Conference misery::feline_v1

    Hi,
    
    Try not to despair.  I had a couple of thoughts when reading your
    note.  The first was, get her fixed it she is not.  A cat that is
    whole is more concerned with their hormones, than their relationship
    with their humans.  I say this from experience.  I am a breeder,
    and I have noticed that there are times when my females could care
    less about me, usually is the early stages of heat cycles.  During
    the latter stages of heat, they are ultra affectionate.  In the
    early stages, you can't hold them, you can't pet them, you can't
    seem to do anything that makes them happy.  Also, they don't eat
    much at that time.
    
    My second thought is that she has only been with you for two weeks,
    and is probably feeling abandonned by her former owner.  She may
    be grieving for the old owner.  She needs more time to adjust to
    you and your lifestyle.  Also, changing homes is very stressful
    and that stress can cause the cat to withdraw, stop eating, and
    become ill.  I think more time is in order.
    
    As for her activity level, she is two years old, and is of a breed
    that is not known for high activity levels.  Most cats sleep all
    day and are awake and playful at night.  Try playing with her in
    the evenings.  And be patient.  She may not trust you enough to
    play yet.
    
    I would be concerned about the loss of fur, and rough skin patches.
    Were they on her abdomen or back?  If so, could be a sign of some
    type of dermatitis, maybe flea allergy, or a hormonal thing.  If
    she is not spayed, and you have no fleas, a blood test for hormone
    imbalance might be in order.  Did the vet offer any opinions about
    the lack of fur or rough skin?
    
    I would suggest giving her as much attention and praise as you can.
    If she won't let you pick her up and pet her, then talk to her alot
    in a calm soothing voice.  This is a good way to let the cat get
    used to you, and to give them attention without physically touching
    them.
    
    I would also suggest that you take her with you when you go on
    vacation, but only if she would not be left alone in the Chinook
    for long periods of time.  If you plan to take alot of side trips
    away from the Chinook, don't take her.  The reason that I think
    you should take her is that will give you more chance to get to
    know each other.  If you were to take her to a boarding facility
    right now, she might think you were going to leave her, just like
    her former owner did.  That could be bad.  If you leave her at home
    right now and have someone come to take care of her, she might also
    be confused.  If the purpose of the next few months is for the two
    of you to bond, then spend as much time with her as you can.
    
    Be careful about tying her out on an 80 foot lead.  Your description
    of her behavior leads me to believe that she was very scared, and
    didn't enjoy being out.  If she doesn't like it outside, then don't
    make her go out.  She may get used to it over time, but don't leave
    her out all alone on an 80 foot lead.  She would be very vulnerable
    to stray dogs, kids, and other animals ;^).  Also, she could try
    to climb something and be choked by the lead.
    
    I think that she needs more time to adjust.  I wish you luck and
    I hope it all works out for you and Tiffany.  
    
    Jo

    
    Hi,
    
    You sound like such a nice Dad to Tiffany, I hate to think of you
    giving up on her....  I don't really think you're in danger of being
    used. I think she's just adjusting to you, and like all cats, will
    let you know when she's decided she'll keep you.  At least she's
    making some motions toward you, by sleeping on your bed, coming
    by for a pat now and then.  I think it'll just take time.  My Iago
    spent a few days at a friends house once, and though he's normally
    amazingly mellow and loves everyone, he didn't love not being home!
    When I picked him up, he licked me and licked me  -he just wouldn't
    stop, he was so happy to see me.  While he was there, my friend
    said he wouldn't leave the bathroom, and just sat there looking
    very said.  So you see, your Tiff could be grieving and feeling
    kind of lonely and sad....  I'd give it a good month I think.
    
    Keep us posted!
    
