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The litter tray

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

The nervous rescue girls

10 replies

RosesAndHellebores · 10/04/2023 12:38

Advice please.

They are now 9.5 months. They have been here for about 9 weeks. One has turned into a normal domestic housecat who snuggles up, knead, will be picked up and is lively. Chirps away but doesn't miaow.

The other remains very nervous. She is out for most of the time now but still retreats to a cupboard. She will tolerate a brief gentle stroke at feeding time. She relaxes on her back to sleep now on an armchair by a sunny window. She is also playing with toys. She doesn't move off the dining room chair when given a dreamie. Has miaowed once after about three weeks. Still occasionally hisses quietly if nervous.

In the mornings both are waiting by the bedroom door and bound down for breakfast. At 5pm both wait outside the utility door waiting for supper.

From 4.5 weeks to 7.5 months they were kept in a pen. Firstly at a rescue in Greece then in the UK. They had a bad start.

The one who has settled, I will be able to apply spot on.

I think they will be ready to go out at the beginning of May and would rather it managed than accidental because we have doors and windows open more.

Any advice re fleaing and worming the very nervous one? I do not have a hope in he'll of putting spot on on her. I do not want to stress her at this stage by putting her in her basket (trapping would be more apt) and getting the vet to do a long lasting one. She is so food driven, I think she'd take a pill in lickylix.

Any advice? Has anyone found zylkene helpful? She has actually made enormous progress and I suspect is a fundamentally anxious cat despite her bad start.

We have 4 feliway diffusers and and a calming spray.

OP posts:
PerrinAybara · 10/04/2023 12:43

Watching with interest as I have two extremely nervous rescues. I get a long lasting spot on applied when they get their annual jabs at the vets, but when I asked around no one could suggest any flea treatments in pill form.

I do wonder whether snuggling up with other cats who do have spot on helps at all. But that's probably wishful thinking.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 10/04/2023 21:18

I’d scruff her and do it quickly. It makes them go floppy & you should be able to do it fast if you’ve got the top already cut off.

lljkk · 10/04/2023 21:23

is scruff with a towel?

I hope you can find a way to handle her, OP. Lots of dreamies before & after.

FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 10/04/2023 21:28

No just holding this skin loosely, no pushing down. I could contain a 6.5kg Bengal with this technique, he overpowered my 6’ 3” dh.

Now it’s just me I trap moggy girl between my kneeling legs and the bathroom door to do anything to her or she gets very stressed.

RosesAndHellebores · 10/04/2023 21:39

I won't be scruffing. This girl has had a bad enough start and I want her to trust me.

OP posts:
RosesAndHellebores · 10/04/2023 21:40

My old boy who was as affable and friendly as a cat could be used to smell the advocate from 50 paces.

OP posts:
Beamur · 10/04/2023 21:51

See what your vet says, but personally I probably would just not bother for a while with the flea treatment if you think it will stress her a lot.
I certainly would wait until she's reliably coming home before you try. My highly strung cat often goes slightly more than a month between treatments. I tend to sneak up on her when she's asleep!

lljkk · 11/04/2023 09:36

yeah, very quick application when asleep. I can't smell the stuff at all but from the way the cat faces wince afterwards, the smell must actually sting their eyes.

thecatneuterer · 11/04/2023 09:54

Beamur · 10/04/2023 21:51

See what your vet says, but personally I probably would just not bother for a while with the flea treatment if you think it will stress her a lot.
I certainly would wait until she's reliably coming home before you try. My highly strung cat often goes slightly more than a month between treatments. I tend to sneak up on her when she's asleep!

I'm inclined to agree with this.

Also, you talk about letting them out. Do you have a cat flap? While a cat flap is generally desirable for all cats, for nervous semi-ferals it's absolutely essential. Otherwise, once the nervous one goes out, she's unlikely to come back in. If you don't have one, and can't fit one, then I think you will just have to keep her in until she finally relaxes, which could take many, many more months.

RosesAndHellebores · 11/04/2023 12:35

@thecatneuterer thank you for your reply. Yes, we do have a cat flap. They are both microchipped and spayed.

Once we get to the summer and have windows opening and are in and out to the garden daily, it is likely they will escape and I would prefer to let them out on a managed basis rather than an accidental one.

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