New Cat Problems

[ImSandy]

Hi all,

I recently adopted an 8 month old female kitten (who had kittens a few months ago) from a cat shelter. She was really sweet, and came up to me at the shelter, showing affection.
The lady taking car of the cats said that she is the sweetest, and the most calm cat there. I thought it was the perfect idea to adopt her.

I noticed as soon as she was put into her cat carriage she began freaking out, and banging against the sides - this was probably the first red flag.
We brought her home, and setup her own room with food, litter, bed, etc. She immediately went into hiding, under a bed.
After 8 hours of letting her have space, I picked her up to move her to her food and she meowed calmly twice, before slashing at my eye, leaving a deep cut next to my eye.

We gave her space for the first 10 days, and occasionally pet her (she would pur) and fed her from a spoon every so often, whilst giving her lots of treats every time she let us pet her.

We noticed that after all this time, she is still terrified of us, and will sprint away as soon as she isn't under a couch or bed, she will not tolerate being in the open at all.

I feel that if I was to pick her, I would get slashed at again, and am honestly not sure what to do with this cat at all.
She is so sweet, but can be very defensive and seems like she is months away from becoming a normal cat.

Please help.

Thanks

 

[KarenKat]

Welcome to The Cat Site! And congrats on the new addition, although I’m sorry the transition sounds rough.

Your kitty (we love names and pictures!) has had quite a change in her life! Entirely new territory and New humans. It may take her a while to get used to it. I understand picking her up is sometimes necessary (Vet visits come to mind) but from a cat’s perspective it makes them very vulnerable. Also it forces them into a situation they are not ready for. I suggest letting her move at her own pace, and don’t pick her up or move her unless absolutely necessary.

Has she seen the Vet since you got her? You might also want to make sure that there is no underlying injury or illness that is causing pain and making her lash out. If you rule out medical issues, then time and patience in letting her explore at her own pace is best. Keep feeding her treats and petting her when she is willing, but don’t take her out from hiding.

Another way to make her more confident is to add vertical space - a cat tower or cat shelves. This may let her feel more comfortable. She may not use them right away, but most cats prefer to survey territory from the safety of a height.

Good luck, I hope she comes around soon! Sounds like a lovely little kitty otherwise.

 

[huxleysmom]

Hello there and welcome to the site. I agree with KarenKat and would take her to the vet first to make sure she is healthy. Once you’ve done that, I would use play to try and build her confidence around you. Get long wand toys (so that you can be far away from her) and try to entice her to play. Don’t wave to wand too hard around and over her as it may scare her at first. Let her gain confidence by dragging the toy on the floor, hide behind a furniture and pull the toy around the corner so she chases it about the room. Once she gets more confirtable, you can become more creative with the use of the wand. Also use treats after each session so that she associates you with good things. It just takes time with some cats. Be patient, and most importantly, let her come to you or I’m afraid you’ll get another nasty scratch.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

[Etarre]

I understand that it can be tough to wait patiently for a new cat to warm up to you, and of course you had hoped that she would be warm and cuddly from the start. But please be careful about assuming that because she's scared in her new environment that she's not 'normal'. As others have pointed out, there's been a lot of upheaval in her life recently, and it's perfectly normal to react fearfully to new spaces, new people, and even new noises and smells. Please don't blame her for being overwhelmed, and give her the time that she needs to adjust.

All cats' personalities are different, too. Some are more timid than others, and some are more cuddly than others. It may take a few months for your kitty to get comfortable enough to show her true personality, and she may never like being picked up (mine never have!).

My cats have also been very different in the way that they allowed us to handle them, in their preferences for how they wanted to play, etc. Part of being a good cat owner is learning these preferences and interacting in a way that makes your cat feel comfortable. This takes time, so please give yourself and your cat the time that you both need to form a relationship.

 

[DawsonsMom]

Hi!

When we adopted Stevie from a shelter when she was a little younger than your cat, she stayed under a chair for the first 3 weeks. Then she slowly started coming out to play with toys and to eat treats we left for her. Everything else seemed normal, she was eating (alot), using the litter box and playing with her toys, albeit, mostly at night or when we weren't around.

She's still a little skittish and under the chair is her go to spot but she gets better every day and it's been almost 2 months. She plays with us and climbs all over us but it is on her terms, not ours. She does not like getting picked up now, although it might change in the future. It's been a hard lesson for my impatient husband to learn because he wanted a cuddly cat and I'm not sure she will be a cuddly cat.

I also agree about the cat tower. Once we got it, Stevie really seemed to blossom, she is on it all the time and loves playing on it. She also loves anything with feathers and that worked to get her out to play.

Early on, I got a couple of nasty scratches from Stevie (I had to give her medication when we first got her) so when I took her to the vet for a check up after she'd been with us about 6 weeks, I asked that they trim her nails. It has definitely helped so you might want to consider that as well.

 

[Hellenww]

Some additional ideas.

Is she still in her room and do you have other animals? If there are no other animals try leaving her door cracked but close attic and basement doors. At 8 mt she's unlikely to hurt herself. She'll better be able to hear and get used to the household sounds and have the opportunity to explore at night. Lay a towel over the door so her safe place door doesn't accidentally close.

Sleep in a t-shirt and put it by her food so your scent is associated with good thing. If it stops her from eating take it away.

@1bruce1 describes a chin nod on another post about skittish kitten you could try Advice On A Skittish Kitten

Read text or anything you happen to be looking at out loud so she gets used to your voice.

As others have said patience is your friend both for kitty and yourself.

 

[Kflowers]

When we got our newest one at 5 weeks she was excitable. She didn't calm down, Sweet Gum was her name, slice and dice was her game. I took her to the vet and got a full body x-ray, okay one x-ray did it. It turned out the less than year old kitten had arthritis in her spine. We hadn't realized it because she'd never completely straightened out. She was allergic to the cat pain meds, so we got her on dasuquin, which is like cosiquin. For now, she seems pain free and more playful. For now she's given up slice and dice and keeps her claws retracted.

 

[ImSandy]

Thank you everyone for the kind, and helpful advice. Unfortunately I don't have a name for her, or any decent pictures yet, as she is always hiding in dimly lit areas (so the photos are quite fuzzy).

I will continue to give her the space she needs, and be try and leave items associated with me around her eating area. That sounds like a good idea.

Regarding the vet visit; I was told she had a full check-up a few days before adopting her, so I have yet to take her on a vet trip myself yet. I am hesitant to, as she would most likely freak out again. I'll have to work that out.