Cat update
Jul. 25th, 2005 01:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mikeknIt's been about three weeks since we started working with Dr. Spiegel and the cats. We had a slow start while we searched for some food that would really excite all of them. Turns out Tyree has no interest in canned cat food, nor the pouch food we'd been feeding Mughi. He also turned his nose up at canned tuna. Grimalkin is similar, but can sometimes be talked into it. Eventually found that he likes plain, cooked, cold chicken; so that's what he has been getting during his bonding time.
For most of the first week we had his door closed, and then we installed some hook and eyes to allow us to fix the door open just a few inches (big enough for him to poke his head out a bit, but not all the way through) and have left it that way since then. He's been fairly well behaved during all this - just occasionally swatting through the opening. And only once trying to make a break for it.
On his side of the door, we can usually get him relaxed and purring. He has no issues hanging out and watching what the others are doing (apart from the aforementioned swatting). Outside has been another story. Mughi doesn't care what he's up to. She's there for the food and nothing else. If he swats at her and connects (the only time she's likely to notice) she moves and regroups. The other two, while interested in the food have been really reluctant to get too close. If Tyree makes a move that startles them, they usually take off. Some times we can lure them back with a treat or the laser pointer, but they remain very cautious. Since one of the goals of this stage is to see Tyree and the girls interacting on friendly terms (say, touching noses), we needed to change things a bit more.
The next step, which we started this past weekend, is to put Gunther and Grimalkin on kitty valium. We would have started last Thursday, but with the event this weekend, we weren't sure we'd be able to keep to a strict schedule. So, Sunday morning I grabbed each of them and gave them their pill... The effects were fairly mild, and fairly quick. Within an hour they were more relaxed. They'd still jump if surprised, but they recovered very quickly. While we haven't seen them touch noses yet, I have spotted Gunther peeking into the room, and sitting outside the door. She and Tyree swatted at each other a few times, and she didn't not run and hide as a result. One side effect is an increase appetite, which is also helping keep them at the food.
I've got a phone call scheduled for tomorrow afternoon (I've spoken with Dr. Spiegel once a week since we started), and I suspect the next step may to get Tyree on the valium as well so that his reaction to the girls is something other then swatting. I'm not looking forward to trying to feed him a pill :) May have to crush it up and hide it in a piece of chicken.
For most of the first week we had his door closed, and then we installed some hook and eyes to allow us to fix the door open just a few inches (big enough for him to poke his head out a bit, but not all the way through) and have left it that way since then. He's been fairly well behaved during all this - just occasionally swatting through the opening. And only once trying to make a break for it.
On his side of the door, we can usually get him relaxed and purring. He has no issues hanging out and watching what the others are doing (apart from the aforementioned swatting). Outside has been another story. Mughi doesn't care what he's up to. She's there for the food and nothing else. If he swats at her and connects (the only time she's likely to notice) she moves and regroups. The other two, while interested in the food have been really reluctant to get too close. If Tyree makes a move that startles them, they usually take off. Some times we can lure them back with a treat or the laser pointer, but they remain very cautious. Since one of the goals of this stage is to see Tyree and the girls interacting on friendly terms (say, touching noses), we needed to change things a bit more.
The next step, which we started this past weekend, is to put Gunther and Grimalkin on kitty valium. We would have started last Thursday, but with the event this weekend, we weren't sure we'd be able to keep to a strict schedule. So, Sunday morning I grabbed each of them and gave them their pill... The effects were fairly mild, and fairly quick. Within an hour they were more relaxed. They'd still jump if surprised, but they recovered very quickly. While we haven't seen them touch noses yet, I have spotted Gunther peeking into the room, and sitting outside the door. She and Tyree swatted at each other a few times, and she didn't not run and hide as a result. One side effect is an increase appetite, which is also helping keep them at the food.
I've got a phone call scheduled for tomorrow afternoon (I've spoken with Dr. Spiegel once a week since we started), and I suspect the next step may to get Tyree on the valium as well so that his reaction to the girls is something other then swatting. I'm not looking forward to trying to feed him a pill :) May have to crush it up and hide it in a piece of chicken.
