This is long, but I think if you're interested in cat behavior you might find my story worth reading. I'd love input! I'm stumped.
My background: I've studied animal behavior. I've had cats for 38 years, dogs my entire life. I've worked in clinics, at shelters, as a groomer & trainer. I'm an expert at introducing new animals, bringing animals home, training kittens, puppies, behavior modification, bringing in older cats. But I have no idea what to do with my current cat.
I just adopted Luna (approx 1 yr) and Porter (approx 16 months). They didn't come from the same cage but completely accepted each other immediately. There wasn't so much as a raised hair when they met. They were both fixed before I brought them home.
When we met, Luna took to my husband immediately. She curled right up on him and that was it. Each time we visited before we took them home, she'd do the same thing. When we brought them home, she had no interest in anything except laying in his lap and eating huge amounts of food at a time.
The day after we brought them home I took her to the vet- I had a feeling there was more to her story than just wanting to cuddle with hubby - and lo and behold, she had worms, an eye infection and a virus. That, plus the fact that she was fixed & got all her shots on the same day is probably what made her so lethargic. She got her worm & eye meds, and was sent home.
Within a day she no longer wanted to lay in hubby's lap; she felt so much better she actually started showing interest in the house. She's not shy but was a little reserved at first. Still, all she wanted to do was eat. And eat. We thought it was the worms and in a week she wouldn't need as much food.
Well, it's been 2 weeks. I've never seen a cat like this. I"m trying to figure out her past (she came from a shelter so there are a lot of unknowns) to figure out her behavior. I need help. I've spent a lot of time obeserving her and getting to know her. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even still, I don't know if she's just in a shell, is a 'special needs" kitty or just the most "Cat" cat I've ever met!
Here's who she is right now:
She can hear but does not come when she's called and does not make a peep unless she wants food. She doesn't purr. She doesn't "do the figure 8" at my feet, or rub up against my leg. She does not solicit love, praise or play. She only solicits food.
At night, I'll put her on the bed and she'll knead like crazy and softly purr (you have to put your ear up to her side to hear her), and when she lays down she likes to be stroked on her sides around her teats. She was obviously a mom cat recently and has distended nipples. In the morning she'll stand between us and purr, but that's the extent of her cuddling. She sits on a dining room chair 23 hours a day. When she walks by Porter, he'll sometimes jump on her, bite her neck, bat at her, trying to solicit play, and she'll either just stand there totally ignoring him or on the very rare occasion will take him up on it and play chase for 5 minutes max- no longer.
She doesn't respond to any type of ball, noise maker, crackly toy or bouncy toy. She'll grab at a string-like toy if it's close enough; otherwise she'll just watch it. The only thing she has any interest in is her food bowl.
Every time hubby or I pet her, she jumps up and goes to the food bowl and starts eating. Every time I put her in another room, she goes to where the food bowl should be in that room. She'll be sound asleep; I'll pick her up, take her to another room, cuddle her in a blanket, and she jumps up and goes to the food bowl. She'll have just eaten - she'll eat for 5, 10 minutes straight - walk away from the bowl, use the box, start to clean herself - and if I walk in the room she goes back to the food bowl and starts eating again.
I've started taking up the bowl and I feed Porter in private. If she sees him eating she goes to the bowl and non-aggressively pushes him away so she can eat. She's incredibly mellow; she just is totally focused on food.
The vet & I concur she's at a perfect weight. She's gotten a belly in the last 2 weeks she's eating so much, but she's a lanky girl so anything extra really shows on her.
She's learning where her scratchers are (I've never had a cat scratch furniture and I never will!), she understands no, she doesn't shy away from you, she likes being pet on her sides, she'll rub her mouth on my fingers; so I know she's content and has brains but...
My hypothesis:
She was raised virtually alone with no social interaction between people or other cats. She's had babies, so she has patience (allowing Porter to jump all over her) and affection (loves having her sides and belly stroked). She's never had anyone to play with. SHe's never had anyone talk to her. Food was her only connection with the rest of the world.
Does anyone have a different opinion?
