Cat Advice (very off topic)

[Umbran]

Now that I have a bit of time, I can do more than say, "Don't listen to that!" I can offer resources...

For Cat Owners | Indoor Pet Initiative

indoorpet.osu.edu

The Indoor Pet Initiative, from the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine gives some useful starting thoughts, including some primers on cat behavior and needs.

 

[Umbran]

SO you agree with me then

My post was tongue-in-cheek

Sorry. Plain text doesn't carry that in a reliable manner.

 

[Umbran]

The hissing is when others come to the house.

Yeah, strange people can freak a cat out. Imagine being a small furry critter, and in come these huge things with their stomping feet and loud voices...

Do you or your guests force the cat to interact when there are strangers around? If someone roughly ruffles her fur when she doesn't want it, and she hisses and scratches that is NOT unprovoked, from her point of view. Does the cat have a quite place in the house to retreat to?

Do you keep her nails trimmed?

She mostly just meows (sometimes loudly) at my wife and me.

So... you were concerned that your cat might be feral. Meowing at people is not feral cat behavior. Cats don't meow much in the wild. Adult cats do vocalize at each other, but they usually don't meow. Meowing is more typically a behavior between a kitten and its parent. Domestic cats meow to get your attention, like they'd meow at their mom when they were kittens. It is totally normal - some breeds are extremely vocal.

She likes scratching furniture when I come home from work.

Cats absolutely need to scratch. It is how they keep claws healthy, provides muscular stretching, and is part of basic scent-marking behavior. So... what non-furniture surfaces do you have for your cat? Where are they placed?

The timing may or may not be interesting - she may simply tend to wake up from a nap when you come home, and it is just part of routine. But, there may be other things - scratching can be part of stress relief. Do your dogs get very active when you come home? That may make it loud and chaotic in the home, and the cat may be scratching to relieve the stress that generates - a physical way to blow off steam, if you will.

She hates being taken to the vet (or anywhere for that matter), so I'm not sure if the vet will be able to get a fair view of her behavior.

If you thought dogs are territorial, they have nothing on cats. They don't usually like going out and about from their territories like your dog may. Plus, the vet's office smells of every other animal that's been through, and many of them are unwell, or scared. So, big stressor, there. Lots of cats hate going to the vet.

So, you make a great point, for which there's a solution - get a house-call vet. They exist. They cost a bit more, but they may be a good option for you to get someone to come in an see her home environment, and her behavior in it.

 

[Umbran]

A few other things to consider about your cat's overall stress level...

How often do you clean the litterbox? Is the litterbox in a quiet place where the dogs won't bug her while she's at her business? Where is her food left for her? Some place where people and dogs aren't rushing around?

You say she doesn't play with toys. What toy options do you offer?

You say she doesn't like cat trees. What kinds have you tried, and where have you put them? What interactions happen on or near the tree?

 

[Umbran]

My wife notes: Also, if your cat has a behavior that concerns you that your vet can't see in the office, if you have a smartphone, you can take a video of it when you are home, and show your vet.

 

[Zardnaar]

I haven't had a kitten since 1989.

All mine tend to be affectionate. Current ones came from SPCA. Basically we went to the animal shelter and adopted the friendliest ones not the cutest.

Mooch 1 thinks he is part dog. Loves pats from strangers and the kids next door. I've seen him chase old ladies down the road for pats and scrounge pats from teenage girls up the road.

Mooch 2 is adorable. She loves laps and getting into bed with you. Very needy but hesitant around strangers at first.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

So, the real thing is... they aren't PEOPLE.

Cats aren't humans. The rest depends on how you define "people". But the do have this in common with humans: they are all different.

 

[Dioltach]

Of course cats aren't humans. You need to live a thousand lives as a saint before you reincarnate as a cat.

 

[AnotherGuy]

I realize this isn't necessarily about geek culture, but I know many of you probably have cats. My family has never really had pets, and I wanted to post my questions here as opposed to on other social media where I might be judged publicly.
So I've had my cat about 5 years. My ex-gf found her as a kitten on the side of the interstate. Over the years she's never really warmed up to people. She runs and hides, hisses, attacks unprovoked. She's ok with me, and about once a day comes to snuggle me.
Otherwise she destroys furniture, refuses to play with toys, she won't use beds, cat trees, etc.
Is it possible she is a feral cat? Did we make a mistake taking her in?
Any suggestions for her? We did get her spayed, hoping it would calm her a bit. She seems even more angry since (which was about 3 years ago). We have tried calming sprays, cat nip, leaving my clothes on beds and cat trees so she will feel more comfortable there.
I'm feeling guilty that she has a miserable life and that she's making life bad for my wife and our other pets.

My wife and I took on a rescue from a shelter just 2.5 years ago. Apparently she had had 3-4 homes before us and she was only 2 years old. She was extremely skittish and would hide under the bed. So for just over 3+ weeks I slept separate to my wife in the spare bedroom where the cat lay under the bed. I would talk to her or just sit and work on the laptop, until I eventually fell asleep. In the middle of the night she would creep out from under the bed and find a place next to me to sleep. This eventually became routine until she finally let me stroke her and wasn't as afraid anymore. It was a process. When I moved to our bedroom - she would then follow me there because she had grown accustomed to sleeping next to me. We had one older cat in all this and no kids (so this may play a role).

Fast forward to today, she is still skittish but now seeks out human companionship, mine predominantly but has warmed to my wife and even my mother when she visits. We can hold her for half a minute or so before she wants to be put down.

What I'm worried about in your situation is that years have gone by and her personality may have cemented. If I were you I would at night try my technique. Close the door with you and her in a room alone - have all the necessary (water bowl, food, litter tray) and just go to sleep. It will force her to mingle with you. Don't tease or irritate her and use a calm voice. She needs to build trust with someone.

It's work, but well worth it!

 

[S'mon]

In Britain we almost all let cats go outside. Sometimes they get killed, but they always seem a lot happier than any kept-indoors cat I've ever seen. Cats seem to really value being able to come and go as they please.