We decided to keep the stray cat that appeared at our door a few weeks ago. Part of being a responsible pet owner is getting them spayed or neutered. One of my friends told me about West Georgia Spay Neuter Clinic in Villa Rica, Georgia. It is about 35 miles away. When I called to make the appointment for Rosie, they told me to be there at 7:30 in the morning. So, yesterday, we got up earlier than we have in months to take the cat to the vet.
We put Rosie in a carrier on Sunday night. She didn’t like it, but after about five minutes she settled down and didn’t cry anymore all night long. It wasn’t until Fabgrandpa picked up the cage in the morning and took it outside that the cat just went crazy! She was screaming and clawing at the cage, trying to get out. As soon as we got her in the car though, that stopped. She did mew occasionally on the ride to The West Georgia Spay Neuter Clinic in Villa Rica.
I filled out the paperwork, and checked all the boxes for all the vaccines, including Feline Leukemia and Rabies. They said that if they found an open umbilical hernia they would fix that too. The girl said they would call if the Feline Leukemia blood test was positive, and if it was then we would have to decide if we wanted to euthanize right then, or take her home. Later in the day, she called to say the tests were negative, and they had done the surgery and everything was fine. They kept her overnight.
Today, we had to be at the clinic at 7:00 a.m. to pick her up. When we got there, I was givien a summary of what they had done, which included neutering a MALE cat! Yes, Rosie is a boy! I felt so stupid, but I have never had a cat before, and it was really difficult to tell. I thought it was a girl. So, instead of being named Rosemary, HE is Roosevelt, like Rosie Greer. They also did several blood tests, treated for worms and fleas, trimmed his nails, and gave us an engraved tag to put on a collar. The price for all of this was $154, which is relatively inexpensive since other vets in the area charge more.
Rosie is now going to live in the house. We got a bed for him, which he has already been using, and a litter box. I don’t know how to get him to use it, though. He is used to being outside and using the dirt driveway to do his deed. I decided to get the scooper and put some of the dirt from the place he has been using outside in the litter box. That made him at least walk up to it a couple of times and sniff it, but so far he hasn’t used it. If you have an suggestions, please let me know.
This could be a problem for me. He likes to sit on my lap, and gets up here every time I open up my laptop. I can’t work or type very well when trying to share the laptop with him. I finally got him to stay off of me long enough for me to write this post, so there is hope that he can be trained at least little bit.
Um. Yeah, right! LOL. Do you have a cat? Does it get on your lap when you are trying to use your computer?
Welcome to wonderful world of owning a cat 🙂 I have 6 , be careful they are like potato chips you can’t have just one. I hate to break it to you cats are attracted to computers in general mine nap on the keyboard often. As far as the litter box goes if he goes in the floor soak it/pick it up with a paper towel and then put it in the litterbox so his scent will be in the box and that will encourage him to go there. Also the very best cat litter I have ever used is actually layer crumbles (chicken feed) it clumps wonderfully and absorbs odor like nothing else I have tried. you can get a 50lb bag from tractor supply for $13 which is so much cheaper than most cat litter.
You know maybe whoever dropped Rosie off had him in a cage and when you went to go he thought you were going to drop him off somewhere else and got scared.
I adopted a stray cat a little over a year ago under similar circumstances. One night, my husband and I heard a cat meowing for hours outside of our house. When we finally went to investigate, we found him pawing at our backyard gate. When we let him in, we were showered with lots of kitty affection. He curled right up in my lap and went to sleep within 20 minutes of first meeting him. Somehow he knew that we were friendly and would help him. It is the only explanation I can think of as to why he spent hours trying to get our attention instead of moving on to beg the neighbors or hunt for food elsewhere (he was malnourished when he showed up).
I firmly believe that his arrival in our lives was no mere coincidence. I don’t know if it’s because he’s a very intelligent cat or if there’s a spiritual reason or a little bit of both, but I don’t believe this experience came out random chance.
Moving on, here are a few things I learned about cat ownership:
1) Consider ordering pet food and litter online. I understand that prices vary across the country, but in my neck of the woods, it’s significantly cheaper to order in bulk online than it is to buy from the grocery or pet stores. I use Chewy.com for their free shipping. Amazon also has good food and litter deals. (I’m not affiliated with either company. I just really like their services).
2) If the cat’s not using the litterbox, then it’s a problem with the litterbox location, the litter, or the box itself. The bottom line is that the cat won’t use the litterbox if he doesn’t feel safe or comfortable using it. Cat products made for human convenience like enclosed litterboxes and scented litter can actively discourage some cats from using it.
