Oh help me, I looked at the "cats needing homes" page!

[SureJanOK]

Hello all

My 18 yr old cat died peacefully 3 weeks ago following kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. I have been surprised how "ok" I've been. I think I did all my grieving these last 7 months since she was diagnosed.

I've been away twice already since, just for a couple of days. And I'm booked to go on a city break 26-28 July. I had had in my mind also to go to the USA end of Sep which is my next annual leave. The only major thing still on my bucket list tbh (I'm 41). And then to look into adopting another cat when I came back. I've not had any holidays for years, they've never been that high on my list of priorities, esp when the cat was older.

But I STUPIDLY looked at the "Cats Needing Homes" page on my local rescue. And there's a 12 year old there who's been at the rescue for nearly 2 months already. She looks ideal for me. (Wants to be a single cat in a quiet adult home with garden).

What to do?!!!!!!!

Assuming I went, met her and fell in love...I wouldn't want to immediately go away for the weekend.

And SHOULD I get the US trip out my system? Or save up for a few years more (it would clear out my savings).

I'd feel SO AWFUL if I came back from the US and she was still there and I ended up adopting her then. She would have had to wait MONTHS for me.

I live alone and have never used catteries or pet sitters. I have SOME family but not sure I'd trust anyone enough with my baby!

Should I phone the rescue and see what they say?!

Also am I crazy to adopt a 12 year old and set myself up for another load of heartache and expense in just another few years?

Thanks

PS she DOES have a tail, she's just lying on it!

I got mine from Rolvenden too (I went with Allergic when she got hers and was determined that when I replaced my late cats that's where I MUST get the next ones). One is an Izzy too, but black and white, and not quite two years old. She's a busy whizzy Izzy.

I adopted a nervous cat ( hers was due to abuse and neglect) hatred men all men. Now she's decided my husband is her best freind, fallows him around constantly and demands ( loud, very loudly) his attention. My shy baby now goes up to familiar humans who she's accepted. ( mabye 4 people outside our household).

My cousin said he hissed at her a bit when he popped in to feed her on Saturday.

She was moderately pleased to see me when I came home. And certainly didn't hiss at me!

She seems to have gone off ham and dry food. Only wants tuna and dreamies at the moment. Having slightly loose bowel movements too. But seems happy as larry, cuddling, purring, and VERY keen on her new toys.

I may have to have a battle of wills with her to FORCE her to start eating a healthy and varied diet! She's certainly got some chub to spare so she won't be fading away soon.

Try her on applaws. The tinned one is v useful to get a cat eating well. Its not a complete food but it helps to get them started and will help sort poo

She's quite a tricky cat in some ways! She doesn't like the expensive John Lewis sheepskins! That's twice she's peed on them! So I will just wash and donate to the rescue.

And she does not like to be combed either!

But she's consented to eat the dry food again.

She DOES play brilliantly with her toys and she has still never once woken me up. So I will let her stay here! :-D

I really hope she DOES want to go outside when I try her in a few days. I have such a lovely garden here it would be a shame for her not to play in it. (I got her vet records and it refers to her as an indoors cat)

@SureJanOK our boy was very wary of the garden after some extremely enthusiastic initial exploring. I started taking him out with me for just 15 minutes at a time after we’d had him a few weeks, but then he stopped going out altogether for about a month. I read online that it could be because he was found as an abandoned kitten in a shed so was worried about not getting home. (😢)

Anyway, I teach so have been off work for a month now, and have been leaving the back door open when it’s been nice. He’s in and out all the time now and I am so pleased - we too have a lovely garden and I hated the idea he would choose to be indoors. He does always come in to use the litter tray which is a pain as our last cat didn’t really bother with it once she started going out!

@Judystilldreamsofhorses my last cat was the same! Went outside but came home to use the bathroom!

Good idea not to force her outside, just leave the door open and see if she explores on her own.

There's no point even fighting the battle against cat hair on the bed!

Gorgeous cat. I had three rescues but lost one a few weeks ago. The youngest one is six and keeps refusing her food. Sometimes she'll eat it if I put a couple of biscuits near the bowl and a few on top of the wet food but not always. I have lots of different brands and flavours and I've been out today and bought soup and licky licks to put on top. That usually works but I need her to eat without this stuff on top.

The cat I lost would eat anything, as does her brother, but she stopped eating much and had to be put to sleep a few days later 💔. I'm sure the 6 year old is picky, not poorly, but it's still a worry.

Your cat is beautiful! And I hear you - my lovely boys passed this year at 18, the second one only passed at the end of June, but I think I had done so much grieving knowing what was coming and choosing the right time, and the house was so desperately empty and quiet with just us in it, and so I had a little look around expecting a long battle to persuade a rescue that my four year old wouldn't be a problem and the upshot is we have agreed to adopt three cats and now have to wait three weeks to bring them home because we have a holiday pre booked (the rescue had no objections as two of the cats had been there since January, which is half their lives 😞).
I'm half tempted to cancel the holiday because I want them to come home now (and half panicking because I don't have enough 'stuff' for three cats, I only have two carriers!)

Hello everyone! I had the vet pop in today to do an initial assessment and make a game plan for her long term future.

The vet is a little concerned that she does seem a little stiff from being cooped up in the rescue. As well as overweight. So I will be increasing her activity and controlling her calories.

I've started leaving the front door open to get her used to it and hopefully curious about the great outdoors! Nothing so far!

I won't force her, just give her some encouragement to try it.

They do everything to their own schedule don't they? We moved house and my female cat took two years to start venturing outside!! At the previous house she'd be in the garden all day and not needed a litter tray. Funny little fur-faces 😻

Hello, how are everyone's pusses?

Izzy is very settled now. Quite different from my previous cat in terms of her habits so been a learning curve.

She likes the heated pad under her blanket - this was night 1 of having such!

Some more pics

izzy is just beautiful and has settled so fast

Well that's a cat who has her paws under the table! She looks so beautiful and relaxed.

You inspired me. I adopted a special needs fluff! Hes eating my knee

@JennyWI aww congrats to you and him! So honoured to have inspired you!

Who fat shames a dcat?

Our Vet always says MaleCat is "heavy"

MaleCat claims the Vet mistakes the word "heavy" or "lovely" as he is not English First Language .

My vet referred to my previous cat as "very food-oriented" which, to be fair, accurately describes me too!

Us!! We call our kitties fatties or big boys ( all in the 20 pound range)

We are trying hard to find a cat to adopt (not a kitten) but everywhere seems to want to rehome in pairs? 😞