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In reply to the discussion: I need some advice from people who are cat savvy (UPDATED WITH PICTURES) [View all]Samantha
(9,314 posts)I think a lot of people here would just pick Nikita up and bring her in. But she startles very easily. Although people say I have made amazing progress with her inasmuch as she allows me to pet her, she comes up to me and rubs against my legs - but if I unexpectedly sneeze, she jumps way in the air and off the porch. She needs more time to learn to trust me. Today I learned that when she scares, I can say it's okay, Nikita, it's okay, and she will calm down and come back on the porch. I just don't know what would happen if Cheyenne did something to startle her (my nearly-blind dog) and I was out of the house on an errand. I think she would instinctively reach out and claw her, but I don't know. Cheyenne is now 12 and has lived with me in this house since she was 10 weeks. So part of this process is getting Nikita and Cheyenne accustomed to each other so that they might live in peaceful coexistence. Cheyenne doesn't have an aggressive bone in her body, but she does bump into things.
I don't know about that woman in that pet store. I think she might have had another agenda. I kept mentioning PAWS (which does not euthanize animals) and she kept telling me I should be working with the animal rescue organization of the County. I have heard some really bad things about that organization, and good friend of mine had an appalling experience with them when he tried to rescue a Yellow Lab which had been put out on the street and nearly hit by a car. They kept insisting he was a Pit Bull (which are banned in PG County) and they said he had to be euthanized. I was so upset by their stupidity I told my friend he had to do some amateur detective work and track down the original owner to get the dog's records. This he amazingly managed to do (to save the dog's life and to adopt him!) and he found out from the original vet that the doctor too could not imagine anyone mistaking this wonderful yellow lab for a pit bull. He turned over all the dog's records and my friend was able to get the dog a reprieve from the needle. After about a month, they allowed him to adopt the dog. So I am not beating a path to their door for any reason.
Sam