3) Dehydration is a common problem for cats who eat dry cat food, so make sure the cat stays hydrated. Cats don’t like to drink water that is placed near food or the litterbox, so try to locate the water bowl away from both.
4) Speaking of cat food, cats are carnivores. Their digestive systems aren’t meant to process the massive amounts of gluten and corn that most pet foods contain. They’re not omnivores like dogs and humans. I’ll stop here because I realize that diets for both humans and animals is a personal and controversial issue, but I strongly encourage readers to look into the massive amount of research and discussion regarding cat food.
Personally, I feed my cat Fancy Feast Classics wet canned food. My pet budget is limited, and it’s the best meat-only option I could find in my price range.
5) If you have a question about cats, then there are several hotlines you can call that offer free advice. Here is a giant list of free hotlines (I’m not affiliated with this site, but I bookmarked the link back when I was a new cat owner).
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/behavior-hotlines-you-can-contact-to-get-help-with-your-pets/
P.S. My cat jumped in my lap while I was writing the first paragraph. I swear he knew that I was writing about him!
Rosie is adorable! I’ve had cats all my life (4 now) and they love laptops and newspapers (especially if your’re reading them). I’ve never had a problem with litter training. If they appear to be looking for someplace to go I just put them in the box, scratch around the litter a little and they do their business. I would get him a scratching post so he doesn’t tear up your furniture and some toys too. Congrats on your new addition!
The cat is so cute!
Your new cat that turned out to be a boy is so cute! I love cats and it is good that you got this cat neutered. There is too many unwanted cats and this keeps the population down and I hope you have fun with your cat!
Its a ‘cat thing’ to want to be sitting in your lap during computer/reading time for you…just them wanting your undivided attention when THEY want it…it just so happens to be annoying, so feel free to put the cat off your lap anytime he does that. LOL I have a girl who gets ‘Kitty Lap time’ at least once a night, just before bed time…if she gets up there before then, I just shoo her away. You are the boss, although they may NOT agree. LOL
Catnip is good to have handy for a scratch post. They love to eat it and draws them to the scratch post…I buy bag of the catnip dried leaves and she loves to eat it. Maybe a 1/2 tsp over a week’s time. Treats are optional. So glad you decided to ‘try out’ cat ownership…he will be a wonderful pet…with a litter box, food and water, he will be fine anytime you want to go on day trips; that is the beauty of a cat, too. Dogs have limited times they can be left and need walks etc. I nip my cat’s toenails (just the front) by bribing her with treats but boy, it takes patience in the beginning! I just use regular toenail clippers and be very careful not to take off much or you will never get to again if you get into the ‘quick’. That is only a couple of times of the month since she uses her scratching post very well to get them shorter. Our girl mimics our dog a lot. She ‘fetches’ her mouse and wants you to toss it so she can chase it and toss around before bringing it back for another go..LOL
I have two cats, a boy and a girl. They look like your Rosie
Rosie is beautiful! I’m glad you decided to keep him; there’s something very special about being chosen by a cat. A stray chose me last year, and yes, he loves to climb all over the laptop. Fortunately, we’ve come to a compromise where he walks across it once, then settles down next to me on the couch. Hopefully, you and Rosie can come to a similar understanding. Good luck! And please continue to post The Continuing Adventures of Rosie! 🙂
What an adorable face! I can see why you decided to keep him. I’ve got no tips to offer in regards to the litter box issues, but just wanted to tell you I think he’s a keeper!
Mary
Jingle Jangle Jungle
Every cat I’ve ever owned hates going in their carrier. With my current cat, I bought one of those plastic carriers that would fit a small dog then bought a sherpa bubble thing – it’s like a fabric cat cave – and put it inside. My cat seems to like it and curls up in it right away when it’s time to go.
My cat was also a rescue cat. I don’t know where she was going to the bathroom but she was somewhat box trained. She still was anxious going with people around so I tucked her box in the corner of our downstairs bathroom. It’s close enough that she knows where I am, private enough that she can do the deed alone. She won’t use anything but Feline Pine Clumping Litter. It’s soft on her paws, doesn’t track, doesn’t smell and is easy to clean.
Your Rosie is a lot like my baby who we rescued I can’t believe how she changed from the scared little cat she was to the spoiled little thing she is today. Life for us is totally changed. Sometimes I think why on earth
did we do this. because she is such a responsibility and we had paid a ton of vet bills since we got her. I don’t get to sleep at night because she sleeps all day and wakes me up almost every hour to drink from the sink because she won’t drink from a bowl. But through it all I have grown to love her pain in the butt and spoiled rotten that she is.