 Purred: Tue Jul 31, '12 8:33pm PST |
 | |  | | What a nice thing you did for Babe taking her in when the family didn't want her.
If you know what vet her former owner took her to, you could try to get the information from that vet about her age, what shots she had and when. Maybe her owner's family could tell you what vet she had.
If you go to the vet not knowing what shots she's had, the vet will probably want to vaccinate her for rabies and also give the combo shot for Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus and Panleukopenia (RCP). She may not be due for shots, but if you can't get her history to find out, I believe I'd follow your vet's advice.
Our vet will only give non-adjuvanted vaccines. For rabies, that means it's a 1-year shot (Merial PUREVAX feline rabies vaccine), not the 3-year one.
For the Feline RCP, it's a 3-year shot (Merial PUREVAX feline FVRCP).
If Babe doesn't go outside, she shouldn't need the feline leukemia (FeLV) vaccine.
Most people like clumping litter but there are many to choose from. We use Fresh Step Multi-Cat Unscented clumping litter. Many think Dr. Elsey's is the best litter, though. It's whatever works best for you and your cat. Some cats are particular about which kind of litter they like and might balk at using a different one. So you may need to do a gradual transition from one kind to another IF Babe is particular. (Not all cats are particular -- we'll use whatever litter is in the box.)
Just be sure to keep her litter clean -- scoop at least daily, or more than once daily if you can. Our litterbox is washed weekly but we use the same litter (adding to it as needed) for about a month. Once a month, we get all new litter.
It's normal for some cats to be up during the night, especially if they sleep all day. If Babe is "hiding" during the day, I'd be slightly concerned that she's still stressed or frightened by her new environment. But she's been through a lot of changes, so it's understandable it could take her a while to fully adjust. If she's just off sleeping in a quiet corner during the day -- not really hiding -- I'd say that's pretty normal.
If the children chase her and frighten her, she could develop an aversion to all children. Don't let them corner her or trap her where she can't get away -- just about any cat will strike out in that circumstance and someone could get hurt. It would be a good opportunity for the children to be shown how to pet and play with her and also to learn that sometimes cats want to be left alone. But I realize that's not always possible if they're not your children.
Our best to you and Babe.  |  |  | |  |
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