Schroeder Update 9

The enclosure I set up for Schroeder when I brought him home from the animal shelter—see details here—was frankly jury-rigged. Since I didn’t have a proper litter pan, I fashioned one from a cardboard box. I had some litter-box liners I could use, so this sort of worked. I almost immediately constructed another one from a smaller box to give the cat a bit more room in the enclosure, however. Schroeder seemed to be spending all his time sitting in the makeshift litter pan. The next day, there was litter everywhere, including in the food and water bowls. I removed the bowls for cleaning, and, when I filled the food bowl, the cat at voraciously. I gave him a second helping.

By this time, I had opened the enclosure door and placed an open carrier in front of it. This gave Schroeder a sort of second room to his temporary home. Today, I found a proper litter pan. It is designed for a kitten, but it should be serviceable, and it takes up less room than my cardboard pans.

The current setup for Schroeder looks like this:

Where you may ask, is the cat? Well, he is in the carrier on the left. He has been there all day and has hardly moved. As far as I can tell, he has neither drunk, nor eaten, nor used the litter pan. I have tried to coax him out of hiding, but he has been, shall I say, unmoved. I have—wisely, I hope—not tried to dislodge him. Assuming he is not suffering from depression or catatonia—note the clever use of the term there—he will have to show himself eventually.

The good news is that on Monday, four days from now, I will be taking Schroeder to a clinic sponsored by Cat Aid Network. He will be neutered, vaccinated, and otherwise cared for. Between now and then, I’m hoping that Schroeder and I will become friends.

Stay tuned for further updates.

Note: Schroeder’s story to date can be followed here.