Gizmo is with us temporarily. His owner was evicted and had to move in with family, who are severely allergic to cats. So Gizmo’s owner could only bring her dog, and Gizmo moved in with us.
We have 2 small/medium dogs, and Gizmo was already understandably traumatized without his owner and dog brother, so he stayed close to the bed in the basement guest room. That way, safety was within reach, fast.
And today he has finally made it all the way out to the kitchen and was eating confidently.
Gizmo will be reunited with his owner and dog brother at the end of May. I hope to be a good foster for him until then. 🥹
What a massive victory for sweet Gizmo. Fostering a cat who has been uprooted from his family and separated from his dog brother is incredibly tough, and you are doing a beautiful job giving him the space he needs to heal. Walking all the way up to the kitchen to eat confidently is a huge milestone for a traumatized cat. Since he is only with you until the end of May, keep everything predictable to maintain this momentum. You can download the Pet Care: Cat Tracker app to log his daily food intake and track which areas of the house he feels safe exploring each day. Keep the dogs in a separate area during his kitchen visits so he knows this new route remains totally secure. You are a wonderful foster parent for helping him transition back to his family.
Thank you so much, and thank you for the advice! Last time I had a cat, I was a young teenager, and I’m so excited to get some time with this guy now. I definitely want him to feel safe, and I get how predictability is a big part of that.