We gots a kitteh!

[kherrmann3]

We now have a kitteh. Will got his way, and there is hair all over my couch already. :grumpy: Oh, well. She's cute and a cuddlebug. Here is the newest member of our furry extended family!

Bella Shedwell! (Will added on the "Shedwell" part. You can probably guess why)
Her Craigslist photos:

Here is a picture I took of her shedding... err... I mean "relaxing" on the couch...

I am really tired, so I will post more about her tomorrow.

 

[undergunfire]

Awww, she is sooo cute!

How long have you had her for? I learned that kitties will shed when put into stress. Juju shed for weeks, then once he warmed up to us and wasn't scared anymore...she shedding went down a whole lot.

 

[NZminilops]

She's gorgeous, look at those huuuge eyes, awww!

Are the seasons changing there? My cats have always shed like bunnies with the changing seasons. Furminators are freaking awesome for cat fur.

She's lovely, congrats!

 

[BSAR]

She is soo cute! I love her little white paws!

 

[kherrmann3]

Actually, we just got her Monday night. I found her listing on Craigslist and called and got a hold of the girl right away! We went to meet her Monday night and she came home with us!

Right now, the seasons are changing from Winter to Spring.

So, we stressed out a cat who is already losing all of her fur from a seasonal molt. God help us all! lol

Currently, she is living under our couch. She hasn't eaten much (if anything) and has only peed in her litter box once. I've never had a kitty before, so I don't know how long her hiding will last. Once we get her out from under the couch (Will thought that she might have been stuck) she loves to cuddle.

And yes, she has humongous eyes!

She is two years old, spayed, and had her front feet declawed.

 

[kirst3buns]

Awww, cute! She will probably come out of hiding as soon as she has a chance to get used to things more. It all depends on her personality.I had one cat that just made himself at home and another that took weeks to adjust. I bet she feels at home and more relaxed within a week or two.

As for the shedding, yes, you have gotten a cat that was already shedding due to change of seasons (all of mine are) and then stressed her out thereby doubling the shedding. So sorry. It shall pass though. If she'll let you, try brushing her frequently. That will save you (or Will since it's really his cat) from cleaning up hairballs off your couch and floor (YUCK!:vomit

Maybe you can lure her out with some cat toys? Or treats?

 

[undergunfire]

With Juju, he hid under our dresser for seriously a staight week. After that he would come out more and more as the 2nd week came on. It just takes adult kitties a long while to adjust, from what I have heard. Tibi was 4 months when we got him, so he was all over the place. Zaide was just 12 weeks and was a lover right away.

We did pull Juju out from under the dresser sometimes, it really got him more used to us after he was done being afraid we would hurt him. When he was under the dresser and really scared...it made me super upset thinking that he didn't like us and that he was so scared...but now he won't leave me alone and follows me around like a dog :biggrin2:.

 

[LadyBug]

it depends on how friendly she normally is. one of our cats hides as soon as he hears the doorbell, the other runs to the door to meet new people!

good luck with the fur! Prince and Jamie have the seasons thing going on but Pickles sheds full force, full time. he's double coated.

it was so funny, the second i saw her pic my immediate thought was "she looks like Prince!". other than him having a bit of white on his face they really do look alike!
i'd trying getting her out with some seafood (or tuna preferably) cat food

 

[nermal71]

Pledge has a new thing for cleaning up the hair. I LOVE it. I wish it was re-usable and not a toss when it's full thing, but it really works for cleaning up the hair. With a golden retriever, black lab mix, rotten shepherd, 3 cats and a bunny we have found it is awesome for getting hair off of couches, chairs, lamp shades, etc.

 

[tonyshuman]

I saw that Pledge thing on TV but can't find it in the stores! Also, the cat is adorable and I'm jealous. They'll have to make those genetically modified hypoallergenic cats affordable before I can have one. Just looking at cats makes my eyes itch!

 

[irishbunny]

Aw she's very cute! It's great that she was already spayed. Awful that the owners got her de-clawed though
Hope you have many good memories with her!

 

[naturestee]

Cutie!

Scotch has a version of that Pledge thing- the one that pulls fur off of upholstery. It works really well! I think I got mine at Walmart. Also, Furminator. Once she settles in, of course!

If she seems to shed constantly even after she's been there a few months she may need a different/higher quality food.

My kitties poop every day, but they're not on hunger strikes due to stress. Once she starts eating more, she'll be pooping more normally. Kitty poop smells bad. Use baking soda. Don't bother with the special kitty litter deodorizers, they're just expensive baking soda.

 

[kherrmann3]

OK, now that I have a few minutes to type, I can give you all her history and current situation.

We adopted her off of Craigslist from a family who needed to re-home her due to their two other cats beating the tar out of her. All three cats were de-clawed in front, but poor Bella was still getting scratches, so those must have been some nasty fights. The family decided to rehome her.

We went and picked her up on Monday night. She promptly threw up in her carrier in the car (while on my lap). Great first impression of owning a cat. Real turn-off, there. It stunk... BAD. So, we were driving down I-94 with the windows down and me gagging/retching out the window from the stench. It was probably a sight to see. We got her home, and we realized that the puke was liquidy and got all over her tummy. Within five minutes of being in her new home, she needed a bath. Oh, that was a good idea!

So, she's been hiding for two days now. She meows if you shove your arm under the couch to pet her. She loves to be pet, and we drag her out from under there at least once a day. Once she is out, she's all over Will. She loves him.

Will brushed her yesterday and got a whole mini-litter box (the small kind from Wal*Mart) full of kitty hair. She's STILL shedding! lol

She peed in her litter box once. That was last night after we went to bed. Still not eating or drinking. She won't come out for treats or food. I hope she adjusts well. We think it is because she is the only cat here. She was used to having other kitties around during the day to harass.

Here are some more pictures!
Hiding under the couch...

On Will's lap...

 

[irishbunny]

Make sure she isn't pooping/peeing elsewhere....icky

 

[kherrmann3]

Don't worry, she isn't. Will would be dead if she were doing that! lol

 

[naturestee]

Poor kitty. Are you giving the same food that she got at her old home? Maybe put saucers of water and food under the couch for her. Or give her a little tuna- packed in water, not oil.

My girlies were kittens when I brought them home. They settled in REAL fast!

I don't know how big yourapartment is, but at the shelter we usually recommend confining the new kitty to one room for a few days, then slowly opening up new rooms. Starting with just one room can be less intimidating. We did this with the kittens because we didn't want them running around and playing, then suddenly needing the litter box and not remembering where it was!

 

[paul2641]

Cutie!!!

 

[kherrmann3]

Our apartment isn't very big. She has access to the living room, dining room, mini-kitchen and hall (part of the bathroom is open down at the end of the hall). She just can't go in the bedrooms.

I tried putting the food under the couch. It started to smell funny so we moved it out from under there and it's about a foot away from the couch. *sigh* Poor, scared kitteh.

 

[Numbat]

Congratulations!

It won't take long before Bella is 'your' cat! She's gorgeous!

 

[kherrmann3]

She doesn't like me, though. When she comes out, I try to pet her, but she is busy rolling around on Will's lap. :shock: