Found a cat

[FinnishLapphund]

By coincidence, I thought about you, and Stanley, and wondered how things where going yesterday, so I had decided to try and find this thread today, to ask for an update.
Or, well, to be honest, I mainly thought about Stanley, and wondered how things where going for him, and then you, and your OH, sort of came in at the end of the thought process.

Happy to read your update, and your cat enclosure looks great!
Any new news on the Devon kitten front, except that you're still not certain about what to do? Have you mentioned what colours they have/are possible? Hypothetically, what if they only have one boy, what would you do then?

 

[chaps89]

So the kittens are here (not here with us obviously, but born and well and healthy)
2 boys and 1 girl. The breeder wanted to keep a girl so that leaves 2 boys.
The girl is a tortie, then there's 1 cream boy and the other boy is a lilac tabby. Personally the cream boy is gorgeous and I've mentally dubbed him Milkyway, because he is the colour of the nougat centre of a milky way bar ?

So it's, keep Stanley on his own, keep Stanley and have 1 devon kitty, rehome Stanley and take both boys.
I somehow suspect it will be one of the first 2 options, I can't see OH wanting to rehome Stanley somehow! I honestly wasn't expecting him to settle as well as he seems to have done, albeit only in the last couple of days, I really thought we'd have to rehome him for his benefit (which to a certain extent would make things alot easier)
But I'm not sure about introducing another cat - an un-neutered male (will be given the chop when he's old enough!) and a neutered male whose history we don't know. There's a lot to think about and decide on quite quickly too.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Personally, I adjust very much in my life after what suits my dogs, and cats, but I draw the line at deciding who should live in my house, and not. When it comes to that, I do what is best for me, and since it suits me to have multiple dogs, and cats, that is what my pets have to put up with.

So if I had been in your shoes, I would buy Milkyway, and Stanley, and him would simply have to learn to live with each other. Buy a Feliway diffuser, have some ice in the stomach, and most likely they'll either like each other, or learn to tolerate living in the same house, but I think either of those scenarios is okay.

 

[chaps89]

It's something to discuss with the breeder anyway, we'd like a harmonious house for all our sakes!

Curveball- we are on a waiting list for a rescue/rehome and I've had an email tonight to ask if we're still looking for one, another option ?

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Oh boy, first you have no cats, and now they're coming from all directions.

 

[Shady]

I was only thinking about you over the weekend as I almost bought a Si Rex! I was sooooo tempted but it was a girl and if I could only have one I would want a boy. So tempting though , although she wasn't very pretty, bless her !

I Love the patio Chaps. It is super and Stanley looks very settled there. Make sure you have some grass to eat somewhere in it.

Just a question regarding skin condition. What's it looking like? and is he worrying over it? has the vet prescribed anything or given an opinion? If it's a flea allergy a cortisone jab will help, if not fleas look at diet

Well given how settled Stanley is and how much your OH likes him I would go for 1 Rex if you still really want one,it probably doesn't matter which sex . Cream boy sounds lovely ,will possibly darken to more apricot all over , darker more ginger on the points. These are Mr Banjax kittens Chaps?
The trick is to get them playing together as much as possible. Most adult cats hate kittens because they are small fast home invaders but Stanley is young so I am fairly confident he will accept a newbie but will have a hissy fit initially for a week or so( maybe less)

I have just seen that an adult may be available. I would personally not go for it given your living space and Stanley. Bringing an adult into a house with limited space and an existing cat could give you and them serious stress.

Keep us posted Chaps !

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I would also go for one kitten.

We have always added a single kitten whenever we bought a new cat to add to the adults and it has always gone smoothly. I've always tried to 'set things up for success' but was lucky with our Burmese who loved kittens.

 

[chaps89]

So seems like Stanley and a kitten might be a way forwards then.
I did think an adult rehome plus Stanley might not be a good idea but it's new territory to me.

