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His name is Joe and is very pretty. All white, blue eyes. He is *supposedly* under a year old, but this cat is big for his age! We brought him home last night and he has been hiding in various places since. He seems freindly enough but will hiss at you in the middle of petting him. Hopefully this is just a getting settled in thing? I haven’t ever brought in a grown up cat, so I’m freaking out a little. He also bit Natalie, which is the exact opposite of what I wanted to have happen. She was just petting him and he turned on her :nea: She is bummed and a little scared of him now, but still wants to try to be with him quietly.
Should I be worried that he bit her? I’m worried that maybe he needs a quieter home, how will I know? I’m prepared to give him time, but what do I look for in behavior for signs that he is doing ok? He isn’t eating or drinking or using the litter pan, but I’m not suprised simply because he is so out of sorts…..His previous owner said he was very sweet and liked thier daughter a lot, I wonder if maybe he liked her for chewing on??
Hmmm…I have never really had great success with older cats, I would suggest taking him back and getting a younger cat. I really would aim for a cat that is under 6 months old. You may have to try out a couple if you are going to try for an older cat.
Good luck.
Kyrin
My co-worker just had to go thru this and was about to give away her new cat, 11 months I think, but I told her to give him time and now he is the king of the house
I have spent a little more time with him today and he is like jeckel & hyde. One minute he is happy and rubbing all over me, the next he is hissing and scaring me. I don’t like that he bit Nattie, period. I honestly don’t know if I’m going to keep him. I feel terrible too, here I wanted to do this nice thing for a cat that needed a home and for my daughter. Everytime Nattie and I talked about him, she would ask, ‘he’s not gonna bit me right?’ and ofcourse what happened? So, I’m upset and feeling guilty….I’ll be spending time with him over the next few days and see how he does.
asinnamon wrote:I have spent a little more time with him today and he is like jeckel & hyde. One minute he is happy and rubbing all over me, the next he is hissing and scaring me. I don’t like that he bit Nattie, period. I honestly don’t know if I’m going to keep him. I feel terrible too, here I wanted to do this nice thing for a cat that needed a home and for my daughter. Everytime Nattie and I talked about him, she would ask, ‘he’s not gonna bite me right?’ and ofcourse what happened? So, I’m upset and feeling guilty….I’ll be spending time with him over the next few days and see how he does.
I wish I had a twin to Mooch, Natalie really needs a Mooch kitten…my little cat puts up with everything my 2.5 year old dishes out, including giving him a bath in the toliet! Poor guy! Story behind the toliet incident was Karli disappeared, we started hunting for her and found her in my studio room’s bathroom, which is seldom used. A little while after we retrieved her, Alex came to me with a dripping Mooch, and says, “I think I know what Karli was doing in the bathroom, Mom.” Oy!
I’d send you guys Mooch, if I didn’t think that it would upset my kids, but I am sure it would.
Mooch is a 3 month old orange tabby shorthair, male kitten.
Biggest issues with the older cats is unfortunately many of them end up cagebound for long periods and then when adopted are unable to adjust to life in a home. Which means they end up back where they started. I think perhaps shelters etc need to look at fostering in a rotation to prevent that, so0 that pets don’t forget what life is like on the outside.
Kyrin
He came from a home, well, maybe. I found his ad on craig’s list, long story short, maybe I’m just gullible, I dunno. I just went down in the basement to spend some time with him and he was the same. Sweet then sour…My MIL offered to help me take him to a shelter this week if he doesn’t start coming around. My hunch is that he would do much better in a home without so much noise and commotion. I feel like a terrible parent and how could I even consider giving him up? Wouldn’t that make me a terrible pet owner?
Hm. Kimi was okay when we got her (except she doesn’t know how to play without biting) so I don’t know how to help you. Maybe she’s upset because her last family abandoned her so to speak?
Maybe give her a bit more time, and if it doesn’t work, then maybe you should think about getting a different cat.
I hope that your kitty will work out okay. I don’t like that he is biting, but maybe he needs more time? I don’t think that you’d be a bad pet owner, but I understand your feelings.
A white cat with two blue eyes? You know, he may be deaf. Which could mean that he’d have a very hard time settling into a new home with a child. Try sneaking up behind him and popping a blown-up paper bag with your hands. I know that sounds mean, but if he doesn’t jump a mile, he may not be able to hear.
