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Congrats. I wish you & NK a long, loving relationship.
I wouldn't worry about him "escaping" in your house. (Only if he escaped outside I would worry.) It will be a way for him to get to know his new home. Let him explore on his own-as long as he knows where the food & litter box are, I'm sure he will be fine. He will come out when he is ready.
Thank you. I reported last night that I DID get a new one yesterday - a little more than a month since my previous kitty died.
Also, that most people who say they'll never get another one (because they don't want the heartache of another passing) eventually do get another is testament to the fact that the joy of having them is so great that it wins over the pain of losing them.
That is a very true statement. Two of my current kitties were ones that fell into my lap, and I planned on finding them a good home on Monday. Over the weekend, I fell in love with them and guess where they are living now ? Someone up there had a better plan than I did.
That is a very true statement. Two of my current kitties were ones that fell into my lap, and I planned on finding them a good home on Monday. Over the weekend, I fell in love with them and guess where they are living now ? Someone up there had a better plan than I did.
Trust me, most of us understand. When those little paw-prints on your heart happen, you're pretty much done-for.
The first clue you are losing the battle is usually when:
* You start thinking up cute names.
* You start rationalizing why it would be great to have another cat.
* You start rehearsing the Dire Circumstances Speech to give to your SO.
I had to put my precious 16-year-old cat to sleep three weeks ago, and any cat-lover will know how empty and still my house is. (It's especially hard coming home to the silence, with no kitty eagerly greeting me at the door.) Is it a sign of disrespect, or, perish the thought, lack of love for my previous campanion, to get a new one so soon?
How long did you all wait?
I'm sorry for your loss That's that hardest part of having companion animals; they don't live as long as we do.
I don't personally see it as a lack of love to get another cat; you just have a lot of love to share with a new cat.
DH and I had a cat who was a couple of weeks shy of his 23rd birthday when we had him euthanized due to an aggressive jaw cancer. He was an awesome cat and even though it was years ago I still miss him. At that time we were both very upset and wanted to wait "a while" to get another cat.
The day after we lost Ozzy, DH is on the computer and hears squeaking on the front porch and there is a tiny tabby kitten that is skinny and rough looking.
So much for waiting to get another cat. The cat found us that time...
I'm sorry for your loss That's that hardest part of having companion animals; they don't live as long as we do.
I don't personally see it as a lack of love to get another cat; you just have a lot of love to share with a new cat.
DH and I had a cat who was a couple of weeks shy of his 23rd birthday when we had him euthanized due to an aggressive jaw cancer. He was an awesome cat and even though it was years ago I still miss him. At that time we were both very upset and wanted to wait "a while" to get another cat.
The day after we lost Ozzy, DH is on the computer and hears squeaking on the front porch and there is a tiny tabby kitten that is skinny and rough looking.
So much for waiting to get another cat. The cat found us that time...
You know, of course, that Ozzy sent that kitten to you.
I did sleep in the "safe" guest room, and NK was there with me. But when I got up in the middle of the night for the bathroom, I forget to close the door when I returned to bed. (My only excuse: I was half-asleep.) When I got out of bed this morning, I saw NK (who obviously stayed there with me even though the door was open) make a mad dash for the door - and now he's hiding somewhere in the house.
I've looked for him, but he is a good hider - as kitties tend to be. I'm thinking at this juncture I should just let him be, and let him come out when he's ready.
On the positive slide, I did see that he ate his meal last night and made a "deposit" in the litter box.
We'll get there.....just a scary time for little kitty.
Oh, poor scared Little New Kitty! Those first few days can be a real challenge, I know. I think you started him out very well, though, establishing that Mama is the source of cuddles, love, tasty food, and a clean litter box. And even if you had successfully kept him sequestered for several days, he still might have gone and hidden the minute you released him.
My suggestion would be to keep your voice low-pitched and soft as you call him, and to leave out some delightfully fish-smelling treats to entice him to reappear. My cats go absolutely nuts for something called Wild Side; it's just small chunks of well-cleaned dehydrated raw salmon, and a couple of treats of that will entice even our grumpy old man cat out from under the bed.
If you've got some nice bright crinkly ball toys, just tossing them back and forth in various rooms of the house as you walk around could bring a sudden streak of orange tabby lightning out from under a chair to chase the tempting crinkly mouse. Or if you have a "red bug toy" (laser pointer), try using that across the floor and a little ways up walls and on furniture. A 3-year-old cat is likely still very playful and could be tempted as effectively by a toy as by food.
Good luck, and do let us know how you and little NK get along once he reappears!
Oh, poor scared Little New Kitty! Those first few days can be a real challenge, I know. I think you started him out very well, though, establishing that Mama is the source of cuddles, love, tasty food, and a clean litter box. And even if you had successfully kept him sequestered for several days, he still might have gone and hidden the minute you released him.
My suggestion would be to keep your voice low-pitched and soft as you call him, and to leave out some delightfully fish-smelling treats to entice him to reappear. My cats go absolutely nuts for something called Wild Side; it's just small chunks of well-cleaned dehydrated raw salmon, and a couple of treats of that will entice even our grumpy old man cat out from under the bed.
If you've got some nice bright crinkly ball toys, just tossing them back and forth in various rooms of the house as you walk around could bring a sudden streak of orange tabby lightning out from under a chair to chase the tempting crinkly mouse. Or if you have a "red bug toy" (laser pointer), try using that across the floor and a little ways up walls and on furniture. A 3-year-old cat is likely still very playful and could be tempted as effectively by a toy as by food.
Good luck, and do let us know how you and little NK get along once he reappears!
Thanks! Toby (cute, no?) has made great strides in the last several hours. He ventured out this morning, and now he comes toward me, rolls on his back for belly rubs, and even let me hold him in my lap for a couple of minutes.
(He was still in hiding last night, but when I checked his "safe room" - now with the door open so he could return- in the morning, his food was gone and he left me another souvenir in the box.)
We are going to be just fine!
Thanks everyone for the sympathy on my loss, and all the best wishes on my new addition. (Such is the cycle of life....)
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Someone up there had a better plan than I did.
That's that hardest part of having companion animals; they don't live as long as we do. 
