Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

Adopting older cat

57 replies

SunshineSuperNova · 11/10/2013 21:49

Hello all

As some of you know we lost our lovely elderly tom last weekend. We were planning to adopt eventually, but a friend has asked us to take her beautiful 12-year-old. He's an absolute darling, but is very stressed due to a new baby and the utterly vile neighbours bastards who have been bullying him.

He's been very well looked after and my friend is gutted to be losing him - he's her furbaby :(

Can anyone give me advice about adopting? All my cats have been from kittens.

OP posts:

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 15/10/2013 22:56

I've set up a FB group for my friend so am giving her updates. I think he's on our bed, he's subdued a vicious plate of chicken and has had some chicken.

I have a photo of him that was taken a while ago (he's been so stressed he looks a bit like a plucked chicken) that I'll post :)

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 15/10/2013 22:58

Shall you let him sleep on/in the bed tonight?

PS - has he used his tray yet? (Always anxiety-making that, even with a grown cat.)

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 15/10/2013 23:03

Hi cozie I'd love for him to sleep with us tonight. But he hasn't used the tray yet...

There's a picture on my profile in the 'Roberto' gallery. He was enjoying his new sheepskin bed - which he now hates because he's a cat. You can't really see from the pic but he's a big lad, weighs about 5kg but very fit. And purry, despite being a bit scared.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 15/10/2013 23:06

Ah well. Maybe when the lights go low. Did you get a wee bit of his former (clean) litter to sprinkle on top to guide his keen nose?

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 15/10/2013 23:17

He hasn't used litter recently, so sadly not. I'm expecting there may be an accident or two but he does know how to use a tray so...

He's come down for fuss earlier but run upstairs because the dishwasher scared him. He's under our bed with his second bowl of chicken. :)

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 15/10/2013 23:24

Hopefully he'll remember - they usually do. (But some of them can be quite sensitive about using it in private without being watched.)

I'd normally be thinking about lifting him into it and holding his paws to do a gentle paw scratch or two but that might be counter productive if he's still a scared boy at the moment. (Huge amounts of chicken notwithstanding.)

Good luck - I hope not too many accidents to face tomorrow morning.

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 16/10/2013 01:10

Litter tray has been used :) and he's on the bed. I hope he'll stay there for a bit of tonight at least.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 16/10/2013 01:49

Yay! Good lad. I reckon he'll stay there for a bit at least. Looking forward to your news in the morning.

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/10/2013 07:28

I can't open your profile to see the pictures.

SuperiorCat · 16/10/2013 08:06

Well done SunshineSuperNova cat!

I can't see your profile

cozietoesie · 16/10/2013 08:08

Me neither. I thought last night that it might have been site lag but still no go this morning.

Sunshine - did you save the changes, make photos public and all those good things?

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 16/10/2013 11:24

Hello all, I've just changed the privacy settings so you should be able to see it now. The black cat is Roberto (who's currently on the bed after having a good breakfast) and the tabby is my late Oscar.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 16/10/2013 11:44

Saw the pic. (There's just one.) He looks like a happy boy.

Where did he sleep last night?

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 16/10/2013 12:08

He slept on the bed for a while :) I think he was spooked by a noise as when we woke up he was under the bed.

He's just scoffed a second bowl of tinned food and is grooming (appropriately, not stress related). We've had a chat and some cuddles.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 16/10/2013 12:28

He seems happy enough then?

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/10/2013 13:01

Lovely looking cat, he looks very relaxed there.

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 16/10/2013 13:03

The pic is from his original home before the bullying started. He's been so stressed he's been over-grooming so looks a bit naked in patches and is a shadow of his former self. Poor lovely boy.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 16/10/2013 13:23

You've got quite a difficult one ahead of you, I'm afraid. Your friend will likely be pretty conflicted in that she'll want her baby to be well and happy - but maybe not to become too bonded to you etc.

How good a friend is she?

ZebraOwl · 16/10/2013 13:34

He looks gorgeous in that pic & it sounds like he's settling in well, yay!

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 16/10/2013 14:03

She's a very old friend cozie and we're very close. I was in two minds about saying yes because of that possible issue. We'll have to see how it goes.

I've put his old bedding under our bed and he's been fast asleep for 3 hours - I think it's the first proper sleep he's had since he got here, he's looked a bit tense before.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 16/10/2013 16:07

Aww - a good sleep will make a lot of difference to him. It may be the first proper sleep he's had for a long time let alone since he came to you.

I guess you'll just have to remember to lard your conversations with your friend (and FB posts) with occasional - 'He's happy although I think he's missing his real Mum'. (Without explanation of why you think he's missing her.) That should hopefully help.

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 17/10/2013 00:08

He asked me for a tummy rub earlier :)

OP posts:

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 19/10/2013 13:32

He seems to be settling in okay which is great. I've just spent hours crying about my old boy (having him here is lovely, but sad too) and my friend does not seem to be speaking to me at the moment.

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 19/10/2013 13:36

Is she 'not speaking to you' or simply hasn't been in contact? (If you know.)

Original poster

SunshineSuperNova · 19/10/2013 13:43

Ignoring my messages and putting me off when it comes to meeting / calling. I think she thinks it's all sunshine and rainbows here, while she's in misery.

I'm feeling a bit sensitive I think so could be reading things wrong, at least I hope so. I find having another cat here much more emotional than I thought.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2 3

Swipe left for the next trending thread