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Post by pianolove on Jul 21, 2019 6:38:12 GMT -6
We did it! Last night it was waiting for food and let us walk in the yard without running away so we thought it was a good night to try and catch it. It was too smart for the humane trap so MH rigged up our dog crate with fishing wire so he could hold the door shut once it got in to eat the food and it actually worked. It was soooooo pissed off and yelled at us the whole time. It has a bed, a hidey-box, food, water and kitty litter in there (it's a huge crate). I tried to cover up the bottom but it hates the crate obviously and kinda destroyed stuff lol. Once it lets me pet it I'll take it to the vet and have it fixed. It may still end up being at least part outside cat because it does like to have adventures in our woods but we have coyotes and bears that come through and I would feel better if it knew it could come in our house especially in the winter. Here's some kitty pictures! (There is some dirt on its face, it's all black with no markings). MH wants to name it Shedly because it lived under the shed...but....I don't like it. I think Barrow is cute (wheelbarrow) without being obvious, or Alice if it's a girl kitten. Anybody have any suggestions??   |
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athn64
Ruby
Posts: 17,412 Likes: 76,727 
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Post by athn64 on Jul 21, 2019 6:47:03 GMT -6
Awwww. I love it!
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mischief
Emerald
Recap Aficionado
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Post by mischief on Jul 21, 2019 7:34:23 GMT -6
Yay!! I like Barrow.
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Post by marygracerich on Jul 21, 2019 7:36:29 GMT -6
Cute kitty!
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Cheshie6
Sapphire
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Post by Cheshie6 on Jul 21, 2019 8:45:25 GMT -6
I love it! I love Barrow too!
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Post by pianolove on Jul 22, 2019 14:53:23 GMT -6
Im pretty sure it's a boy cat, I think I saw a ballsack while it was flopping around. So MH is now calling it Shovelhead except I've named it Barrow so ohhhhh wellllll.
He purrs when we are out, cries when we go inside, and loves to play. He ate a treat out of my hand and let me touch his ears and scritch his back and sticks his paws out of the crate to try and play with our fingers.
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Post by greykitty on Jul 22, 2019 15:22:56 GMT -6
You and your husband have such wonderful loving hearts. Barrow was so lucky to meet you. Forgive me, I forget - will you be trying to introduce him to indoor life?
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Post by pianolove on Jul 22, 2019 19:53:38 GMT -6
You and your husband have such wonderful loving hearts. Barrow was so lucky to meet you. Forgive me, I forget - will you be trying to introduce him to indoor life? We are planning to try, hopefully I can move the crate into the garage in a few days (he's under a covered porch now) and let him out to play and then move him into the house. But if he hates it and wants to be an outside cat then we will let him out and give him a little bed in the garage |
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Post by greykitty on Jul 22, 2019 19:57:33 GMT -6
pianolove, on a day when I kind of wonder if there are any good human beings - well, you and your family reassured me there are. Wishing you all the best of luck with Barrow!
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Post by marygracerich on Jul 22, 2019 20:36:14 GMT -6
You can call him Barry for a nickname and I think that’s the greatest name for a cat.
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Post by pianolove on Jul 23, 2019 6:07:02 GMT -6
You can call him Barry for a nickname and I think that’s the greatest name for a cat. Oh I like this! |
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Post by marygracerich on Jul 23, 2019 6:14:24 GMT -6
You can call him Barry for a nickname and I think that’s the greatest name for a cat. Oh I like this! Little Barry. My heart may explode with the cute. |
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Post by pianolove on Jul 23, 2019 19:09:51 GMT -6
The kids called him Bear so Barrow-Barry-Bear the Barbell Cat is now residing in the garage gym and I finally held him and he purred so violently I thought he was trembling (I don't cat lol). He's so sweet and snuggly and never once hissed or tried to bite me. He is very sad right now because he is all alone and I am very sad listening to him cry but he's definitely not ready to come in the house yet. He's so scared still, when we let him out of the crate he immediately went to the door and wanted out and then proceeded to investigate and not come near us lol. MH caught him and got him back in the crate now.
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Post by greykitty on Jul 23, 2019 19:32:04 GMT -6
Cats will purr to self-comfort themselves sometimes, as well as purring indicating happiness, but not hissing or trying to bite sounds like great progress to me. Think how his whole world has changed! My girl cat has always tended to be independent, but my boy cat craved company from the moment I brought him home. If it were me, I might ask my vet or local shelter for suggestions on how to comfort a solo cat to get some ideas but the shelter where I got my two often ask for donations of these snuggle pillows for motherless kittens. I think there's a way to DIY them as well. www.amazon.com/Smart-Pet-Love-Snuggle-Behavioral/dp/B001V7UHG8My old hair dresser once took two feral kittens in, as well as their mom. Mom absolutely refused to stay inside, but the two kits are now about ten years old and the epitome of pampered housecats. |
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Post by pianolove on Jul 24, 2019 7:20:17 GMT -6
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Post by greykitty on Jul 24, 2019 8:44:58 GMT -6
Cats are such individuals - what works with one will definitely not work with the next! But your Barry sounds like he's making great progress and I'm sure he's already picking up on how much you and your family care for him and I think it's a good sign that he keeps investigating his new environment. Not like my girl at the vet who curls up into the tightest ball in her carrier in hopes no one will notice her.
When I got my two, I was reading all those Cats for Dummies books, which actually helped me with seeing how cats communicated with people. A tail lashing back and forth is nothing like a happy dog wagging his tail! LOL 13 years later I'm still learning something new every day about these guys. But when you learn to recognize a happy cat tail and see how your cat loves you, it's a great day.
