPet but could not afford their "professional installation service" which would cost in the region of £2,000.

A local "Odd Job" came round who we know very well and we finalized plans and ordered what we needed. total cost would be just below £1,000

The 10 days it took to plan and complete the install was a nightmare with Hendrix finally jumping down from the 12ft wall and going behind the church. Several hours of scrabbling behind the church late at night to get hold of him followed.

The installation of the security fence was completed last friday and Hendrix is not at all happy. A lot of groaning and meowing with several attempt to escape have been observed. He has failed - so far - so now feel more relaxed but vigilant. He actually now has more freedom but we need to do more to keep him happy in our garden.

today has been somewhat difficult however as his frustration of being caged in caused him to take it out on Mia and they have actually fought a couple of times before he finally calmed down.

MIA

Well what can I say? Mia has undergone a total transformation in the past 2-3 weeks.

After Hendrix's general behavior calmed down, Mia became more visible. She watched Hendrix playing with his new toys then, one night, she suddenly emerged from under the coffee table and pounced on Hendrix's toys. Ok she retreated immediately but day after day she has become more bolder and now plays like a kitten. She loves chasing "fishing rod" toys and she squeals with joy as she does so. The past few days has seen her openly sleeping on the cat tree looking very calm and relaxed.

the biggest change in Mia has been her regular fusses.

Until this past week, fusses had to be while my wife was lying on the bed with her feet off the floor. NOT ANY MORE.

while hand feed treats to her while sitting on the floor she suddenly decided that this was a good opportunity for a fuss. and fusses are a lot nicer when you can get really close to her!

After 2 or 3 days I finally got my chance to fuss her too. It feels really good to touch her and to hear her purring and squealing as she enhoys her back being stroked and particularly her ears and the top of her head being lightly scratched and rubbed.

wonderful.

18 LONG MONTHS - but it has been worth it :)

TOGETHERNESS

Up until the fights today, Mia and Hendrix have got on a lot better. Mia's confidence has certainly grown and the playing and open fussing seems to have accelerated this. she no longer runs away from Hendrix and they often can be found sleeping a couple of feet apart. At meal times or when Hendrix emerges from his slumbers, Mia runs to greet him and rubs herself against him.

Although they have had a fight today and have kept out of each other's way, neither are hiding and I feel sure that Mia will forgive him soon.

We also feel sure that Hendrix will learn to live with the enclosed garden especially as it gets warmer and we continue to offer more interest for him.

Mia has become more of a house cat in recent weeks but with warmer weather on the horizon we will see. Unfortunately Mia also has no escape from Hendrix when she wants some space of her own. We have always trusted her when she leaves the garden and she loves to climb trees. sorry, no more.
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by MarySkater »

Would it be possible to fit a microchip cat flap to an internal door, so that there is one room Mia can get into where Hendrix can't follow her?
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

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MarySkater wrote: Mon Apr 01, 2019 8:55 am Would it be possible to fit a microchip cat flap to an internal door, so that there is one room Mia can get into where Hendrix can't follow her?
Unfortunately not.

We basically live in a 2 up 2 down terraced house so very difficult to separate them.

We are not overly concerned at the moment as we are mindful that there has been a significant change with the garden now fully enclosed. Neither cat is happy about it but they will get used to it.

Mia and Hendrix slept a couple of feet apart last night and neither is showing obvious signs of aggression. Hendrix is frustrated that he can't escape our garden and seems to be taking it out on Mia.

Mia is not hiding from him at all although she did keep her distance for most of the day yesterday.

Obviously we are keeping a watch on them both and making extra effort to re-assure Mia.

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by ThorpeDave »

OMG!

We know that Mia has come a very long way in the past 18 months and had a rough time with Hendrix Yesterday

But this is how she responds! https://youtu.be/RtptatPrTMA

So heart warming!

Regards

Dave
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Re: Mia - a new chapter begins

Post by Mayday21 »

Hi Dave lovely video of Mia & nice to catch up on Hendrix too. Sure both will adapt to the enclosed yard. I too am getting my pergola enclosed with cat netting to give mine some extra space & had the same issues re installing ... exie. Keep us posted. I’m sure Pebbles would like to play with Harper & Bentley but they won’t have any of her interactions. Hence she follows me everywhere. Vivian.
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