Spirit Cat

On Valentine's Day, Buckbeak was scheduled to go to the vet. I went home from work to hopefully have an easy time of getting him into the carrier. I did not have an easy time. I assumed that he'd be sleeping in his box, but he was hiding all the way in the back corner behind/under the couch. Doh! I took a towel, but seeing as how he is an expert at staying underneath the couch, I couldn't get him out easily. I finally edged him over to the side enough that he wouldn't move which allowed me to grab him. He fought getting into that carrier with more dexterity and strength than I thought he had. I am now the owner of four new scratches - one on each appendage! He was insanely scared at the vet's office, but he survived. They didn't even take him into the back to get his blood drawn. The vet techs came into the little room where he was. I'm glad that they were considerate to him. Anyway, for two days after that, Buckbeak would hide under the couch anytime anyo...

Well, it has been a week since we've had Buckbeak. He is still timid of us, but has been mewling pathetically to be either out of his room or near the other cats.  Buckbeak escaped Friday evening when I left the door to his room open, and we couldn't get him back into his room. Whoops!  Steven and I have decided that he's a socially awkward cat. He doesn't have normal cat behavior. He is so interested in meeting and making friends that he doesn't seem to notice the body language of the other cats. Even when the other cats hissed or growled at him, he kept slowly inching toward them. I thought Jabez was going to lose it on Buckbeak, so I touched his (Jabez's) back and he yelled at me to not touch him. Then he seemed even more violent and was only about 2 fee away from Buckbeak. So I picked him up, hurt leg and all, and was was hissing and screaming and biting me. I put him into Buckbeak's room and shut the door. Then Buckbeak walked right up to Hansel and t...

On the third morning, when I went in to see Buckbeak, he seemed confident enough to make small chirping noises for his food. He still hid under the couch, but it made me happy to hear his timid, high pitched meow. This leads me to another conclusion - Buckbeak was not the cat we heard overnight two nights ago. That cat had a lower pitched yowl and Buckbeak has a high pitched chirping sound that is almost a whisper. I admit that he could have the low pitch yowl when he is more confident, but I'm not sure. In other news, our other cat got into a fight outside last night. I don't dare try to break it up because the other cat (this isn't the first fight) is scared of me and runs away ... and then our cat chases it down. So, I just food call and get the treat bag and crinkle it. Anyway, our cat is BIG and very strong and can be quite violent. He is limping now. I'm hoping that he just pulled a muscle. I didn't find any signs of swelling so far and there is certainly ...

Yesterday (day 2) was a good day for Buckbeak. When I went in to feed him in the morning, all of his food was gone and I could see signs of litter box use. Two steps in the right direction! I then played the piano quietly for about an hour and I could hear him eating the new food I put down while I was playing. That means he was out from under the couch while I was in the room - and he knew I was in the room. It was really hard to not turn around to look at him, but I ignored him. After I was done practicing, I got a cat toy on a string and ran it across the floor near him. He was not totally focused on it - he was also watching me to make sure I wasn't going to do anything scary. However, he was following it a bit, and that is good. Later on I saw that he was no longer in his hiding spot behind the couch. He was sleeping in the cardboard box that I set up for him with blankets. I reached my camera around the front of the box and snapped this picture - he wasn't cowering!...

Today my husband and I adopted a "spirit cat" or a "shy cat" from our local animal shelter. His given name is Buckbeak. He's a beautiful gray, long haired cat. He'd have a regal look about him if he weren't so scared. This is the picture that the shelter has online for him. Isn't he beautiful? I have never had a super shy cat before, and I assume most people haven't either. All cats that I've gotten are always scared the first few days. I'm not sure how long Buckbeak will be scared. It could be forever. I think the important point is to not pressure him to do anything he doesn't want to do - as long as his health isn't an issue. Before picking him up, I cleaned up the room where he will be staying. I washed the linens that go on the couch and sleeping areas and pillows. I swept, vacuumed (both are necessary), and mopped the floor with vinegar and water. I scrubbed out a litter box we already had (because I cannot at this poi...