Adoption Tails: Misty, Eric

Misty

1 day: So far so good with Misty. She's a very friendly cat, the owners have her settled in the master bedroom. She's found a few hideyholes but comes out often. She's eating well and seems happy with the litterbox. They're planning to keep her name. Misty is adjusting really well to her new environment. All so far really has gone without a hitch. She's since discovered the living room and that's quickly become her favourite place. The owner is especially pleased she gets along well with his son, loving to just lie next to him on the couch.

1 week: Misty seems to be very happy exploring the apartment. Her favourite spot remains looking out of the window in the master bedroom but her favourite relaxing space has become their living room couch.

1 month: Things are going great, Misty is well adjusted.

 

 

Eric

1 day: He is settling in more than well. Used the litter tray, ate, drank and is overly affectionate. He already tried sneaking out of the bedroom. He also used the scratching board. He woke the owner up at night but then settled until 5:30am, the owner tried to push out brekky but then gave in. After that, he fell asleep again. The owner will try not giving in so soon but didn't want to be so hard on him on his first night at home and he is hard to ignore when he is roaming around your head.

3 days: The owner is concerned that Eric might not drink water. She has yet to see him drink water from the bowl and has tried to lure him to the bowls a few times. He is having wet food for dinner which gives a bit of hydration. She will start adding some extra water into his dinner too.

1 week: He is doing great. The owner's friend spotted him drinking water the other day when his bowl was moved into the living room. The owner has also been putting water into his wet food too which has helped lots. Eric was allowed out of the room to explore a few days after he came home for short amounts of time over the week. At the 1 week mark, the door is open for good and the litter box has been resituated. Eric so far enjoys being around the living room but is still cautious at times and runs back into his safe space. He is cuddling with the owner in the living room right now. The owner is hopeful that he will gain more confidence over the next week or so and won't be too irritated by unexpected noises. "He is absolutely adorable, I am so in love with him!"

 

1 month: Eric is doing fine. A couple of things the owner is working with him on is his scratching on the carpet and he is a really good eater despite having his daily food split into 4 smaller meals. He's still gaining trust from the owner before she is confident in removing the couch cover. He has been weighed and he is definitely getting enough food. He loves attention and is still very affectionate but the owner has noticed that he is sensitive to noises or sudden movements at times. They're hoping this will settle over time but also not really worried about it. He loves looking outdoors and is even eager to get outdoors. The owner is thinking that Eric will start off with a harness around the courtyard since building an enclosure might not be an immediate solution.

1.5 months: The owner feels that Eric might be a little bored. He can be quite talkative at times and needy for attention. She is playing with him and gave him plenty of options. She will also consider doing some DIY food puzzles/games with Eric. He loves floppy balls even though he never brings them back. The owner is also adding a few shelves to the wall so that he can climb more and get used to the harness before going outside. "My neighbour says it's like a seven star hotel for him here." The scratching is still a work in progress but he is definitely using the scratchers provided. The owner and Eric are working with each other on trimming his nails. He is pretty comfortable with her playing with his paws but not when the clippers are out. 

2 months: Eric peed on the couch last weekend when the owner was away, probably too long for his taste. The owner has given it multiple cleans but still caught him wanting to mark the same spot again twice. She's started to give him treats on the same spot, hopefully to associate the spot with eating and reward. A second problem is that Eric meows a lot, especially at night when the bedroom door is closed. When the owner goes to bed, it does not last that long but in the early morning, he can go for one or two hours. Eric is so food driven and keeps meowing in the afternoon although he knows when dinnertime is, particularly when the owner is doing things in the kitchen. He is most definitely getting enough food, weighing in at 4.9kg. Last problem they're working on is outside time. Ever since she started letting Eric out for about 10minutes under supervision, he keeps wanting to go out. Going forward, she is harness training him and may consider a small enclosure. 

Update: Since the weekend, the owner has started leaving the bedroom door open overnight and even had a friend sleep over whom Eric knows quite well. He did meow quite a bit at the courtyard door the next morning, wanting to go out. However, during the night he was pretty good - slept with the owner under her quilt which was very cute. What was not very cute was that he will try to wake her up by petting her face when she wants to sleep. Though the bright side is that he has stopped scratching the carpet in front of the bedroom door. The owner definitely recognises how needy Eric is in terms of attention. On the inappropriate toileting issue, the owner did catch him peeing on the couch again after going into his litterbox twice without doing anything. She is getting a second litterbox and may be putting that in the living room. 

Mr Garfield, aka Ziggy

1 day: He is doing very well. Eating, drinking and using his litter tray. He was quiet overnight and has been very affectionate and engaging with the family. They will be changing his name but not sure to what yet. "He's a delight!"

4 days: Mr Garfield (now Ziggy) has had bad diarrhea and vomiting for the past few days. He seems a bit better today. The owner has taken him to her vet this morning and they will do a stool sample. Since then, he has picked up this afternoon and his appetite and stools have improved. No more vomiting too.

1 week: Ziggy has had his last dose of baycox in the morning (done at the vet as the owner was not able to administer it). He still had some bad diarrhoea last night and vomited. He did eat a piece of cheese that fell on the ground yesterday at lunch time (which is not ideal). The owner is currently giving him small portions of food to reduce any load and probiotics. He's perky and not lethargic today.

1 month: Ziggy had Nexguard last night (not a huge fan of it!) but it was successfully applied! He's doing super well, seems to be relaxing and now sleeping away from his safe spot, which is lovely to see. The tail is still a work in progress after a volunteer has trimmed it after his diarrhoea episode at SAFE. Neither Ziggy nor the Border Collie like grooming much!