28 Comments

  1. I love reading this and seeing the progress Anthony has made! I knew he landed in the right home!! You are a very special person!!! Thank you for your love and devotion to a homeless cat!

    1. Thanks Susan, now if Maya would only stop being so mean. Just this morning she got really angry again which is crazy because she was at the shelter too with so many cats. She sits next to me all night long while I sleep to watch that Anthony doesn’t attempt to come near me. Crazy cat!

  2. my friend just lost her grandmother and inherited her grandmother’s cat so i sent this to her- thank you!

    1. Oh no! That is so sad! Well I hope it helps her.

  3. I just love this post. You have done such a wonderful job, Julia. Anthony’s transformation is clear to see on his sweet face. He does look like a different kitty! Thank you for sharing your journey. Anthony is a lucky guy.

    1. Thanks Kristin, I hope that he’ll be unrecognizable in a year 😉

  4. Love this post! I will share this post with many who are so frustrated and do not know what to do about their cat. Thank you for sharing your journey!

    1. Oh thank you, I appreciate all the shares.

  5. Anthony is such a lucky kitty to have found you. I have a houseful of cats and dogs and can confirm that medications are a lifesaver when all regular remedies have been exhausted. My grandcat had to stay with me for almost a year and was terrified of my dogs. Prozac helped him to cope until he could return home. He was miserable without it. My rescue yorkie has taken Prozac for over a year and it has made a huge difference. She can now interact with people and other dogs without issue. I also use gabapentin when we go to the vet. My vet couldn’t believe it was the same dog. Keep up the good work, I’m sure your patience and love will pay off for little Anthony!

    1. My Harry was on Prozac too because he used to pee everywhere and it helped him and me 😉
      I can’t believe I had never heard of Gabapentin before and wish I had it as an emergency helper earlier in my pet ownerships.
      Have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

  6. What a beautiful kitty! You’ve done such a wonderful job helping Anthony settle in…..Happy Thanksgiving!!!

    1. Thanks Jen, he still has a long road ahead of him but it’s a lot of progress. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

    2. Thanks Jen, he still has a long road ahead of him but it’s a lot of progress. And he needs to gain confidence to stand up to Maya. She is so mean. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

  7. Ursula Ellis says:

    So happy to read about Anthony’s progress. He does look like a different kitty. A new kind of before and after, Julia. I also applaud your patience and love and willingness to go the many extra miles to make his life better. Thank you, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

    1. Isn’t this before and after so much better than a home makeover 😉 ? Happy Thanksgiving to you too

  8. Tanya Reuscher says:

    Anthony looks wonderful! That little face! Keep up the good work. Our Luna takes Gabapentin before every vet visit and she is so much calmer. We hated how stressed out she used to get. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

    1. I really wish I had known about Gabapentin earlier. It would have made my cats’ life so much easier during vet visits and other stressful situations. Happy Thanksgiving to you too.

  9. Kathleen Tweed says:

    Julia, how wonderful. Anthony has come so far. There aren’t many people that would have the patience for this sweet boy. He was very lucky the day you brought him home. Your ability to figure out what is bothering him is so perfect I’m convinced it is the love you feel for him that Anthony is able to latch on to. Such an inspiring story. I’ve never experienced this with any of my cats but it has opened my eyes to future rescues/adoptions. So glad that you took on this challenge. What an example you are to your children.

    1. Thanks Kathleen, I really hope Maya will come around yet too and not be so mean. A lot of her behavior is jealousy. She is watching me nonstop.
      I hope my kids will learn from this for sure.

  10. It’s wonderful and it makes me happy to see that Anthony made such progress, Julia. He is so lucky that you brought him home. Not many people would have your patience. Thank you for putting together all those tips! I’ll keep them in mind just in case and have pinned your post to my cat board.

    1. Thanks so much for pinning Julia! I really hope the tips will help someone.

  11. Alessandra says:

    He is so beautiful! and what amazing work you have done. This is true love right there.
    And thanks for sharing all the tips to take care of an adopted cat.

    1. Thanks Alessandra, I hope that he will be accepted by my cats soon and living a normal life in our household. He is still very very scared but definitely better than before.

    1. Thanks so much for pinning, I appreciate any shares and hope it will help others too.

  12. So glad for him and you! You’re his angel no natter what

  13. Hello, I was just reading your recent blog post which did not have a comment section which is why I’m commenting here.. You know more about cats that I do and have probably already tried these. For 7 yrs. I have been fostering felines. From newborn (umbilical cord still attached), bottle-babies, to several kittens needing, eye creams, drops, amoxicillin, metro. etc. every 1-2 hrs., to hoarded cats with no skin on them and adults weighing less than a pound. This is becoming a short story long:-) I don’t know if Anthony is on pills, capsules or drops. If pills or capsules I use a small pestle and mortar to completely crush the pill before adding to their food. Capsules I open and if they are large divide then into 2 meals. Whatever their absolute food is (yogurt, a little cream, ground cooked chicken etc. I just mix it in really well, and so far I have been very lucky. Using their regular wet food also works with some of them. My own sweet little girl came from a hoarding situation with no fur or skin on her entire upper body. (My foster failure) but I have always been lucky with her as she is good as gold when bandaging or popping a pill. Good luck – he’s a very lucky kitty.

    1. Thank you so much for your comment and fostering so many kitties in need.
      I have the medication in pill form that I crush with a mortar and capsule powder form and for a while it has worked stuffing it into things and mixing the powder into food. I think I’ve bought every food there is, tried cheese, salami, ham, canned chicken, chicken babyfood, canned tuna, liverwurst paste, Thanksgiving turkey, steak, whipped cream, meat tubes, pill pockets, Tomlyn pill-masker and probiotics. Some of it worked for a while and once he bit into the pill or noticed the taste mixed in, it didn’t work anymore. He is pretty smart and has become super picky. I even went as far as licking all the stuff (yuck) myself to figure out what doesn’t taste bitter anymore with no luck.
      With all the cats I ever had, I have found a way to pill them, he is the first one where it has become impossible :(which is not a good thing should he ever get sick.
      And he’s lost a ton of weight now too after his oral surgery. He is such a challenge. I really don’t know anymore what to do.

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