Still plugging away with Czarina

So everything is still pretty much edging along. Czarina spent most of the weekend out with the others. Right now I'm hoping she gets to the point where the others can walk past her without her swatting at them.

I guess she just has to realize they aren't going to hurt her so there is no need to swat just because they get a little close to her.

This weekend she seemed particularly testy. She doesn't usually swat and lunge with intent to go after, but this weekend I saw her do this a couple of times. She took several steps towards Maks at one point as well as Kiska and Oksana. With Vlad she had a swatting match.

At one point I had to raise my voice towards her because she looked like she was going to get physical with Kiska, and she being the smallest of all of my gang, I didn't want her to get hurt. I've got to take Czarina in next week to have the vet cut her nails. She won't let me touch her paws at all! But her nails are getting sharp. I was petting her and she was grabbing at my hands, which she does sometimes playfully, and one of her nails accidentally connected with the base of my thumb. Oy, that hurt! My hand was throbbing for almost half an hour. She did though come upstairs while I was getting ready to take a shower. She's come upstairs before but she's doing it a little more often, and the other day she'd made herself comfy on my bed.

All in all she's doing pretty well. Still not ready I don't think to be alone with the others all day. I did leave them alone in the morning while I did some errands on Saturday and Sunday, but that was only for a couple of hours. I'm taking Friday off, and told a friend of mine I'd hang out with her for a bit. So I think what I'll do is leave them all in the morning and spend a few hours with my friend.

I think I need to start stretching out the time they are left alone, yes no maybe? I don't know if this is as good as Czarina will ever get, and I don't know if it's fair to keep her in the kitchen alone for 8 hours while I'm at work for lord knows how long. I mean what if she never really gets any better than now? I can't keep her in the kitchen for the next 10 years.

I don't have a calendar in front of me, but I believe it's going on 3 months that I've had her in this situation. I wonder if things will be the same in another 3 months.

she will Be all right it can rake a long long time patience :thumbs up

Ditto Jim! It may take alot longer....just remember if shes still swatting and lunging shes still not 100%! she could live in your kitchen forever and be happy! who says it has to be the way we see it? she is safe from outside and what I find amazing is she really isnt acting like she wants to be outside!

You have made HUGE HUGE PROGRESS AG! I am so proud of your girl and you for hanging in there! baby steps it will all work out in the wash!!!

I keep reminding myself she's been outside on her own for several years.

Winston, she doesn't seem to want to go outside. I only opened the door once and she was near it and looked outside. I blocked her with my leg just in case she made a run for it so when I do leave them all alone in the mornings on the weekend, I put up the screen that blocks the front door. But she stays on her chair when I come inside and doesn't run to the door. :shrug: She doesn't meow out loud or anything and pine at the door, and when she is loose, she doesn't even go towards the door. Actually Vlad is the one who sometimes will stand next to the door and meow. But he does go outside when I open the door and walk around the hallway in front of the apartment a bit.

He comes in when I call him but if Czarina got out the door I don't know if she'd turn back or keep running.

I suppose she could very well be happy in the kitchen for an extended period of time. I do like to have her with the rest of us when I'm home so she does get a break from it.

I wish I had a bigger place, something with more room. I feel guilty sometimes having 5 in my apartment.

Ditto what Winston says!! Why can't you leave here in the kitchen for the next 10 years if need be? It won't happen but why not? Is your kitchen full of dangers? Are there things in there that are going to attack her? Is it so tiny she can't move around? I think the kitchen will always be her safe place to go. It isn't bad. A ton better than what she had before. So :shrug:
You read that site that Scm gave? It contained some great advice! I still haven't managed to get through it all but I love it!
The most important things to remember are - she's not the same cat she was before she came in; she has come a long, long way, and who says there is a timetable for getting her to be completely comfortable with the rest of the gang?

I haven't had a chance to read through that site, but I forwarded myself the link, so I may just print out some of those pages and read it here at work.

You are right though, she is better off than where she was before. And since they've been redoing the outside walkways and now doing some landscaping, her little area where she liked to hang out would have been non-accessible to her.

The kitchen isn't unsafe. I've hidden the knives in the cupboards and there really isn't anything she can get into. She's got food, water her litter is on the other side of the room and she's got some toys. And like it or not, she gets a visit now and then from some of the others.

Yesterday she even came near the gang when I was giving treats. She was hissing most of the time, but she was getting her treats there with the others.

I have noticed that when she hisses the others kind of look at her and move away, and when she swats the just move away really fast.

I feel bad for them because I think they have to constantly be on guard in their own home. But it's easy enough for them to just not go near her :shrug:

I just want everyone to be happy and not be afraid of each other.