new cat very aggressive PLEASE HELP!!!! (very long)

tranzlucent

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ok so i got this cat yesterday his name is boots. something seemed off as soon as me and my husband went to pick him up. we showed up and before we even got out of our car the lady was at the door w/ boots in hand. we get out and walk to the door and she just says he might be a little afraid, shoves him in a box and sends us on our way....almost forgetting to get her money, and me being like wth almost forgot as well. boots was very upset, i certainly don't blame him. when we got home we took him to our bedroom and opened the box and he comes out at us trying to bite and scratch hissing and growling. so we figured well he just got shoved in a box and sent to a strangers house, so we gave him some time to get used to the room. we tried to give him wet food and he didn't eat, we tried tuna and still didn't eat, then we tried sardines and still wouldn't eat or drink, tried to give him cat milk to. so i went online and tried to look up aggression and how to handle it, but he doesn't seem to match anything that i have read. anyways i read on a couple sights that he needs to be confined, so i made him a little hide. i put him in a pac n play w/ his food and litter and covered the top and 3 sides, he was still being very aggressive anytime we entered the room to try and talk to him and get him used to our voices. towards the end of the night he seemed as though he was getting a bit calmer, or was just plain tired. so we left him overnight and in the morning he decided to jump out and explore. we have been trying to talk to him and be nice and everything but he is still being very aggressive towards us. i called the lady after a few hrs of this yesterday and she said he was never aggressive and loved kids and dogs and the only reason she got rid of him was because she had birds and thought if she got a kitten then he might get along w/ the birds. boots is not fixed and his shots are not up to date, i was planning to take him this weekend to the vet for shots and tests. thing is boots doesn't hide from us, he just plain out attacks us. he went all night w/ out eating or drinking or going to the bathroom. he finally did pee this morning, but it seemed as though he was having a hard time going, after he finally went he did eat a little food and drank a little but not very much. so i'm wondering if anyone has advice on what to do? i have never met a cat so aggressive! i'm wondering if he has a uti or bladder infection or something, it took him about 5 or 6 squats before he actually peed. also i'm thinking the fact that the lady didn't give us time to meet is also very stressful on him. or maybe he didn't get socialized enough, or left mom too early. i am really clueless on what could be the problem. sorry this was so long i just wanted to get the picture across. i'm really worried about him. thanks in advance for any responses.
 

jen

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You are exactly right on recognizing that he is incredibly stressed out and upset on his move. This stress could be enough to trigger a UTI so I would have him checked out for that when he goes to the vet.

Really I think you just need to be patient with him. Don't approach him, don't even look at him, just talk to him and be near him. Let him come to you. Continue to feed him of course but don't expect him to eat it in front of you. Leave him be when you feed him.

You can pick up some Feliway and plug it in the room he is confined to. There is something called Bach's Rescue Remedy but I am not sure where to get it. Someone else will know.

That is great you took him in though, just be patient like you are and take good care of him. He will come around. Neutering him will be good too before he starts spraying. How old is he?
 
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tranzlucent

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thanks for the reply jen. i'll have to give that feliway a try. i've never had a cat that was so anxious before so hopefully that stuff will help. he did actually let me pet him for a moment until he got startled. boots is 5 months, i do plan to get him to the vet this weekend and get him neutered. i had just enough money to get him and his food and litter and all that, but the lady wouldn't wait any longer....she just wanted him gone. is there a certain age they start spraying? i've never had a male cat before, so i'm not to knowledgeable on the spraying issue. thanks again.
 

yosemite

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Poor wee Boots. Jen was right - don't force him out and don't force yourself on him. We had a cat that hid behind our headboard for a whole month when we brought him home.

Just spend time in the room with him, talk gently to him, play soft music and let him come to you.

He probably won't eat or drink when you are there. It sounds as though he might have a UTI maybe from the stress.

It actually sounds as though it's a good thing you got him out of that person's house. Once he feels safe again, you may find he is a sweet and loving kitty.

He should be neutered any time now although some places won't do it before 6 months. Most modern vets will do it at 2 lbs (in the case of males their testicles should be dropped). He could start spraying any time now if he is going to. I would recommend getting the neuter done as soon as possible to prevent that from starting.

Taking him to the vet and getting all this stuff done may set him back a bit as far as being more sociable with you, but at least if you get it all done and then get him used to your home and you, you won't have to then betray that trust and start all over.
 

momofmany

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I've had cats hide for months. Cats usually go in 2 directions when they are stressed: aggressive or they just hide. If overly stressed, they can become ill.

Give Boots time to acclimate to your place. Use socialization techniques that you would use for feral cats (the same work for overly stressed cats):

- Never look them directly in the eye. If you make eye contact, slowly blink your eyes.

- Never "tower" over him. Sit on the floor and get to his level.

- If you are in the room with him, bring a good book and read out loud. It will get him used to your voice.

- Feed him at the same time every single day. Get a good solid routine in your house for any interaction with him. Cats love routine and it calms them down.

- Don't approach him. Let him approach you when he is good and ready to. It sounds like Boots has a strong personality, which means he will want to do things on his terms for a while.

And I agree with others to get him neutered, but with your situation, wait until he is a bit more acclimated. If you confirm that he is straining when he is peeing, he needs to see a vet sooner rather than later. If they put him on meds, ask for a shot of antibiotics to start healing more quickly. If he is ill, it will add to his aggressive behavior.

Will you keep us posted on his progress?
 
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tranzlucent

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thanks yosemite, momofmany, and mews2much. he does seem like he is getting a little more comfy already, like i said earlier i was sitting and talking to boots and he came over and let me pet him. also i opened my door because he seemed to be getting restless and he explored all of the 1st floor and upstairs as well. he did try to go to the bathroom again and does seem to be having a hard time of it. i'll start his feeding schedule, i was just leaving dry food for him in hopes he would eat, i always had other cats on feeding times but was unsure w/ boots. thank you guys so much for all of the advice, now that i know more of what to do and what not to do things should be going along better. i'll keep you guys posted on his progress and talk to the vet see about nuetering him. i can't thank you guys enough for all the advice!
 

mai_kitties

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My goodness, from your description of the initial turnover of Boots to you, it sounds like his original home life may not have been as happy as that woman had indicated.

If this is the case, lots of patience and love will be needed to bring your new baby around.

I had adopted a sweet little girl years ago who must have had a bad first home life. For the first two months she wouldn't come near us and was just terrified of everything. It was very sad, we couldn't even keep our broom out in the kitchen as she was terrified of it. She was so afraid of our couch that we think she was punished harshly if she went near one. Even after she became a trusting loving girl, she would still very rarely go near the couch.

I guess you will never really know what the deal was why that lady was really so desperate to get rid of him, but be patient and he will come around. Sounds like he has a great home now, he just needs to know he is safe.
 
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tranzlucent

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i just wanted to thank everyone for all the great advice. boots is doing wonderful, he's really very affectionate. i took him to the vet and he did have a uti and he got all his shots done. he has an appointment to get neutered as well. i really don't think i could have got him to relax w/ us so fast if it wasn't for all the advice you guys gave me. thanks again so much!
 
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