His skin is a strange one.
He groomed himself ALOT when he first turned up, we de-flea'd him and the vet gave us isaderm to put on 2 sore patches he had down his front legs.
They cleared up with the cream, the grooming has lessened but he will still lick himself excessively on occasion.
Initially we thought fleas, then we thought the heat then maybe he was picking up on some stress between us. But it's cooled down and we're not stressed and although he's again not licking himself constantly like he was, he does more than normal (in my view)
He won't let us brush him and we have Feliways plugged in.
He has 2 bald patches, 1 on his tummy near his back legs, one on his chest/the top of one of his front legs, yet I've never seen him licking those areas particularly.
He's on a grain free diet (though googling showed that cats rarely have grain allergies but most foods are grain free now so it's not an intentional thing) but it might be interesting to try omitting different flavours (what I've read suggests chicken as a common allergen and so on)
His coat seems soft and silky, no sign of scurf, we'll pop him back to the vets if it carries on much longer.
Not sure if it's related but he does like to lick everything - fingers, toys, the sofa, scratching post, alsorts! He isn't showing any other signs of being stressed/distressed as that feels like an obvious thing to rule out.

The finished garden/cat playground - we have some cat grass growing too, in a tub on the lounge windowsill currently


One of his bald spots

 

[NinjaPony]

That looks like an amazing set up! What a lucky boy, he has really landed on his paws with you.

 

[FinnishLapphund]

I vaguely remember reading something about that kittens that has been taken from their mum too early are more likely to develop an excessive licking behaviour, which doesn't always goes away as they become adults. But Cilla who we found nearly starved to death only around 4 weeks old (we suspect her mum perhaps had been taken by a fox, or been run over on a road), have never had any problem with excessive licking, so it doesn't happen to all kittens who is separated from their mum too early.
Also, they're like us, sometimes they just develop an unwanted behaviour for no apparent reason.

Anyhow, Hills d/d is based on duck meat and peas, since they're a bit more expensive ingredients (the duck meat probably more so than the peas) to make a cat food of, they're usually not used in other cat foods, so that is one of the foods you could try if you suspect there is something in his food which he doesn't tolerates.

I said previously that your enclosure looks great, and after seeing more of it I can only repeat that it looks great! Makes me feel that Cilla's enclosure could need a few improvements, but I'm not sure how I would be able to do them, without it becoming possible for her to climb out of the enclosure (there is no roof on it).

 

[Kay Burton]

He is so handsome. I really like your cat. He looks like an ambitious and serious guy, I usually see guys in a gym. He really looks like them to me. I think he has chosen the right owner. Take good care about him.

 

[Shady]

That's interesting regarding the bald patches Chaps.
Could be as FL says and he has developed a bit of a habit or had irritation originally to the point that he has damaged the skin etc so bald spots are permanent. It looks quite pink , but clean, I can't see any sore bits.
In an older cat I would check thyroid, an outdoor cat ringworm etc. With Stanley i'm not sure. It could just be scarring as you've said he's not worrying over them excessively but is possibly over grooming in general . Check again for fleas just in case and then either have a chat to the vet or monitor if he's fine in himself .Yes you could play around with his diet too and see if that makes a difference.

The patio is fab ! xxx

 

[lookingforadvice]

He’s a really unusual looking cat, hopefully making it more likely someone will recognise him

 

[chaps89]

So Stanley is staying. (Clearly if an owner ever materialised in the future that would be different)
We have spoken to the kitten breeder today and he was absolutely lovely about it and fine for us to have 1 not 2 kittens. Kittens are 5 weeks old now, so 4 weeks to go until we meet them (and if we meet them and don't like them for any reason he's absolutely fine with us pulling out at that point too) latest pictures, they are very cute! Milky way is no longer Milky way coloured so that name wouldn't work - not that my OH was up for it anyway ?
I will do a kitten update as and when there is one

 

[BeckyFlowers]

Eeeeeeee!

