Need help with adopted shelter stray cat!

Hi all-- after the loss of my kitty, I started visiting the local animal shelter more frequently to play with the animals. I ended up taking one of the stray cats home with me this past weekend; he is a 4 year old male orange tabby/Maine Coon mix (I think?), recently neutered, all the vaccines/tests done (distemper, rabies, FIV/Feline Lukemia). Vet said he was healthy, just skinny.

I had seen him a few times at the shelter and his temperament was always aloof and quiet, but sweet and gentle. When I brought him home to my studio (I live alone, no other pets or people) he was very curious, sniffed everything, marked the furniture and me a LOT. I had set up fresh food, water, and litter and was repositioning the litter box when I look up and there he is, standing over me with these saucer-sized black eyes, ears flattened against his head, his tail low and thrashing a little, and growling/moaning.

I was terrified, and when I tried to stand and walk away, he pursued me, growling louder. I tried to give him space and he calmed down. But, when I was on my bed (no separate space--all in one studio) I found him stalking the perimeter, eyeing me, and making these weird noises with his jaw/mouth (I describe it sounding like a person's teeth chattered in the cold, or someone grinding teeth/chewing fast).

I was scared because I didn't know what to do and have never been in this situation. This may sound ridiculous but I ended up sleeping in my closet (it's roomy enough to be comfty) because I didn't trust being "vulnerable" and exposed to him. I woke up around 3 am because I heard him hissing and teeth-chattering outside the door, and he was eyeing me from the door crack. He couldn't get in, and I went a little ballistic by yelling at him and banging on the closet door.

Maybe I shouldn't have done that, but it was an instinctive reaction to getting woken up abruptly to find THAT two inches from me. If I am still, he will semi-sleep, or stay statue still, or move VERY SLOWLY (like slow-mo creeping) around the studio. He has not eaten or touched his water/litter except to romp around in it. If I move, he eyes me suspiciously. If I get near him or pass him, for instance going to the bathroom, he will start that horrendous growling and some hissing.

The problem is that I don't want how to handle his stalking  behavior. It scares me a little because I don't know if he is trying to intimidate me or about to attack, or just scared and defensively aggressive. He backs off when I "am bigger than him" by standing or not moving, but as soon as I turn my back, he starts stalking me and creeping towards me with ears flat, eyes big,noisy.

HELP. I don't know what to do. I know cats take some time to adjust and he may just be stressed/overwhelmed and not used to being handled indoors, or maybe he mistrusts people. I was told he was NOT a feral cat (rule this out) and he was neutered already; there are no other records of him. What could be causing his strange scary stalking behavior? I gave him his space today when I went to work so he has the "territory" for 10 hours alone...how this goes I don't know...

ANY insight or advice would be very helpful! Thank you. I've included a pic of hi
m when he got into the shelter a month ago (he was in bad shape, skinny and fleas, but he looks better now).

Oh my, I'm honestly not sure about this one. It sounds like he may be scared. I'm guessing there isn't a whole lot of information about his past? Was there anything that you had done right before he started that (aside from what you mentioned) that could have scared him that badly?

It may also be worth it to take him to the vet again. Just to make sure there is nothing physical going on that could have brewed since he was last vetted

I'm thinking he was scared when when he saw you crouched over the litter pan. Mingo alway goes into Halloween cat mode when I come up the basement stairs. Seeing me slowly materialize on the stairs freaks him out. Have you tried giving him some treats? And toys? That may calm him down and distract him.

If he attacks you in the night, pull him under the covers to cool him off. It gets stuffy in there, and he won't like it after a while. Many people on the site recommend Feliway to calm their cats down, but I haven't tried it.

Even though he is the only pet in your home, I would confine him to one room until he's comfortable with his new digs and with you.  That way you can monitor his eating and litter box habits and be sure he's using the box well. Let him get used to the new sights, sounds, smells, routine, and people in his new home and then allow him access to more areas of your home as he becomes more comfortable.  He's probably just scared in his new surroundings, which is normal.  Also, you might want to look into some calming agents such as Feliway to help him de-stress.

I was going to suggest the same maybe set him up in your roomy closet with toys and everything...it sounds as if he was super scared and overwhelmed with all the new stimuli. Is there room for a cat tower in your studio so he can have a safe vantage point to escape to when he feels threatened? Or leave his cat carrier open and available as a safe cave.

