Ok, there is another cat drama and I'd like to see if someone has a clever idea to solve this. Another farm worker moved two cats from an empty barn to one that had horses and people in it. The two cats were litter mates and inseparable. Unfortunately, one of them disappeared--we suspect eaten by something--maybe coyotes or a hawk. Now the other cat seems very lonely. When we go up there at night, he's all alone and desperate for attention. I feel sorry for him. Here are the solutions I've thought of:

1. Leave him there and let him tough it out.

2. Take him to another barn that has cats in it. I don't know if they would run
him off though since there are established groups in the different barns.

3. Take another cat up there. Problem is that the other tame cats have formed
groups in the barns and we'd have to break up a family.

4. Bring him home with me. But, he's used to having a huge farm to roam on
and isn't neutered. If I brought him home, he'd have to be fixed and would be
restricted to a small neighborhood to roam before he ran into traffic. Would
he rather be alone in cat paradise at the farm, or have a family, but be fixed
and restricted? The expense to me is a whole other question.

Oh, I feel your worry for the cat...I have a very tender spot for cats. And the expense is something I really get, too! Cats can be very territorial and aren't always accepting of newcomers. It is less expensive to neuter than spaying...but then you have the shots, etc. I have a kitten going for a spay job Tuesday...and she was dropped at our house but I couldn't not take her.

To my horror, I hope that I accidently cured this cat of a horrible habit. Whenever any of us would drive the nightwatch truck up to that barn at night, the cat would run up and get under the truck, or right in front where you couldn't see him past the hood. A couple of nights ago he did that and I didn't see him and I hit him with the truck. He screamed a horrible scream and ran off into a field. I looked and looked and couldn't find him and thought he'd gone off to die somewhere. I came home and cried, thinking I'd killed the cat. The next night he showed up at the barn again without any obvious scratches on him anywhere. Go figure. At least he seems to be a little more circumspect around the truck than he was before.

Cats do seem to like to get under or inside the engine of vehicles...my kitty had singed fur down her back. The vet told me what it was! I couldn't understand the rough coat. Glad the cat was not hurt.

I am sure you will make the best decision possible.

No opinions as to what the best decision is?

Knowing myself and the fact I am a cat fanatic...I'd probably take the cat home. But that is not to say it is the best choice...just what I 'd likely do! But the cat might be happy on the farm and adjust to the other cats and they him. He'd be safer with you. :)

Last night I asked the early nightwatch guy what he thought and he thinks that I should give the cat another week to try to adjust. Neither of us can think of any solo cats that we could take up there to give him company. Maybe he'll wander far enough to find a buddy somewhere. I guess he's right. The cat probably would be happier on the farm if he could find a buddy somewhere.

Hope he finds a friend!

I hate to see a horse by itself in a pasture too!!! <s>

Well, he didn't seem to find a friend, and last night a stray cat passed through to steal his food, and he was terrified and hid behind me while I was up there. And he still was desperately looking for attention whenever one of us nightwatch people went to that barn. Yeah, you guessed it, I brought him home with me this morning even though I can't afford all of these cats and my neighbors are going to be mad with all of these cats running around the neighborhood. Right now he's hiding and two of my other cats are mad and the other "old" kitty is curious about him.

On an unrelated note, my Dad died yesterday. I'm unsure how to feel after all of the family crap that started before I got my AI diagnosis--me being a psycho with fake illnesses. It's hard not to love your father even when he's an insulting horse's backend.

(grh) Kim, I am so sorry. Of course you love him...and you are hurting. Please take care of yourself.

I would have done the same thing as regards the kitty. The other cats will take a few days to get used to him...may be a lot of growls and hisses!

Sorry about your Dad Kim.

It is good you brought the cat home. They will get used to each other. Keep us posted on how it goes. What have you named the cat?

It seems to take me about 6 months to name a cat, so no clue. Poor thing is hiding behind a bed. He's a chicken. The last two cats that I brought home just moved right in and told the existing cats to buzz off when they hissed and snarled.

Kim, I am sorry about your dad. <s>

What does the kitty look like? Any clues to a name there? How about PANSY?

;) (grh)

I haven't really looked, but I think it's a male cat.

He's mostly white with some black spots.

It's sure crowded in here with an extra cat.

It will be nice at work tonight to not have to drive 1 mph around that barn for fear of him running under the wheels of the truck.

Well, today he's being very assertive about making friends. Almost all morning he's been running from one kitty to the other, meowing endlessly. All he's getting for his efforts is growls and swats. I wonder if he's lacking kitty social skills. I also wonder if he's figured out the litter box or if I'll find a stash of doo doo somewhere. He's been an outdoor cat his whole life.

I would guess his kitty social skills are fine...your other kitties are simply putting up a token resistance to the intruder! It seems like he is very eager to make friends. I am sure you have shown him the litter box but do it repeatedly until you see him use it!

He's finally quieted down--for now anyway. With the various cats I've thrown together over the years, I've never seen one that chattered this much at the "old" kitties. I'm sure it will sort itself out over the next few days. He sure was lonely at that barn and aggressively sought out the company of we night folk, so I imagine he's happy to be here (maybe not so happy when he finds out he has to be fixed.)

:lol: He'll get over it! Better than a lonely life!

When I got home from work about 12 hours ago, the cats had done damage in the house. My two younger "old" kitties were wanting out. They usually have a cat door so that they come and go as they please, but I have been locking it so that new kitty couldn't go out. I let the two out and set the cat door so that new kitty couldn't go out, but the two could come back in. Well, neither of them has come home in 12 hours. I'm getting worried. I drove around and didn't see them dead in the road. New kitty is scared and been hiding all day. This is a disaster.

Never mind. They just came home. I guess they were out pouting but finally they got too hungry to hold out anymore. I'm such a worried mother type over these animals. I know that I'm silly.

No, I am the same way about mine!

They will probably get used to each other but it will take time. Treat them gently and give lots of attention to the "older" kitties...they are probably jealous of the "new" cat in the house!