Hi all,
I'm glad to have found these forums and hope someone can offer some words of advice.
I am fostering for a charity and the cat I have at the moment is developing very bad behaviour. I really want to try and figure out how to stop it and teach her more manners, or else she'll never end up with a forever home.
Possum was a stray who was dumped as a kitten by her human family who moved out and left her. I gather she was semi-wild after that for a while, fed by the new family who bought the house, then fell pregnant and there was complications. She was taken to a charity and given a full hysterectomy. This was all about 2-3 months ago. She is about 2 years of age.
She was given to me as an only-cat foster home as she was agressive towards her first foster home's other cats. She is living as an indoor cat.
I brought her home and the first night she hissed and spat from under the bed. She then came out and while still growling and hissing occasionally was relatively sociable, although was unpredictable and would bite or scratch even when seemingly nothing provoked her. Never particularly friendly but around and about. Once or twice she would sit on the couch near you.
Unfortunately, she also had a bad tummy and had to be treated with tablets and medication. To do this, she had to be scruffed twice a day and tableted which resulted in a fair few scratches. There was no other way to get the tablets into her. A friend did this, so she wouldn't associate me with the tablets. Her tummy is now better which is something.
Over the past few weeks her behaviour has deteriorated rather than improved and gotten friendlier. She is very dominant and aggressive. She has a strong hunt to kill instinct and I think she is missing the outdoors/hunting. She has toys and regularly plays with these, but still also will attack me randomly, especially chasing my legs as I walk. She's not play fighting but quite serious about the attack and no amount of 'no' nor then a tap on the nose or even as a final result a scruffing will stop her. Once released she puts her ears back and goes again. I am only home occasionally during the day, if I am she tends to sleep and then mornings and nights is active. She is demanding, food wise and will scavenge and steal whatever she can. If she sneaks into the kitchen and I gently remove her, she will then go to attack.
I am worried that she will continue to get worse, and if I can't find a way to help her become slightly friendlier and easier to trust, there is no way she will be able to be rehomed. She seems to be heading back towards feral behaviour rather than sociable.
I have suggested to the charity that she be fostered by someone with an ourdoor run she can go in to expend some more energy, but they haven't yet found anywhere. I want to help her but am runing out of ideas.
There is also a next door neighbour cat who climbs onto my balcony and stares in. At first, this upset Possum but now she doesn't seem to pay any attention. I wonder if being socialised with another cat might be an option, but given her prior behaviour I really don't know. Unless the other cat's presence is upsetting her without showing signs (ie growling or even seeming to notice him) Unfortunately there is no way to stop the visitor.
Sorry for the long story but I hope someone can help. I just don't have as much time at home with her as I'd like and I'm worried her treatment/socialisation will require more hands on than I can give. She is a beautiful looking cat and once she behaves properly will find a home in a flash.
I'm glad to have found these forums and hope someone can offer some words of advice.
I am fostering for a charity and the cat I have at the moment is developing very bad behaviour. I really want to try and figure out how to stop it and teach her more manners, or else she'll never end up with a forever home.
Possum was a stray who was dumped as a kitten by her human family who moved out and left her. I gather she was semi-wild after that for a while, fed by the new family who bought the house, then fell pregnant and there was complications. She was taken to a charity and given a full hysterectomy. This was all about 2-3 months ago. She is about 2 years of age.
She was given to me as an only-cat foster home as she was agressive towards her first foster home's other cats. She is living as an indoor cat.
I brought her home and the first night she hissed and spat from under the bed. She then came out and while still growling and hissing occasionally was relatively sociable, although was unpredictable and would bite or scratch even when seemingly nothing provoked her. Never particularly friendly but around and about. Once or twice she would sit on the couch near you.
Unfortunately, she also had a bad tummy and had to be treated with tablets and medication. To do this, she had to be scruffed twice a day and tableted which resulted in a fair few scratches. There was no other way to get the tablets into her. A friend did this, so she wouldn't associate me with the tablets. Her tummy is now better which is something.
Over the past few weeks her behaviour has deteriorated rather than improved and gotten friendlier. She is very dominant and aggressive. She has a strong hunt to kill instinct and I think she is missing the outdoors/hunting. She has toys and regularly plays with these, but still also will attack me randomly, especially chasing my legs as I walk. She's not play fighting but quite serious about the attack and no amount of 'no' nor then a tap on the nose or even as a final result a scruffing will stop her. Once released she puts her ears back and goes again. I am only home occasionally during the day, if I am she tends to sleep and then mornings and nights is active. She is demanding, food wise and will scavenge and steal whatever she can. If she sneaks into the kitchen and I gently remove her, she will then go to attack.
I am worried that she will continue to get worse, and if I can't find a way to help her become slightly friendlier and easier to trust, there is no way she will be able to be rehomed. She seems to be heading back towards feral behaviour rather than sociable.
I have suggested to the charity that she be fostered by someone with an ourdoor run she can go in to expend some more energy, but they haven't yet found anywhere. I want to help her but am runing out of ideas.
There is also a next door neighbour cat who climbs onto my balcony and stares in. At first, this upset Possum but now she doesn't seem to pay any attention. I wonder if being socialised with another cat might be an option, but given her prior behaviour I really don't know. Unless the other cat's presence is upsetting her without showing signs (ie growling or even seeming to notice him) Unfortunately there is no way to stop the visitor.
Sorry for the long story but I hope someone can help. I just don't have as much time at home with her as I'd like and I'm worried her treatment/socialisation will require more hands on than I can give. She is a beautiful looking cat and once she behaves properly will find a home in a flash.