    Lynn
    

    
    	Give Tiffany some time.  Just like you, cats are affected
    	by changes in and endings of relationships. They just happen
    	to be kinda close lipped about it.  They do have their dignity
    	to consider after all. *8^}  If both of you are trying
    	to restabilize your thinking on how the world works, then
    	there are two of you each looking at the other one saying
    	"arrrgghh...that world is a kinda rough place, isn't it?"
    	If ones boat has nearly been sunk, it can take a real long
    	time to get all the water bailed out.  The very fact that
    	she will come and sleep in your bed is indicative that she
    	needs a little affection but maybe she is still working up
    	to trusting you, so the best time for her to practice is when
    	you are sleeping and therefore are "non-threatening". She is
    	sizing you up.  Don't press. Let her figure it out. Some day,
    	you may find her right in the middle of the newspaper on your
    	lap.
    
    	regarding the catnip?  I find that if I purchase the stuff from
    	a class health food store with a good supplier, my cats go MAD!
    	I store it in a clean glass jar with a tight lid. I give them
    	about a teaspoonful once a week for a treat. It affects different
    	cats differently. Some go bonkers and rip around and have a
    	wonderful time. Others drift off to "the dreamfields" and get
    	real laid back (if she will do this, it's a great time to comb
    	her).  Don't get too much in her. It will make her sick. I have
    	also read that excessive catnip impairs their olfactory senses.
    	A little bit is good for their temperment and their digestion.
    	(Catnip tea is good for the big person's nerves)
    
    	I agree with the other responses here about the skin situation.
    	I would want to get that looked at.  How about her diet? Maybe
    	serving her some of the low ash cat food on the side of the stuff
    	she is used to to see if she likes it?  
    
        

    
    
    	vasaline on her nose?  i have a suggestion?  some cats can
    	live with that. mine prefers PETROMALT (I nearly have to protect
    	myself from being run over when I drag that stuff out) and
    	there is some similar stuff you can get from the vet. it has
    	fish oil in it and you serve it on a little plate. they just
    	lick it off and purr a lot.  you might try it?

    Thanks, ladies, for your quick responses!  I used to think with
    my own intellect and a few good books I could figure anything out
    in time, but I'm so glad I now know better -- your information is
    really, really appreciated!
    
    (Sorry I wrote so much -- I didn't really realize it until I printed
    everything out this morning ....)
    
    Kim -- since I'm in the Springs, too, can you tell me where you
    buy your catnip?  Seems like Mountain Mama is the only health-food
    store left, but I haven't looked there for four-legged items.
    
    Sigh.  Tiffany was more than insulted at the greasy nose this
    morning; she was pretty mad.  I'll buy some Petromalt at Pet Vet
    Supply on the way home.  Now what do I do with nearly a pound of
    Vaseline (the only size jar they had at Drug Emporium)?  Wait,
    don't answer that!  (8*)
    
    Lynn -- thanks for the nice words; I really try to be a good Daddy.
    The last two Saturdays my two-legged-five-year-old Eric has said,
    "You're really nice now, Daddy!"  Sigh again.

    Jo -- Whew!  Thanks for all the encouragement!  About the lead ...
    I hadn't planned on leaving her outside on the rope, although I
    hadn't though about her scrambling up one of my trees.  Many thanks
    for pointing that out!
    
    Monday I was out in the yard with her, and I had left the house door
    open in case she wanted back in.  Yesterday I again took her out
    while I picked up 8 bags of garbage (not trash, garbage) left for
    me by the previous occupants.  This time Tiffany had absolutely
    no interest in anything outside.  I had shut the door to the house
    to encourage her to look around, but she just hid behind stuff on
    the porch.  Okay, no more forced outings.  I can certainly understand
    if all the neighborhood dogs make her nervous, but I sure would
    like to take her for a walk and introduce her to some of the ducks.
    
    Yes, I do want us to bond, so I'll take her with me to New Mexico.
    I can structure my week on the road however I need to, so I'll plan
    on not taking long side trips even though Princess Tiffany acts like
    she could do perfectly well without me as long as I leave the
    faucet dripping and the food bag torn open.

    I talk to Tiffany whenever I see her.  If she weren't there, I'd
    be talking to myself anyway, so why not?
    
    As for the fur -- the vet who saw her last weekend has had a small-
    animals practice in Colorado Springs for over 30 years, and he said
    he didn't know what it was.  He asked me to bring her in for a skin
    test; maybe I could do that at the same time I have her spayed.
    
    (Should I spay her before we leave, about a week from now?  Or would
    the traveling be hard on her after major surgery?)
    
