Need Help With Rescue Kitty

[jessicamluce]

I found a sweet female cat at a rest stop, I assume she was dumped there. She was skittish but you could tell she wanted human interaction so my friend and I coaxed her over and within a few mins was able to pet her and even scoop her up. I ended up deciding to take her with me since it was not safe for her to be there with all the cars and semi trucks.
I brought her home, got her cleaned up, fed and her and realized she is pregnant. She will be seeing a vet Tuesday. Anyway, she seems sweet most of the time but is like a Jekyl and Hyde. She was laying on my stomach and clawed me a little too hard (nails need cut asap) so I let out a loud "ouch!" And she jumped down, hissed and growled at me before darting away. As I began walking down the hallway where she was, she hissed again. I let her be and she eventually jumped up with me and was lovey. She's hissed twice at me as I placed her food down for her. I am not most knowledgeable about cat behavior, I currently have one but he's very mellow so this kind of behavior is new to me. I have am 8 year old son at home and don't want him hurt or anything. Is this most likely pregnancy mood swings, fear, stress?

 

[smittendakittn]

Have you taken her to a vet ? Shots up to date for feral behavior yet?

 

[detmut]

I found a sweet female cat at a rest stop, I assume she was dumped there. She was skittish but you could tell she wanted human interaction so my friend and I coaxed her over and within a few mins was able to pet her and even scoop her up. I ended up deciding to take her with me since it was not safe for her to be there with all the cars and semi trucks.
I brought her home, got her cleaned up, fed and her and realized she is pregnant. She will be seeing a vet Tuesday. Anyway, she seems sweet most of the time but is like a Jekyl and Hyde. She was laying on my stomach and clawed me a little too hard (nails need cut asap) so I let out a loud "ouch!" And she jumped down, hissed and growled at me before darting away. As I began walking down the hallway where she was, she hissed again. I let her be and she eventually jumped up with me and was lovey. She's hissed twice at me as I placed her food down for her. I am not most knowledgeable about cat behavior, I currently have one but he's very mellow so this kind of behavior is new to me. I have am 8 year old son at home and don't want him hurt or anything. Is this most likely pregnancy mood swings, fear, stress?

Have you taken her to a vet ? Shots up to date for feral behavior yet?

 

[jessicamluce]

I'm taking her Tuesday, my chihuahua is getting spayed so she is getting seen at pick up that evening.

 

[slykat12]

Sounds like ok behavior to me. My cat is super sweet but does hiss when she has had enough pets. She is simply saying "stop it"-good you scolded her about the scratch.

 

[BonitaBaby]

Quote: "Anyway, she seems sweet most of the time but is like a Jekyl and Hyde. She was laying on my stomach and clawed me a little too hard (nails need cut asap) so I let out a loud "ouch!" And she jumped down, hissed and growled at me before darting away. As I began walking down the hallway where she was, she hissed again."

Your cat sounds fine to me. She didn't mean to hurt you with the claws & probably still doesn't know she did. My cat was doing this to me with her long talon claws until I got them trimmed at a vet visit. Try reacting differently since the "Ouch!" you yelled probably caused her to be fearful and maybe think you were going to fight with her so she hissed at you. In her mind, everything was going fine until you suddenly yelled "Ouch!" out of nowhere. The tone you used might have scared her. Maybe try pretend crying instead. I did this with my rescue cat along with pointing at my wounds and she seemed to get it. She takes special care not to claw me now if I accidentally move the feathers close to me when we're playing with Da Bird.

Also, with the hissing with the food, she might never have been fed in a home before, so she wants to let you know that food you're putting down is hers. My cat acted fiesty at first when I'd give her her kibble, swinging her tail around behind her to block me in case I was going to try to eat too, until she realized after a while that the kibble is for her and I don't eat it. She acted the same with new toys I'd give her. Heehee. Makes me giggle at her.

Thank you so much for rescuing a feral/stray!!!

 

[fhicat]

She's still adjusting. She's in that would-like-to-trust-you-but-a-girls-gotta-be-careful mode. Once she is spayed and gets an okay from the vet, it should be easier. In the meantime, she needs time to settle and learn to trust you. You can help that process by only letting her come to you. Don't approach her; if you must, don't look at her directly and use slow movements. Hissing at you when you put down her food sounds like somewhat normal feral behavior where she *thinks* you're competing with her for food. With time she'll realize that she doesn't have to fight for her food anymore.

If you have the space for it, it might be a good idea to begin introductions with your resident cat. A solitary room that she can be by herself will do wonders to ease her anxiety.

 

[jessicamluce]

She's warming up a bit today, I came home from work and she sat ony lap, even allowed me to gently touch her sides. I have her in my room now which seems like best place for her, set up a few private areas for her to have her kittens, even got her briefly engaged in play. I've been thinking about allowing her to meet Garff but am worried it may seem overwhelming for her. May try later in the week when I have the day off and my son is at school.
I didn't think about her seeing it as competing for food, but that makes sense. I picked up a few cans of Felidae for kittens and adults, she really likes it. Should I add anything else to her food to ensure she's got proper nutrition?

 

[fhicat]

She's warming up a bit today, I came home from work and she sat ony lap, even allowed me to gently touch her sides. I have her in my room now which seems like best place for her, set up a few private areas for her to have her kittens, even got her briefly engaged in play. I've been thinking about allowing her to meet Garff but am worried it may seem overwhelming for her. May try later in the week when I have the day off and my son is at school.
I didn't think about her seeing it as competing for food, but that makes sense. I picked up a few cans of Felidae for kittens and adults, she really likes it. Should I add anything else to her food to ensure she's got proper nutrition?

Introductions should be done slowly. Here are some ideas:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

As for food, here's one too:

http://www.thecatsite.com/a/nutrition-for-the-mother-cat