All my guys love Whisker Lickin's tuna treats, I bought 1 package of every type of treat to try when trying to introduce a new kitty and Whisker Lickin's is the ONLY one anyone would eat. I'm glad they at least agreed on one thing. Sometimes reverting to feeding them treats is helpful just to get them to eat something/anything when they are stressed.

Keeping him in a closet or bathroom for now is a good idea. It's less intimidating for him, he can have his own space, and he can really get to know his new surroundings without it being so overwhelming. It seems counter-intuitive, but only having access to a small area does make cats feel a lot safer. Feliway is great if you can get some; the plug in diffuser works much better than the spray. Provide some cardboard boxes with towels that he can hide and feel safe in when you come in the room. Avoid making direct eye contact for now so he doesn't misinterpret your actions as aggressive. When you do go into his space, just spend small amounts of time with him at first, always with a treat or food. You can put some baby food (Gerber stage 2 chicken or turkey) or a bit of tuna on the end of a wand or long dowel and let him lick it off. This gets him eating something, and also it gets him associating you with food with out you having to jeopardize your safety by getting too close to him.

He may not be feral, but something about you or your apartment is scaring the living daylights out of him, which is not your fault. There could be some smell that makes him nervous or might remind him of a bad experience in his past. Or it could just be that he is really thrown by his new situation and doesn't trust it. Some cats, because of their past or just their genetics, take a long time to trust someone, and that's ok and it is manageable, but it's going to require A LOT of patience on your part. Don't give up! The best friends society has a really good tried and true step by step method for socializing fearful cats, which is basically what you have to do now, so maybe you can read through it and adapt it to your situation: http://bestfriends.org/resources/socializing-very-shy-or-fearful-cats

His progress may not be super linear at first, one step forward, 3 steps back kind of thing, but don't worry. Take it slowly, back up a few steps if you need to sometimes. Even if it feels like nothing you're doing is working for a while, one day he'll suddenly surprise you with how much he's learned!

Oh, and if it seems he's specifically scared of his litter box, I'd try a new one. If he's a big cat you can buy a concrete mixing tray at a hardware/Lowe's type store and they make really great litter boxes and are also less expensive.

My suggestion would be to get a cat tree. A taller one with a cubbie hole, so he has a safe place to hide, but can also climb out of the way and be able to feel "taller" and not as intimidated by you.

This is totally not your fault. It's a new situation and your kitty is scared. Please make sure not to yell at him for his behavior as this will scare him further. Just use soft calming voices to talk to him. Is your studio on a ground floor? He might be seeing another cat outside, or smelling another cat. That would scare him and make him territorial. 

It's not uncommon for cats not to eat in the first 24 hours after coming to a new home, but please continue to entice him with smelly wet food to tempt him. You can try some fishy flavors to get him eating. Fancy Feast is pretty much crack to kitties. You can also warm it slightly (not hot) to get it smelling stronger and more delicious to your kitty. 

I see that someone suggested giving him his own space for a few days, but you live in a studio? If your closet isn't an option, look into getting a dog crate for him. Pick one that is big enough for a litter box and a nice bed. You can drape towels over it to make him feel more secure. There are usually good deals on Craigslist.

It's easy to see why you adopted him. Who could resist that face?  

I've never faced quite the situation that you described.  As others have noted, though, it does sound like he is stressed and scared.  For calming anxious cats, I've had better luck with Bach Rescue Remedy or Demeter Self Heal than the Feliway spray.  Just put a couple of drops in his water or rub a few drops on the fur between his shoulder blades several times a day.  

I know that it is easier said than done, but try to remain calm when he chatters and pulls his ears back.  Cats are quite sensitive to human emotions.  When you are frightened, he will pick up on that.  

As Paiger8 suggested, a cat tree with a cubbie hole might help.  He should have a place where he can go to feel safe.  If you don't have room for a tree, try a cat tent or a cardboard box with holes cut in the sides.  Or lay out a fleece blanket on a table or shelf - somewhere off of the floor.

Finally, you might find some of Jackson Galaxy's (host of My Cat From Hell) advice on aggression in cats helpful: http://jacksongalaxy.com/2014/08/21/aggression-in-cats/

I wish you the best of luck.  Please keep us updated on your situation.

@mister tigger, how's it going with your guy?

Hi all-- thanks for the insights. Here is an update:

This will be our forth night together, and it's been rough but better. His stalking tapered down; he's happily trotting and seems more receptive and confident than before. He will greet me after work, rub his head all over my legs, and head butt my face. He also plays with the toys I got him, both with me and on his own. I did get him a cat tree, and he has used it a bit, though he prefers heights (he climbs very high up in my loft studio) or my bed. I tried the closet method initially, but he is very determined; if the doors wouldn't cave, then his yowling and hissing would drive my crazy overnight.

