Formerly feral indoor cat is deaf

vickync

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
51
Purraise
1
The formerly feral cat I adopted after feeding and caring for her for six months has been an indoor cat now for over 3 1/2 years.    She decided early on that the master bedroom was HER territory and she does not like the other two cats to come into the room.  I have recently discovered that she is deaf and now make sure to approach her to not startle her.  She continues to "over-own" the master bedroom but will tolerate one of my neutered male cats but not the other.  She continues to act non-confident (like prey) around the other two cats and is very wary when eating or if she is going from one room back to her sanctuary.  Is this wariness common in deaf cats who were formerly feral for two or more years?   Will she be able to interact confidently with the other two cats and feel comfortable going anywhere within the house?  When she eats, she looks around after every bite as if looking for predators.   She does not meow but hisses, spits and growls if one of my other two cats approach her.  
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
Her behavior might not have anything to do with her deafness or being a former feral, though that's a guess because I don't have any experience with that combination. We have a 16-year-old deaf Angora at the shelter - never a feral, but he's been through 7 homes, mainly due to his habit of screaming - who's extremely confident with other cats and people. We're careful not to startle him by touching him when he's sleeping or looking out the window/door; generally knocking on the floor or wall gets his attention. He's had roommates practically the whole time he's spent at the shelter and has gotten along with all but one (that was removed from that cat room immediately).

IME, feral cats are very sociable with other cats. We get a lot of them. Many are TNRed, some couldn't be returned to their colonies due to construction and have found a permanent home at the shelter, and a lot of others have been successfully tamed and adopted out, generally to homes with other cats they rapidly fit in with. Was she trapped at a colony, or was she on her own? If she was a loner (or outcast), that might explain her behavior. Are your males very dominant?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

vickync

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
51
Purraise
1
She was always alone and came up my back deck to be fed for six months before she would allow me to get within ten feet of her.  She had a severe mosquito bite allergy and I had to get her to a vet for help and after six months of feeding and providing shelter and a dry, soft bed for her under my deck, she allowed me to pick her up.  She is affectionate with me, over-owns the master bedroom and does not want my other two non-aggressive cats to come anywhere near her.  I have had her as an indoor-only cat for over 3 1/2 years and she has not been willing to assimilate into the household with the other two cats.  My vets say there is no telling what she experienced living wild for approx. two years before she allowed me to pick her up.  (She had been a good hunter and fearless when outside--I once saw her chasing a 4 ft. long black snake).
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
How did you go about introducing the cats?  When introducing new cats into the home it can be a very long process.  Yet if the cats are just put together and then you hope for the best, they often have a very difficult time getting along.  Territory is huge.  The introduction process is very key and very important.  I know you have had her for 3.5 years which is a long time.  At this point you can hope for coexistence. 

Have you tried Feliway diffusers or any Composure calming treats? 

I love to use food as a motivator for cats to learn to live together.  Can the cats eat near each other?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5

vickync

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Aug 25, 2014
Messages
51
Purraise
1
To ShadowsRescue:   Yes, I have used both Feliway and Composure for months as well as every imaginable way to slowly introduce cats to each other and my house is "catified" with cat highways and no dead ends to trap one of them and prevent an escape.   I let them get used to each others' smells, letting them see each other through glass before ever being together, placing a screen door at the door into the feral's sanctuary room (my master bedroom that she "over-owns"), placing her on one of the high cat perches in the room with me and the other cats, placing her or another cat in a carrying kennel in the same room.   She will tolerate one of the males who never attempts to get close to her but will growl, hiss and spit if the other cat gets close to her (which he does and which at times he attempts to block her path by lying across the pathway).  Neither of the other cats have swatted or growled at her but she has swatted at the one cat when he attempts to touch her.    She does tolerate eating in the same room with either cat---as long as they keep their distance from her and she scans the area between each bite--and she does this scanning between each bite even when she is in the room alone.   She is very wary moving from one room to another (acts like prey and is very low to the floor, scanning the area constantly as she goes from one room  to the other).   She is totally compliant at the vet's office but growls and will later swat at me if I do something to her that she doesn't want done, e.g. pet or brush her beyond her neck, try to put non-burning eye drops in her eyes, pick her up and carry her from one place to another.  There has never been any difficulty getting her to take oral medicines in pill pockets, she eats them like a treat.   She plays both alone with toys and interactive play with me and toys.  Any further suggestions on what to try?  (One of my vets has said there is no telling what she experienced in the wild and that she may remain like this the rest of her life.)    Due to her not assimilating with the other cats in the household I hesitate to introduce a very loving stray who needs a forever home and trusts me.    
 

shadowsrescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Messages
7,022
Purraise
5,083
Location
Ohio
You certainly have tried everything.  You are in a very tough situation.  It is true that you do not know what she has been through to make her so upset.  I know in extreme cases, kitty prozac can be prescribed.  That is something to discuss with your vet. 

Is food motivating for her at all?  I have had luck with tough kitties that are very food motivated.  I do intros while giving the best yummy treats (usually plain cooked chicken, canned tuna or salmon).  I also have placed a compliant cat in a large dog crate covered on 3 sides.  I then allow the more aggressive cat time to sniff.  All the time I am giving both cats food rewards.  I keep the sessions very brief ( just 3-5 minutes).  I always end on a positive so the key is to end before an explosion!  I will do this exercise 3 or so times each day.  If possible you can rotate who is inside the cage.

I know there are others that just allow the cat to have its own room.  If that is what makes the cat happy then her own room might be the key. 

I wish you the best in finding a solution.  You are to be commended for trying and trying.  This sweet one is very lucky to have you!
 

red top rescue

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Dec 27, 2012
Messages
4,466
Purraise
1,486
Location
Acworth GA, USA
I'm in the "Own Room" camp.  The females especially tend to want to own some real estate, however small.  One person on here ended up with an Upstairs/Downstairs situation that the two (female) cats arranged between themselves.  When I was first integrating the tortie FLUTD cat, we used Ativan (0.25 mg. for an 8.8 pound cat) mainly to keep HER calm and not bring on a return of her idiopathic cystitis, and it worked very well.  It wasn't long until she claimed her own bed (on top of the washing machine, where she also wanted to be fed) and started asserting herself when any other cat would try to jump up there.  It has been months now and she was only on the tranx for about a week to10 days, until she was settled.  Everyone gets along amazingly well, which is amazing because she was a beast when she came in.
 
Top