My new addition from the Cat Rescue
 

Ziggy the cat came to his new forever home yesterday afternoon. He is a very large, short haired, all grey male; with attitude. He reminds me of a ballet dancer wearing a body suit and tights; very graceful and controlled in his movements.

I had the spare room (now his room :winky:) all set up for his arrival and he moved right in. There is a bed in there that he can go under to hide, and of course there is the bedding on top for when he prefers that.
A wall unit that has wide 24 inch shelves, is cleared of knick-nacs that he can perch on, or he can also go into the doored cabinet part. I put a pillow, covered with a thick towel in there for him to use as a cozy snuggle place and left one of the doors propped partially open. There’s a little cat-nip surprise in there for him too.

The bed is against a wall that has a large window that gets the afternoon sun, and the beams shine onto the bed. The window has a wide sill that he can sit or curl up on when he wants to look out onto the back yard. A climbing rose bush is right outside the window and its branches partially obscure the pane, but the branches also frame the window’s edge completely, and I think that he’ll like that because he can hide from being seen if he wants to.
Over all, the room is a bright, sun lit and cheery place.

I think that he’s had a few bad experiences in the last 6 months while being moved from another adoptive home and then into foster care because he attacks if you reach over him or move too fast. I’m waiting to hear back from the rescue center to get some insight on this.

I do know that his original owner was an elderly, severely arthritic lady who adopted him as a feral kitten, but that he went to the rescue after she went into a long term care facility 6 months ago. From there, he was adopted but was returned when he let it be known that he doesn't like children or disrespectful dogs.

He managed to scratch my arm when I reached over him to put some cat treats on the bed, shortly after his arrival. Otherwise, he is affectionate and we spent some time getting to know each other. He rubbed his head on my knee as I sat on the floor and he enjoyed being stroked. He has the deepest purr that I’ve ever heard…almost a growl, but it is indeed a purr :).

He hasn’t met Willy the dog yet, but he will within the next few days. Before that I want him to explore the house and get familiar with it while Willy is outside. Willy knows that there is a cat in the spare room and he has been told “NO!” a couple of times for sniffing at the door of "Ziggie's room". Willy seems to have gotten the message, reinforced of course with some home made jerky treats :D.

Ah…its so nice to have the new addition. I always find that caring for others is a great distraction from my own issues and that it makes them less bothersome. The timing couldn’t have been better, as it is getting progressively colder out (-15 Celsius / 8 Fahrenheit this morning), so my usual distraction of gardening is done until next April or May.

With love, Erika

I hope it works out. Aggression is very difficult to deal with.

If he was like this before, it will be a trial for you. If it is only adjustment related, he may settle down.

Check out Pam Johnson Bennett's books on Amazon...she really fixes many troublesome problems. She is very compassionate and solves many difficult issues for owners.

http://www.amazon.com/Pam-Johnson-Be...r_dp_pel_pop_1

I hope he is not a "psycho kitty"... but she even has a book on that topic! Many are available on the used sellers lists too.
I've read Twisted Whiskers and Hiss and Tell...both were fabulous reads.

Kudos to you for taking this on....I hope he works out for you as he sounds very handsome.

Erika, I am so happy you adopted Ziggy. Your home sounds perfect for him. Cats that don't get along with others (children or other animals) are often left at the shelter and lead a very lonesome life. I hope you'll be able to post some pictures of Ziggy soon. He sounds beautiful and wonderful. :circlelove:

I meant to also say to use a very soft voice for him... and keep calm.. Cats feed on tension and react to it.

We have a feral cat, we adopted in summer of 2012, as a kitten upNorth. She has never scratched us, or even hissed at Weezie.
If hubby and I get into a disagreement, sometimes we raise our voices (not really yelling), but an increase from daily levels. Maya will sometimes come in the room and start calling/yowling..." eh eh eh"! She doesn't get aggressive but does react to any tension around her. (Weezie ignores it all).

Not all ferals are aggressive. But Maya is very fearful, and your cat may hiss or scratch out of fear, as well.

Congrats on Ziggy! I have a Ziggy, too!

My Ziggy has a problem with anxiety, which led to inappropriate urination. It was so distressing for everyone and the things I tried on my own were not working. I finally bit the bullet and contacted a cat whisperer. We talked for over 2 hours and I ended up with a 10 page illustrated treatment program and list of a few products she recommended. My problem resolved the first day I implemented the program, almost a year ago. If you need the info, just contact me. She addresses any cat issue.

