growly little cat

i recently found a cat at my workplace. she is a very tiny thing (but a year old according to vet i had her spayed with) and sweet as she can be; however, she will all of a sudden growl for no apparent reason. usually it is when my sweetheart is trying to give her affection (especially if he picks her up.)
we do have another cat, (he is about 4 years old/also fixed,) but they seem to be adjusting and have even started to play together to a point (swatting at each other but without apparent attempt at harm.) so far, we are trying to be patient, but it isn't easy. any suggestions??



9/24/02
thank you for your replies--i really appreciate it.

Just have patience with her. Don't crowd her, just let her come her come to you and eventually the trust will build. Give her special interactive playtimes with a feather on a stick, or a toy on a string and just feed her and care for her. With strays, they have had a hard life and do not trust easily. It all just takes time. Adjust to her schedule and try not to make her adjust to yours. Good luck! Thank you for taking her in.

You are an angel for rescuing this little furbaby!

We didn't have any problems with the two we rescued and brought inside, but we did with the ferals we care for that we had neutered and released. It has taken several months, which, living outside as opposed to inside, I assume would take much longer. But Tuxedo would arch his little back, growl and then hiss whenever we tried to approach. Several days ago, after several months of feeding every day, hubby tried to pet him while he was eating. He simply looked up and kept eating. No hissing! Like Hissy says, it just takes time. Hopefully inside with lots of love, as opposed to outside, your little furbaby will come around much faster.

Thank you for taking the time to care.

I had a little rescue kitten that would growl her little head off whenever she got something good. She would growl when she ate, drank, played with a toy, etc. She was just very protective of everything. It took a while, but the more comfortable she got with us, and her new brother the less she growled. Of course, it may have also been because it had the opposite effect she wanted - Trent figured out pretty quick that she only growled when she got something great, so instead of scaring him away he would come running to see what she had!

One of my cats growls whenever she wants to make sure I know she is coming toward me. She seems to do it so that I don't step on her! But....it's not a mean growl, it is a mix between a growl and a Momma call (brrrrruppppp). However, both this cat and one other growl whenever there is someone at the door or when the mailman walks through the yard!

Since your cat was a stray, it's possible that she has had a bad experience with men, which, being a cat, she's transfered to all men. It can easily be overcome with time and patience, and it sound to me that the pair of you have both!!!

First, it's important to understand that it's not personal, it's instinctual... once fightened or hurt by a man, she is naturally catious. The growling doesn't mean dislike... it means fear. And that can be alleviated.

Second. it's significant that it happens when your SO picks her up... for a feral cat, this can be a most distressing situation, since all of her instincts rebel against giving up control of her physical self... in the wild, the ability to fight or flee requires control of movement, which she gives up when someone picks her up. So, right now, suggest that your SO refrain from picking her up for awhile. Instead, concentrate on petting her by kneeling (ie/getting down to her level). Progress to gentle handling of her body... Let her get used to him handling her before moving on to picking her up. Suggest that he uses a "warm" speaking voice, talking to her gently while he pets her. If she shows impatience, he should back off... this reinforces that she is in control and can set her boundaries... which in turn makes her more confident with him. After a few weeks, start picking her up again, always setting her down and reassuring her if she growls. Over time, she'll be more accepting of him.

Third, how you pick up the cat can have an influence. It's very normal for us to turn a cat over on her back like a baby... for a feral cat, this can be a real trust issue. Exposing her belly means submission to other cats and it also exposes her most vulnerable place (her belly). For a cat who's been feral or stray, this can be very distressing, so should be avoided until strong trust has been bulit up.

It's best to pick up the cat so that she's upright, using as little "force" to restrain her as possible. If she wants to get down, she should... it's important not to make it a power struggle. On the other hand, it's important to be persistant: your SO may have to handle her in a crisis, and as a result, she needs to build a bond with him that is strong enough to handle stressful situations.

Thanks again for rescuing this little cat and giving her a caring home!