(OT) What to do with an insane cat?

[SamuraiY]

Right now, there is a psychotic cat hiding in a chair in my den. I'll explain:
A family friend has to move, and she could not take her cat with her, so she was going to have it put to sleep. Naturally, we didn't like this, so we offered to take the cat in and she agreed. The problem is that this cat is completely insane. He has been hiding under this chair for quite some time, refusing to come out to eat, drink, use the litter box, or anything else. If we get within five feet of the chair, it starts growling, hissing, and spitting at us. If we get within reach, it tries to kill us. I have no idea what to do in a situation like this, and I just hoped that one of you might have some ideas. Thanks!

 

[Cedric]

Talk to your friend about the cat's behaviour, she may have something she wants to try.

Also, you can check your area for "no kill" shelters. They take in animals, but they do not euthenize for lack of space (they still would for health concerns).

Cedric

 

[Skarp Hedin]

Many animals go through periods of ahem, adjustment, when they go to a new home. Mr. Cat here was perhaps very set in his ways, and has become distraught at moving. Alternately, he may be ill. I wouldn't want to give any kind of concrete guess.. the best idea would be to call the local vet and ask them over the phone if they have any advice about the situation.. I dunno about your vet, but ours has always been very helpful about minor advice.

And calling the vet is safer than approaching the cat to stuff 'im in a cat carrier I imagine. Sharp claws. Good reflexes.

 

[starwolf]

How long is "quite a while"? A few hours, days, or weeks? How long did the family friend have this cat? How old is it?

Animals can go into "shock" just like people. Seperation anxiety can be even greater for pets than people.

Has the family friend already moved? If not perhaps you could get him/her to leave behind some old clothes/towels, anything with the scent of "home" upon it. This may help alleviate some of the anxiety, and help create a "comfort zone" for the poor beast.

Otherwise, contact your local animal shelter/dumb friends league for some advice on how to handle the anxiety.

 

[Geoff Watson]

I agree with Skarp and Cedric.

It may take the cat a while to get used to its new home and the new people it's now living with.
Leave it alone. Put the food/water dish and litter tray nearby, and it will come out when it's ready.

Geoff.

 

[Darkness]

Was the cat already 'insane' when your friend still had him, or does he just have problems with being being put into an unknown environment and separated from the person he was used to?

Some cats just are a bit 'shy', or at least can't adapt to new situations very quickly.
Especially older cats...

(Otherwise, I agree with what the others said - e.g., leaving stuff nearby so he doesn't have to move too far from his 'safe plafe' at first, calling a vet to get some practical advice, etc.)

 

[SamuraiY]

Thanks for all your advice. I really appreciate it. To answer some questions:
A while is a few days.
The cat is about three years old, and I gather that his previous owner had him for roughly that long.
The cat was somewhat crazy to begin with I think, although not like this. For example, when we were picking him up, he bit one of us quite badly (open wound that bled for a while) for failure to keep petting him.
Saddly, even if we did have some of his things from home, he will not let us get close enough to let him know.
I would expect the cat to be scared, angry, and shy. What has me worried is that it has been so long and he has not eaten, drunk, or used the litter box since he got here. The last time he moved was to slink behind and into the chair.

 

[LightPhoenix]

Well, since it's a matter of sanitation (since it doesn't use the litter box) and one of health concerns (it doesn't eat), I would suggest putting a little catnip nearby and then moving and cleaning while the cat is under the influence. I definitely would not suggest this as a long term approach though, and if within a month the behavior doesn't improve, you might have to send it to a shelter.

As another tangent, it's possible the feline smells something it is afraid of. My sister had a cap that one of my cats was so afraid of that it wouldn't even go in the same room as it, even to eat or pee. Just a random thought.

EDIT: Can't spell

 

[Morbidity]

He has been hiding under this chair for quite some time, refusing to come out to eat, drink, use the litter box, or anything else.

I can unfortunately say that I've been there, done that. We got a cat which was 7 months old from a friend who .... insert very lengthy and not terribly interesting story here ...

When the cat arrived at our home he hid under the sideboard and refused to come out in exactly the manner you described. It took him months to get used to us. Basically feline shock - imagine if you were suddenly put in a car and dumped in someone else's home with no explanation of what was going on. Also don't underestimate the fact that there may be things the cat is terrified of. The cat we got was terrified of the sound of the automatic garage door opening and closing and the sound of high-heeled shoes - his previous owner had been a nurse, so only wore those nice, silent shoes.

How did we fix the problem? The cat will eventually get used to you. In the short term however, I'd advise locking the cat in the room with the necessities of life (food, water, litter-box) and leaving him alone for several hours. Nighttime is good b/c you'll all be in bed, so the house will be quiet and he will feel safe to come out.

 

[Darrin Drader]

My experience is that cats get very stubborn and used to their surroundings very early in life. One time when my wife and I moved, the male cat in the little cat family we had at the time was so scared that it refused to leave the litter box for two or three days. When it did come out, it would leave for brief excursions to find the food and then return to its "home." Eventually it came around and adapted to its surroundings.

What I would do is make sure that the litter box, food and water are all in the same room the cat has holed up in. Self preservation is an instinct almost all creatures on Earth possess, so it will eventually give in to the temptation to eat, drink, and do its duty.

The other major thing I would do is let it be by itself for as long as it wants. Leave it alone and keep the room free from kids, other pets, loud noises, and other curious family members. Eventually the cat will come out of its shell, but if you try to rush the process you will probably just stress it out even more.

No matter what, just keep reminding yourself that you are doing the right thing by taking this animal in. No matter how rough the introduction to your household is, you are allowing it to live a much longer life than it would have otherwise.

BTW, I'm currently going through a similar thing myself since my brother in-law is moving and can't take his cat with him. The difference is that his cat is a total cat A-type personality, which means he swats at anything he doesn't like or understand and is generally disagreeable most of the time. He swats at me, the dog and other family members. In fact he lies out in the middle of the floor as if inviting the dog to come and mess with him so he can teach it another lesson. That whole things about cats and dogs - its true, but its usually the cat who wins the argument.