askye, they'll settle, I swear. It takes some time, but they will figure it out and things will calm down.

Signed, Crazy Cat Lady What Has 3 Cats

Not to mention that the whole "doctor choice" thing isn't so much of a choice if the doctor you want doesn't take your HMO or insurance.

This. So much this. Those who oppose universal health care and use doctor choice as a reason have obviously never dealt with HMOs.

Askye, I hope that Rose and Sadie adjust!! I was pretty lucky in that Amarna stopped hiding after an hour or so, but I've heard some cat-owner stories about new cats who were ghost cats for a good month or so before they settled in.

How long have those two been with you?

{{WindSparrow}} Quick efficient doctor ~ma.

~ma all round. Too far behind in everything to catch up....

Kathy, It's been almost three weeks with Rose and she still hides all the time, the only time she comes out on her own is at night. Then she wants attention and walks over me.

Sadie, is terrified of me. Sunday she did almost lunge at me. I have barely been able to pet her and last night she kept me up meowing.

I know it's supposed to be an adjustment and I'm trying to just let the cats do their own thing but I don't want to commit to a cat who is going to hide all the time.

So I don't know.

two and a half hours till appointment with doctor. tha's good enough, right? I don't have to go to the emergency room?

It would probably take you that long to be seen at the emergency room. Let us know what the doctor says.

I found Sadie, she's behind the washer. As soon as she realized I'd seen her she hissed, growled, and lunged at me.

That's the second time she's done that. She's growled at me a few times and I'm just not comfortable with that. I swear yesterday when Sadie was walking around she was actually stalking me.

So the lady is going to come back and get Sadie and I'll keep Rose at least through next week.

Aimee that's unbelievable that the hospital let your mother go without food for so long. Some times it's like they don't think, even though they are doctors . Plus that long without food makes everyone cranky and can just add to stress of being in the hospital and facing the unknown.

Sorry things didn't work out with Sadie - it is the way sometimes.

WS, be good to yourself.

Please send the jobma~~~ to Matt . He'd really like to be working again.

askye, I'm going to second what they've said about giving the kitty time to chill. My cat drove me INSANE when he was little. In. Sane. But he has chilled and mellowed and is a pleasure to share a small apartment with 99% of the time. (Although he still hides from all People Who Are Not Me, and assumes they are mad axemen for the initial 3 hours of their visit.)

askye, I'm sorry things are rocky with Sadie. My brother got a cat a couple of years ago that he had to return; he felt awful about it, but after several weeks the cat was still hiding and stalking (and clearly bent on seriously hurting the other, older cat). It's sad, but sometimes it just doesn't work, and if Sadie does have to go back I can guarantee you'll be far from the first person who's ever brought one back to them.

Lots of doctor~ma to WS.

And such a world of job~ma to Matt. Matt not having a completely awesome and thrilling job makes absolutely no sense at all.

Not to mention that the whole "doctor choice" thing isn't so much of a choice if the doctor you want doesn't take your HMO or insurance.

Not to mention that sometimes you want the doctor and the doctor wants you and wants in on your HMO or insurance, and the HMO rejects the doctor because they already have "enough" doctors in your area on their roster and they're already making so much money they don't want to bother with the paperwork for the sake of one lousy patient. My hand to God, this happened to me (with my longtime psychotherapist, who even had an adjunct faculty appointment at my uni and still couldn't get on my plan).