Rescue cat

[TheRedShoes75]

Hi all, recently DD and I started volunteering at a cat rescue home. We absolutely love it and I feel as though I’m doing something worthwhile and very different to my office based day job.

DD and I had been cleaning out a pen with a rescue cat and long story short we thought she would be a good fit for our cat household. We already have a 15 year old black mog (who’s shy and keeps herself to herself) and a 4 year old grey mog who is very definitely the one in charge.

Little tabby rescue cat is a year old and was trapped by a local farmer when she was about 5 months old as she was pregnant. She had her litter, was a good mum and has now been spayed. She’s been with us since Saturday. We chose her because we’d seen her be playful, fierce and confident. She was in a pen with about 8 other cats and was not phased at all.

Anyway as expected little tabby has been hiding away from us. She’s been eating well and using her litter tray. She’s in a room away from our other two cats for now. She does seem to have a wander around the room at nighttime.

This evening she seemed to get stuck under a dresser. So we dismantled the dresser and moved it. She is stressed and had diarrhoea. There was some tiny streaks of blood and mucus in her poo. She’s been eating felix cat food (the same as at the rescue centre) but her poo has been loose since she has been with us.

I think it’ll calm down and she’ll find her confidence again but any words of advice or experience would be very gratefully received. I don’t really know why I am stressing- I’ve had my own cats for the best part of 25 years and all 5 of them so far have been rescues.

Just leave her to it and don't panic or try to force any situations. I wouldn't allow any outside access for much longer than normally recommended - maybe six weeks at least.

If she is very timid/semi feral then you absolutely must have a cat flap. Otherwise when she goes out you will find it very difficult if not impossible to get her back in. Do you have a flap?

Yes. Leave her too it. Maia hid for 8 days when I first got her. Took me two days to realise where she was and that she was safe. And when she finally came out she ruled the roost.

Thanks both.

We do have a cat flap. I invested in an electronic cat chip reading programmable cat flap. Which broke the day after we’d paid for a big hole to be cut into the door to fit it. I think I’ll have to get it replaced though for one that actually works.

I won’t allow access outside for a long while. 6 weeks or longer until she’s more settled.

I’m such a worrier! I just want my cats to be happy and loved

That's good about the flap. Well she is loved, and if she isn't happy now I'm sure she soon will be :)

Thanks thecatneuterer you are a star!

We got two young adults in May , the male was painfully shy (we knew this before we even met him) they had been ferally kittens .

We made the decision that even if he stayed shy , he'd have his sister, his house, his food, his tray and whatever interaction he wanted with us was on his terms .

He spent the first couple of weeks under the sofa but gradually explored . We kept them in till early July and let them out when we were there , then got them used to the catdoor (micro-chip activated) and there is no stopping them

They go out first thing, come in for breakfast , please themselves during the day (he sleeps in the small bedroom or on the sofa ) then go out , coming home about 9pm.

He adores my DD and sits happily to be cuddled . If I try , I get the dirty look and the "I don't think so , flower" glare .

They are a long term project but once you win them round its amazing.
His sister waltzed into the house like she owned it , and she's owned it ever since

DH set up a CatCam to spy monitor them.