    There were two patches, about the size and shape of half of a half-
    dollar, behind her ears.  There were some very small patches of
    thinning, smaller than a dime, on her back.  I think they were mostly
    confined to one side (right side, maybe?) because when the vet tried
    to show them to his assistant he couldn't find any on the side that
    was toward her.
    
    Jo, it really helped to hear "a breed that is not known for high
    activity levels" -- that's the sort of thing I wondered about but
    wasn't sure whether to ask.

    Again, many thanks to you-all!  If anyone else has any observations
    (Nancy, maybe?) please feel free to jump in.
    
    					-- Ed

    Ed,
    
    I am going to throw out some ideas about skin stuff.  I have had
    some different things crop up over the years.
    
    ringworm - the vet would probably have recognized it if it was.
    Sometimes seen as round scaly patches on the skin.  Fur thins out.
    Sometimes the sores are actually red and scaby.  Most vets will
    shine what is called a Woods Light (flourescent[sp]) on the spots
    to see if they flouress (sp), but that isn't always the best way
    to check for ringworm.  If the vet suspects ringworm, he should
    culture the spot.  
    
    flea allergy dermatitis - you may not be seeing any fleas on her,
    but she may be suffering from this.  This is an allergic reaction
    to fleas, and usually manifests as thining of the fur, and a bumpy
    rash.  Usually you find this rashiness and thining behind the ears,
    on the neck, and at the base of the tail, and on the abdommen. 
    This is easily treated, although keeping your cat flea free is the
    best prevention.
    
    feline endocrine alopecia - fancy name for thinning of the fur on
    the abdommen and back legs.  This is what led me to help diagnose
    what was wrong with one of my queens.  
    
    hypothyroidism - one of the early symptoms can be alopecia.  I have
    a cat that is hypothyroid.  Hypothyroid means that the cats thyroid
    is functioning below normal.  My cats symptoms included grumpiness,
    withdrawal, thinning of fur on back, tail.  Total loss of fur on
    abdommen and inside back legs.  This is treated with a thyroid
    medication.  There are blood tests that can be performed to help
    with the diagnosis.  Isn't a good idea to treat with thyroid medication
    without first testing the blood for thyroid levels.
    
    Also, my cat recently had a severe allergic reaction to a product
    that I had used in my house to kill fleas.  The problem started
    out as a rashy spot on her face, and looked like ringworm.  After
    running several cultures for ringworm and not getting anything to
    grow, we took her in for skin biopsies.  To do this, the anesthetized
    her, then took small samples of skin from the affected areas.  She
    came back the same day with two or three stitches on each spot.
    It did not cost very much, less than $100 for the biopsies (4 of
    them), and the lab work to analyze to source.  The lab report came
    back with the information that she was having a severe allergic
    reaction.  We put her on cortisone, and she is recovering nicely.
    So, if the vet is completely stumped, you can either do blood work
    to look for abnormalities, or you can go the biopsy route.  
    
    It is possible that whatever is wrong with her is affecting her
    personality.  That was certainly the case with my cat.
    
    About spaying before leaving, I would hold off on the spay till
    you get back.  You don't want her to be too stressed out on the
    trip, that could make her vulnerable to catching something.  Plus,
    a spay is major surgery, and she will not feel well afterwards.
    
    I agree with the noter who said that she is coming to you in the
    night because then you are "non-threatening".  There is alot of
    insight in that statement.
    
    Also, I have known many cats who hated the outdoors, but still insisted
    on trying to run between my legs to dash out everytime I opened
    the door.  Once out, they were terrified and ran back in.  I have
    a method of training them not to run between my legs out the front
    door.  Let me know if you need to know it.  With her unspayed, you
    can't risk letting her out alone right now.  All it takes is about
    30 seconds for a cat to be bred if both parties are willing.  Pregnancy
    and delivery would probably not help your bonding, since she would
    be more concerned about her kittens than her relationship with you.
    
