First-Time Cat Owner Questions

hi there, i'd just like to say that i never liked cats until my girlfriend's sister asked us to take care of her two Bengals (due to a flood disaster), ed and jules, last july. since then i've grown to love them, and though they were given back once the house was built, jules came back to us when she did not adjust well to the new surroundings. i think she's come into her own being an only cat...she used to always eat last and usually just got scraps.

she's 6 years old, spayed, and runted (i think due to she being pushed out of feeding when she was a kitten), but has several strange behaviors, and being a first time owner, i wanted to see what all of you thought. we love her very much, but her behaviors took some getting used to and still can be disconcerting. wasn't sure if this is normal for cats, only specific to Bengals, or what!

1 - when awake, she constantly talks/screams/meows loudly. sometimes it's obvious, like waking us up to feed her. but other times, we just don't know why she is so vocal. they range from very loud meows, to loud meows integrated with purring, to what my girlfriend calls jungle-like high-to-low pitch yells, to crying noises, to purr-like yelps, etc.

if i'm holding her, she'll cry loudly unless i have my head right up against her. often we think she just does not like being held, but she often purrs while doing the yelling.

though a bit annoying at first, but we've gotten used to it. i just worry that my neighbors wonder what's going on in our apartment! is she just needy for attention????

2 - if she's laying my lap, or occasionally while she is being held by us, she'll start voraciously sucking on her own nipple/teat while making pushing moves with her arms back and forth, stretching her claws out in a pumping like motion.

in between sessions, she'll look up at me and cry/meow perpetually, then go back to her nipple/teat...repeat this sequence several times

is this just her acting as if she was a kitten???

3 - she likes to sunbath (she's actually quiet while she does this, unless we call to her and she'll give a short, high-pitched yelp).

4 - she wags her tail ALOT while being pet, even when purring. sometimes i'll stop, but then she'll start crying for more petting.

i've read that this is a bad sign, but she's never scratched anyone in her life.

5 - she plays with water and makes a mess. plus, she only will drink water out of the toilet, after a bunch of digging-like motions.

anyways, the loud talking/crying/screaming is really wierd. sometimes we think there's something wrong, or that she misses ed, but my g-friend's sister says she been doing that since a kitten.

maybe all this is just her personality, and normal?

anyways, sorry for the long post, but some feedback on any of this would be great. thanks!

gene

1 - some cats are just very vocal. I think in your case it's just a personality thing. I don't know what to do about the neighbors.

2 - this is common in cats separated from their mothers too early. The pushing is called "kneading".

3 - normal

4 - normally a swishing tail is a sign of being overstimulated, but if she's not giving you a warning bite to stop, I wouldn't worry about it.

5 - normal. Guess you'll just have to keep the lid closed.

maybe all this is just her personality, and normal?

Click to expand...

Yup, pretty much.

Originally Posted by gener

1 - when awake, she constantly talks/screams/meows loudly. sometimes it's obvious, like waking us up to feed her. but other times, we just don't know why she is so vocal. they range from very loud meows, to loud meows integrated with purring, to what my girlfriend calls jungle-like high-to-low pitch yells, to crying noises, to purr-like yelps, etc.

if i'm holding her, she'll cry loudly unless i have my head right up against her. often we think she just does not like being held, but she often purrs while doing the yelling.

though a bit annoying at first, but we've gotten used to it. i just worry that my neighbors wonder what's going on in our apartment! is she just needy for attention????

2 - if she's laying my lap, or occasionally while she is being held by us, she'll start voraciously sucking on her own nipple/teat while making pushing moves with her arms back and forth, stretching her claws out in a pumping like motion.

in between sessions, she'll look up at me and cry/meow perpetually, then go back to her nipple/teat...repeat this sequence several times

is this just her acting as if she was a kitten???

3 - she likes to sunbath (she's actually quiet while she does this, unless we call to her and she'll give a short, high-pitched yelp).

4 - she wags her tail ALOT while being pet, even when purring. sometimes i'll stop, but then she'll start crying for more petting.

i've read that this is a bad sign, but she's never scratched anyone in her life.

