(update on the cat from this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/formerlyferal/s/YgHPJpdeI3)

Last night Viola came up into the actual bed with us for the first time! She made biscuits and napped at my partner's feet. (That's the first few pictures)

Tonight around her naptime just now she squeaked at me intently. Once we got settled in, she came up, made biscuits on my lap this time! Then plopped down at my partner's feet again 🥰🥰🥰

For several weeks now she had been doing a regular naptime with me in the upstairs room on a little guest mattress I'd put up there for her. She loved to always be in contact with my feet (that's that million other pictures). But she was afraid of the bedroom and barely ever even poked her head in there. So we're over the moon that she's coming to the actual bed now! ❤️

OTHER BIG NEWS: She is FeLV/FIV negative! So we don't have to worry about her interacting with our 15 year old gray tux boy ❤️ What SUCKED was how we came to get that information...

On my 48th birthday we were supposed to meet some friends who were in town and go to a waterfall and the day after I was going to do an all day hike with them. I have a circadian rhythm disorder so I had to stay up all night to be able to be awake in the morning. Viola kept me company, but eventually I noticed she was squatting to pee in the yard a lot but nothing seemed to be coming out. We decided to stay home and keep an eye on it.

For a while we weren't sure but eventually I found a dab of pee she just let out and it was bright red with blood. We tried to get her to the vet but she became absolutely panicked and terrified and I just couldn't get her in a carrier to save my life. Eventually the vet said she couldn't wait any longer (she was waiting around after closing time), so we were going to have to drive 2½ hours to the nearest emergency vet.

Finally managing to trap this poor baby in a milk crate and slide a dinner tray between it and the metal screening of the catio balcony while she leapt against the screen frantically, wailing and wailing, was one of the most upsetting experiences of my life and I was in tears having to terrify this sweet baby I had spent hundreds of hours trying to teach how to feel safe. But I had no choice.

We dropped her off and drove another hour to my partner's father's place rather than go all the way home. We woke up early anxiously awaiting any word from the vet.

Turned out she did not have a blockage but did have a UTI. They also saw in the ultrasound that she was really backed up with rock hard poop. They gave her laxatives and got her to poop out a brick full of hairballs. They told us it was good we brought her in because I'd it had gone any longer she would've needed surgery! 😱 We had them test for diseases and such while she was there.

I've been having to give her 6 different meds to treat these issues; I had an complete emotional breakdown by day 3 because I just couldn't get her to take some of the meds consistently, and she had gotten a little shaken up by the whole experience and gone back to spending all day sleeping elsewhere and only showing up here at night. So I couldn't even give her the antibiotics twice a day. I was so worried she was going to die.

But after a few days she came back to staying here full-time, and after trying a million different things I finally figured out what foods to put what meds in so she would actually take them. Thankfully she has now finished her whole course of antibiotics and is doing reasonably well with the stuff for her bowels.

She is clearly feeling better, and I can't help but think maybe this big breakthrough with the bed (and other major upgrades in her comfort level being around the house) are a result of her noticing that she's feeling much better and understanding that whatever that crazy episode we put her through was, it must've been part of helping her with that. Maybe that sounds silly, but she is a very very smart cat and really picks up on things really quickly ❤️

A group of cats is called a clowder, clutter or chatter but I really wanna combine the terms and call my kitty collection (4 FFs, 2 rescues, 1 refugee) a chowder. So mote it be!

Chowder News:

1.      Cairo’s and Po’s diarrhea has mostly cleared up. Yay for turds!!

2.      Minnie’s internal lump isn't growing but isn’t shrinking either.

3.      Po is FeLV/FIV negative, so intros were a go and went as follows:

Clio did not participate in one-on-one drills—they’re aware of each other, just didn’t have a formal meet and greet. As for the others, there was side-eying (Luci), growling (Elphie), hissing (Minnie), yowling / fleeing (Calliope), stalking / mutual combat (Cairo), and a bit of swearing (yours truly) but we made it through!

During group work, only two instances of bloodshed (Po’s and mine), mostly accidental. Blame / shame on me—there were some Jurassic Park-worthy claws that I should’ve trimmed first. Rookie mistake.

After an utterly exhausting six weeks of supervised feedings, visits, play, interactions, room rotations, behavioral time outs, etc., I can report that Poseidon is about 80% integrated. There are still a few “get outta my face/butt” moments and “you lookin’ at me?” spats and some unwanted advances. I still have to sequester Po occasionally, which he’s somewhat okay with.

Top 10 Observations:

1.      The FFs are all sweet but also a wild handful, especially the boys.

2.      They’re aggressive when hungry so I have to feed 4 times a day instead of 2.

3.      Expending all kittyboy energy so they don’t “attack” the others is nearly impossible.

4.      Count first, then identify. (“Two, four, five. OK, who’s missing?”).

5.      Bringing in Po upset a tenuous balance that we’re still working to restore.

6.      None of the OG residents like any of the FFs or each other. Sigh.

7.      The 3 OG FFs like each other but only tolerate Po and the OG residents.

8.      Po is indifferent to most but has a bit o’ beef with Calliope and Cairo.

9.      Poor Clio is terrified of everyone.

1. Seven cats is a LOT.