    Jo

One suggestion for traveling with the cat:

Buy 2 portable cages, one that will fit into the back seat of the car and a
collapsable one you can set up in the hotel/motel room for Tiffany.  A friend
lost his cat out a car window on a hot day when something, what is unknown,
prompted the cat to skinny out the window.....by the time Fred knew what was
happening the cat was out and badly hurt and had to be put down.  She was a
very mellow cat and Fred was sure there would be no problem, but there was.
When you are driving, you cannot necessarily control the cat, even with the
harness and lead.  If she decides to panic or try to escape you can end up in a
car accident or worse trying to deal with it and get your car stopped.  It is
wise to keep the cat in the cage both in the car while traveling and in your
motel or hotel room.  Leaving her alone in a strange place while you go to eat
can scare her enough to bolt when the door opens on your return.  Cats can move
much faster than you expect.  They sell cages large enough that the cat can
move around, etc.  Some even have sunning shelves in them and it is a lot nicer
than the cat carrier for all that time.  You can then walk Tiffany on harness
and lead to get her exercise if you choose....and if, once you have checked
out the proposed path, there are no dogs running loose.

    I want to second Jo's comment about the leash.  NEVER NEVER leave
    a leashed cat unattended.  I say this from experience.  Once
    I saw Dundee swinging from the tree (when he was a kitten!) and
    once I came out to check when Mao was outside "yelling" and found
    her standing at the foot of the tree and the Harness hanging 5 ft
    off the ground!  she had climbed the tree, jumped out, gotten
    hung up and slipped the harness (which is put on loose for exactly
    this reason).  80 Feet is too long.  Use a much shorter leash and
    walk with her.  Cats stroll along and stop and sniff and poke and
    then stroll some more.  Not like walking a dog.
    
      The other thought I had was that cats differ from each other
    not only in the amount of affection they like, but in its form.
    For example, Bumpy likes to be picked up and held like a baby,
    Mao doesn't really like to be picked up but LOVES to be petted
    and massaged, Dundee likes to climb on my shoulders and Isis just
    likes to climb on me!  Its all physical contact, but in a different
    form.  You just have to wait until Tiff tells you what she likes.
    
      Finally, two weeks is not enought time to form a bond.  It took
    at least a month with Dundee and he wasn't grieving for a former
    owner or lost home.  You probably are feeling a little sensitive
    over the relationship issue and may be pushing a bit too hard.
    Don't give up.  Animals have a wonderful ability to sense what their
    humans need and they provide "unconditional love" which is amazing
    in its healing effects.
    
      Nancy DC
    

	 Just a  long  shot, but could the skin problem relate at all to
     Tiffany being stressed out by the change in owner and home?

	 Another place to put petromalt or vaseline is on their legs (be
     sure  it  is  well attached before letting go of the leg 8^).  Most
     cats  can't  stand  to  have  something like that anywhere on their
     bodies  and  will  promptly  procede  to lick it off, if they can't
     flick it off first.

	 I agree  with  giving Tiffany some more time to adjust.  If you
     wake  up  and  see  her  on the bed, just say 'hi' and don't try to
     touch  her  unless  she  comes  over asks.  My two used to not like
     sleeping  on the bed, but now Becky hogs the covers - she had about
     3/4 of a double bed blanket wrapped around her the other morning and
     I had only a small corner.  Josh had half the bed, Becky a quarter,
     and me with the rest.

	 Becky used to be very standoffish.  Whenever the doorbell would
     ring,  she  hid.  I just ignored her, but praised her lots when she
     reappeared.  She's getting better now.  She only runs to the top of
     the stairs.

	 If Tiffany  were  mine,  I'd  probably try just talking to her,
     petting  her  whenever  she  was  in reach for as long as she would
     tolerate  and just ignoring her excentricities.  As long as there's
     stuff in the litterbox...  She's probably just testing you.

    Darting thur legs to get to the *BIG OUTDOORS* is Thunder's trick.  I
    stopped it by using the squirt bottle.  I had it in my hand every time
    I used the door.  Both from outside and from inside.  It only took two
    squirts and two days to break her of the habit.
    
    Good luck to you and Tiffany.
    
    Sandi (mom to Lightning, DejaVu & Thunder)
    
    

    Sandi
    
    That is the same method that I use.  Works like a charm.
    
    Jo

    Well, a hit and a miss since yesterday ...
    
    Kim, Tiffany liked the fresh catnip from Mountain Mama, thanks for
    pointing me in that direction.  I tried really hard not to think
    about the $12.95/pound label on the jar as I scooped it out and
    spilled it on the counter!  I took twice what I thought I needed
    and wound up with less than an ounce for just 65 cents.
    
