Sarabeth and Simon's legacy: Charlotte

Ugh. No fun for anybody.   

God help me, Timmy will be the death of me ,yet! I thought he was sleeping and I opened the door into the garage to take some recycling into the bin. All of a sudden Timmy came streaking out of nowhere and into the garage before I had time to close the door behind me. I called Gracie, told her to "Find Timmy!" as I ran to get a can of food to lure him, because he had ducked under the car. When I came out, Gracie had him cornered, so I grabbed him (I have to scruff him, although I hate doing that because, otherwise, he will bite and scratch.) and he and Charlotte had an impromptu lunch. Now I have to go buy more of that special cat food (ka-ching)

here he is...looking innocent...or plotting my demise?

You need a clever device such as this... (Not really)

Joanne, LMAO! 

But how frustrating, Calli! He is going to take some curing. 

I reckon he's like some of my crusty older men: it's the intellectual exercise - he's doing it to keep YOU mentally fit!! 

Oh calli!  Seems as though some of them just feel they must take every possible shot at getting out.  But you will prevail!  You will fall into routines of closing him away, doing a little dance to hold him back every time you go in or out, maybe calling on Gracie for blocking? Or maybe he'll give up, though I wouldn't bet on it.  You may guess, I had one of these runners at one time, but no Gracie.  Enjoy!

I have had to shift my morning routine, Gracie goes out before coffee, when she comes in she is fed. Only then do I open the door to the cats' room. Then I feed them, take Gracie into my bedroom and take a shower.  When I leave the house, I sequester them again, even if I take Gracie with me.  All this pre-planning is exhausting!   But we are making progress--Timmy and Charlotte were actually playing tag with one another today, and I picked up a couple of new cat nip toys and they were playing right next to each other. 

Today, the little stinkers pulled off a real coup! They took someone with a credit card into their confidence and they sent me  beautiful Valentine's Roses!

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now how beautiful is that?!!    Well done, kitties!   

Awwwwwwww! How sweet is that? I hope they continue the good progress. Perhaps Tim Man will get it out of his system little by little.

Pretty flowers.  Happy Valentine's Day to the Calliopie Family.   

Keep a special tight eye on Mr. Tim while the weather is so cold. The last thing you need is for him to get out when it's below zero. 

Today I witnessed a very heart warming moment.  Timmy was hanging out with me all day while I was watching a movie.  Charlotte was still under the bed, even though my cleaning angel left hours before.  I walked into the bedroom, calling for Charlotte.  Timmy followed me into the bedroom. Charlotte came out from under the bed, and greeted Timmy with a nose sniff, head butts and mutual grooming! I think she still regards him as an annoying little brother, but she does have some feeling for him.

well, it IS Palentine's Weekend  

Awwwww. That is so sweet! 

I caught Timmy and Charlotte watching this video...why can't they watch Jackson Galaxy or Kitty porn for cryin' out loud???

https://youtu.be/u0y2S_MowZY

OMG, that is hilarious. And so true. It's the reason why I am so nervous about having my SIL and BIL stay with us. She hates cats and says she is deathly allergic to them. I think it's just because she can't stand an animal that doesn't live by her rules.

hmm, sounds like they would enjoy being guests at a local B&B (and you would enjoy that, too)

Good luck with THAT. Unfortunately, BIL is out of work, and SIL is now sole support for two kids in college and their McMansion. Not a cent to spare. I figure when the time comes we will just lay it all out for her, tell her to suck it up and take allergy medicine, and try to forget the internal judging going on in her head. We can't all have the good sense to love cats.   

I must find that vid and send to a friend in Melbourne!   (isn't it secret kitty porn??) 

Charlotte is settling in very well.  She is going to be quite a lap cat.  The focus right now is getting her to gain weight.

Timmy >sigh< Timmy is headed to the vet today.  He has been pretty aggressive toward Charlotte, Gracie ( I think he has a death wish---my dog is a saint--another dog would surely have killed or maimed him by now, and I wouldn't blame them)and me.  I think the feral cats (actually, I think they are semi social) may have a queen in heat, and Timmy is going nuts.  I want him checked out to make sure that he really is neutered. The most disturbing part of this is that I cannot touch him without him trying to bite me.    

