Hi,
I'm a relative newbie to cats, I adopted my first one 2 years ago.
Rusty:
He's approx. 11 years old now, and has FIV and as a result of the poor immune system he has Calici (cat flu) which he is unable to get rid of.
The cat flu just affects his mouth; giving him a nasty ulcer on his tongue and some small ulcers on his teeth. He also drools as a result of the Calici.
He was quite shy when we first adopted him, but he has come round alot, and is quite talkative when he's hungry and gives us a little salute with his paw in greeting which is very cute!
We have also adopted a new cat just last Sunday who we've named Magic to keep Rusty company. He also has FIV and Calici but I don't think the Calici really affects him like it affects poor Rusty.
Sadly he had a swollen nose so the shelter vets took a biopsy which has left stitches in his nose and a collar of shame to stop him removing them, he is due out for his stitches tomorrow which I am dreading... (fortunately the biopsy has come back negative - thought to just be an allergy)
We put him in the spare bedroom to acclimatise him, and the plan is to introduce him slowly to the house and then to Rusty.
He has turned out to be an extremely shy cat, Sunday night he spent hiding behind the TV, Monday behind the pillows on the bed, and since Tuesday he has been under the bed.
He hasn't eaten, I don't know that he's drunk anything, and he's not used the litter tray but there is the query that he's toileted under the bed, as there is a slight smell.
I'm dreading having to go under the bed to fetch him out to get him to the vets tomorrow.
So if anyone has any ideas on how I can help Magic settle in I'd appreciate it... I'm regularly spraying the room with Feliway and there's a scratch post with a box he can hide in and a covered over catbed too. We're trying to stay out of the room as much as possible to give him space to adjust... but I'm going to have to speak to the vet tomorrow about him not eating.