 

[Rumtytum]

I think Stanley always knew he was staying ?
Looking forward to kitpics

 

[Shady]

So Stanley is staying. (Clearly if an owner ever materialised in the future that would be different)
We have spoken to the kitten breeder today and he was absolutely lovely about it and fine for us to have 1 not 2 kittens. Kittens are 5 weeks old now, so 4 weeks to go until we meet them (and if we meet them and don't like them for any reason he's absolutely fine with us pulling out at that point too) latest pictures, they are very cute! Milky way is no longer Milky way coloured so that name wouldn't work - not that my OH was up for it anyway ?
I will do a kitten update as and when there is one

You'd better !!!
Can't wait to see them Chaps. Breeder does sound really lovely and that is amazing that he is waiting for you to see them before making a decision . Good man ! xx

 

[FinnishLapphund]

So Stanley is staying. (Clearly if an owner ever materialised in the future that would be different)
We have spoken to the kitten breeder today and he was absolutely lovely about it and fine for us to have 1 not 2 kittens. Kittens are 5 weeks old now, so 4 weeks to go until we meet them (and if we meet them and don't like them for any reason he's absolutely fine with us pulling out at that point too) latest pictures, they are very cute! Milky way is no longer Milky way coloured so that name wouldn't work - not that my OH was up for it anyway ?
I will do a kitten update as and when there is one

Stanley is staying - Woohoo!

You're (probably) buying a Devon Rex kitten - Yippee!

Thank you so much for your updates, I'm looking forward to hear what happens on the kitten front.

 

[chaps89]

I think everyone knew Stanley was staying - including him ??

If you can excuse the mess in the background, his lordship today - apparently it was time for a work break

 

[Kay Burton]

We took our cat from friends. She was at that time 9 months old, but weighed less than 2 kilograms. Two children tortured her, the owners did not feed her well. It was an ugly skeleton. She has been living with us for 3.5 years. In the first year and a half, she grew, began to weigh 4.7 kilograms, overgrown with bald patches, where the hair fell out. Now this plush affectionate miracle makes us happy every day.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

We took our cat from friends. She was at that time 9 months old, but weighed less than 2 kilograms. Two children tortured her, the owners did not feed her well. It was an ugly skeleton. She has been living with us for 3.5 years. In the first year and a half, she grew, began to weigh 4.7 kilograms, overgrown with bald patches, where the hair fell out. Now this plush affectionate miracle makes us happy every day.

Poor thing, what a sad start to her life. I'm glad that she has a happy home now ad is thriving. Any photos?

 

[chaps89]

We took our cat from friends. She was at that time 9 months old, but weighed less than 2 kilograms. Two children tortured her, the owners did not feed her well. It was an ugly skeleton. She has been living with us for 3.5 years. In the first year and a half, she grew, began to weigh 4.7 kilograms, overgrown with bald patches, where the hair fell out. Now this plush affectionate miracle makes us happy every day.

Oh bless her, it sounds like she landed on her feet with you

Stanley is becoming a couch potato. Too many treats from my OH and not enough exercise. He wobbled his way around the shelves and bridges yesterday. Treats have been cut out and we will be taking him into the garden for climbing each day to try and keep him active. He does have at least one if not two extensive play sessions indoors each day but it was really sad seeing him yesterday given how confident out there he was only a few weeks ago. I'm glad we spotted it though. He seems very happy in himself and doesn't seem to mind sunbathing mind!

