- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
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My husband and I have 2 cats, aged about 8, and we're taking in a female dropped off in the neighborhood with her brother several months ago. Kept trying to find someone to adopt them, and finally, in self-defence, since my cats occasionally do get out and were fighting with the strays, I've had the male fixed. The female bit me before I could get her rabies shot (I'm not accustomed to feral cats' behavior--she nailed me before I saw it coming) so she want to quarantine at animal control and picked up a respiratory virus. She was still on antibiotics when the mobile vet came around and the male was fixed and immunized. This female will be fixed tomorrow by our vet since I'm afraid if I wait too long she'll have kittens, and the mobile vet won't be around again for 2 weeks.
She's quite a terror--weight is about 6 lb., and the other cats weigh about 12-15, but she chases my original cats. I'm getting between them with a book or large toy, distracting them with snacks or a handful of dry food, so they're all eating and forget about the fight. They're doing less of this, so I think they're getting resigned to the presence of a new cat, and the new one is finding perches that she doesn't have to evict the previous owner to enjoy.
I'd like to know, will getting her fixed change her personality? She's affectionate (which is why I decided to have the vet do the neuter, rather than wait and possibly have kittens) and I hope she doesn't change her personality with the loss of her hormones. I wouldn't mind if she had less aggression, however. What should I expect? My other cats were young when they were fixed, so had not come to maturity, as she has.
Our dog had chased the cats originally, but she's an Australian Shepherd, she's been through obedience classes, and is an older rescue--probably about 7 y.o., had been a breeder in a puppy mill. She's learned that it's OK to chase squirrels and deer, but not OK to chase the cats. She sits with resignation, and looks so hurt that I spoil her fun.
It took a year for one of our older cats to conquor her fear of the dog, only 2 weeks for the male Maine Coon to have the dog under his "orders." I guess I need to be patient with this new kitty, and I appreciate all the suggestions I've read about distracting them so they don't establish bad habits--it's working so far, and thanks!
She's quite a terror--weight is about 6 lb., and the other cats weigh about 12-15, but she chases my original cats. I'm getting between them with a book or large toy, distracting them with snacks or a handful of dry food, so they're all eating and forget about the fight. They're doing less of this, so I think they're getting resigned to the presence of a new cat, and the new one is finding perches that she doesn't have to evict the previous owner to enjoy.
I'd like to know, will getting her fixed change her personality? She's affectionate (which is why I decided to have the vet do the neuter, rather than wait and possibly have kittens) and I hope she doesn't change her personality with the loss of her hormones. I wouldn't mind if she had less aggression, however. What should I expect? My other cats were young when they were fixed, so had not come to maturity, as she has.
Our dog had chased the cats originally, but she's an Australian Shepherd, she's been through obedience classes, and is an older rescue--probably about 7 y.o., had been a breeder in a puppy mill. She's learned that it's OK to chase squirrels and deer, but not OK to chase the cats. She sits with resignation, and looks so hurt that I spoil her fun.
It took a year for one of our older cats to conquor her fear of the dog, only 2 weeks for the male Maine Coon to have the dog under his "orders." I guess I need to be patient with this new kitty, and I appreciate all the suggestions I've read about distracting them so they don't establish bad habits--it's working so far, and thanks!
