Personality changes from day to night

I named my cat after Jackson Galaxy.  I just adopted a rescue cat.  He was not feral so he must have been owned and just discarded on the street.  He was rescued with a big gash in his neck.  The rescue agency had someone foster him and get him the care he needed . He is very affectionate, however he and I are still adjusting as I just adopted him last Saturday.  I work several evenings at night, and spend the day at home.  When I came home he was so agitated and howled - I played with him after I fed him.  He was extremely aggressive in the play so I tried to wear him out a little since I work at night and come home at midnight or 1AM but I am home normally until 3PM.  I am off 3 full days a week, so I try to make them count with him. I give him treats that are healthy and keep his litter clean.

I watch Jackson all the time and try to learn from him.  I have given him places to jump up on but Israel has very hot summers, so he prefers sleeping on the cool tile floors.  I just want to see if he is upset when I am away.  He is like two different cats, a day cat calm and wanting my attention, and an agitated night cat, aggressive in play but will not come on my lap or be as affectionate as he is in the day.  Still figuring him out.  Going to the vet with him today, and she will be checking him, and helping me treat the neck that is healing that had to be stitched up.  

Moving forward.

Joyce

Cats are nocturnal so they can often be more active at night.  It may just take awhile for him to get his schedule straightened out.  Have you tried any feliway diffusers?  Also there is a supplement called Composure that might help.  Since you are in Israel I am not sure if it is available.  Yet there might be something similar.  You can get it in treat or liquid formula.  It is not sedating just calming.  I order it online, but pet stores also carry it. 

How long was he in foster care?  Was he allowed outside during this time?  Also how recently was he neutered? 

Jackson sounds lovely, l have had Daisy 4 months and this week was the first time l stroked her, she still will not come on my knee but when l first got her l thought she would be a wild cat but have worked a lot with her and now she is trusting me but no one else. She runs if the doorbell goes or if anyone comes in.

I think your Jackson is playing up when you come home because he maybe thinks  that if he does you will stay with him, cats are very crafty

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I was thinking if you left some cardboard boxes put one upside down and on another cut a door out then leave a few cat treats inside. Screwed up paper is another thing they like. If you want to get something that would keep him real busy as it has done for Daisy and its called the 'The Cat Meow' Daisy almost asks me to switch it on. They use batteries but they last ages.

I f you do think of getting one have a good on the Internet as they varies in price, some are expensive but mine was £7.99.Daisy attacks it chases it or just hits it.

I think if Jackson had something he could  take out his stress out on he would be nicer to you

  Jilly

Let me know how it goes at the vet. I still keep thinking about him and how he is when your away from him. He could be   lonely and everything is new to him. He might think you have left him. I had a cat that howled the house down when l went to work. Is there a way of leaving his food down when your going to work as cats usually have a sleep when there tummies are full. All the things l have done with Daisy  l have had food  in it when we have finished and she went to sleep afterwords.

Jilly

Another idea have done with Daisy is to leave a light on,that maybe settle him down,

   Jilly

Wow. You guys are great. I have distractions for him on the foor. All different scratching posts with dangling toys. I mix his dry food when I leave with a tablespoon of fancy feast and he gobbles it up. I give him a treat and play with him before I go. When I come home, I change his litter, give him fresh water and food. He is a good eater.

He might be 1-1/2 years old. He does not howl when I leave. He does not cry when I go to bed and close the door. I made him a lovely spot where I put a good blanket and put his favorite cat pillow on top next to a scratching post with dangling toys.

In the morning, he is a different cat. After being fed, he jumps up on my lap and cuddles into me and rubs his face into mine and just cleans himself as I gently talk to him and lightly stroke him. After 20 minutes, he quietly goes to his blanket and pillow and stretches out in his back and drifts off.

He does not jump at my noise, but will perk up to outside sounds.

Last night when I came home he was a tiger at play. He can jump 2 feet in the air to catch his feather toy. The play is never enough for him. He whines by the place where I keep it to play more. Then after I do, he attacks everything on the floor, he stalks me, and he acts frustrated. As if I am not satifying his prey drive.

I come home really late and I put him first. If I don't leave on my nights off, he is calmer.

He was kept in a large bedroom while he was healing for 1 week by a woman who rescues cats. She is part of an organization called SOS. They foster animals and pay for neutering, vet check ups,etc. We are in contact daily on his progress.

I just hope some of this strong aggressive behavior will taper down. I can't trust him at night.

I am 65 years old and still need to work. He will be with me 1 week this Sat. I guess I am nervous. I wanted a lap cat. But he does follow me room to room and just lays down where I am or near where I am.