Enjoy your Ziggy. I love mine so!

Thanks so much for the tips and insight everyone.

I'm not about to give up on him (even if he does turn out to be psycho)...because I already promised him that this is his home and that he's definitely here to stay :).

I've had many fur babies come to live with me over the years; after their behavior or natural traits became too much for others. Not one of them didn't adjust, settle down and become friendly in time. True, some did have their quirks, but who doesn't?

In fact, Willy the dog had spent nearly a year going from adoptive (2) and foster homes (also 2), as well as the SPCA before he came to live with me. He was tagged as potentially vicious, but he hasn't been aggressive without cause towards anyone since his initial adjustment period; and he's been a great friend, for 9 years now.
Oh sure, he needed a lot of understanding and some specialized training to channel his intensity away from aggression and toward play, but once he got that, he became more secure, and confidence won out over aggression.

I think that Ziggy just needs some time and some consistent, loving understanding...and there's plenty of that here :).
I just hope that he hasn't been mistreated or abused along the way.
Still waiting to hear back from the Cat Rescue on that.

With love, Erika

God bless you, Erika. Thank you for giving Ziggy the consistency and love he needs. :hug:

Hi Erika,

My cat Rocky was rescued from a hoarding house when he was a kitten. He went to the local shelter and I adopted him there. He was the shyest cat there but he was so beautiful that I fell in love with him. He was very standoffish for awhile and afraid of everyone, including me until I drew him out. He also has had behavior issues but not scratching. I'm sure there's a way to get past it. I'm thinking it is likely because of his recent situation and all he has been through.

Thank goodness you found him. His room sounds fabulous, like kitty heaven. :)

Erika, Ziggy is very fortunate to have you. He will respond quickly if he is able, I am sure. Most cats are very intelligent and adaptable, and only need a little time to learn the new home.

He might be able to scent the dog...and that may be a contributing factor.

Maya was the most shy kitten we have ever had. Collectively between the two homes (vacation and here), it was over a month before she would come out of hiding! Our record for adjustment prior to that was 2 weeks for Oreo. So I was concerned about little Maya, but she is now, comfortable with us. (but still runs from strangers). I play with her everyday, and I think that helped alot with her. She loves to play and invents games!

I keep her indoors and she gets tense sometimes with her hunting needs watching birds out the window. So I discovered a way to defuse this need, and it calms her right down! I call it the biteybite game. She likes sticks (the ends of the feather toys, or string toy). So I put it under a towel on a chair, where she likes to play, and move it around like a mouse, and she leaps off the chair back or arms and attacks it. I think the towel cleans her teeth too. The towel is thick enough she can't hurt her teeth, and she goes to town nails and all, on this moving thing. After a few minutes she is docile again, and typically takes a nap. This way her need to bite and be ferocious is directed safely. None of our other cats did this, but then they were less feral too. She tells me she is tense with little vocalizations like crying. She has been the most unusual cat we have ever had in 40+yrs!

Ziggy is one lucky fellow! Keep posting on your progress, please, because these situations can be so instructive to all of us.

"Biteybite" sounds fun and it couldn't have a cuter name!

She shows me when she wants BiteyBite too! The towel hangs down over the seat of the recliner, and she sneaks under it and
makes a mess of it, and looks very foolish! She will also make her little cries, of "distress" right in front of me.

I just stuck that stick under there for a lark one day, and she went bonkers over it. So now it is a GAME and has a NAME! LOL
She likes the stick part of the feathers on a stick toy, better than the feathers! ;)

Maya has evolved into a very interesting animal and not a day goes by we don't laugh at her antics! I was quite concerned at first but things have evolved here quite nicely. She does shred cardboard and paper and builds nests, but that is a story for another day. ;)

All of a sudden, I really really miss my Cat!!!:(.
Good luck and good wishes for you three troubled souls,
over there..:D:p:D

He's been under the bed all day and hasn't even come out to eat. The game sounds like it may be right up his alley...when he comes out and has adjusted a bit , of course :).
Right now, I think that he is just resting and contemplating.

With love, Erika

I think under the bed is typical. Dog cannot get him there, and he smells, dog in the air. If he has been in a cage for a long time, he may seek confinement like that.

We never knew where Maya was in the cabin. We blocked off the loft, so the bedroom area (one big room) was all there was.