My problem is this: I want to engage her. I want to see her show interest in her surroundings, in her mate, in her people. I'd like to see her run and jump and play. I'd like to "see her brain work." I'd like to be able to leave food out so Porter can eat but I'm afraid she's going to gorge herself to death if I do.
What I'm doing: Today (2 weeks ago I brought her home) I've locked the cats in my office with me. Porter hangs out with me anyway. She's comfortable lying in the chair she first slept in when I brought her home. I'm doing this 1)to get her off the dining room chair/give her a new perspective and 2) to stimulate her brain more because in here there's the sound of the TV, lights are on, I'm busy in the room, I can periodically touch her, etc.
She's more active at night (when I bring her up to go to bed), so I get on the floor with her with a string toy and just move it back and forth so she can grab at it; she loses interest in about 10 minutes but hey it's something! Porter cannot ignore a moving object, so hubby takes him to another room to play because she will just sit there if he plays. The two will then bat at each other under the bed, run under the curtains, etc., for a few minutes before it's lights out.
When she goes to where the bowl should be I pick her up and love on her and tell her "no food, good girl". She lets me love on her - she knows her food source, after all! - but when I put her down she goes right back to where the bowl should be. I put the bowl down when she's not asking for it. I tell her "no, no food" in a nice way when she sits there. If she meows for it I then put the bowl down. I'm trying to encourage some vocalization because she's so dang quiet.
So... that's what I'm doing. I'm playing the way she wants to play, I'm not crowding her or yelling at her. I'm not rough or loud. I'm not really withholding food - the dang thing will eat as much as a St Bernard, if I let her! - and I'm trying to stimulate her a little by keeping her in "active" rooms. (But I can only do that during the day; the family room is a loft so at night I can't confine her with us.)
Am I doing the right things? Should I be doing something else? Because she's a year old, is there a possibility that this is how she's going to be? My experience with young cats is not nearly as extensive as with dogs. I know you can repair a lot of the damage done to a puppy - but can you do the same with a cat?
She's really a sweet girl. She's obviously been cared for. But she is the most devoid of personality animal I've ever met!
Any advice & observations are welcome!!
thanks
lunasmom
My background: I've studied animal behavior. I've had cats for 38 years, dogs my entire life. I've worked in clinics, at shelters, as a groomer & trainer. I'm an expert at introducing new animals, bringing animals home, training kittens, puppies, behavior modification, bringing in older cats. But I have no idea what to do with my current cat.
I just adopted Luna (approx 1 yr) and Porter (approx 16 months). They didn't come from the same cage but completely accepted each other immediately. There wasn't so much as a raised hair when they met. They were both fixed before I brought them home.
When we met, Luna took to my husband immediately. She curled right up on him and that was it. Each time we visited before we took them home, she'd do the same thing. When we brought them home, she had no interest in anything except laying in his lap and eating huge amounts of food at a time.
The day after we brought them home I took her to the vet- I had a feeling there was more to her story than just wanting to cuddle with hubby - and lo and behold, she had worms, an eye infection and a virus. That, plus the fact that she was fixed & got all her shots on the same day is probably what made her so lethargic. She got her worm & eye meds, and was sent home.
Within a day she no longer wanted to lay in hubby's lap; she felt so much better she actually started showing interest in the house. She's not shy but was a little reserved at first. Still, all she wanted to do was eat. And eat. We thought it was the worms and in a week she wouldn't need as much food.
Well, it's been 2 weeks. I've never seen a cat like this. I"m trying to figure out her past (she came from a shelter so there are a lot of unknowns) to figure out her behavior. I need help. I've spent a lot of time obeserving her and getting to know her. She's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even still, I don't know if she's just in a shell, is a 'special needs" kitty or just the most "Cat" cat I've ever met!
Here's who she is right now:
She can hear but does not come when she's called and does not make a peep unless she wants food. She doesn't purr. She doesn't "do the figure 8" at my feet, or rub up against my leg. She does not solicit love, praise or play. She only solicits food.
