CATnapping a success! :-)

[~*mikie*~]

Oh, good! Tolerance is a Good Thing, LOLOL! Abie's been keeping a watchful eye out the window, & Bitsy has been eyeing him back ~ but no running away or hissing. Bitsy's eating well now & using his litterpan, so we're making progress.

mikie

[~*mikie*~]

Vet report! Negative for feline leukemia, no fleas. 1st round of shots given, worming done. Next appt a little less than a month away for next batch of shots & neutering & removing the claws *only on the extra toes* because the vet says those claws will grow into the pads of his paws. He has extra toes on both front paws. But he is good & was GOOD AS GOLD today! I'm so proud of him!!!

mikie

[mgmsrk]

Mikie,

I’m glad to hear the first visit went well.

One of our kittens has extra toes on all his feet, 23 ½ in total. We keep them clipped but he is just fine.

[karen]

He's just adorable- I just wanted to scratch under that cute little chin when I saw the pic (I like your sandals too). Glad to hear that he's healthy and not too spooked. Michael will come around- how could he not? I only met him briefly at the party, but he seems like such a sweetie- and Bitsy couldn't be more endearing if he tried.

Sending happy thoughts, and prayers your way!

[~*mikie*~]

Thanks!

You're right, Maryah, that the vet said we *could* clip the claws every 2 weeks instead. I do *not* personally believe in declawing & won't let him touch the rest of the toes. Maybe I'll see how it goes for the next month & if he's likely to *let* me clip toenails,LOL. Depends on his personality, you know? We've only ever had cats that fought that tooth & nail....2-person job!!! Any good tips?

Bitsy has changed so much already! WAY different than Sunday morning's pic! Already looking much healthier & WAY happier. Does my heart good!

mikie

[mgmsrk]

We probably only clip about once a month, we check his feet when he is sleeping to see if they need to be done. Will the vet do the tendon clipping surgery? I understand that is supposed to be less painful and heal faster. Our secret is handling them A LOT when they are young and treating them more like dogs, of course yours will take some more time to be comfortable with people because of his rough start. I come from a family of serious dog people, every adult member of my family owns at least one dog that includes aunts, uncles, cousins and great generation so I have a lot of experience with them. My mother is allergic to cats so I had no experience with them as a child. When I got my first cat as an adult I treated it like a dog, that’s what I knew. So I expected the cat to tolerate handling, be well mannered around food, people and dogs, and listen to basic commends. It was my husband that tried to tell me that cats are don’t normally behave that way, about the time I was conditioning his cat to be civil (never let anyone hold it before me and I have some scars from the process), that cat hated me, peed on several of my jackets and other items but eventually became a very nice pet.

Cat Nip and treats help;)

[lcash]

Isn't it interesting how animals respond to our expectations of them? I have a mini donkey who thinks she's a dog, and a Tonkinese cat who does also - comes when called, fetches, "talks", and curls up each night to "read". The more time we spend socializing with pets, the more they become part of the family. It sounds like Lil Bits will come around quickly. Hooray! Lauren

[tizzylou]

Glad Lil Bit is healthly. I've never had cats that have ever let me clip their claws, let alone brush them. Of course my long hair cat's hair is so fine that it matts easily and you would think you were personally torturing her when you even attempt to brush it, this from kittenhood up ( she is now 14). However, other than the clipping brushing issues, I also handled all my animals alot, so they do make good pets. They all come when called, and stay off the counter and belive it or not will stay if told to do so.

The nursing home cat on the other hand was orginally a stray, whom I am pretty sure was not socialized very much as a kitten, and aside from trying to put on his Soft Paws will let you do almost anything to it, He doesn't mind having his nails clipped, but don't try to put the nail covers on to keep him form scratching , he HATES the glueing on of those things, but they are priceless due to the risk of the residents and visitors getting scratched. At any rate , he comes when called, stays, and will leave the dining room area when told to leave, does not jump a baby gate ( which is what we use to keep him out of the residents rooms who don't want him in there), rarely tries to get into the elevator or go down the stairs and stays out of the way of residents with unsteady gaits that he could trip.
My words advice from all of this is handle frequently , reinforce the good behaviors (just like training a dog) but remember that it still depends on the disposition of the cat.

Hollis

[~*mikie*~]

You gals are a *wealth* of information!

Lauren, we *must* see a pic of the mini-donkey! Our niece has 2 or 3 small donkeys, & we were visiting on Christmas Eve 2 yrs ago ~ I looked out their picture window & there were the donkeys in hay amidst the snow, LOL! I thought it particularly special on Christmas Eve & tried to get a decent pic through the glass.

Have been trying to spend as much time on the sunporch as possible. Lil Bits usually comes right out from his "safe places/hidey holes" (behind the bookcase or beside the massage chair against the inner wall) as soon as he knows it's only me. The inner door (leads to LR) is mostly glass, a large rectangular center piece flanked by 2 narrow side pcs & 3 narrow along top & bottom. I don't know what you call it except old, LOL! Abie (big brother, hehe) was peeking through the glass this morning & Bitsy ran up to it. I was astounded to see the 2 of them playing peek-a-boo (I kid you not!!!) for a few minutes this morning! No signs of aggression or fear either way! One head would pop up, then the other, ROFGiggling! WISH I'd had my camera! It was so sweet!

The BIG news is that Michael asked me last night *where my cat was* & if he just hides all the time! He must've gone out there looking because Bitsy was skittish last night. This will take time & loads of patience but I am willing it to work out!

mikie

[lcash]

Sounds like hubby's getting interested in spite of himself. Very good sign. I'll see if I can figure out how to load a picture of the donkey. Her name is Lulu and she's an absolute terror. Queen of the corral - just ask her!! L.