Help! We're Newbies!

Hi everyone, I've been desperately trying to find a site where I can get advice about my feline friend whose days are numbered with me! I'm at the end of my rope and ready to boot her out the door. Except I can't do that...I honestly believe she was sent to me by God at a time when I really needed her! And she needed me...wherever she came from, she was filthy and she has not been fixed yet. And very hungry!

Let me start at the beginning...I have difficulty typing and may not last too long, but here goes... A few years ago, I began to get ill and was unable to work eventually. At that time I had an older female cat living with me who had been homeless, but I started feeding her because she seemed hungry. Now mind you, I DID NOT like cats. I had never met one I liked or got along with and by the same token she DID NOT LIKE people. For the longest time she came, she ate, she left. And we got along perfectly!

There came a time she started to hang out a while after eating, then when she was ready to leave, she politely went to the door & waited for it to be opened to leave. She'd then disappear til the next day. Meanwhile I was becoming sicker and she took to hanging out in my bedroom. She still avoided people, but seemed to grow attached to me. My son left home, I was getting worse and had to go to the hospital...I callled 911 and this dear cat who hated people would not leave my side when all the 8 paramedics filled my house!

After that, our relationship changed and I changed her name from MsKittyPiz to Angel, because she was my Angel. I loved her dearly.

As a result of being unable to work I became homeless. She came with me on my journey through homelessness all the way from Fl to Az. We ended up on the street in Az and then I went into a shelter, but I couldn't find a place for Angel. I found a place she could hide and I went over to feed her everyday. Until one day I went over and she wasn't there anymore. My heart was broken...To this day my heart hurts whenever I think of her. I'm in tears as I write this. I just pray she's safe and happy wherever she is. I've even thought of contacting an animal communicator to see if I can find out anything about her.

That was a year ago, and I'm in my own apartment now. A short time after I moved in here, I was being broken into around 2 am and after I chased the
SOB off, while on the phone to the police dispatcher, I heard something at the back door and when I opened it, there stood the most beautiful white (albeit, filthy) cat I'd ever seen! She marched into my home as if to to say.."hi, I live here now. I'll let you know the rules as we get to know each other."

Well this little gorgeous, young, feline has won her way into my heart, but her favorite pastime is to attack me biting and scratching me until she draws blood! I've tried everything, but to no avail. She destroys everything and jumps all over the place like a whirling dervish on speed AND crack!

I miss Angel so much and had been praying about getting a cat when she (NO! BAD KITTY) appeared. It's as if she was an answer to a prayer.

I would love to call her something other than "NO, BAD KITTY. THAT HURTS!!"


I hate yelling at her, I don't believe in declawing, or hitting or any violence, she's fearless and SHE WILL NOT LEAVE! Not that I want her to leave, I have grown very attached to her and am quite fond of the little, precious critter. She's made it quite clear that this is her house! She's very happy here!

I'm truly at my wit's end and I hope you can help me. I need to get her spayed, but funds are short at the present time. I wonder if that will help calm her a bit.

I know so little about cats that there was a time I thought my little one was very ill...she moaned and cried for hours and hours, she tossed and turned..just rolling back and forth. her behavoir was just pitifull. I was really scared and thought her life was in danger, so I took her to the pet Emergency Room and waited three hours to find out her diagnosis was...to quote the vet..."your cat is in heat"!!!!!

Well, I must quit now. Thanks in advance for any replies...ffrom what I've been reading there are a lot of people here who love cats, so I'm real hopeful about finding a solution.

I posted this in another forum yesterday, but thought this might be a more appropriate site.

scarecrow2007

Hello, and welcome to TCS!

Just a few very quick thoughts on NO BAD KITTY until others come along:

Yes, spaying will most likely calm her down, though depending on her age she might still be quite a handful. Spaying will also help to control the population and will decrease future health risks. And now that you know the signs, please take every possible precaution to ensure that she does not escape your home if and when she goes into heat again. The instinct to mate will override every other thought in her mind and she will do practically anything to find a tomcat outside.

Assuming that you do plan to keep this cat --- and let's be honest, you wouldn't have bothered typing all of that if you weren't, right? --- you're going to need to (a) provide her with appropriate outlets for her energy and (b) persuade her to do the things you'd like her to do and dissuade her from doing the things that you don't want her to do, like biting and scratching you. This might sound like discipline but it's not --- you can't discipline a cat; they don't respond to negative reinforcement or punishment like dogs do. One of the best things that you can do is click on the Cat Behavior link at the top of this site. You'll be taken to a bunch of very useful and informative articles. And the Behavior forum is always filled with members giving and receiving advice to common (and not so common) problems.