At night, I'll put her on the bed and she'll knead like crazy and softly purr (you have to put your ear up to her side to hear her), and when she lays down she likes to be stroked on her sides around her teats. She was obviously a mom cat recently and has distended nipples. In the morning she'll stand between us and purr, but that's the extent of her cuddling. She sits on a dining room chair 23 hours a day. When she walks by Porter, he'll sometimes jump on her, bite her neck, bat at her, trying to solicit play, and she'll either just stand there totally ignoring him or on the very rare occasion will take him up on it and play chase for 5 minutes max- no longer.
She doesn't respond to any type of ball, noise maker, crackly toy or bouncy toy. She'll grab at a string-like toy if it's close enough; otherwise she'll just watch it. The only thing she has any interest in is her food bowl.
Every time hubby or I pet her, she jumps up and goes to the food bowl and starts eating. Every time I put her in another room, she goes to where the food bowl should be in that room. She'll be sound asleep; I'll pick her up, take her to another room, cuddle her in a blanket, and she jumps up and goes to the food bowl. She'll have just eaten - she'll eat for 5, 10 minutes straight - walk away from the bowl, use the box, start to clean herself - and if I walk in the room she goes back to the food bowl and starts eating again.
I've started taking up the bowl and I feed Porter in private. If she sees him eating she goes to the bowl and non-aggressively pushes him away so she can eat. She's incredibly mellow; she just is totally focused on food.
The vet & I concur she's at a perfect weight. She's gotten a belly in the last 2 weeks she's eating so much, but she's a lanky girl so anything extra really shows on her.
She's learning where her scratchers are (I've never had a cat scratch furniture and I never will!), she understands no, she doesn't shy away from you, she likes being pet on her sides, she'll rub her mouth on my fingers; so I know she's content and has brains but...
My hypothesis:
She was raised virtually alone with no social interaction between people or other cats. She's had babies, so she has patience (allowing Porter to jump all over her) and affection (loves having her sides and belly stroked). She's never had anyone to play with. SHe's never had anyone talk to her. Food was her only connection with the rest of the world.
Does anyone have a different opinion?
My problem is this: I want to engage her. I want to see her show interest in her surroundings, in her mate, in her people. I'd like to see her run and jump and play. I'd like to "see her brain work." I'd like to be able to leave food out so Porter can eat but I'm afraid she's going to gorge herself to death if I do.
What I'm doing: Today (2 weeks ago I brought her home) I've locked the cats in my office with me. Porter hangs out with me anyway. She's comfortable lying in the chair she first slept in when I brought her home. I'm doing this 1)to get her off the dining room chair/give her a new perspective and 2) to stimulate her brain more because in here there's the sound of the TV, lights are on, I'm busy in the room, I can periodically touch her, etc.
She's more active at night (when I bring her up to go to bed), so I get on the floor with her with a string toy and just move it back and forth so she can grab at it; she loses interest in about 10 minutes but hey it's something! Porter cannot ignore a moving object, so hubby takes him to another room to play because she will just sit there if he plays. The two will then bat at each other under the bed, run under the curtains, etc., for a few minutes before it's lights out.
When she goes to where the bowl should be I pick her up and love on her and tell her "no food, good girl". She lets me love on her - she knows her food source, after all! - but when I put her down she goes right back to where the bowl should be. I put the bowl down when she's not asking for it. I tell her "no, no food" in a nice way when she sits there. If she meows for it I then put the bowl down. I'm trying to encourage some vocalization because she's so dang quiet.
So... that's what I'm doing. I'm playing the way she wants to play, I'm not crowding her or yelling at her. I'm not rough or loud. I'm not really withholding food - the dang thing will eat as much as a St Bernard, if I let her! - and I'm trying to stimulate her a little by keeping her in "active" rooms. (But I can only do that during the day; the family room is a loft so at night I can't confine her with us.)
Am I doing the right things? Should I be doing something else? Because she's a year old, is there a possibility that this is how she's going to be? My experience with young cats is not nearly as extensive as with dogs. I know you can repair a lot of the damage done to a puppy - but can you do the same with a cat?
She's really a sweet girl. She's obviously been cared for. But she is the most devoid of personality animal I've ever met!
Any advice & observations are welcome!!
thanks
lunasmom
