Cats (and dogs)

[Clodagh]

A friend of mine is critical in hosptial so I have got to look after her cat. Luckily she lives in our farmyard so it isn't a lot of trouble, except it just won't go out as it has been chased too often by my lurcher. It is OK when friend looks after it, she turfs it out in the morning when she goes to work and cat runs home in the afternoon when she hears the car engine.
I left it in for a fortnight then let it out one nice morning. I didn't see it for days and was in a complete panic. It came back this afternoon and I managed to catch it in our woodshed.
How do I increase her confidence? Especially around dogs. My lurcher is OK with individual cats once she knows them but if one runs she just can't help herself. This one is so frightened of her it just bolts on sight.
Perhaps her confidence will grow as it gets used to living alone? Any suggestions for making her braver!? It is very shy but with seeing me twice a day it is now friendly to me and winds round my legs and purrs.
I am so stressed aboutt his cat you have no idea! Friend will be away for probably months if she can ever come back so I need a solution. I don't want to rehome her or get someone else to look after her but would prefer to see her out and about mousing like she used to.

 

[Honey08]

Don't worry, just give her time and keep fussing her yourself and feeding her. Cats are very wary and will run rather than risk something bad happening. They decide when they feel safe and you can't force them. Our rescue cats took months to decide to come into the same room as our dogs. One day they finally decided the dogs were safe and all became very "one happy family".

Keep your dog on the lead for the meantime so there is no risk of her running after the cat and delaying the process (but it isn't the end of the world, our yellow lab chased the cats a couple of times and we still got there in the end!)

 

[Clodagh]

OK, thank you. Will chill! Dogs are so much easier!

 

[Honey08]

ps, meant to say, hope you're friend is ok.

 

[Clodagh]

She is doing OK, thank you. First positive report tonight. She has had a cerebral haemorrage but is awake and interacting, but a bit wonky, which is the least of her worries. Off to celebrate!

 

[Honey08]

That's good news. If its any consolation I've known a couple of people that had that and got through it. Its a long process though. It will be a relief to her that her cat is being looked after by a good friend.x

 

[Montyforever]

Just takes time! I have a greyhound and a cat in a small 2 bed flat so it is possible, my cat is the devil incarnate though ..

 

[Clannad48]

We have a cat which rules at home. We then got a rescue dog (beagle) which has learned that if the cat says no then the cat says NO. The dog becomes a total wuss if the cat lies across a doorway, he will not go past, he just sits there and cries until one of us either moves the cat or 'supervises' him going past.

 

[Clodagh]

I am so not a cat fan but this one is really sweet. She is really pleased to see me now and has come out of her shell a lot. I was doing some cleaning up in friends house today and had the door open and my lurcher came and looked in the door but knows she isn't allowed in. Cat froze but didn't run, so a good first step. I have moved all the furniture around so she can sit and look out of the windows!
Friend might decide not to continue renting our cottage, I do see that it will be months before she can come back and even then she may not be able to live on her own. If so we will keep the cat but we won't have her in the house. There is a nice dry workshop that has a heater in that we will put a cat flap into so she can stay in there and be a farm cat. I know she would probably prefer to be a house cat with someone but she is black, nondescript, shy and used to being an only cat so I can't see anyone wanting her. I like her, anyway!

 

[TheresaW]

I am sure she will live quite happily as a yard cat, as the farm is her domain anyway. As long as she will have fusses (which you will give her), food, and somewhere dry and warm to sleep, she will be happy. I told you time would help. When do you want a hand with the fish?

 

[Clodagh]

Thank you for the offer. I have managed to dump care of the fish on another neighbour who also has tropicals. I managed to kill most of them but none have died since he took over.