I know, I know, its been a LONG time since I've posted. But now I have something really interesting to post about!
We have another stray. LOL. Yes, they just show up. And no I did not write letters to all the strays inviting them to come live with me nor did I pray every night for another cat, "with long hair this time since they are my favorite" as my DH accused. She just showed up, was super friendly, and you all know I am a sucker!
So meet the Orphan Cat (OC for short!)
She's a beauty, no? The sad part is she has been declawed and left outside to fend for herself with very little means of protecting herself. I am against declawing in the first place. I think with the right training, cats can live in a house and not be destructive with their claws. They just need a place to scratch and consistent behavior modification (in our case, a spray bottle). And as a cat owner, we must have patience. Its a virtue.So back to the experiment! Since I recently got a job (yay!) my first paycheck will be partly spent on getting Miss OC to the vet, tested and vaccinated. Then she will slowly (hopefully) become part of my household. I've had her for a month. We've sent out emails and asked around, but no one is interested in her. Sad.
I talked to an AWESOME cat rescue from around my area and they were SUPER nice about giving me advice on breaking OC's outside habit as well as integrating her into my cat family.
Here is the experiment part. Three weeks of not letting her go out. Cold turkey. With the aid of some herbal drops. I'll let you know how it goes.
Just curious, has anyone used any of the calming agents sold at Foster and Smith or another vet supply? Has anyone tried Comfort Zone? I'm going to need some of these tools when we begin Operation Integration in a week or two. Where are the best prices? What are the best products? What have you had success with?
Thanks for your help!