Does anyone have any tips for getting him a bit more handle-able?
He's very affectionate and happy to have a head rub on his terms, wrap himself around your legs, or, if you're my OH, curl on the sofa next to you.
But brushing him or petting his body is out and we can't ignore his claws any longer. They're mostly ok, talon like but not curling under (he uses the scratching post regularly) but his front dew claws are too long now - presumably from not using them to climb etc anymore. I'd also like to be a bit more confident running my hands over his body so we can check for lumps and bumps.
He will bite or scratch if he doesn't want to be touched so not looking forwards to this!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Take out the treat bag again, preferably make your OH start fiddling with his paws when he's on his lap, really quickly at first, maybe some strokes, maybe a quick, loose hold. Then progress to a bit more lengthy, thorough contact, and if Stanley is good, he gets a treat. Also don't do it the whole time, without just a little, and then back to the usual petting.
Alternatively you can do it, but if Stanley already prefers your OH a bit, you shouldn't have to be the only one at risk of ending up in Stanley's black book.

I'm afraid that Cilla the cats acceptable amount of combing is around 3 strokes, so usually I try to do my occasional combing of her when she's occupied with eating one of her portions of food. If that trick doesn't work, and she really needs combing, then I do resort to a light grip at the scruff of her neck.

Berta the Cornish Rex doesn't have much fur to comb, but she doesn't mind neither getting groomed with a grooming glove, nor having her nails trimmed.

Cilla is really good with having her claws trimmed, but unlike Berta, she does expect some type of edible reward afterwards. However if we hadn't been able to teach her that, I would have wrapped her in a towel, and just done it whether she liked it or not.

However Berta needs to be wrapped in a towel, if I need to do more than a quick clean of her ears. Because for some reason, Berta thinks that when it comes to her ears, anything that needs doing should either be done quickly, or not at all. And she will use all her agileness to try her very best to get away before you're done, if you, according to her, takes too long.

Strangely enough, having her ears cleaned is not something Cilla objects much about. Even though she demonstratively folds her ears shut whenever she sees me for a few days afterwards, regardless if I only did a quick check, or a thorough cleaning.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

With our ex-feral/farm cat types we just took it slowly. One loves playing with toys, so we distracted his front end with the toy and then just slowly touched him further back. Just slowly, slowly in small steps but also be confident and not wary. Snatching your hand away can make them swipe just because of the movement. With moving things they can swipe first and look at what it was second as the instinct to go after moving things is so strong.

Our old siamese stopped sharpening her claws and they grew terribly long because of this. She hated them being clipped (I used nail clippers) so I got the side off a cardboard box ad put a small (cat leg) sized hole in the middle. When she was relaxed I would pop a leg through the hole and hold it firmly (my side of the cardboard so she couldn't bite me) and would clip the claws. I never tried to do all four legs in one session as it would have been too much, I just got as may claws done as she accepted. Keep going with that over a few days ad it's done without upsetting the cat too much until the next time. Do make sure that you don't trim the claws too short as they will bleed.

 

[chaps89]

Thankyou, there's some good ideas here.
Particularly like kitty burrito (I never successfully managed this with my old cat who was slower and less nimble than Stanley - until it came to giving him his tablets!) But we can re-visit it.
The cardboard box is a great idea too, he loves sitting in boxes so might be fairly easy to execute.
Sounds like it's the same as with horses - repetition and patience with a small dose of firmness

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Reading Meowy Catkin's reply I should perhaps clarify that I don't mean touching his paws quickly, as in you/your OH moving hastily, without only that the length of the first touching shouldn't last for long, before stopping to reward Stanley.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Another thing you could try (if your cat gets too excited by toys to safely stroke him then) is to stroke him when he's rubbing on your legs, so he's already touching you with his body. I have used leather gloves too as protection during the early stages. I will put my gloved hand out so the cat can get used to the gloves first and slowly progress to stroking the areas of their body that they are happy with first before moving onto the areas that they are less sure with.

Yes, repetition without frightening them is the key.

*is excited for kitten photos in the future*

 

[Kay Burton]

Poor thing, what a sad start to her life. I'm glad that she has a happy home now ad is thriving. Any photos?

Of course, you can take a photo. Here is my beauty.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Of course, you can take a photo. Here is my beauty.

Beautiful cat!

 

[FinnishLapphund]

Of course, you can take a photo. Here is my beauty.

Wow, what a beauty!