June Lost Her Hiding Place

i love hearing about how you and June are doing. the first time i saw June's picture when you introduced her, she reminded me of our own Angel even though they are different colors. they're both mature females with that no-nonsense look. i think they both look very regal and they're both survivors. :2kitties

and i'm so happy you're trying to make sure June still has a safe hiding place during the transition. if you think she might still need something a little more covered or cavelike, then maybe this pic will give you some ideas. we just pushed a couple of cushioned dining room chairs into a corner and then covered one of the sides with pillows. an end table against the pillows makes sure they stay in place. pillows on the floor inside gives her a nice soft surface to rest on if she decides she needs a little alone time. even better is the fact that the heat vent is in that corner so it's like an oven in there if she really wants to get hot. when she goes all the way to the back, we can barely see her. it's a great hiding spot. we also keep the ramp there so she can get to the "rooftop deck" for a nice view out the window if she wants. for probably 1 1/2 months, this was her go-to spot for a big part of the day. but she slowly started coming out more and more and now she hardly goes in there to hide at all. i think she finally grew comfortable enough knowing there was nothing to fear in her new home so now she gets to lie out in the open in the middle of the living room floor on her blankets instead.



as you can see, we still have ramps for her to go up and down to the rooftop deck. she's healthy enough now to jump UP, but she prefers to use the ramp coming down. less joint impact. : )

Aww... thanks. Sometimes I feel like I keep bringing her up to often, but I guess that's kind of the point of this forum. (I do feel like I tell our "story" a lot but I'm concerned people won't remember and will ask when they try and answer my questions) You are right, June is pretty no-nonsense. But I love her just the way she is.

Your picture is a brilliant idea! I might have to bring in a chair for her to hide under.

Your ramp looks nice! My sister made one for June and it looks a bit... well, let's just say my sister meant well but it's not the most attractive thing out there. lol (Plus it's a bit narrow for my dear wide June)


I would like to add, that after she chilled out on the towel for a while, she jumped up on my bed with me! I spent a l-o-n-g time brushing her out. (She desperately needed it) It made me so very happy to be able to cuddle with her for a bit. (She's back on the towel... but she did eat and drink a little something, so I'm relieved that she feels comfortable enough to nom)

i am so happy to hear she jumped up on the bed with you! that is so awesome! and she let you groom her for a long time, too. that is huge progress. i'd say June is definitely starting to come out of her shell and feeling a lot more confident and comfortable. your hard work and dedication is really paying off.

and you can't talk enough about June for my tastes. I think she is wonderful. you, too, for saving her! i forgot how old she is, though. i know she's a "senior", but forgot the specific age. Angel is going to be 11 in June. (ha ha! June!)

and yeah, i am really happy with the ramp. we have 3 of them actually. the one you see in the picture, another leaning up against an identical fort made with more dining room chairs on the other side of the room, and the 3rd one goes up to the sofa. we love watching Angel climbing all over the place hunting for her treats in cat puzzles. maybe June will like the cat puzzles, too, eventually. it makes eating more fun and satisfying since she has to work for it. the ramps, by the way, are 14" by 42". we had a bunch of scrap wood hanging around and they were the perfect size. the wood is 1" thick, i think. maybe a little thicker. i'll double-check when i get home. we cut up some 1" thick foam from Joann's Fabrics to cover it, and then wrapped some nice fleece (also from Joann's) around it and stapled it to the underside. they're really sturdy and nice and wide and safe for Angel. the foam can be a bit spendy. just make sure you buy it when they have their 50% off coupons! or you could try the batting stuff that people make blankets out of. can't remember offhand if that's a little less expensive-except you'd need more layers of it probably. makes a really nice soft ramp. and the fleece makes sure the bottom edge doesn't slip on the carpet. best to cut the foam or batting big enough to wrap a little around the edges of the wood, too, so there are no sharp edges for June. it's fun using things you already own at home to make cool stuff for your kitty. no need to buy much else!

I think she's making up for lost time because she is all up in my business now. lol I can't have my hand on my computer mouse without her trying to lay on my forearm. (She also has taken to wanting to sleep on my pillow... even when I'm sleeping on it! Woke up to cat butt in my face the other night)
Also, since removing the mattress, I moved her food and water dishes over to the floor where the bed frame is. She has finally started to eat twice a day again. I'm starting to think she was afraid to go to eat by the door because of the sounds that are on the other side. It's nice that things are going back to "normal" for her.

June is said to be 9 years old. The shelter I got her from has been a bit difficult to get information out of. At first they said she was 8, then it was 9. (And after 3 months I'm still waiting on her paperwork... ugh... I just keep on harming on them hoping I'll get something)

Thanks for the details on your ramps, once I finally get moved I'll have to make her some. Right now in the room we are in there isn't any place she can get to yet that needs one.