Free to Good Home, with Optional Bonus Temporary Houseguest

[dr_pretentious]

Things continue not to go well between our elder cat and our new cat. If somebody I actually know, who I can actually be confident will do right by the new cat, offers to take him, I am prepared to drive this animal as far north as Boston, as far south as D.C., or as far west as Pittsburgh to deliver him into good hands. (I owe visits in all those directions, anyway.)

Wendel is a clever, charming, playful, healthy, affectionate year-old cat with handsome tuxedo markings. He's fixed and vaccinated, housebroken, and accustomed to living exclusively indoors. The name the animal rescue people gave him rhymes gratifyingly with Grendel (and, for the very geeky, Earendel). He has a trivial flaw, which is that he still likes to jump on the kitchen counters if he thinks we aren't watching or don't have the spray bottle. He has one other flaw that could be trivial for you, but which is crucial for us: He must be the only cat in his household. Not just the dominant cat. The only cat. He's been with us for almost three months. Sonia's been with us for 6 years, and she's sick of cowering in terror under the couch.

We would really, really like to put him directly into a household rather than an animal rescue organization's care, and we hope not to have to resort to advertising him to strangers on the web. Even if you're only tentatively interested, please let me know within the next week.

Comments

[tigira.livejournal.com]

Alas, I cannot supply a household without other cats. We already have two...

Ben (almost 18) and Ember (almost 4)

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

Thanks for thinking about it long enough to decline. You have plenty to adapt to, already.

[vgnwtch.livejournal.com]

I looked up tuxedo cats and being territorial, and came up with nothing, but I did discover that cats who've been in shelters tend to be very territorial. So no idea if it is related to breed, but it's the best I could come up with.

[wombats.livejournal.com]

nothing for the placement of said kitty but since i'm waaay too far west, that's not surprising. however, one observation regarding the use of spray bottles and other remote water-delivery methods: always do it from behind corners or other cover and duck back out of sight after the target responds appropriately. if done right, the target begins to assume "god" has done this too them and refrains from the behavior even when no one is around (or late at night, when the household is supposedly asleep). it's not foolproof, and while one kitty does jump up on the counter once in a great while, it has been a successful method overall. of course, we've only two data points so far ...

[dr-pretentious.livejournal.com]

I was aiming for that method, since Dave's description made it sound pretty effective, but my husband grew up with dogs, and he's tried to get the cat to associate the spray bottle with him saying no, in the hope that the cat will learn to follow voice commands. Sigh. So when we're not around to say no, the cat does not fear the spray bottle. Maybe whoever Wendel goes to live with will benefit from a fresh start.

[monotreme.livejournal.com]

Alas, its true that Wendel the Grendel is not a Dog, he's a Reptile. Our spray bottle is labeled as a "Reptile Mister". So, all I have to do is apply bad logic, and he becomes a reptile.