The behaviorist said most cats follow a 3, 3, 3 rule when they move to a new situation. Three days for their stress hormones to get worked out of their body so they can calm down, 3 weeks to figure out who the people are that are feeding and caring for them and begin to trust them, and 3 months for a new place to feel like home. The girls seem to be right on track.
Whenever we adopted our cat, the shelter recommended keeping her in the bathroom for as long as it took for her to become accustomed to us, our home, the smells, etc. Their recommendation was 4 days or more if needed. I put her food, water and litter box in there, and she ended up transitioning really well to our home. Maybe confine them to a smaller space - just the bathroom while they grow accustomed to you, the sounds in and around your house, smells, etc.
And two weeks later the girls are getting more and more comfortable living in my office. Now they pretty much ignore me when I come and go, and both of them will come into our laps to eat food and treats while we pet them.
Michelle.jpg
Eleanor.jpg
And no, Michelle can't defy gravity, that's just a feature of the forum software.
Aww, good new on the cat front.
Great news!!
That is wonderful!
Update. Last Saturday we opened the door to the office and let them decide if they were ready to expand their territory to include the whole house. Michelle came downstairs within a half hour and began checking everything out. She's doing great. Eleanor is a little more hesitant but also doing fine. She came down the first evening and they were both playing, running around and generally having a good time. A couple of days later Eleanor hadn't come down so we were playing with just Michelle. Then Eleanor started crying because she was lonely up in the office. So Michelle went up and started playing with her and coaxed her with play onto and down the stairs. Five minutes later they were. Both running around downstairs like the crazy kittens they are.
It's cool getting to learn their distinct personalities. One of the things we've noticed is that while Eleanor is a bit more reticent generally, she does have a mischievous side. One of her favorite games is to wait until Michelle is amped up and ready to pounce on something and then she will sneak up behind michelle and smack her on the butt. This always launches Michelle into a mad scramble around the room. Not that Michelle minds this at all. She is super high energy and is pretty much always either sound asleep or wanting to play.
I'm so glad they are settling in and bringing you so much enjoyment!
thanks for the kitty update! they sound like tons of fun, and they are so lucky to have you in their lives (and you, them, of course!). I wish for all animals to find forever homes with people who love them... Our own crazy felines are creditied with keeping us sane through all sorts of stresses - they are such marvelous companions.
So glad that things are working out so well.
To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." Mahatma Gandhi
Be nice whenever possible. It's always possible. HH Dalai Lama
In a world where you can be anything - be kind. Unknown
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