Meet Abby

Last Tuesday the shelter send me an email, they had a cat that came in very scared, but that started to show more social behaviour in the days that followed. They wanted to give her a chance and asked if I wanted to take her in. They estimated her age at 6 months, based on her size alone, because they couldn't check her out properly yet. I was a bit nervous because of her age, 6 months is a lot older than my cats are used to. But the fosterhome contactperson from the shelter is always great with discussing and thinking along, so after some mailing back and forth we decided to go for it. And I had seen a young, scared looking cat on their Facebook and already suspected it was her, and I couldn't wait to see that scared look disappear! Thursday she was neutered, and then they could have a closer look at her as well, which showed she was quite a bit older already... she's estimated closer to a year! :o When I heard that Friday morning it did concern me a bit, but sizewise she's a lot smaller luckily, so I took her home.

We already set up a bench on Thursday, and I got a blanket from her cage (the cats are caged up in quarantaine), which Dewey found pretty interesting. So the next morning she went home with me and I was SO proud of Dewdew, he came in and acted as interested in her as he always is with kittens! <3 Abby, as I called her, kept rubbing her head at the bench already and within no time I found out this girl just loves to cuddle - albeit in her own, sometimes a little bit clumsy way :) She really wanted to be in control that first day, a hand petting her wasn't as loved as her petting herself against that hand (or better said, throwing herself at that hand), but she's quickly picking up on that as well; it's kinda nice if someone else does the petting! Dew managed to get her to purr softly here and there, and with every hour that passed, she wanted to cuddle more and more with me. In the evening I already had the bench open for a short while, with me sitting on the floor with my legs around it. She could've easily jumped over me and hide under the couch, which I'd expect from a really terrified cat, but nope, cuddles were more important :O

She had her moments with hissing a little though, and the size of her pupils shows she's more impressed by it all than she wants to show. But those hisses quickly turned into greetings every time so far, and her will to learn and adapt, ánd her attitude, make me convinced she'll be just fine. And she's making huge progress with every day, or even hour, that she's here! But before I continue on her progress, lets start at the beginning, her arrival and the hours after :)


Here's the picture that I saw of her on FB, in her cage. Below her is a box that they get there, it's a place to hide for them. That box with its blanket is now here as well and she still uses it a lot

After the first greeting between Dew and Abby I gave them both some food, and when she saw Dewey eating, she quickly started herself as well. She had her surgery the day before, and I think she was still a bit hungry, she sure loved to eat that first day!

She quickly showed how much that big, relaxed cat helped her. Her eyes show she's impressed by it all, trying to take in as much as possible, but no hiding in the back or any even though there's a human with clickyclick phone in front of her!

I never could've imagined Dewey growing up to be so awesome, and not just to kittens! :L

At first I kept her box out, to give my cats a chance to sniff. Normally I would put it in the bench straight away, before putting the kitten in the bench, but I somehow felt I should let it out for my cats first and that turned out to be a good move :)

I gave Abby some toys, and also a little pillow with valerian. Oh my o_O I've never seen a cat react thát strong! She bit in it and just started slapping it around while in her mouth, threw it in her food and water, she went nuts! I managed to fish it out of the bench after it got wet, haha. I hoped it would maybe relax her a little, but I didn't expect this, usually kittens don't care too much about such things yet (it's easy to forget it's a 1y old little lady I guess :$)

The shelter also gave me a feather and said she really liked it, and yes, yes she does! 

Having a look at what Dew's doing, brave in the front part of the bench :) She loved that basket straight away, it's mine and I hoped it would help getting my cats' scent on her. She would even eat from it, just stretch out fully and put only her head in the foodbowl, I guess she found that comfy, haha

Dew can't resist checking out kittens, especially when they have sad little meows! She had quite a few of those on the first day, but she also meowed to me already!

Throwing her head at Dew's as she did loads that first day. Here she doesn't look as small, but on some other pics Dew looks huge compared to her! Those will come next time :)

I've had Abby for 4 days now, and this isn't a scared kitten like I've seen before, it's more like an unexperienced kitten with an inner adult that pops up every now and then, making her very moodswitchy at times and a bit confuzing for me, for her, ánd for my cats! More on that next time :) Another thing that could really use more work is being picked up, I usually practice that by making it rewarding, placing a kitten on an interesting, higher spot, giving them a reward, that kind of thing. But so far, she ain't exactly liking it! There's a few more things, but all in all: woah, she's doing fantastic! :O