Do you have any idea how old she might be? Like I said, if she's a kitten then she's going to have tons of energy and her current behavior will reflect that. Spaying and the passage of time will help to calm her down.

Hope some of this helps.

still looking for suggestions. I read somewhere about using strips of cloth around my ankles that have been saturated with Vicks. Today I went out and bought the Vicks and as soon as I got home I read on TCS about Vick's loving kitties!

So I'm going to plaster some Vick's on (sans the cloth strips!) and pray this works! Pretty soon my girl will be all caresses, hugs and kisses!

Read the Sticky: Ouch!! How to stop cat aggression toward people. My cat Blossom was the same. I used to put her in her crate or lock her in the bathroom if she was really bad. She used to have what they call the zoomies twice a day. I bought her a scratching tree & lots of toys. Try to redirect her attacks onto a soft toy.

You need to get the cat spayed. It should help calming her down. There got to be low cost spaying and neuter in your area.

I need to get her spayed, but funds are short at the present time. I wonder if that will help calm her a bit.

Click to expand...

I don't know what area of Phoenix you're in but there's a mobile spay/neuter clinic that only charges $20 to spay a cat. I wish it came to my town. http://alteredtails.org/spayday.html.

This is the sticky a few people have mentioned:
http://thecatsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20837

When she hurts you, immediate say NO! and then ignore her for a bit. She may have come from a place where the only attention she received was negative attention or people played with her roughly believing it to be fun. Street cats often have some terribly sad stories the can never tell.

Another thing to do, when you see her getting ready to launch, is to redirect her with a feather toy or something that does not involve direct contact with your body parts. Never encourage her to play with your hands or feet.

Praise her a lot when she does something well. They learn a lot with kindness - you seem to have that in spades

Please let us know how it goes for you. You are amazing! I know your Angel is playing happily where ever she is

Originally Posted by catcaregiver

I don't know what area of Phoenix you're in but there's a mobile spay/neuter clinic that only charges $20 to spay a cat. I wish it came to my town.

Click to expand...

Originally Posted by catcaregiver

[url=http://alteredtails.org/spayday.html.]http://alteredtails.org/spayday.html.[/url]

Click to expand...

Thank you so much!! This is great! I just have to figure out which one is closest and how to get there, and we'll be all set! I'm new here in this area and don't drive, so accomplishing anything is a major accomplishment.

At least now I have a starting point! If you're familiar with Phoenix, please PM me and maybe you'll know which site to go to.

01-15-08
Well, I have great news!!! I put the Vcks on my arms and legs! Generously, I might add!

It's a good thing I sleep alone!

So far, she's kept away from me. At first she came up and sniffed and ran away and then the next time she just walked away... keeps watching me from a distance.

She had been intending to attack...I could tell cause she got into her "attack crouch" See, I'm learning!

It would appear that my dear little "No! Bad kitty!!" just might be in for a change of name!!!

Well, I better pass the good news on before I collapse!

Keep your fingers crossed for us

Update: 01-16-08 10:30 am
we had a few minor lapses, I guess as the scent of the vicks wore off. I stayed up untill 3 am, trying to down decorations. (Christmas) She helped as I'm sure you've all been helped by your own feline companions!

Your help and support has been awesome!

Hi and Welcome!!

Just something quick to add that others have mentioned. My siamsese gets 'bitey' sometimes when he's in a really playful mood and he'll bite my arm (not hard, but I still don't like it) as soon as I can tell he is in this mood (ie. the crouching) I grab a toy, (I find wands with feathers on the end are especially good and very cheap and allow me to keep my distance) and I play with that in front of him and he attacks that and runs around after that insted of me!

It's worked like a charm, I haven't had a biting incident almost since I got him now!

(Also, as I'm sure you know by everyone else's posts the spay will help!)

Thank you, I'll have to work on getting or making toys..any inexpensive suggestions?

Also, Do I have to individually check off "thread notification" for each thread I post on? I try to remember when I post to jump down and ask for immediate email notification...but gosh, if I successfully get my whole post in, I'm doing good!

Gnite, all