Momma Merlin

This post is less about my foster kittens and more about my rescue cat Merlin. Merlin is a one-of-a-kind cat. And I'm not being biased here I know a lot of people would agree on this! A lot of people comment on how incredible it is that he is so sweet and gentle with my foster kittens simply because he is an adult male cat that has only been an "only child". I couldn't agree more, but I think it's even more impressive if you know Merlin's whole story. Which I will tell here (I will keep it brief, I know I could go on, and on, and on, and on...) 

On May 21, 2012 I entered the Fort Wayne Animal Care and Control to look at cats. I knew I wanted to adopt a cat that summer- I would be moving into my first apartment at school in the Fall and wanted my own cat for a room mate. But I wasn't particularly looking to adopt that day. Well I wandered around the free-roaming cat room and met lots of cats but none that I was really drawn to. Then when I entered the third room the worker turned to me and said "be careful of that gray one." And that's when I met Merlin. He seemed to be drawn right to me and I was to him. It was a match made in heaven. I learned that he had been found abandoned. I was shocked wondering who would ever abandon such a sweet, handsome boy?! I put him on hold that day and went in the next day to officially adopt him.

Merlin the day I brought him home!

Now this is going to sound bad, but after some time with him and now looking back on our journey together, and the experience I have hearing reasons why some people surrender their pets, I have a feeling I know exactly why Merlin was abandoned. Aside from Merlin's messy gastrointestinal issues (got that worked out with a lifelong probiotic) and multiple bouts of idiopathic cystitis, he had a lot of behavioral issues. I will spare you the details of the year I spent getting bitten and scratched and attacked by Merlin every time I tried to leave a room--but it was bad. And I am telling you I tried everything during that year. All kinds of behavior modification strategies I had learned for behavior lessons at school (I'm a vet tech major) and from Jackson Galaxy on My Cat From Hell (He's awesome check it out!!). I even used Feliway plug-ins and spray which worked to an extent but didn't completely "fix" him. (Feliway is a product that uses cat pheromones to help with behavioral issues. I've heard of a lot of people that have had success with it, and I really do think it helped Merlin to an extent). But alas he was still having his "episodes" and "attacks." 

So a quick description of what I mean by "attacks" or "episodes." Merlin would get worked up by something, it usually involved me leaving him (going to class, closing the bathroom door to shower, going across the hall to do a load of laundry, etc.) but sometimes it was just something that got him worked up (kids outside the window messing with him, a sound outside, etc.). He would do the typical upset cat signs-- ears back, eyes big, and then pounce. He'd usually get to my ankles/feet but sometimes it was arms or even face. At this point there was no calming him down. He would get himself so worked up that he couldn't stop. It was really sad to me because I didn't see anger or hate in his eyes, I saw fear. The only way to calm him down was to put him in his kennel (I had a small dog kennel for him with a blanket and some of his favorite toys). Eventually he would settle down and I would let him out and he'd go back to being the best kitty ever. 

So finally September of 2013 I decided to make him an appointment with the pet behaviorist at Purdue (where I go to school). Basically, he was diagnosed with generalized anxiety and separation anxiety. I got a lot of tips and ideas for behavior modification and he was prescribed Prozac (yes it works for dogs and cats too). The Prozac helped tremendously! By the holidays my family noticed he was a "different cat." He would still have the "episodes" but they weren't nearly as often. I would also be able to get him settled down after an "attack" by talking to him and giving him his favorite toy to wrestle instead. He was still needing to take some acepromazine (a tranquilizer) in order to travel in the car (Otherwise he would get himself too worked up and start panting and once he cut his gums trying to chew out of the carrier.) 

Now to when I started fostering. As you can imagine I was a little worried about how he would react. We just had a big move to Indy which Merlin didn't handle well (he was very stressed even with his drugs). But I figured I would give it a shot- worse case I would have to bring the kittens back and not foster. Well as soon as I brought home my first litter Merlin stepped into his role as Momma Merlin. He never once hissed or tried to hurt them. He never got upset with me or acted out. In fact he became a better cat. Since I brought home the first litter of kittens Merlin's "episodes" dropped dramatically. He went several weeks without even nipping at me (it was a record!) Fostering kittens may very well be the best thing I could have done for Merlin. He was so sweet with them, he would even wait by the kitten's kennel for me to open it so he could play with them. The most incredible thing was the day I moved from Indy. I decided to try not drugging Merlin before the car ride- we had two trips to make that weekend- one from Indy to Lafayette (1 hour) and then from Lafayette to Fort Wayne (a little over 2 hours) and I didn't want to drug him 2 days in a row. So, Merlin was in one carrier and the foster kittens (Minnie and Mickey) were in another. Merlin slept peacefully the whole time!  I couldn't believe it! 

So now this is why I have come to the conclusion that I have to foster kittens forever. How can I deny not only helping kittens in need but my own cat as well! 

So that's the story of why Merlin is a truly special cat. Our journey together was not easy but it was so worth it. Every cat is worth it. Sorry it was a long post-- but i promise that was the condensed version of the story-- I could talk about Merlin forever! 

If you have any questions or want tips on dealing with an anxious cat like Merlin feel free to ask. I have some experience and don't mind sharing what I've learned!