Thread: Hank.. is he home yet? Where are the photos? :D

Thanks for your advice guys. Well at the moment he's found a 'safe' spot upstairs behind the washing basket, we hear an occasional 'meow' and he answers back when we talk to him. So plenty of reassurance and strokes when he comes near us. I held him for a while and he let me stroke him for a little bit, which I think is a good sign.

Our 2 year old is back home from his grandparents and he's taken to Hank already. The thing is he wants to play but Hank doesnt. But he's been gentle and nice to him which is lovely to see. *phew*

He hasn't eaten, drank or used his litter tray since we brought him home, I would guess this is due to all the change. Were just waiting for our 2 year old to go to bed in a couple of hours, then Dave and I are going to sit down with him in the living room and give him lots of fuss and playtime.

Just back from the shops and popped into see how Hank was doing.
Winston did not use his litter tray until the following morning after he had arrived.He just did a "small job".
He didn't do a "big job" until Monday morning and we were very relieved to see "the gift" left on his litter tray that morning
Ever since then he has used his litter tray regularly. We also gave him a special treat when we discovered he used the tray and heaped lots of praise on him.
Now I know what Mums & Dad's go through with potty training

Glad to hear Hank is home Ria. Its always hard hearing them cry but he will have settled by tomorrow I'm sure. Our dogs cried a lot when they came home as 8 week old puppies - it's such a frightening experience for them but after a night they seems to settle, once they realise how much you love them and no harm is going to come to them. I hope you have a good time playing with him tonight when your ?son goes to bed. I will look forward to seeing photos when you feel the time is right.

Well.... Im sooo tired! We finally managed to make him feel more comfortable at the end of last night and he came down to have a little explore of the kitchen and living room. I can tell that he trusts us now, he's just very wary of our home because it's much bigger and of course different than what he was used to.

My son was sick last night (temperature/cold) so I was up most of the night, plus Hank was also 'crying' early this morning, I think he just wanted company. So at 4 am this I came downstairs bleary eyed and laid down on the sofa. He watched me for a little while and then he came for a snuggle and we both went to sleep until about 6.

So Im very tired, hardly had any sleep, but very happy that Hank is feeling more comfortable, he even sat with us in the living room this morning watching TV!

He still hasn't eaten/drank or gone toilet, but Im not worried, he'll do it when he's ready.

I could do with a sleep tho!

oh no poor you!! Maybe you can try to sleep a little during the day?

But I'm glad to hear that Hank is feeling a little more at home. Once he gets used to the new environment and the new sounds and smells, he'll surely start eating, drinking and using the toilet.

Nice to hear he's at home. It takes a lot of getting used to from both sides. He is only a baby and missing his known surroundings/family/canopeners, is making him insecure. He should start eating by now. It is very important for a cat to eat every day. Otherwise he can start having problems with his liver. Try playing with him and throw a bit to eat, when he eats that thrown another. In this way maybe you can tempt him to start eating. Do you have a catpate or other canned food? This smells nice, otherwise try to warm it just a little bit so the smell is irresistable for the little one (in microwave or by adding warm water). Stir a little water with the food so he gets his fluids aswell.

Originally Posted by Patty

Nice to hear he's at home. It takes a lot of getting used to from both sides. He is only a baby and missing his known surroundings/family/canopeners, is making him insecure. He should start eating by now. It is very important for a cat to eat every day. Otherwise he can start having problems with his liver. Try playing with him and throw a bit to eat, when he eats that thrown another. In this way maybe you can tempt him to start eating. Do you have a catpate or other canned food? This smells nice, otherwise try to warm it just a little bit so the smell is irresistable for the little one (in microwave or by adding warm water). Stir a little water with the food so he gets his fluids aswell.

Thanks a lot Patty, he's eaten a little bit not much today (just a few morsels). I've tried him with kitten food and mince but with no joy, he sniffs it then just walks away, it seems like that he's still not comfortable. The last time he had anything was yesterday morning before we took him home. I will try what you have suggested and fingers crossed he'll eat something, as Im getting pretty worried now.

Poor you Ria, hope he starts eating soon it must be very worrying. I'm sure cats are different to dogs but when I brought Elsa home at 8 week old puppy she wouldn't eat either. I had to hand feed her for a week! She is still a fussy eater at a year old! I have to cook mince for her - she won't eat just dry biscuits. Let us know how he does tonight.

Ria: Did the breeder give you some food to bring home and did you introduce him to the same food that he had at his old home? Our breeder gave us a small bag of Royal Canin "Babycat 34" which he just loves

I might suggest a small bit of tinned tuna (in spring water)? It's very tasty!
Winston just loves this and gets some along with his dried food every day. The only thing so far that he has refused is "kitten milk". He detests it.
My husband has already called him "a good grubber". We have been very lucky in that there was no problem with eating & food from the time we got him home. It was the one thing that would have worried me
I am sure it is just because of the settling in period.