Conference misery::feline_v1

    You don't say where you live -- and I'm afraid I don't know what a
    "Tokyo cage is."  I have a rather large cage I bought to transport my
    cat from North Dakota to Mass.  It's at a friends in Orange, MA.  I
    remember I could get my hand in to pet him, otherwise I don't remember
    much about it.
    
    Call me on 223-2806 if you can use this cage.
    
    Briana Walker
    

    I live in Nashua, New Hampshire.
    
    A tokyo cage is a LARGE cage that has shelves in it for the kitty
    to sit on and is wire all around. It has room for a litter box
    and the food dishes and plenty of room to spare.
    
    The cat weighs 17 pounds (not fat) so a cat carrier would not do
    and it would not be open enough. I want him to see us as we carry
    on our daily routines and make noises etc and he will see we are not
    out to hurt him or kill him.
    
    Barbara

    
    Sounds like a cat I had...rescued and terrified of everything.  She
    spent most of her time in the basement but was charmed by our little
    chocolate point siamese and eventually followed him upstairs...never to
    return to the cellar! The cage might be a good idea but maybe just
    giving the cat time especially if your other cats like him will do
    the trick.  Also I would suggest calling Betty Lewis for a
    consultation.  Betty does non-verbal communication with animal and I
    can't reccomend her highly enough!!  She also works with the Bach
    Flower Remedies and it sounds like Rescue remedie might be just the
    trick!  Best of luck...rescues are so rewarding!!
    Betty's # is 603-673-3263
    
    MaryAnne

    Barbara,
    I don't know if they carry tokyo cages, but the Chelmsford Pet Supply
    has a lot of large cages and I know they rent some.  I purchased a
    large "german shepard" cage for my cat when she is in heat.  It cost
    $100- but I can put in a small litter box, a hanging shelve in the
    corner and lots of toys. She doesn't seem to mind it at all and has
    become very useful.  You could give them a call and ask about sizes and
    prices, rentals etc.  Usually they have a decent price.
    Karen, Ruby, Stinky, Wing
    
    Ps, they are located on Summer Street in Chelmsford right off of Rte. 4
    near the Purity Supreme and Marshalls.
    

      I think hiding for a while is normal and to be expected.  I wouldn't
    worry.  In a  few days the cat will be out and about.  Probably is at
    night when all is quiet (to use box,etc.).  I have done a lot of new
    introductions, and they all work out fine.  The cat IS already
    listening to all that is going on and IS learning the ways of the
    house, but feels safer if hidden for a bit.  Fear will run its course,
    very quickly and soon he'll be underfoot just like the rest.
    
                                  good luck!  Denise

    Five weeks is a pretty long time to still be hiding from his
    own family.  (Are there lots of kids tromping around?)
    
    Ordinarily I follow the let them come out when they're
    ready policy, but since it's been so long, I wonder if
    gently extricating him and holding him firmly but calmly
    and talking to him and stroking him would help.  Unlike
    my three other cats, my Little Bit needed this.  Apparently he wasn't
    going to take any chances on his own.  Once he realized
    he wasn't going ot be hurt, he became much more approchable
    instead of leaping off into the hinterlands whenever I came
    near him.
    
    (I needed to do this a number of times.  Stroking the "good
    places" like under teh chin help too.)
    

    Confining him to one room might work too.  Then you have to take
    time and go up and be with him every day - preferably several
    times each day.  In a smaller environment, by himself, hopefully
    he'll begin to feel more secure.  After a while he'll trust you
    and begin to associate that security with you.  Then you can let
    him out into the rest of the house again.
    
    We had to do that with Christie.  When we let her have run of the
    house she spent all her time hiding and we had to chase and capture
    her to touch her.  That was NOT how I wanted to handle her contact
    with humans.  So we put her back in the bedroom where she was far
    more outgoing because it was her space and she felt secure.
      Nancy

    re. 7 'xactly.
    
    In christie's case, she literally gets used to one section of the house
    at a time.  First it was the laundry room (and she did spend *months*
    scurrying away at every noise--she still does when caught off guard). 
    Then she would hang out in the kitchen and the laundry room, then the
    dining room, etc.  Now she's pretty much all over the house and it has
    been close to 6 months later.  She is *still* a very shy little cat.
    
    My advice would *not* to be to force the cat out in the open.  Start
    with allowing the cat to find it's "safety-place" (since christie
    outgrew the dresser, now it's the dining room table).  Proceed life as
    normal, but don't be afraid to talk to the cat when you enter the room,
    or move things around, etc.  Eventually, the cat should become
    accustomed to the new environment and explore other places.  It might
    be one part of the house at a time, it might be a couple.   
    
    Try to be patient.  Cats, for all their independant reputation, can be
    easily intimidated animals.  
    