The split-personality thing suggests that he’s a high-strung cat by nature. He may or may not settle down, but certainly it’s not cool that he reacts to stress by biting. Poor Natalie! I know we all learn at some time that cats are sharp and pointy, but it’s hard when you were just trying to make friends. (I never did learn that lesson about my Nana’s cat.) A cat who’s feeling stressed will sometimes lash out at the nearest person without warning, so it’d be safer to just keep Natalie away from him for the next several days. Did he draw blood on her? If he broke the skin, have it checked; a cat’s mouth is loaded with some nasty bacteria.
It may be that he won’t fit in at your home, but really, it’s not your fault in any way. I would be tempted to just leave him to himself for a few days and see if he starts coming to you for attention more. If he hisses at you or starts lashing his tail, walk away. Either he’ll learn that ugly behavior makes him lose your attention, and mend his manners, or he’ll continue to be a poo and that would suggest that he’s a bully, which you don’t want in your home anyway. Either way, if you give him a couple of weeks and he’s not behaving himself nicely, it’s perfectly OK for you to contact a cat rescue and see if they can help you. For all his dicey temper, he’s still a beautiful and unusual cat, and those are easier to place than one more poor old grey tabby. (I have a soft spot for poor old grey tabbies. 😳 )
Thank you barrdwing for the advice! He was better yesterday in that he would come to whomever was down there for attention. He did growl when my hubby picked him, but then did sit nicely on his lap to be patted. We went out yesterday(the kids and I) to pick out some fun toys for him too. When we got home, Natalie and I went down and played with him. He was very interested in playing, so I think he is feeling more comfortable. It remains to be seen how he deals with the stress of the dogs and things not necessarily being on his terms, so I’m still on the fence. I’m giving him this week, today I’m going to try to get him upstairs while the dogs are in thier crates…
No, he didn’t break the skin thank goodness. It was just enough to make her swell up a little, but they look fine today. She is happy with him and has already been downstairs this morning to play with him.
I’m fairly certain he can see and hear. He stares at the furnace when it comes on and he tracks you w/ his eyes… Time will tell tho, and then atleast it’s almost kitten season…….
Congrats!
And Bardwing is right. I have 3 cats that all came from feral backgrounds and all have managed to fit in.
I think first, make sure he isn’t deaf, then give him a bit of room. I think if he has a few days he will be okay. Neutered males are usually friendlier than females and it is a big shock for a cat to change homes and smells and sounds and people and layouts and schedules.
I think if you give hime time, he will calm down. I know it is hard, but cats are freaky by nature. A tame cat should settle in, but it takes them a LOT longer than a dog. Please give him a few weeks before you decide what to do. Also, offer treats, tha will help.
Good luck. Kaya
I’m going to give you similar advice to everyone else. Give him a few weeks before you decide anything. Cats don’t adjust well to new environments and need time to settle in. Ignore him mostly and let him get a feel for his new home. Then go down and hang out with him like you have been doing, just don’t force him to do something he might consider strange, ie picking him up, carrying him. Watch for angry cat movements like lashing tails or ears down. The biting thing tells me he was scared and he lashed out, he didn’t break the skin so he didn’t really mean it, it was a warning bite, see I have teeth you strange thing touching me.
I have 11 cats now and not all of them were kittens were I brought them home. I’m kinda the home for the unwanted. Each cat took some time but eventually settled in, a few of the badly abused ones took several months but this guy doesn’t seem to have any of their traits, he’s just behaving like a new cat who is unsure of his surroundings.
You are not a bad pet owner for being concerned for your child with a new animal. It sounds to me like you have both your family’s and the cat’s best interests at heart. Feel free to pm me if you have specific questions of want to talk in detail. Hopefully he’ll settle in in the next few days. 🙂
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Sun Dragon Koi #3I was soooo freaking out! I have’t ever brought home a cat this age before, so I really didn’t think his reaction would be so extreme. Really tho, now he seems to be alot better. He is coming to us for attention and even coming upstairs and up-upstairs at night when the doggies are crated. His favorite spot in the basement is on a box right under the stairs, right where Calvin used to sleep 😥 …
Now he needs to learn how to use the cat door and face Emma the cat chasing boxer…..Thank goodness he is adjusting, Natalie is quite smitten with him! She wants him to sleep with her at night, my fingers are crossed that he will in a few weeks!!
Thanks for all the adivce too everyone! It helped so much to know I just needed to give him time and how he was behaving wasn’t really him!!
I’m SO glad to hear that he is coming around. I knew he would. My co-worker got a kitten 9 months old about 3-4 weeks ago and then got him fixed right away and was thinking of giving him away but I told her to just give him time and she says that now he is the king of the house. She now has his sister and he was NOT having her in his house and was crowling and hissing at her but now a week later he remembers her and they are getting along like they had never been parted
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