So, we head to the vet to rule out any physical cause. And then, if I need to consult a behaviorist, I will. I spoke to my contact at the rescue, because I wanted to see what the previous owners had to say.  The woman who had him last (she of the 7 other cats) only complained of inappropriate elimination---which he has not demonstrated , here.

Timmy has such a sad story. I love him, he can be very goofy and endearing. But I can't be afraid of him. I think, all modesty aside, that he has the best chance for a good long life, here. But if I cn't touch him, I can't help him.    

So sorry that the Tim Man is going through another rough patch.  Although I don't know you IRL I have no doubt that you are his best chance for a good life.  Good luck at the vets.  Keep fighting the good fight!

On a more flippant note, we need someone more computer savvy than myself to create a video of Tim in MC Hammer pants moving to "Can't Touch This."

Oh, dear. I'm so sorry Tim seems to be his own worst enemy at the moment. But I think if anyone can get through to him, you can. And you are obviously getting the ball rolling in the right direction with the vet visit. Good luck. I hope he calms down and lets himself settle in there.

Are you using Feliway or anything else similar? I am thinking out loud about this because different substances have quite different effects on my cats. For example, catnip makes some very mellow, but it makes Anya quite aggressive. Just spitballing... No idea whether this has potential, but thought I'd mention it, just in case.

Poor Timmy...and poor you! Sounds like it's a sudden change in behavior? The ladies outside could maybe explain his escape attempts....! 

calli, wasn't it you who had the wonderful outside-explorer tunnels set up for kitties years ago? Beautiful caged runs through sections of the garden that allowed guided recreation through trees and under bushes, and in some sunny spots, but kept the kitties safe from predation and from running away...

Obviously not for freezing or wet blustery weather, but maybe something to consider for occasional 'free' access on the porch, through a window? I mean, he's so determined to be outside, that could be part of the 'attitude'. And you could make the run quite small, so he can't get far, just the porch for now. With a rug or cushion, for comfort and maybe a water bowl. 

Another thing is maybe he's a kitty who needs catgrass or catmint rather than catnip. As Peggy mentioned above, not all do well with catnip; Min preferred catmint, and nibbled catgrass as a tummy-settler. We kept a large pot growing near the backdoor for her easy access. 

I'm wondering about the other foster-mum's comment on elimination. Perhaps Timmy misses digging in dirt. He's obviously adjusted to using litter, but some kitties like playing in dirt, and some kitties use the digging/scratching play to paint. There are YouTube clips on how to teach a cat to paint...  

Since this is a blog, I guess I might as well tell you, now.  After my post this morning, I was cleaning litter boxes, and Timmy attacked me---unprovoked, without change in body language, without warning.  He bit me long and hard on the forearm leaving me bloodied from 3 puncture wounds and a blood blister---and scratches from his teeth as I pulled away. I spent 4+hours at SMG Urgent Care--- I had IV antibiotics and came home with a prescription for Augmentin and a topical antibiotic ointment.   Because of a complicated medical history, the doctor said : Frankly, Miss Calliope, you scare me.  I told him I scare myself quite often---and in the back of my mind was JTA (I will spare you the graphic photos ) There is minor redness and swelling at the points of contact, but not much. It really doesn't look bad, my temp is normal, and while I feel it, it does not hurt

Tearfully, I called and cancelled Timmy's vet appointment, and then contacted the Rescue and asked Nancy to take him back.  She promised not to adopt him out again.  He will stay with her. I offered to pay for the testing at her vet, for those my vet was going to perform.  I hope she does follow up, because I do love the little stinker.  She is coming tomorrow morning. I am distraught.

oh my, I am so sorry.  He will be cared for though, which hopefully in time will help to ease your distress and heartache. You are doing the right thing under the circumstances.

Oh, dear lord. I am SO sorry. Offering up prayers and positive vibes that you heal fast and without any issues. 

Poor Timmy. Whatever is behind it, he seems to be a very frightened and unhappy cat. But of course you cannot take the risk of keeping him. How distressing for you. I know you wanted it to work.