5 - she plays with water and makes a mess. plus, she only will drink water out of the toilet, after a bunch of digging-like motions.

anyways, the loud talking/crying/screaming is really wierd. sometimes we think there's something wrong, or that she misses ed, but my g-friend's sister says she been doing that since a kitten.

maybe all this is just her personality, and normal?

anyways, sorry for the long post, but some feedback on any of this would be great. thanks!

gene

Click to expand...

1. Like Tim said, some cats are just major talkers. They like to be talked to as well. Are you spending time with her? Petting and playing? She might be telling you she needs attention.

2. That's very normal the kneading, it's a comfort thing. LMAO, i've never heard of a cat doing it to her own nipple, but I can tell you it's nothing to worry about. She's just doing the sucking the thumb security blanket type thing and it makes her happy.

3. Simmy does that everytime I talk to him when he's chilling. LOL. Totally normal. She's just responding to your call whilst she's relaxing.

4. What Tim said, lol.

5. You might want to consider a pet fountain. They love running water as opposed to stagnat water. They love to play in water

She sounds very normal to me. I would consider getting a book on cats at petsmart or petco or a pet shop. They are chalked full of very helpful pieces of information on cats and their behavior. And some common what to do and what not to do tips. i.e. never spank a cat as a form of punishment!

Great questions, hope you and she enjoy each other!

I am not an expert but I can tell you that some of the behaviors are similar to my cats and are normal. You have to get a feel for your cat but if the cat is not harmed I wouldn't worry too much.

1 - When my stray Inca adopted us for about four months he was so needy it drove me crazy at times. It appears that the trauma of living outside when he was so obviously an indoor cat made him take some time to adjust to having a safe and secure enviroment. But after a while he settled down and has come into his own in our house. The Bengal sound like it has been moved around a couple of times and maybe just needs some time to get adjusted. On the other hand my cat Redford can be very vocal all the time to get attention and when I pet him butts his head right to mine and rubs his cheek to mine. He is putting his scent on my actually.

2 - Sounds like kitten behavior especially if it is true that she was pushed out of the litter like you mentioned too early. There is a scientific reason cats knead but I can't remember it. My Cassidy will knead my leg when I pet her so I have to remember to put a blanket over my lap or those claws can hurt. I have never heard of the nipple thing but again I am no expert.

3 Very normal. Cats love to sunbathe. My Inca likes it when the sun beats down on him and then I pet him. He loves warmth.

4 - All my cats swish their tails but I have never had any problems or thought much of it.

5 - Cats love fresh water and will make the water move to simulate fresh running water. Mine alway jiggle thier bowls to make the water move before drinking it. And Redford loves for me to run water from the tap to get the freshest. I am actually going to buy on of those pet fountains as mentioned earlier.

I think the book idea is a good one for you. I responded with some of my kits behavior so that you might feel more comfortable. If your vet has ruled out any physical maladies just enjoy her personality. Good Luck and thank you for helping her out and then taking her in.

Kittens knead mother's breasts to stimulate milk flow.

And here's an interesting factoid: each kitten has its own nipple. The taste of the milk coming from each nipple, and I believe the scent at each nipple is very slightly different, so the kitten can find its way its way back to its own "place at the table".

I have a Bengal named Simba. He's extremely vocal, and I believe that's common to the breed, so is playing in water. It sounds like you're extremely lucky as far as Bengal's go, because my boy is a Holy Terror, not mean, just overly playful, and active. My boy climbs, climbs,climbs and then climbs some more. He knocks things down for the fun of it, and pulls things out of their places just to enjoy watching them fall. Simba also loves to knead on blankets.

Moving this to the Behavior Forum where it is more appropriately placed ...

you said in #1 that he talks a lot. You also said he lived with another cat before you. He may be calling the other cat, trying to find it. He also may be calling his old owner. He is most likely just waking around asking, where am i, where is that other cat, where is my old owner. When he gets used to things he might be quieter, but its not a bad thing. I love vocal cats, I love it when they talk back to me.

As for the drinking out of the toliet, Lightning wouldn't have anything to do with his water bowl. But he had no issues with the toliet. I bought a Petmate Fresh Flow from Pet Value (I have seen them in Walmart now too). I have only seen him drink from it a couple of times but the water level goes down in the reservoir so that tells me he is usuing it.