     

    Yesterday I received the new newsletter from Tufts.  On the last page
    it discussed how to take in a new kitty and how to go about it. Darn! I
    forgot to bring it today!  Anyway, it is pretty simple: keep the cat in
    one room behind closed doors.  This way it can hear everything and
    adjust while feeling safe.  They also suggested putting a string
    beneath the door so that it extends on either side when closed.  At
    this point both cats may hopefully start to play with it and actually
    interact.  Before you know it, they know each other!  Also suggested:
    do positive things with both at the same time: feed separate bowls but
    at same time.  When they are comfortable enough to eat together and
    don't need supervision any longer you should be all set.
    Hope this helps too!
    Karen, Ruby, Stinky, Wing
    

having a scairdy cat of my own, I agree that you should use the cage.  With
anything bigger, you have to "chase" the cat to handle him and that is not
the best way to make friends.  And, believe me, he may never come out on his
own.

Nickie sure didn't - 2 years of this behavior convinced me - I kept thinking
that he would come around, but he just didn't until I began real direct
intervention.  I would love to find a cage to rent around the Silicon Valley
so I could "finish" the aclimatization of Nick, but I haven't found one so
we now are to the point of "almost friends".  I used the smallest room in
the house, my bathroom....but a cage would have been better.  I would have
been able to handle him more without chasing him down or digging him out
of the cabinet.

Just for the record:  Nicky was fine until I had to work remote for 6 months,
coming home only on weekends.  During that time, he became anorexic and started
hiding from everything - I've never fully gotten him back - four years later.
My vet believes that Nicholas was a little brain damaged at birth, probably
lack of oxygen, and he comes up with an inappropriate "flight" response to
any change - which doesn't go away without intervention.

    Re: string
    
    Be careful of string as a plaything, as cats can swallow it
    and it can get entangled in their intestines with possibly
    fatal results.
    

    I want to make things a little clearer on this note.
    
    We started this cat out in the spare bedroom. He had his own litter
    box/ and food dishes.  Our two other cats did nothing but scratch
    at the door to get into him. We let them in (that's how we knew
    they were getting along okay.) The scratching at the door made
    the new cat more scared to death. He isn't shy but SCARED. His eyes
    are still dialated. We finally decided to open the door and see what
    happened. He promptly went down our cellar. (We live in a condo
    which is rather open and not many doors) He stayed down there for
    two days without food, water, or litter box. My thin husband finally
    squeezed into the space where the cat was hiding and bought him out.
    
    I am the only person who can get near this cat. Tim and I talk all the
    time when we are in the vicinity of where he is. Please remember
    this cat is NOT  a feral cat but one that was an indoor cat and had
    some sort of contact with other people. When a friend of mine went to
    look at this cat for me he hid, even with the owner there. If she
    hadn't pulled him out from behind the couch she never would have seen
    him.
    
    Thanks to E.T. I am going to have a cage. She has been kind enough
    to loan me one. Thanks also to Diane Wilde who know's what it is
    like to have one of these wonderful cats who break you heart every
    time you want to interact with them.
    
    Some day I hope to introduce him to you. He has stolen my heart 
    with his sad eyes and his beauty.
    
    Barbara

    Barbara - would a mild tranquilizer help perhaps?  That would enable
    you to interact with him when he's in another mood besides scared
    to death.  It might help you condition him.
    
    Good luck.
     Nancy DC

    Barbara also  the BACH Flower remedies may help.. they are all
    natural, and you could put some in his food..
    Kate

    We have tried a low dose of valium and it really didn't seem to
    help. HOWEVER, from his hiding place under the bed and with me
    flat on my stomach reaching underneath, he was holding on to his
    BIG catnip mouse I bought from ET and he did starfish paws and his
    purr turned into a rumble.  You've got to see this guy to believe how
    sweet he is. I won't give up. I am just trying to make this transition
    earier for him.
    
    Tonight we try the cage in the living room with Tim and I and the TV.
    
    Thanks for all your suggestions.
    
    Barbara

    
    > Tonight we try the cage in the living room with Tim and I and the TV.
    
      I would love to set up a cage in the livingroom for Batman.  That
    poor guy spends his days in the tokyo cage and his nights in the
    cattery.  He LOVES attention and purrs up a storm whenever I go in
    to visit him.  Also, uncharacteristic of folds (I've been told), 
    Batman is a lapcat.  I'd love it if he could hang out with us
    without endangering the other cats.
      N
    

    Well gang is worked great.  He cried/howled at first but I got down
    on the floor beside the cage and put my hand through the wire near
    the bottom of the cage and of course he came to be petted right away.
    
    When Tim talked to him he would cry so, Tim got down on the floor and
    put his hand in the cage and petted him also. Tim also open the door
    some and put his hand right inside and the eyes got smaller and he
    started to purr.
    
    He was in the cage for two hours. We did try feeding him there but
    no go.
    
    When it was time I just opened the door and he slowly came out
    and went up stairs to his favorite spot under the bed.
    
    Tonight we will repeat the process and hopefully he will continue
    to make progress.
    
    (It was nice to be able to spend an evening with Tim also)
    
    Barbara, Mocha, Ming and the new love, Mr Miyagi