Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Roaming with Raleigh

Seeing Raleigh evolve is interesting. He is not nearly so fearful as he was. A colleague from the rescue-group came by on Saturday to clean Raleigh’s ears and apply an ointment to fight ear-mites; afterward, Raleigh hid. He may still have a ways to go when meeting other people, but he is gaining confidence daily with me and living in the apartment.

I have let him out for short periods this week. Last night, he roamed about the apartment, cautiously. I crept along with him, and he continually looked back to see if I was there. When paused, I put my hand on him and he moved forward again. I kept talking to him and the other cats.


The new arrival had a close encounter with Cammie and I had to act swiftly to avoid bloodshed. The princess was not fooling around. Parker hissed at Raleigh, but allowed him to come very close; I think I can work on that. Tucker hissed and moved away; he probably is simply tired of all the new cats. Renn and Josie were calm and largely unconcerned.

My peach-hued guest explored the hall and corridor, then the sitting room, before lying next to me on the couch for a while. I think letting him out with all the other beasts, but under strict supervision, is feasible. On the weekend, I will sequester the more anxious cats and let Raleigh roam more freely with just Renn and Josie free.


Raleigh’s coat is much improved now. It is smoother and softer than it was just a week ago. He has been receiving good food; that undoubtedly makes a difference. As well, he is probably feeling safe. Having a comfy bed and a full tummy does wonders, I think. He likes being on my lap; he purrs and flexes his big snow-shoe paws a great deal - though the other night, I made the mistake of having him on my lap while eating - trying to eat - a Pop-tart. Those spatulas of his certainly do make holding a hungry cat difficult.

On the negative side, he continues to drool and his breath is bad. Though his teeth may have been ‘good’ for a feral and an FIV-positive cat, I suspect some at least are in need of repair or removal.


Raleigh is starting to groom himself. I have seen him do it, though he stops when I walk into the bathroom. I have also seen damp tufts of hair from, probably, his tail. He threw up a hairball yesterday, which suggests a satisfactory amount of grooming, if not of the disposal of the results. He is starting to be an inside cat again.

On that note, his voice is coming back. If it is true that cats only meow to humans, then while trying to live outside, he would not have used his voice much. I joked earlier that he sounded like a child with laryngitis. That may not be far from the truth. When he first tried to speak to me, he was silent. Then, he developed a raspy, breathless speech. Next, it resembled a person trying to talk while inhaling rather than exhaling, a grating sound (grating to the ear, not the nerves). Now, it is a metallic squeak.


Raleigh will probably go on the rescue-group’s website as a cat available for adoption. I think he would indeed do very well as a family pet; though I have known him for only two weeks, he seems an easy-going fellow - certainly with people. Once I see him interact more with his fellow felines, I’ll be able to describe him better to potential adopters. But an FIV-positive cat doesn’t generate much interest, and Raleigh would need at least a couple weeks of patience on the part of any new person before his timidity was overcome. Until then, he will have a home; hopefully, it will be one he finds welcoming and safe.

13 comments:

  1. His paws are enormous! I'm glad he's settling in, starting to feel better and to feel safe. I hope he finds someone who does adopt FIV+ cats. I remember a blogger, years ago, did just that. All her cats were FIV+, and she gave them love and TLC for as long as their time here. I remember a few who passed too quickly, others who were with her for much longer. I know Raleigh will have foster care with you as long as needed, though, and will get all the love and care he needs. Purrs to him from N & D, and scritches from me. ♥

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  2. And a final image of Raleigh toe-beans! Sounds like you are doing a great job of nurturing him into inside life; slowly but steadily. Thank you for sharing him with us!

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  3. he is a cutie....we hope that there is a special family out there looking for someone just like him

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  4. dood.....eye due knot noe what de werd meenz but eye am still in quaranteen like 99.9 purrcent oh de time; me N de big katoona doez knot see eye ta eye N itz knot coz eye am little.....we iz werkin on it tho......heerz all de best two uz both

    mackerull boomer junior butterfeeld ☺☺♥♥

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  5. He sounds like such a little sweetheart. That's such a shame that he's not more "adoptable," considering that he obviously especially needs permanent security and stability. Hopefully, St. Francis is still looking out for Raleigh, and he'll get his perma-home soon.

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  6. It sounds like Raleigh is doing well since he's been staying with you. He seems to be such a sweet boy. I'm sure the other cats will get used to him in time...well, maybe not Cammie. However, I noticed that you mentioned that he has ear mites. As you may be aware, these mites are pretty contagious, so you may want to check with your vet to see if some ear drops should be given to your other cats prophylactically.

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  7. Had to giggle when you mentioned his snow shoe paws! His paws are HUGE! It's so good to see him out with the rest of the family. You are so patient and understanding and I'm sure Raleigh senses this. Look how comfortable he is with you!

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  8. Raleigh does look like a dear boy who is happy to have someone to love him. He looks very relaxed and comfortable with you. I hope the other cats all become relaxed with him being there, but I think it is too big an ask for Cammie.

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  9. Spatulas! Apt, and probably the total best description ever made! Also the phrase that gave me my first big smile of they!

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  10. Raleigh we are happy to see you feeling more comfortable. We hope that everything with him gets better with each passing day. He looks really comfortable with you. Thanks for the share. Have a wonderful rest of day little ones.
    World of Animals

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  11. Look at the size of that paw....snowshoes indeed! It's good to hear that Raleigh is settling in and becoming less fearful. I'm sure he will make a wonderful companion for someone.

    Eileen

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  12. I’m captivated by this boy. I think he’ll reveal himself even more as he settles in. As for Cammie’s acceptance: probability-no, possibly-yes. My elderly Antonia has never ever wanted a cat friend. But after some Cammie like behavior, she has fully accepted curmudgeonly Jon, who was adopted last winter.

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