Time will tell.

It does take a lot of patience but it can be very rewarding once the cat settles in. We actually have a new article on this very topic - 

 [article="32804"]How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home​[/article]  

Hi,

He is a lucky puss to have all the lovely things you have bought him. It will take time my Daisy has just let me stroke her after four months, she is still so scared if the door bell goes and just shoots  if anyone visits . I have just learned to let her do things  when she wants to.I think the following you in the room is  normal but going in other rooms will throw him if he has been used to one room.

I to wanted Daisy to sit on my lap but its not happened yet, when l tried to lift her l could no believe how heavy she was. Then she went silly so had to put her on the floor,

      Jilly

@jkuras You never mentioned if he had been neutered or not.   Also, patience is going to be key here.  New home, new smells, new sounds, new human and the list goes on.  The cat i brought in last October still will not go in front of the couch when the TV is on.  When it's off no problem.  Which brought a thought to mind.  Leaving your radio on during the time you're gone may help with the loneliness problem.  A thought.

He shows no fear just caution. Everyday I find him in surprising places. He bonded to me the first day. However his play aggression is too much. I am going to rehome him through the cat rescue. I cannot give him the play time he craves every night and I am not adopting another cat. Don't have the time or patience when I still have to work at night. I come home at 12 midnight. Became too much for me even though I am home 3 days a week. I originally wanted to purchase a rag doll,but decided to rescue. YES, he is neutered.

I think you have a bit of my cats brain as she is terrified if l move out of a chair or if l try to get across the room yet the tv can be as loud as it can get and she never bats an eyelid.

Jilly

A friend of mine recorded her voice telling a childrens story and it worked, as she worked each day she did about 4 different ones and just changed them over,

Jilly

WOW.  I even downloaded music to soothe cats.  I was falling asleep.

I will see how he is in a month.  I come home so late at night, 4 nights a week, and I am exhausted trying to play with him . I will now have him understand that when I come home late at night, no play time.  I need my own quiet time. I encourage him to lay beside me or on me and pet him gently and talk to him . He is very confident.  Took him less than one week to adjust to the noise I make in the apartment.  He sleeps through almost all of it.  If he is stretched out on the floor, I have to walk over him.  He does not budge.  He really trusts me.

He sits in my lap and looks up at my face with his eyes half closed.  Like a dreamy look. I think he is happy.  He has put on a little weight and loves to eat.

Joyce

He sounds so happy, my Daisy could do with some lessons from him..

With you saying that your tired playing and working, l got 'The Cats meow' and its the best toy ever and all you have to do is press the middle button on. Daisy has played every day for 4 months and never got tired of it. On the web you need to look around as the price varies a lot. I call it Mr Mouse and as son as l ask if she wants to play with Mr Mouse she is sat there in front of it.

Jilly

I live in Israel and I don't know what it is or if they have it here.  Will check.  Thank you.

Joyce.

It sounds like things will settle, @jkuras   These things take time.  I do hope you can keep him as he seems to have bonded with you, and it looks like you have with him..

For a long time my cat Desmond was agitated at night. He was wonderful all day but at night a real pain and would also go after my other cats.My vet gave me a suggestion which worked . She felt that his stalking, whining, aggressive play and going after the cats he spent the day snuggling with were expressions of a strong hunting drive. It wasn't enough to 'hunt' the wand toy.He needed the hunt to end with the food. Now I put his food out while he is in another room. I then grab a wand toy and really let him go at it. I end with leading him into the other room while still using the wand toy Eventually I end it with letting him catch the toy close to the food. Then he eats.Cats only do 4 things -hunt, eat, groom and sleep. All the play behavior is simulated hunting. Maybe your cat is like mine and needs to end the 'hunt' with the catch.

He has a really strong hunt drive.  He plays like a tiger with a kill.  I do that but I am tired. He lays on my lap for around 20 minutes in the morning cleaning himself and purring.  He may come up again and will follow me in the room I am in most of the time.  He refuses to play by himself unless he is extremely agitated.  I bought him a great cat bed with a pillow that he claws when playing and I encourage it.  Bought  him a handmade cat pillow which he loves as well, but he just does not want to play without me and I cannot give him enough.  I have so much for him. He will not sit on the cat stand and look out the window.  I have toys, scratching rope polls, and he would rather destroy my sofa.  It became too much for me.  I am re-homing him hopefully soon with a family where he will have more company during the day and evening.  I will know tomorrow.  I am a bit stressed from him.  I need peace and my job is stressful so coming home to his energy was not good for me.

Thank you so much anyway.

Joyce