Hi friends,
I need some advice or maybe a little bit of help or a shoulder to cry on. I don't know. So I have a cat he's almost a year old. His name is Smudge. Smudge came from a breeder and let's just say he didn't have it easier by her. It's a long story but basically he was kept with his brothers and sisters in a room without much human interaction. He's somewhat wild but not totally. I would say poorly socialized. He was three months old when i got him. I probably should not have taken him but I thought love and patience would help him alot and he would be a great cat.
Anyways Smudge was not easy from the start. He hid alot when we brought him home and was kinda around but not really. He tried his best to be invisible. He warmed up to me after awhile and used to lay on my belly in the afternoon or on the couch by my legs. After a couple of days he lost his shyness and started being aggressive towards me. It started with hitting my hand to get a treat. I was shocked. Then he would scratch me if I tried to touch him or pick him up. He jumped on my back with claws, the list goes on.
I called a behaviorist and she came and told me to enrich his environment which I did. I play with him with interactive toys when he feels like it. I clicker with him a bit. He has puzzle feeders and toys. My husband and I work but I try my best to give him all thd attention he wants. He also is not allowed in our bedroom at night because he scratches and bites my feet in the middle of the night to get me up. I can't even sit on my own couch because he pounces on my legs and scratches me.
He's been moving away from me slowly for the past couple of months. He doesn't lay on me or let me touch him at all. He likes to hide away when I'm in the room with him. And no we haven't squirted him, hit him or harmed him in anyway. A few times I've screamed loud when he pounced me but it was out of shock and pain not anger.
He also has itchy skin and runny poop. I have been to three different vets with him and no one can help him. They suggested new food but he refuses to eat it. Even after trying a slow change by mixing the food together old and new.
He is stressed by every sound in our apartment. I can't even turn on the blow dryer. He's scared of plastic bags.
I've been told a second cat might help but he is also very possessive of his things and we dont want him beating up a new cat. Two stressed animals is even worse.
Csn we do anything else to help him? I love him but am at my wits end. A friend suggested giving him away but the way he acts I'm sure he will get bounced from shelter to shelter or worse case put down. I don't want that for him. He deserves a good life.
Thanks for reading this.
Stephi
I need some advice or maybe a little bit of help or a shoulder to cry on. I don't know. So I have a cat he's almost a year old. His name is Smudge. Smudge came from a breeder and let's just say he didn't have it easier by her. It's a long story but basically he was kept with his brothers and sisters in a room without much human interaction. He's somewhat wild but not totally. I would say poorly socialized. He was three months old when i got him. I probably should not have taken him but I thought love and patience would help him alot and he would be a great cat.
Anyways Smudge was not easy from the start. He hid alot when we brought him home and was kinda around but not really. He tried his best to be invisible. He warmed up to me after awhile and used to lay on my belly in the afternoon or on the couch by my legs. After a couple of days he lost his shyness and started being aggressive towards me. It started with hitting my hand to get a treat. I was shocked. Then he would scratch me if I tried to touch him or pick him up. He jumped on my back with claws, the list goes on.
I called a behaviorist and she came and told me to enrich his environment which I did. I play with him with interactive toys when he feels like it. I clicker with him a bit. He has puzzle feeders and toys. My husband and I work but I try my best to give him all thd attention he wants. He also is not allowed in our bedroom at night because he scratches and bites my feet in the middle of the night to get me up. I can't even sit on my own couch because he pounces on my legs and scratches me.
He's been moving away from me slowly for the past couple of months. He doesn't lay on me or let me touch him at all. He likes to hide away when I'm in the room with him. And no we haven't squirted him, hit him or harmed him in anyway. A few times I've screamed loud when he pounced me but it was out of shock and pain not anger.
He also has itchy skin and runny poop. I have been to three different vets with him and no one can help him. They suggested new food but he refuses to eat it. Even after trying a slow change by mixing the food together old and new.
He is stressed by every sound in our apartment. I can't even turn on the blow dryer. He's scared of plastic bags.
I've been told a second cat might help but he is also very possessive of his things and we dont want him beating up a new cat. Two stressed animals is even worse.
Csn we do anything else to help him? I love him but am at my wits end. A friend suggested giving him away but the way he acts I'm sure he will get bounced from shelter to shelter or worse case put down. I don't want that for him. He deserves a good life.
Thanks for reading this.
Stephi
