Help! Just adopted an adult cat. and he bites!

I couldn't read through all of the posts, but have you tried Feliway or Comfort Zone with Feliway? My rescue cat was a biter sometimes. Fortunately for me one of her front fangs had been extracted before I adopted her, so she never broke my skin when biting. I had bought Comfort Zone with Feliway spray to spray her carrier & my car to help reduce her anxiety when I first brought her home. It seemed to really have an effect on her, so I got a plug-in for my apartment for her. It seemed to really work! I sprayed daily for a few weeks until I figured the plug-in started having an effect. It can take a month. Once every 3 weeks like clockwork, she'd come to lie on my bed and roll around, then bite me. I'd check the plug-in and sure enough it needed to be changed. I'd change it and presto, the biting stopped. Almost a year later now and I may no longer need to buy plug-ins. You can get them for a good price on Amazon.

Also, whenever she bites, I freeze quietly, wait for her to let go, slowly withdraw my hand and don't react. She'd calm down since she was tense and waiting to see if I'd react to her biting. I didn't so then everything was fine. Sometimes after withdrawing my hand, I'd fake cry and that also seemed to work well. She seemed to feel badly and come try to make it up to me. Nowadays, she doesn't bite. Knock on wood. She hasn't bitten me in a long while, I think.

It seems a trait of a cat/kitten that has had a rough start in life. I too got one little girl rocked up on my front door mat years ago. I took her in, fed her de-fleaed her and was thanked for my effort by being bitten severely. It didn't seem to matter whether I  fed her or not. She was a feral, young and all as she was. I tried but when she turned on my daughter I finally had enough. I oped the front door and she left. Occasionally we would catch glimpses  of her but she never came back to us. My advice? I have none. As to what to do. It depends on how much you like your new cat. Some we must admit are feral. You ay get her/him to calm down somewhat but I feel it is a built in reflex  in some cats for survival, it's a big world out there and only the fittest survive Regards anneno2    

I LOVE that! My ex and I have both played chase with Azzy, because she likes it so much! When Tom gets run of the house, I'll continue that with him! I think much of his issue at the moment stems from being in an 10x12 room most of the day - I need to switch him around more often. Today I put up a screen with a blanket for sight blocker, but up about 3 inches from the floor so they can see each other when they are in sight-lines - there was a hiss or two from Onyx at first, but their food dishes are in a line about 4 feet away from it, so as they go eat, they get to see each other I plan to move Tom's food & water on the opposite side so they are eating around the same spot. My goal has been a couple of 15 minute play times for Tom, just because it's summer and my hours are crazy. It will be easier when I can play with all of them together.

Also, kittens seem easier in pairs - they entertain each other, if you know what I mean, but it is a commitment that you have to really think & decide about. It's hard raising a single kitten.

I have a six year old cat too. This is Autumn's workout pose.

Nice!

I did think about the limitations of space as soon as I posted @madamenordica  , it must be very hard for him in such a hard space and trying to run off any energy with him playing in there a real challenge.  I do hope you are able to make progress with the introductions soon and give him wider access to your home.  It should make a huge difference for him.   It is daunting when he is so easily over excited at this point but the more time you are able to play with him should help with at least some of the issues.

Ha ha, Autumn looks like she has some interesting moves there which don't need too much running about.   I hope she is OK with the introduction of the young kitten.

gave him some nip last night and got him going - it's funny, he'll get wound, then he'll flop over on his side for some belly play - he can really JUMP! I can't wait until he feels comfortable enough to jump high! Placing my fosters & smith order this weekend - excited for a new tree and maybe some shelves!

That order sounds like a real treat for Tom.  I hope you are able to get what you want for him.

I have a 5 year old declawed former feral that always bit and drew blood, he still does if you let him. He does not like my hand coming towards him. So I don't.
I can pick him up, all 18 pounds. I can rub his tummy and kiss him while his back legs are on the ground. He lets my dad pet him but not me. I guess I smell like my female cat who hates him. I rotate them still female has garage by day and house by night and he gets house by day and his own room by night. They were both feral.

angels4mom said:

I have a six year old cat too. This is Autumn's workout pose.

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• angels4mom
• Jul 22, 2015

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Kitty yoga

Autumn is so cute! Speaking of kitty yoga, even though it was already May, I had to buy a kitten yoga calender when I saw it at the PetSmart checkout. Here's a cute kitten doing a cute yoga pose.

Bonitababy said:

Autumn is so cute! Speaking of kitty yoga, even though it was already May, I had to buy a kitten yoga calender when I saw it at the PetSmart checkout. Here's a cute kitten doing a cute yoga pose.

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• BonitaBaby
• Jul 25, 2015

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Lol! How do they get into those positions and how do they get out?

angels4mom said:

Lol! How do they get into those positions and how do they get out?

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I figure how you get in to them is with great difficulty, how you get out is by falling over.      

How  long do you expect the cat tree order to take @madamenordica  ?

MServant said:

I figure how you get in to them is with great difficulty, how you get out is by falling over.    :lol3:  

How  long do you expect the cat tree order to take @madamenordica
 ?

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Lol

they said up to 10 days, but they offer 'free' shipping on orders over $49 and I want free shipping LOL even if it is $5.99

I just HAVE to share: one of my first customers at the grocery store today was my son and granddaughter, who is almost 3 (Sept). Sarina was excited to tell me she saw my kitties today - of course, my heart skipped a beat, because she hadn't met Tom yet. Apparently, according to her father, Tom has now PASSED THE TODDLER TEST! She stepped on him, but he did NOT bite or scratch! What a good boy he is! He is just getting better and better every day. He has basically given up the biting in favor of grabbing me with clawless paws when he is wanting my attention or play - he is getting plenty of attention from me, and now he is wanting it from the girls - I just had him and Onyx face to face across the screen and for a few moments was able to distract Onyx with the laser toy so she didn't hiss Then Tom chirped and it was all over. He wants to play with them so badly! And when I'm playing with Tom, Onyx comes to the screen and cries to be played with, too....LOL.....

That is a brilliant update!  Pawpad hugs are the best!   Mouse does that sometimes and you just feel their lovely warm furry limbs wrapped around you.   LoL    I love that Tom is cool with your granddaughter stepping on his tail from time to time too.  He sounds so much more relaxed than he did a few days back.  I hope this is Tom settling and starting to trust and understand those around him in his new home, and that you do not see much, if any, returns to his previous biting behaviour.  Very happy for you that things have turned around so quickly.  

I hope you let us see this new cat tree when it arrives and whether Tom gives it the paws of approval.  

he nipped lightly this morning when I let him explore the house - he gets overwhelmed with excess space. The kitty tree I'm ordering has a house section, too, so once that is here there will be a place for both he and Jinny to hide from time to time. I've found when I let him explore the house, I have to give him a good hour or so in his room to calm down and relax afterward.

also, apparently, I cannot pat the chair to get him to come up to see me, because he thinks I'm playing with my hands, so I must be very careful how I use my  hands with him, at least until he seems to understand about not playing with hands.