"feral" Young Cat Wants All Doors Open

[puddertatten]

I have a cat who is 1.5 years old. She was found outside with her three sisters while their eyes were still closed.

They were fostered well, but she is nervous and doesn't seem to know her role in the family. She recognizes me as her human, but she is nervous during the day with interaction with my 83 year old mom & her 5 year old cat (we live together). Her anxiety is so subtle that my mom doesn't see it, but she spends most of the day sleeping under my mom's bed (she's extremely nocturnal).

The problem is that she seems to panic when my mom's door is closed in the morning. This starts about an hour after I get up, even if its 4am.

She scratches at my mom's door and yeowls. I usually open the door because she is so insistent.

The issue is that when she gets into my moms things, knocks lots of things down, and scraps with my moms cat. The door is closed all night.

I know this is getting long so here is the point. This AM, I decided to not open the door for her and instead try to get her to snuggle with me.

She got upset after about a half an hour, scratched at my moms door for about half an hour, and then came into my room and acted very aggressive or anxious (it was hard to tell which).

She dug furiously at the blanket next to me, then wrapped her front legs around my leg, sort of scratching and biting, but not really hard.

I finally let her into my moms room. She just stood there looking confused, which us how she does all the time. She wants doors open, but for no apparent reason (she scratches at closet doors too).

I play with her and my moms cat for about 20 minutes each night and we have two Feliway going all the time.

I'm open to any suggestions as to how to deal with the situation of needing doors open that need to stay closed.

 

[rubysmama]

I was about to suggest Feliway, then came to your 2nd last paragraph, where you mention having 2. I've never used Feliway, but have read there's 2 different kinds now. So perhaps look into the other kind.

There's also things like calming treats.

Here's a few articles that might be helpful:
How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat
How To Stop Your Cat From Scratching The Furniture

Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats
Potential Stressors In Cats - The Ultimate Checklist

 

[puddertatten]

Thank you so much for the information! I know the post is lengthy; thank you also for reading.

I discovered today that the sort of grabbing my leg and nibbling at my feet is a new way to play for her. I don't mind really & its not aggressive so that's a good thing.

Thanks again.

 

[danteshuman]

Oh ACK stop that play right now! What if she hurts you? Plus your mom's skin is thinner. Cat bites can require hospitalization. I suggest buying her a large kickeroo. When she attacks your leg, scruff her calmly (you can no or ow or hiss), then release her & ignore her. (*Since your cat is a bottle baby she isn't feral I think bottle babies are great!)

How To Set Healthy Boundaries For Your Cat
How To Stop Playtime Aggression In Cats
KONG Kickeroo Cow Pattern Cat Toy

 

[rubysmama]

Sorry to discourage you, but I agree with danteshuman , don't let her get in the habit of grabbing your leg and nibbling your feet is ok. Especially with your Mom.

But since the distraction works, now all you have to do is substitute a toy for your leg.

 

[puddertatten]

Oh yes! I know about cat bites! My dad had to get a specially formulated antibiotic & get it via IV injection daily for a week due to a cat bite. I was mortified when the mgr of our local humane society argued with me that cat bites are harmless!

As an aside for anyone who doesn't know: a human bite is one of the worst you can suffer. Cat bites are only serious because of sharp teeth that basically inoculate a person with bacteria. It's not because their mouths are especially dirty (an ER doctor told me that & my vet confirmed).

I am going to re-think that kind of play. Unfortunately my mom's cat bites her hard enough to break skin frequently. She doesn't do it to me because I've set definite boundaries. I'll work on Holly's idea of play. She sure loves her bird toy; maybe I can distract with that.