Help!!! We recently inherited 7 cats, any advice i... - Page 2

brmmom · ‎04-07-2015

NYC1, thank you so much! I love the blanket idea. My golden loves to smell my clothes after I've been with the cats.

Thank you also for saying I'm a good sister, that means so much to me, brought tears to my eyes. I have to say though, my husband is the Amazing one here. No one else in my family wanted any of the cats so he did it for me and my brother, Steve.

We are enjoying them and all but two, (they are feral) are affectionate toward us.

hayseed00 · ‎11-24-2011

@brmmomThere are some rescue groups that can give you the names of Veterinarans that offer discounted rates to help with vaccinations and also spay and neuter. Patience will be a biggie until all of you get to know each other. Take care friend !!

drizzellla · ‎03-14-2010

Let me start out by saying I never had a "blended family". I have had cats and I have had dogs but never together.

I can't help but think your dogs are going to figure out that there is activity going on in the basement.

A friend has 4 cats and a greyhound dog. She introduced the new fellows slowly. There were always barriers between the new fellows and the established fellows. She started with doors. A cat was housed in one room or an area. Then she progressed to baby guards. They could see each other and smell each other. She could watch how they reacted to one another. And depending how things went, she would keep them separate for at least a week and sometimes more.

And sometimes they didn't get along. But the cats seemed to settle into a routine. And if the cats did not get along, the cat would stay in the upstairs away from the others. She had one cat that stayed primarily in her husband's office.

Good Luck. I am sure you will have quite a bit of getting used to and you certainly will need lots of food and cat litter. I wish you lots of patience too.

Bird mama · ‎03-12-2010

@brmmom It's been a long time since I've lived with cats however I wanted to stop by and offered my sincerest sympathy to you for the loss of your beloved brother.

Bless you and your wonderful husband for taking in your brother's cats. Animals grieve and I'm sure they also feel the loss of him.

There are many elements: wind, fire, water
But none quite like the element of surprise

brmmom · ‎04-07-2015

Thanks for the good wishes drizzella but I think my dogs are as dumb as a bag of rocks!

The cats have been here for 6 weeks and they are completely clueless!

I have to say I had no idea how expensive this will be. The cat litter alone is breaking the bank. But I have 5 other brothers and a sister and they donated money for their care.

Mostly out of guilt, I think, but who cares if that's what it takes!

NickNack · ‎03-10-2010

@brmmom This is a wonderful thing you are doing for your brother. It sounds like he was a wonderful person to care for all these cats. I would advise you to keep them as indoor only cats if you can, especially the kitten. The kitten was rescued early and could easily adapt to being inside.

There are lots of articles online about how to introduce dogs and cats to each other, but they are mostly talking about introducing one cat to one dog. The advice you got about introducing the blanket with the other's scent on it is good.

The Bluebird Carries The Sky On His Back"
-Henry David Thoreau

brmmom · ‎04-07-2015

Oh yes birdmoma they do grieve. The night my brother died his oldest cat walked around his house with his toy in his mouth and he was just making the saddest meowing cries.

The other cats did the same thing the first 2 weeks they were here.

And yes, my husband is wonderful, the animal shelters here won't take cats because they have too many now. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if my husband said no.

He stepped up and said we'll do it for Stevie. Thank you, God for that man!

brmmom · ‎04-07-2015

Nicknack, I agree with you completely. They will all be kept inside. My brother had built a cage around a window so the cats go be outside when it was warm out. My dh wants to

Do something similar here. Just have to get the dogs to cooperate.

happycat · ‎09-18-2010

I am with those who have advised you to take to the vet and have spayed and neutered. And checked out!

We found a tiny kitten on Thanksgiving, took to a different vet that Fri, as my vet was closed. He said it had an eye infection. It has herpes of the eye (I think thats what my vet called it), which in contagious to other cats. I have two!

My new little kitty also had ringworm (also missed by first vet )

Which is also congtagious.

Maybe all your cats are healthy, but be on the safe side, especially if you have any other animals.