    I took the catnip home and sprinkled some on the carpet.  She came
    over, sniffed a couple of times, then started rolling in it.  I'm
    thankful that God gave cats a silly-looking weakness like that so
    they don't over-awe us mere humans with their independent dignity!
    
    As for the Petromalt, not such a big hit.  I opened the tube, she
    came over to check it out, and decided no thanks.  I globbed it
    on her nose anyway, she shook it off, I globbed it on again and
    she spent several minutes licking it off and then the rest of the
    morning showing how much she preferred avoiding me.
    
    Oh well.  Babe Ruth didn't bat .500, and he turned out okay....
    
    						-- Ed

    Hi again --
    
    Tiffany and I are doing better.  She's now eating twice what she
    did a week or two ago.  I take this as a healthy sign.  What I had
    thought was a short-legged, full-bodied cat is in fact a thin but
    fluffy one!  Boy do I have a lot to learn.  (8*)
        
    I decided not to make her too annoyed about the Petromalt, so I
    went back and bought some fish-flavored Femalt.  I offer it up to
    the princess on my finger, she sniffs it a few times, then licks
    it off.  I don't get a sense of pleasure from her, but at least
    she's taking it.  She still takes offense at being brushed.
    
    I didn't go on the longer trip I was planning, but Tiff 'n' I will
    be going to Wyoming tomorrow and coming back the next day.  I've
    been practicing with her, and she's not upset anymore about getting
    in and out of the carrier.

    I guess she is nocturnal ... during the day she just lies around
    and sometimes looks out windows, while at night she lies around
    and eats and poops.  In the evenings, especially, she will follow
    me to whatever room I plop down in and then plop herself nearby.
    If I go to another room, she'll usually follow.  So ... progress!

    She's a cat of few words.  If I didn't know she was bred in Colorado
    Springs, I'd have thought she was from Maine!  Monday must have been
    a record -- about six meows because I rearranged furniture and set
    up a bed in one room.  As she walked around checking it out, every
    time I moved something, I'd hear one mew sounding like "Why?"  She
    didn't seem upset, just curious, so I told her that she'd have to
    talk to me more often if she wanted me to understand her.
    
    In short, I think she and I are coming to terms with each other.
    I had absolutely no idea that it would take a cat more than a week
    or so to adjust to a new home!  Really!  I've got a lot to learn.
    
    She's cute, she's friendly in her way, doesn't scratch, uses the
    box, and doesn't run out if she reaches the door before I do.  Asking
    any more would just be pointless.
    
    At this point my only concern is my possible allergic reaction to-
    ward her -- I've had a sore throat since a week after she moved in.
    Other than that, it looks like we'll be keeping each other company
    for awhile -- or just keeping each other?  (Or her keeping me?)

    I got a few pictures of her, but not in time to send them to Nancy's
    party.  I hope it went well for you all, and I wish we had a photo
    album of our Notesfile kitties that I could look at!
    
    Thanks for all your help ... as we get settled in a bit more we'll
    do the spaying thing and get the skin thoroughly checked out.  I
    couldn't find the patches behind her ears just now, so maybe it's
    going away or gone.

    Thanks again!
    
    							-- Ed

    Ed,
      Glad to hear things are going so well for you and Tiff.  It took
    about a month for Tym and I to "bond" so give it some more time.
    I'd say Tiffany likes you if she's following you around from room
    to room.  Some cats are lapcats - like my Dundee & Bumpytail - and
    some cats aren't - like Mao and Isis. 
      re: allergies - a sore throat is one of my allergy symptoms so
    its a good guess that that's what's causing yours.  Don't worry
    about it.  Ask your doctor for some good allergy medicine.  There
    are new antihistamines on the market (like Seldane) that work wonders
    for allergies and cause no side effects.  Also, as you live with
    Tiff your alleries will subside somewhat.  My husband and I are
    both allergic to cats - him much more so than I - and we have 4
    indoor cats.  After a while you'll become "immune" to Tiff.
      Take care.
       Nancy DC

    Whew!
    