This is a picture I titled, in Aug of 2012.... Where's Maya?
After several days of playing with her, she would sneak out and peek at us....so I caught her with my camera one day: she was about 9 wks old in this photo.

BTW...she is all black.

Erika,

You can try just quietly sitting in Ziggy's room. Don't look toward him or anything. Just let him get used to you. In a day or so, you can try quietly reading aloud to him, so he gets used to your voice. I'll bet he comes out pretty soon. The last cat I adopted, Brillo, hid in my closet for 2 days and then just walked downstairs and announced that she owned the house!

We also use food . Each day I put down
a little plate with a tiny bit of chicken or bacon
(this was a hot item) or steak or tuna and this would
lure Maya out. They were all new to her and
Between the food treats and playing
She finally came out one evening to sit
On a pillow on the sofa like it was hers!
Just like 4-eyes describes.

We are in a tornado watch with a terrible
storm now and Maya is pacing all over
As she is afraid of wind and rain sounds
Still.

I hope Ziggy comes out for you tomorrow.

I've been going into his room every few hours to chat with him and to do my meditations. He came out last night for a little cat nip but I don't want to over use that; in case it makes him agitated.

He has a bowl of his regular dry food and some tuna on another plate, but he's not interested.

Willy can't get to him although, I'm sure that he knows that there is a dog in the house. I don't think that he's too frightened, but rather like Mrs. D and 4eyes have said, he's doing the typical hiding. I've had other cats do this too, and like you've said, one fine day they walk right out like the house belongs to them...and everyone else in it is staff!:D

With love, Erika

I've found that cats are very attracted to a person meditating! They come from wherever they are in the house and rub against me and try to sit on my hands. >^..^<
ANN

My old girl used to do that.
So did another that cat that came to me as a teenager. I named him Shenpa because he would sneak up and then slowly oooze himself closer until he was touching me. Then he would wiggle his body little by little until he was in my lap.
Shenpa in Tibetan Buddhism is defined as the arising thought of distraction; sort of like becoming aware that an itch is increasing and that you would like to scratch it :D.

Cats are so neat.

With love, Erika

This is wonderful news! Many congratulations to you and your new boy. I think he hit the kitty jack pot.

All of the ones I have now are former ferals, semi-feral or just savages depending on how you look at it. :D

Erika sounds like you have made a wonderful home/palace for Ziggy. Rescue animals are the best. They just seems to know that someone has come to rescue them because they have empathy for them and they in return give devotion. Good luck and send us a picture when he will let you. Under my bed is Melodies place when there is unwanted company in the house. Now when I am trying to give her her medicine, she is under the kitchen table where she knows I can't reach her

Good news.
Ziggy came out from under the bed late last night, ate quite a good portion of dry food and all of the tuna. His water bowl shows that he drank and he has used the litter box as well. With those things taken care of, I'm less concerned about him being back under the bed this morning.

The Cat Rescue sent me this link and said that he was rescued along with his litter mates and feral mother when he was around 6 weeks old and then he was adopted by the original owner at around 8 weeks.

They think that his "attacking" behavior may have to do with the possibility that he was younger than 6 weeks when rescued and that he didn't have the opportunity to play fight with his litter mates enough, or even other cats when young.
Apparently kittens learn not to play too rough at an early age through playing with their litter mates and their mother.

They suggested that if/when he attacks again, to just leave him in the room alone for a few hours. That way he might catch on that when he attacks, that petting and other contact abruptly ends and his life becomes boring.
Sounds like a reasonable approach.

Why Friendly Cats Attack
http://www.azmccr.org/Why%20cats%20attack.htm

With love, Erika

I think human handling also is necessary when very young.

The owner of the rescue where I got Maya, is a friend of ours, and I asked if she would have a black female during the summer.
She had just rescued a farm litter, and chose Maya for me. Now I do like to choose my own kitten, but I really had no choice in this.
So she handled Maya alot, had her cage with one littermate in her living room, instead of outbuilding she used for the animals, and
Maya is very tame. Doesn't like being carried much but never scratched us, even in play. Our friend handled her alot...and she learned about houses too.

Oreo came from a house with several children who played with the kittens alot. So Oreo was very very tame with us, too.

