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  1. #1
    JustMe is online now Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Default Any hope for our wild cat, accept her as she is, or what?

    At the end of last August, we adopted a 7 month only kitten/cat from our local shelter. I chose her because I have an older male cat and was told he would most likely be accepting of a female cat around one year of age. We could not find a one year old and this cat seemed somewhat more mellow than the other kittens when she was in her age and was not a brand new kitten. She had just been spayed a day or two before and I probably did not take that into consideration enough. I was also told that she had been an indoor cat in a a family with other cats and children (although not a crazy amount of cats) and that she was brought to the shelter because the family was evicted. Of course, I see that a little differently at this point than I do now, but my thought was she was an indoor cat who was used to being around other cats and people.

    I followed the guidance to keep the 2 cats separated and gradually introduce them. The older cat had some initial aggression, but settled down quickly. The new cat seemed okay initially, scared in a new environment, but okay. She did not want to be held, and I was not concerned. She was terrified of an overhead fan and my friend pointed out she thought it was a bird of prey. Anyway, fast forward and within a short amount of time she became who she is now. She attacks our older cat very aggressively, will bite us hard if we walk by her sometimes (not all the time), growls very loudly especially if we go anywhere near her when she is eating, still does not want to be held or even pet most of the time (she will clean herself urgently if we pet her); sometimes she will come and sit on our laps if we have a soft blanket out and she does like to smell us. she is not quite feral in that she will chose to sit near us frequently and, if we are all busy, she will meow until someone talks to her or notices her.

    We put her in a cage at night and she is happy there. This initially started because she was attacking the older cat badly at night. As soon as we put her in the cage, she settles down and is quiet. We dont hear from her until feeding time the next morning. She does fight us when we try to catch her to get her in the cage now, but once she is in she is fine.

    I have been hoping she would eventually mellow out and, while there are small positive changes we are coming upon a year at the end of August. I would be willing to pay something reasonable if there is hope of having her be more of a pet, but dont want to just throw money out. We do love her.

    I should also mention she has some quirks we find very amusing. We actually call her a "cabbit" because she acts like she is part rabbit sometimes. she stands on her hind legs only very easily. She almost hops instead of running most times...and I cant think of the other quirks, but she has them!
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

  2. #2
    kristenk is offline Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    How old is the older male cat? Will he fight back when the younger cat attacks him? I’m concerned about keeping the younger cat in a cage all night. That seems like it would be super stressful for the cat and maybe exacerbate some bad behaviors in the day. It also seems like it would make the cat feel more stressed, angry and fearful around you during the day. Do you play with the younger cat (with wands or something similar) during the day to tire her out?


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  3. #3
    JustMe is online now Diamond level (5000+ posts)
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    Quote Originally Posted by kristenk View Post
    How old is the older male cat? Will he fight back when the younger cat attacks him? I’m concerned about keeping the younger cat in a cage all night. That seems like it would be super stressful for the cat and maybe exacerbate some bad behaviors in the day. It also seems like it would make the cat feel more stressed, angry and fearful around you during the day. Do you play with the younger cat (with wands or something similar) during the day to tire her out?

    Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains
    The newer cat really likes being in the cage. I am not kidding; I see obvious signs of stress in other situations, but she feels safe in the cage; I think this is part of her more wild side and it is only one of many things that we observe that makes this cat different. I did watch a youtube video way back when I was trying to figure things out and they explained that cats that are less domesticated feel really safe and protected in cages as opposed to being out and about sometimes. She does protest loudly if we put her in a room by herself, but she is happy in the cage. She sometimes chooses to be in there during the day (we don't put her in, but she will walk in). It is really her place. Yes, we play with her during the day. The older cat is no match for her. He generally tries to run away. She is so strong. At the vet's they said that she is all muscle. I do think she could seriously hurt him and that will only get worse (he's 12 now), which is part of why I hope to change the situation, but just playing with her does not do that as we are currently home and she gets lots of play time.
    Last edited by JustMe; 07-01-2020 at 12:55 PM.
    lucky single mom to 20 yr old dd and 17 yr old ds through 2 very different adoption routes

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