    I can't believe how fast the notes pile up in here when you're gone
    for a few days!
    
    Unless Tiffany learns to count by stamping her paw, or something
    sensational like that, this will be my last update on our progress
    at socializing each other.
    
    We continue to make progress.  She was fine on the trip to Wyoming
    and back.  She objected vocally during the first 10 minutes of being
    in the carrier each morning, and while we were on dirt roads, but
    other than that she was accepting.  At food-and-fuel stops I'd let
    her out of the carrier to give her the run of the motorohome, and
    all she really wanted to do was get out of the box and go lie down
    somewhere else, like on the couch.
    
    The night we stayed in a ranchhouse she was content to explore the
    rooms and hop up on window ledges and look out.  She didn't seem
    worried at all.  I thought she might like to meet the two lambs,
    but she wasn't interested, thank you very much.
    
    I had a houseguest for a few days, and Tiffany would spend part
    of the night on his bed, at a discrete distance, and part on mine.
    Now that it's become quite cool at night (snow nearby but allegedly
    not in Colorado Springs) she has taken to ... snuggling!
    
    I've got a stand-alone heater in the front room, so the past few
    nights I've been sleeping on the couch there.  There is very little
    room between me and the back of the couch, but that's where I've
    found her several times.  (She also likes to lie on top of me, but
    I toss and turn too much for that.)

    A couple of evenings she has taken to running laps through the house,
    wiping out on the slick wood floor in one room.  This is more energy
    than I had seen her display (voluntarily) before!  And yesterday
    she actually played with a little plastic part the way cats are
    _supposed_ to, by batting it around and chasing it.

    One day, and one day only, I found her eyeing a houseplant and wanting
    to nibble on it.  I chased her off a few times, and I haven't seen
    that happen again.
    
    These are the kinds of activities I was expecting from a cat, and
    when I didn't see any of this kind of stuff I was concerned.  She
    had been eating, drinking, and using the box, so I knew she wasn't
    in danger, but she just didn't seem to be _living_.  Now she is,
    and we're getting used to the little idiosyncracies in each other.
    
    Thanks again, everybody!  I've heard from the original owner, and
    sent her the CFA certificate to sign over to me.  So I think we're
    settling into some kind of routine here.  Before too long we may
    be in the position to bring in another fur-face to be her friend!
    
    						-- Ed

    Ed,
    
    That sounds wonderful.  We knew it was just a matter of time before
    the two of you got used to each other.  She sounds like a real nice
    cat, and I am glad that the two of you have gotten to know each
    other so well.
    
    Jo

    That's great.  Getting another furface is great too, but be prepared
    for a transition time of possible growling, etc.
    

    Well ...
    
    Okay, just one more note!  The last two nights I have awakened to
    find her snuggling with me.  At that time she accepts all the petting
    I care to give her.  I never thought I'd live to see the day!
    
    						-- Ed

    Sounds like you two are doing just fine!
      :-)
      Nancy

    I was hoping to put this into "Introducing ... the Cats," but ....
    
    Friday night I rescued what appeared to be a pregnant stray from
    underneath the hood of a friend's car while we were at Digital. 
    Because of the hiding places she was able to find, and the care I was
    trying to use, this took about an hour.  During this time she nipped me
    a couple of times, then gave one good snarl and bit me a good one.
    
    I took her home and set up a room for her with food, water, litter box,
    and old rugs and towels in the corner.  She had been calm for an hour,
    first wrapped up in my jacket, then in a carrier.  I let her out of the
    carrier and she went behind some stuff as I expected.  Evidently, when
    my back was turned, she quietly streaked out of the house.
    
    The next morning I took my swollen red pinky to the people doctor,
    where the man said "We've lost precious time; this is grossly
    infected."  Fun.  After $216 worth of surgical trays, tetanus shots,
    splints (!) and so on, I was on my way to the pharmacy for some
    antibiotics and Tylenol 3.
    
    Midnight Mama (or else Friday the 13th plus 7) never came back.  I've
    looked under the house and in the garage and a few other places, but
    she's skipped town.
    
    I don't know what Tiffany thought of all this.  She kept wanting to get
    into MM's room, which I kept closed all Saturday and Sunday in case
    either Mama (1) was really in there somewhere, or (2) she decided to
    come back and didn't want any Tiffany odor in there.
    