He also did try to escape out the door and succeeded, but within a few minutes he was pawing to come back in. I use this an opportunity to change his litter and refill his food since he goes insane when I'm anywhere near his "stuff."

It's unpredictable...one minute he is angelically laying with me on my bed as I do work. The next, he's growling and stalking. I tried to figure out when the latter happens. If I am eating something or even open my fridge, he instantly comes dashing over. He climbs and jumps on everything; he's so light and agile it's a little frightening. He gets curious about what I'm eating, will try to get it off my plate, and will become very hostile/mean and start growling, even if I don't react. The same thing happens when I feed him. At first he seems happy, but then he growls until I leave and let him eat; he gets paranoid sometimes when eating, keeps looking over his shoulder. The litter box is even worse--I can't even approach it without him getting mean. He also latches on my leg like a bear (all fours) and clings on; I have a lot of cuts, and that was through the pants, and his nails are not THAT long.

Basically, it seems he is being instinctive and territorial one second, curious and playful the next. One second he's borderline feral, the next borderline lap cat.

It's hard to tell what to do or how to act. This is improvement, but any advice on what to do about the food/litter and random attacks? I don't want to chase him out just to clean/refill his stuff, nor do I want to get ambushed just walking out of the bathroom. Thanks again!

Oh dear, it sounds like he has food aggression, which is not unheard of, especially for former strays. When his behavior gets frustrating, try to remember that it's not his fault. Before he came to the shelter he was likely in a situation where food was scarce and he learned to fight for it to survive, and now even though he is well fed he treats all food as a precious resource that could be taken away from him at any time. Giving him lots of space while he's eating to ease his anxiety is good. Especially because he's in no danger of becoming overweight right now and he's very active, give him plenty of food so he can get used to feeling full. Whenever you get yourself food, throw him a treat at the same time if he's being calm. Actually, treat him all the time whenever he's being nice, and no treats or food when he gets aggressive. Lots of cat owners struggle with positive reinforcement training because their cat just isn't motivated enough by food, but you won't have that problem!

Since he's so playful and determined, it sounds like one of those puzzle balls that dispense treats through little holes might be good for him, especially when you're at work all day. It would keep him entertained and stimulated, and it might tire him out a bit and give him an outlet for frustration and anxiety, as well as hopefully improving his relationship with food. If he really likes it you might need 2 so you can have one ready to fill with treats and give to him when the first gets empty but he doesn't want you to take it from him.

The litter box issue sounds like it might be resource-guarding as well, although that's mostly between cats. Maybe he's worried you're going to use his litter box, which he has marked as his territory, thus entitling you to the resources of his territory. I know you have a small place and don't technically need more than one litter box, but it might make him feel better if for now you just get a couple more and set them up. Even if they're just a few feet from each other. This may let him feel a little more comfortable with you touching his litter when he knows there are 2 others he can have.

For the random attacks, you can try to redirect him by throwing a toy or treat across the room or substitute whatever part of your body he's attacking with a substantial toy, if you can. A stuffed animal or an old sock filled with other old socks and some catnip would be something he can satisfyingly wrestle with besides your leg. I'm not sure if he's attacking because he's afraid or if he's trying to play. If it's the former it will go away as he learns to trust you, and if it's the latter you can train him to play with toys, not people. When you both get more comfortable with each other and if he is still attacking, you can try training him. If you see an attack coming, pre-empt it by calling to him in a friendly voice and offering him a treat or a toy. If he stays put, give him the reward, but if he doesn't and you feel safe handling him, pick him up with a towel (just in case) and put him in the closet for a minute for a time-out. That sort of training may be a little ways down the road, though, and he might get much better about it on his own once he relaxes.

All in all, though, he's made amazing progress for just 4 days. I know those have been a very long 4 days for you, so major kudos to your for sticking with it so well! It sounds like he's going to have a really fun personality once he learns to relax and be his natural self.

I unfortunately don't have much insight, as I've never had a cat get like this to this extent before, even strays. But I did want to say how wonderful I think it is that you are finding ways to make it work and being patient with him while he acclimates. I can't tell you how many folks would have thrown that kitty out the first day. And I don't mean returned to the shelter, they wouldn't have wanted to wait that long - they would have thrown him outside and left him there.

Btw, is that him in your avatar?