Hello all I'm searching for some serious advice. I have fostered before, but I have never had this big of an issue with a new cat. I could really use some advice.
We are fostering a 5 year old, fixed, female, about 15 lbs. We were told she was a loving affectionate 2 year old cat who was being beat up and picked on by the other cats in the cat room and needed to be fostered. We have a 6 month old cat at home. We have a "new cat" room just for the foster, plus a tall cat cage with 3 levels, that she came with so it is all familiar to her in there at least.
Well, we get to the shelter, and she comes to the side of the cage (since she had to be removed from the cat room, she was living in this cage), we rubbed her for a minute or so and then she backed up and wouldn't come near us again. We talked to the rescue who gave us her REAL age, and then we found out no one really knew what she was like in a home setting, but they assumed she was affectionate. Now I was concerned, but we continued. Then, it was time to go. The rescue ended up having to use two thick towels to put her in the carrier.... hissing and biting and spitting all the way. He said the cat didnt like him because he administered all the medications and such. Once in the carrier she was calm, in the car she purred, I get home, set up her cage put her old blankets back in and took the carrier into the room. we could not go NEAR the carrier door (although we managed to get it open). We couldnt get her out of the carrier but that was fine, we decided to sit on the floor away from her and let her come out on her own. She never did. We went and ate dinner, came back, still in the carrier. She hisses and swats at us if we get within 5 feet of her. we left the room completely until morning. Cat cam shows she did a quick sprint into her home cage and then stayed there.
Now, 4 days later, we cant even go IN the room without her attacking us and biting. We had to change her litter and give her food and water, so when we saw she was in the cage, we went in and shut the doors to it. Now we have a huge problem. We can't unlock the cage. She bites and claws and spits and hisses. I have had to make a shorter litter pan and put food and water in the bottom access panel with an oven mitt on. The rescue says she needs time, and I agree, so we dont push her, we dont pet her, we dont look at her in the eye, we just try and keep her clean fed and watered. She wont take treats even from the long end of a wand, or a spoon set down and left there. There has been zero improvement, the rescue confessed she is normally pretty ornery since being teamed up on by the other cats and will put her down if i take her back, way to make me feel like a cat killing failure.
I want to help her, I want to re-socialize her, I want someone to love her and I want her to love someone. No interested person would adopt her as she is, and worse, if she gets sick im going to need welding gloves or something to get her into a carrier. since she is now in her cage, we go in and sit on the floor and let her be above us and we talk quietly or read out loud. there has been zero improvement. Our cat obviously has no contact with her and we wash our hands and even put on fresh shirts now when we go into her room.
My husband is demanding we take her back, I don't want to fail her, but shes not happy here, she wasnt happy at the rescue, she is not leading a healthy life. I need help.
We are fostering a 5 year old, fixed, female, about 15 lbs. We were told she was a loving affectionate 2 year old cat who was being beat up and picked on by the other cats in the cat room and needed to be fostered. We have a 6 month old cat at home. We have a "new cat" room just for the foster, plus a tall cat cage with 3 levels, that she came with so it is all familiar to her in there at least.
Well, we get to the shelter, and she comes to the side of the cage (since she had to be removed from the cat room, she was living in this cage), we rubbed her for a minute or so and then she backed up and wouldn't come near us again. We talked to the rescue who gave us her REAL age, and then we found out no one really knew what she was like in a home setting, but they assumed she was affectionate. Now I was concerned, but we continued. Then, it was time to go. The rescue ended up having to use two thick towels to put her in the carrier.... hissing and biting and spitting all the way. He said the cat didnt like him because he administered all the medications and such. Once in the carrier she was calm, in the car she purred, I get home, set up her cage put her old blankets back in and took the carrier into the room. we could not go NEAR the carrier door (although we managed to get it open). We couldnt get her out of the carrier but that was fine, we decided to sit on the floor away from her and let her come out on her own. She never did. We went and ate dinner, came back, still in the carrier. She hisses and swats at us if we get within 5 feet of her. we left the room completely until morning. Cat cam shows she did a quick sprint into her home cage and then stayed there.
Now, 4 days later, we cant even go IN the room without her attacking us and biting. We had to change her litter and give her food and water, so when we saw she was in the cage, we went in and shut the doors to it. Now we have a huge problem. We can't unlock the cage. She bites and claws and spits and hisses. I have had to make a shorter litter pan and put food and water in the bottom access panel with an oven mitt on. The rescue says she needs time, and I agree, so we dont push her, we dont pet her, we dont look at her in the eye, we just try and keep her clean fed and watered. She wont take treats even from the long end of a wand, or a spoon set down and left there. There has been zero improvement, the rescue confessed she is normally pretty ornery since being teamed up on by the other cats and will put her down if i take her back, way to make me feel like a cat killing failure.
I want to help her, I want to re-socialize her, I want someone to love her and I want her to love someone. No interested person would adopt her as she is, and worse, if she gets sick im going to need welding gloves or something to get her into a carrier. since she is now in her cage, we go in and sit on the floor and let her be above us and we talk quietly or read out loud. there has been zero improvement. Our cat obviously has no contact with her and we wash our hands and even put on fresh shirts now when we go into her room.
My husband is demanding we take her back, I don't want to fail her, but shes not happy here, she wasnt happy at the rescue, she is not leading a healthy life. I need help.