Right now I'm getting a new furnace and air conditioner and they're both swinging between being very interested in what the installers are doing and hopping on my lap to protect them from the drill noise! Cats are such creatures of habit and this is a very disruptive day for them - I had to move their cat tree which is just shocking to them.
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Post by pianolove on Jul 30, 2019 10:58:54 GMT -6
Here's my handsome dude! I think he's acclimating pretty nicely, it's his first full-time day in our house. He spent the night in the basement to prove he is truly litterbox trained so I felt comfortable letting him up. He seems to like it here, as he is climbing all over us and purring up a storm. He has a very squeaky purr, is this a vet thing or a Cats Being Cats thing? I have to take him in anyway but I figured I'd ask here too. greykitty any thoughts?  |
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Post by marygracerich on Jul 30, 2019 11:33:14 GMT -6
pianolove I think it’s just a kitten thing. Their meow changes from when they are babies to adulthood. At least that is how it went for my cats. He is so cute and looks a lot like my Bear.
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Post by greykitty on Jul 30, 2019 12:07:17 GMT -6
pianolove, he is gorgeous! I too think it's cats being cats. My two have distinctly different voices and often sound different depending on what they want - the I'm kind of hungry feed me meow and the darn it, you're sleeping too late and I'm starving fake cry. Think of toddlers....oh, and he may do a chitter-chatter if he's looking at birds out a window. Freakiest sound I ever heard at first. Just a sign of excitement for some kitties. I'd suggest don't freak too too much if he has the occasional accident, especially during the first days or post-vet visit. Sometimes, like toddlers, kittens have so much fun playing they forget to allow time to get to the litter box. But most times, once they get the idea of litter box, they're good to go. Caveat - some cats develop definite preferences for certain litters and will not use the box to let you know that if there's a sudden litter change. Other cats don't care what you put in the box. Or, god forbid the box isn't cleaned at least once a day! LOL. In my experience, though, if there's recurring out of box behavior I go to the vet to ensure it's not a medical thing. My girl had a UTI and told me by waiting til I was watching her and then peeing outside the box. One caution, especially with a boy cat - if at any point he doesn't seem to be peeing at all, do not wait - call your vet or emergency vet immediately. Sometimes they develop crystals and it's important to diagnose and treat quickly, but is usually very treatable. Sorry to scare you, but it was something I learned the hard way with my boy. Labor Day and he wasn't peeing - I'm still grateful the emergency vet's office told me to come in immediately because he did have crystals and waiting til Tuesday and the regular vet could have been dangerous. That was some 13 years ago and he's just now showing the issues of being 17. I'm looking at your boy's ears and whiskers in this picture, and he seems very happy and interested in his new family. He definitely feels the loving hearts in his new home. Wait til he starts exploring every nook and cranny of his new home. Oh, you know this, I'm sure, but definitely check the washer and dryer before you start using them every time - a lot of kits like to curl up in there.
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Post by pianolove on Jul 30, 2019 12:24:52 GMT -6
Phew now I don't need to look like at idiot at the vets 😂 Thanks marygracerich and greykitty! GK, he's so curious! I'm definitely being made very aware of how poor of a housekeeper I am...he pops behind something and comes out covered in cobwebs and dust 🤦🏻♀️ Lol Good to know about the litter sitch, I appreciate the heads up! |
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Post by greykitty on Jul 30, 2019 12:45:43 GMT -6
IME, the vets have heard everything and actually seem to appreciate any and all questions from an owner - shows that the owner cares for the pet!
I called my vet's office in a panic because my girl would fall to her side every time I came home. I was absolutely convinced it was something neurological and was ready to ask for x-rays and ultrasounds! Vet said she was most likely just showing me that she trusted and loved me by showing her belly. Oops. And, I always ask my vet what things I should watch for and when I should bring them in. At one point my boy scarfed down his food too fast and would upchuck it. Yep, I panicked. Vet walked me through the difference between regurgitation and vomiting, and when to worry. Your vet will do the same, I'm sure, with any and all questions.
Oh, I never understood why my cats would tend to show me their rear ends all the time. Seemed kind of rude to me. Apparently it can be a sign of trust and love - cats are prey animals, as well as predators, and they like to see what's around them. Once they have confidence in a person, they literally will trust you with their back.
And, um, yeah about the mighty hunters finding every dust bunny. So embarrassing! LOL. I definitely became a better housekeeper. Oh oh oh - make sure any strings/ribbons/dental floss/yarn is securely put away at all times. Due to their tongue structure, cats can and will swallow all those lovely items, but they can't throw them up and it's often difficult to pass successfully. Nothing more fun than seeing an x-ray and being given the surgical fee to save your pet. Didn't happen to me, but did to a friend.
Please take this in the way I mean it, with love and excitement for a cat parent - it's all stuff I learned when new to cats and I always thought, for example, leaving a ball of yarn around was fun for a cat. Well, it is as long as you're right there supervising.
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Post by pianolove on Jul 30, 2019 16:06:41 GMT -6
Oh that's exactly how I'm reading everything! No worries!
Lol so that's why he shoves his butthole in my face. Gross but flattering?
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Post by greykitty on Aug 1, 2019 15:22:31 GMT -6
pianolove, hoping your family and Barry are having a great week.
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Post by pianolove on Aug 2, 2019 7:02:39 GMT -6
Thanks! It's a lot smoother now than it was on Monday. My DS (4) is learning to let him come and also to let him go when he wants to go instead of chasing/searching for him. My DD (2) is.....a little too toddlery for the cat lol. We are working on not pulling his tail but he has learned already that DD is not to be trusted and leaves when she comes by. I put a lifted baby gate in the doorway to the basement so he can escape when he wants but he spends nights down there and I legit think he prefers to be mildly harassed than hide in the basement lol.
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