A vet from upNorth, told us last summer --he favors cats---that a new environment is very stressful on them. More than we think.
The stress suppresses their immune systems briefly. They can get sick commonly when adopted or taken on vacation.
Weezie had lost Oreo to cancer 3 days before vacation, the trip was a stressor, then she was bitten by an animal...and boy was she sick (abscess on her neck)! Very high fever etc. So this vet explained all this to us so we could minimize stress when possible. Watch for feline herpes! If it is not treated properly (no steroids), and with Lysine quickly, it tends to pass. It comes out with stress. Mostly it will go into the eye, or lungs if not caught swiftly. I apologize, Erika if you know this already, but a friend of ours lost a cat to feline herpes that went into its eye. 3 visits to her vet resulted in putting the cat to sleep. She was furious. Running eyes, lethargy and coughing are symptoms. Ferals are usually infected as tiny kittens.

Sounds like Ziggy is adjusting quickly... I was thinking of him last night during our nasty storm. (Maya was very upset during the terrible wind part).

Looks like he will do well. Once he ate, I bet he felt better about all the new things, too.

Thanks for the link... it was great!

Thanks Mrs. D,

No I did not know about Herpes in cats. Humans are susceptible to the same thing under stress, and similarly most are infected as children.

I'll certainly keep an eye on him because he's been moved a fair amount in the last month.

A little while ago he came out while I was changing his water and I happened to have a little piece of Willy's jerky in my pocket, so I offered it to him. Looks like he thinks that the jerky is pretty good too.:)
It should be fine for him to have it in small amounts; as its just meat; no salt or spices.

With love, Erika

I love cat threads and the subsequent posts.

Update on my three...all adjusted to the apartment immediately. We have a long hallway which allows for thunderous games of "chase me." I wonder if the neighbor under me can hear when they play.

Also got a nice compliment that for having three cats, there is no telltale smell of the cat box. We have only one box and it gets cleaned twice a day.

Aarcyn,

I can just imagine your cats thundering down the 'race track' hall way :).
What fun! Glad that your fur babies have adjusted and are liking their new home.

Even though I just have the one cat, I too clean the litter box 2x/day, just like I'd check them for the old girl before him (She preferred to step outside to use the box under the porch, but sometimes she'd choose the one inside).
I think that cats prefer to use a clean litter box...I know that I would if I were a kitty.

Ziggy has a big weak spot for tuna (the real kind), so he's showing himself for the 1/4 of a tin that he gets 3 times a day. I've been setting it down at his feeding station by the bed and then I just sit on the floor while he comes out, eats and then crawls back under the bed. At least he's not rushing to get back under there lately. He seems to have just claimed the area under the bed as his resting place.

I put a tennis ball in the bag of cat-nip for a while and left it in the room with him, and he has taken it has taken it under the bed :D.
I'm a bit puzzled on how he got it under there because the bed is on a futon frame that has 8 inch wide boards that contact the floor all the way around. Above those boards there is a 6 inch gap, and then the slats of the frame that supports the mattress.
The futon frame forms a rather large (the area of the bed), flat box, which Ziggy finds quite cozy. His room is the only one in my house that has carpet (a very thick one), and there is also a floor heating vent under the bed too :).

He had to have picked the ball up and lifted it over the boards some how to get it under there, and that's a pretty big ball for a cat to get his mouth around. Hmmmm....looks like Ziggy has magical powers.

I have a large dog crate (Willy's), that I'm going to set up with a couple of pillows and a fuzzy blanket...and some cat nip of course, to see if he will use that as a bed. He hasn't gone into the cabinet part of the wall unit, as I had hoped that he would, so maybe the dog crate will suit him more.

I'm hoping so, because if he does and then gets used to that, eventually I can bring it out into the living room with him in it so he can watch the goings on, as well as Willy the dog, from the safety of a closed crate.

For the time being though, we are still working on building trust a-la-tuna-fish.:D

With love, Erika

The dog crate is out in the garage and has been there for over a year, so it doesn't smell like Willy. I'll give it a good cleaning and then rub a little cat-nip onto it on the inside, so that it might be more attractive to him. I also have another blanket that I can drape over the whole business to make it like a 'kitty-cave'.

Ziggy's tray (a litter box bottom), of wheat grass is sprouting nicely, so it should be ready for him by the weekend. My old girl loved to have that to nibble and lay on :)

With love, Erika

That sounds like progress... he is a clever fellow... just like our Maya who makes nests for herself.