    I finally opened the room up so Tiffany could satisfy her curiosity.  A
    bit later I let her out for her normal 10-15 minutes of nighttime
    sniffing, and she never came back.
    
    This is the first time Tiff has been out overnight, and she wasn't
    anywhere to be seen in the morning.  I went home at lunch today, and
    looked under the house and called her name a few times, but nothing.
    
    She's so shy and resistant to change it's hard for me to imagine that
    she voluntarily went to someone else's house.  So ....
    
    Tomorrow if Tiffany hasn't made it back to the house I'll start the
    search routine in earnest, calling the shelters and so on.  But for
    now, I'm going ahead and getting the two kittens I was going to bring
    home to her anyway.  I called the DECcie who has them, and she said she
    had planned on taking them to the Humane Society tonight -- so at 6:00
    o'clock I'll have at least two cats at my house.  More on them soon.
    
    							-- Ed

    Ed,
    
    I would wait on getting the new kittens and start the search stuff
    now.  Prior to when you got Tiff, she had never been outside, right?
    She may be very lost, disoriented, and in need of your help.  
    
    Also, coming home and finding two new kittens around would probably
    be enough to send her packing again.
    
    Please, please, start the search in earnest today, and wait on the
    two kittens.
    
    Jo

    Yes, please wait about getting the kittens.  When you search,
    ask your neighbors to especially check any place she might have gotten
    shut in like a basement or garage she can't get out of.  She may also
    be hanging around and needing to be coaxed back;  after all, you were
    hers and then you brought a strange female into the house.  It's
    possible the new cat is also in the house somewhere;  I'd leave the 
    inner doors open and leave food out and see if it disappears over the
    next few days when you're at work or asleep.
    

    Jo, Karen --
    
    Your advice was a tad too late ... Just as I set the kittens' carriers
    down and turned around to go back out to the car, Tiffany walked
    into the house.
    
    She sniffed the two carriers and headed back out the front door.  Like
    a man, I followed her out and around the corner of the house to where
    she had stopped, pleaded with her to come back, and picked her up and
    brought her back in.
    
    I kept Tiffany and the kittens apart for a day and then opened the
    doors so they could see each other.  So far the kittens are staying
    hidden, but if Tiffy accidentally catches sight of them (she's not
    really trying) she hisses and growls at them.  Maybe I need to separate
    them again for awhile.
    
    The kittens are a brother and sister, black and grey striped, about 15
    weeks old, no names yet.  More later.
    
    							-- Ed

    Ed,
    
    As was mentioned in a different note, continuing to separate them
    might make the adjustment take a bit longer.  They need to get used
    to each other, and as long as no one is getting hurt, then they
    should be okay to leave alone together.  Hissing and growling is
    to be expected.  It is normal cat behavior for them to act that
    way when they encounter a stranger.  Once they figure out that the
    "strangers" are now part of the family, the hissing and growling
    should stop.
    
    I am so glad that Tiffany came home.  Be sure to keep her inside
    until she totally accepts the new kittens, or she will probably
    take off again, and you might not be so lucky again.
    
    Also, heard a great cat name the other day, Catsanova (you know,
    like Cassanova) :^)
    
    Jo

    
    	As far as hissing and growling are concerned, my eldest two
    cats Smoke and Ruffles (the wonder cat) still continually hiss and
    growl at the youngest kittens, Sneakers & Nova.  Heck, they still
    growl at the kittens' mother, Nightmare, half the time.  Both Smoke
    and Ruffles stay outside most of the time, coming in only to eat
    and take an occasional nap in a chair or on my bed.  I have found
    that if I continually let the older cats know that I'm annoyed when
    they growl at the younger ones, such as shouting angrily at them,
    then they'll stop growling, at least for a while.  I'm hoping that
    by giving them this consistent message, they'll learn to get along.
    I remember I had to do this with Smoke when I first got Ruffles
    a few years back, and they seem to get on fine now.  Or, at least,
    they don't growl and hiss at each other.
    
    	McQ
    

    I'm so glad Tiff came back.  
    

    Meee toooo!