Think some cardboard boxes too... we have small Amazon flat ones, all the way up to a big thing that I got from Ebay. The cats LOVE this 30x36x12in monstrosity which I lay on its side, and hide in it, nap in it play in it and shred craft paper (I get in packages too) and then pull it inside to make their own nest. :rolleyes:

Our other cats all liked boxes but not like Maya does! This box is over the boiler pipe (which is in the basement) in our dining room, so it is warm in there now as well. I have a smaller box in the kitchen. This I started with Weezie with toys in it...when a kitten she would play in the box, so as not to get underfoot. Now Maya has taken the baby box over and waits to see if we will give her a treat. (her treat is shrimp and the whipped cream some days in small diblets). She was so cramped in the old one we replaced it with a slightly larger flat Amazon one a few days ago and she is very happy with it. She likes paper so I put in a little tissue paper and she is happy as a clam! LOL

So you found his food treat favorite quickly! I'd suggest you only use "light" tuna and not albacore. Albacore is high in mercury and in children and small pets (but also including humans) should be avoided. We only give tuna once a week, for this reason.
But you could also try whipped cream. If Ziggy is not lactose intolerant he might LOVE it. Oreo lived with kids, and they gave her all sorts of things we had no idea about. Her first Thanksgiving she was new to us, and jumped up on the table when she heard the canister of whipped cream go off for the pumpkin pie. I turned around and when I came back she had her paw on the dish and was pulling it towards herself, to steal the cream! We laughed and laughed...it was like what you see in cartoons!

So whipped cream became her daily treat. When she was dying of her cancer (part was a lump in her neck and the other part in her abdomen), we had to increase her whipped cream too. It will hide some ground up medications as well, as long as they are not too bitter.
She rather lived on it for several months until it was obvious she was in terrible pain suddenly (her remission wore off), and we euthanized her. sigh. Maya can have about an inch squirt, but Weezie gets diarrhea from it. So it is a toss up as to which cats can tolerate dairy, I guess! We used to buy 3 giant cans at a time at Costco for Oreo. She had this for 14yrs!

If Ziggy has always been indoors, I'd give the catnip straight on a saucer...he probably needs greens too. You can buy some catgrass at Petco or PetSupplies plus already germinated. Maya squeals and carries on when I make the pot with the dirt and she watches me avidly when I plant the seeds, then they go under a plant light, and when ready, she dances around us...big time. They have digestive discomfort when grass is not available..so you could spring the $$ to get the first pot at the store and if he loves it, you can grow your own. I think Kitty grows her own too, and has a link where you can buy the seed..and supplies. The cat grass IMO is as popular as catnip or a food treat. (Maya is very reactive and emotional, and so her reactions are obvious. Weezie is calm and watches carefully, and will eat just as much of the grass as Maya. ) So think about the grass. The way Ziggy took that ball, suggests to me he may need some greens too. Many cats sleep well after a catnip blast...so I am sure he liked it very much! ;)

Keep the stories coming... It is very nostalgic for me to share this
event with you. We have a friend of my husband's at work who adopted a 2yr old gray...from the same rescue we got Maya. She has 3 cats and a Lab. One of the cats is giving her a problem and not accepting him, so Stoney lives in the basement for now. But he is slowly coming out, as well, only it has been a very slow process for her. She and I talk alot about his adjustments as well. ;)

Wild Kitties
 

I adopted a brother pair that were not used to people. They were 9 months old and I think were just moved from shelter to shelter. They did not want to interact with me at all. I put them in a bedroom with food, water and a litter box. They were quite content with having so much more room to play in that the cages they had before. They would not approach me at all. I would go in and just lay on the bed or floor and talk softly to them. I had a toy (stick with string and mousy on it) that I would move slowly. They started to play with it. I kept up with that. They would let me pet them while they ate. I just kept up with the quiet talk and the toy. They got curious about the world outside of the one room so I gradually opened it up. One cat took the lead in break thrus. They started to let me do things like pet them on my bed. It was slow and steady. I have now had them for almost three years and they are quite content. I don't have lap cats but they have made so much progress. I suspect that they were abused and I have been overcoming something very bad. You can make great strides with slow easy and quiet moves. Every kitty is worth it!

Hi Erika
 

Great to hear about your new addition. You gave that cat a fantastic home! I did the same 5 month ago, rescued a 3 day old feral kitten. One thing is for sure, he doesn't like other people, just me. I think that wild part of him will not get that much better. I don't know how many generations of "wild" Were in him.
Every time one of us rescues these kittens is a win win.... we love them, and in return we wind up with a friend. My kitten is in my lap right now for morning hugs. If I were younger, I would have a few more. ginnie:grouphug:

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences.

Mrs. D,
I have enviro-friendly caught tuna (Atlantic) that is light and has no salt added. I think that it is better than the "tuna platter" cat food mush. I just don't trust that stuff.
He also likes 'Tender Vittles' treats but not as much as the tuna. I'm mostly using the tuna to get him used to receiving food from me, so will slowly back off on the amount as he gets more trusting. I agree on the mercury concern.
Slow and steady will win the game.

Thanks for the suggestions about the cardboard boxes and tissue paper. I'd forgotten about that one :)

With love, Erika

Yeah, we use human grade light tuna....our kitties like the water too. There is a movement here to switch to the pouches...couldn't find water in cans this summer at all! Had to do the pouches, but those were easier for traveling.:rolleyes:

Tender Vittles is not available here anymore either. Our late Tippy loved Tender Vittles! She lived to be 20yrs old! I wonder if yours is the same as ours was?

I wanted to give a plug to the product "Feliway" which is also available in an off-brand. It is essential for maintaining peace in my group of 3 cats and 2 dogs (all rescues). My Ziggy has the worst anxiety and when he does have a setback (pees on the counter) the first thing I check is the Feliway diffuser and so far 100% of the time, I find it is empty. As soon as I plug in a fresh vial, calm is restored. Feliway is great for any stressful transition as well.

You may also want to put a small hand towel on both your dog and Ziggy's bed. After a day or two, switch them out so your guys can get a more "up close" chance to smell their housemate.

Sounds like things are going great so far!

Thanks 4eyes,

Do you happen to know if that product a pheromone? I've read some things about pheromone products that sound like what you are describing...it sure might help Ziggy settle in.
Thanks for the tip. I'm going to check it out at the pet supply store.

With love, Erika

Yes, it is a pheromone.

Cool. I'm going to see if they have it up here.
Thanks again for the tip :)

With love, Erika

It's readily available online. That's how I buy mine--a year's supply at a time.

It costs much less online... look around. It is very expensive at any vet office.

So only get a small bit of it... and see. It didn't work much for us or my son at all (with his Tima who is in my siggie photo now).
When he moved she was urinating all over his new house!

Erika,

I get Wellness brand grain free cat food, canned in the morning, then dry for their dinner. They get all the nutrients they need and are very healthy and no diarrhea. It isn't cheap but I think a bit less than human grade tuna and it has the feline nutrients they need. I order it from petco.com and I get a discount for buying cases at a time and it lasts for months. You can also get the bagged dry food there but I get it at the local Petco or Petsmart stores to make sure it is really fresh.

I found some fuzzy cat sized balls around 2 1/2 inches around and we put those in the catnip and Rocky goes wild for them, he lays down and holds it and kicks and then washes it off and throws it into the air. They are like little fuzzy tennis balls.

Ziggy is getting friendlier...but also got a swat in at me this evening.

He ate part of his tuna and then stopped to come over to rub his head on my knee as I sat there. He was really bold about it, so I patted him gently on his neck and gave him a rub behind the ears. He flopped onto his side and continued rubbing his head on my knee.
As I spoke to him in a soft voice, he got up, accepted another stroke on his neck and then, more playfully than anything took a swat and missed.

I promptly (as promptly as this body would allow), went to the door of the room, exited and clicked out the light as I shut the door.

We'll see if thinking about that through the night changes his behavior tomorrow. That was the tactic that was suggested that I use.

It does seem that the swatting is more of a cat-to-cat sort of thing, rather than an aggressive move. It makes me wonder if his original owner used some sort of toy to play with him, and that the swat may be him asking to play :confused:. Either way, I don't care to encourage it, so will try the "alone time" tactic for a few days to see how it works out.

Thanks for the tips everyone.
I'll check out the Wellness brand cat food to see if we can get it up here in Canada. He seems to like the dry food that he came with though, and I'm a little unsure about changing his primary food until he has adjusted to being here.

If he's a good boy, he'll be introduced to the 'Cat Cave' ...the cat friendly, dog crate tomorrow.:)

With love, Erika