New cat, first time rescue...

jamaal

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 I'm not new to owning cats, but I am new to rescue cats.  All the cats I have had I have raised from kittens.  I recently adopted a cat  from a shelter, she is 1 yr and 3 months old.  When I went to pick her up she was being held by a volunteer, so she likes being held, and was super friendly, putting her paws up on my chest, rubbing her face on mine.  They told me she was the sweetest thing....after getting her home she was super friendly and affectionate, climbing on me wanting to be pet.  All night she kept me awake trying to rub her face on mine every time I would move.

 The next morning she got out of the bedroom and since then she has not even come to me or anyone else for any affection. If I pet her she is ok with it, purrs and then after a few mins she gets up and walks away.  It's been 5 days that I have had her.  I'm not sure if she is just adjusting, maybe she misses being housed with the other cats, we do have a 9 yr old cat who is not so friendly towards her yet, and a 4month old kitten who isn't able to play due to her just having been spayed AND she is hissing at her if she comes close too.  But she was so sweet and affectionate and they told me she was such a lap cat.  I couldn't believe how affectionate she was with me and my family when we got her home.  The volunteers from the shelter that spent time with her told me she was amazing etc...so I just don't know what is wrong.  Is she adjusting, does she not like it here...She was at the shelter for 4 months and was an owner surrender. I have no idea how a cat can be that sweet and now she's just laying down all day, not interested in anyone or anything???  Is this normal?
 

tulosai

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Hi 
 Thank you for giving this kitty a home!

The first thing that comes to mind for me is that you let her out of the bedroom too quickly.  It is usually best to give cats a 'safe' room for at least a few days once they get to your home.  She may not have been quite ready to experience the whole house yet.

It also sounds like you didn't do an introduction of the cats.  For the best results, this site recommends using this method http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

If I were you, I'd put the new kitty back in the bedroom and start over.   She is probably just overwhelmed and needs more time to acclimate slowly, both to your house and to the other cats there.

Again, welcome to the site and thank you for rescuing this kitty!
 
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jamaal

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I didn't mean to let her out but in the morning she ran out and I was so tired from her keeping me awake I just let her stay since she was having so much fun running around looking at everything....The same day my kitten got spayed, which was supposed to be done a week before I picked up the new cat, but was rescheduled, so now the kitten has to be in the bedroom, for her safety (she plays too rough with the resident cat, and with stitches I can't let her out unsupervised) So I can't start over now....if this is the case then she should adjust?  The 9y/o isn't bad with her, just when she comes around too close she will hiss and be done with it, they eat together...if adjusting is the problem I hope she adjusts soon, I feel bad.
 

tulosai

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I didn't mean to let her out but in the morning she ran out and I was so tired from her keeping me awake I just let her stay since she was having so much fun running around looking at everything....The same day my kitten got spayed, which was supposed to be done a week before I picked up the new cat, but was rescheduled, so now the kitten has to be in the bedroom, for her safety (she plays too rough with the resident cat, and with stitches I can't let her out unsupervised) So I can't start over now....if this is the case then she should adjust?  The 9y/o isn't bad with her, just when she comes around too close she will hiss and be done with it, they eat together...if adjusting is the problem I hope she adjusts soon, I feel bad.
Definitely don't feel bad, you have saved a cat and you are doing your best 
 It actually sounds to me like she and your 9 year old are doing very well together- hissing is normal sometimes even in cats that are best buddies, and if they will eat together that's excellent.

Hopefully others will be able to chime in with more tip!
 
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jamaal

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Still nothing from this cat???? it's so weird...She was ridiculously sweet and affectionate the first night.  The people in the shelter said she was super affectionate, a lapcat, they saw her all the time for months. She's used to the house, never hides, she explores, jumps on things, occasionally plays with my kitten.  Sometimes she initiates the chasing and madness, which is like once a day for about 5 minutes, but other than that she doesn't do anything.  We try and pet her, she lets us for a minute, then she gets up and moves to a different place and lays back down.  They said she was playful, she never plays.  We have toys and a cat tree is on the way. We play with her with a laser thingy, she chases it around like crazy but that's it.  Even my 9y/o cat has started playing like a maniac with the new toys I bought.  There is no fighting between any of them, no hissing, nothing.  The kitten is being a kitten and jumping on her and all of that and she runs away, but sometimes chases her back....so I have no idea.  She is the least active, affectionate cat I have ever owned and apparently that's not how she has been in the past.  I'm just confused...she seems sad.  And we try to give her attention and she always moves away, not once has she come to us, unless she's hungry.  It's been 2 I/2 weeks, is that not long enough to adjust?  I work from home so I am always here, for the most part.  So she's alone with me and other times she's with the whole family and she's just not interested in anything or anyone.  Has this happened to anyone before?   I'm hoping she will get back to playing and being affectionate....at least a little??
 

kittyfostermom

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I don't own a cat, I only foster them. It sounds like it's  an adjustment period. I remember fostering an adult cat and it took her a good four weeks before she wouldn't run from me and hide. So your new cat came into a home with different cats, different people, different smells. Sounds like she need some time and because she's an adult it might take her longer. I'm sure she will come around. Thank you for adopting!!
 

kittyfostermom

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I have another question. Did this cat spend the full 4 months living at the shelter or did she live in a foster home? Did she have a history written about her?
 
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jamaal

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She was in a PetSmart....came from the shelter.  There wasn't any history, she was an owner surrender, that's all I know.  She also bits sometimes, not hard, but I don't know this cat well, and she just will rub her face on mine, when she wants food only in the morning, and then she will bite my face and hold on....I don't like it and of course I say no loudly and she stops, but she also did this to my daughter who picked her up to put her down from the counter and she was holding her and she pushed her head into her shoulder and bit her, again not hard but still...she's 9 and she got a little scared.  I don't need this cat biting people's faces!  She plays with my kitten a little or my kitten attacks her and she never hurts her, she bites gently and then ends up running away so she's not aggressive , at least not to the other cats...so I don't know about this either....she's a little creepy, and I have never had a cat I didn't know since they were kittens so I'm a little nervous about her.
 

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A few thoughts...
Has the new kitty been checked out by a vet, just to make sure there is no health problem being overlooked?

It is likely that she spent a lot of time in a cage at PetSmart the 4 months she was with the rescue/shelter. Many cats exhibit different temperaments than normal when they are caged for so long. Some regress and become scared/shy, others become very demanding of attention. Once they are adopted and are offered a stable environment where they can move around, their temperaments can change again.

We have several adults in our rescue that have been with us since kittenhood. Our cats are not caged/crated except for "adoption days." Several of our super sweet, interactive, lap cats cower in a corner, hide under blankets, etc when they go to these events. Some of our more independent cats actually "show" better; but, are actually less "needy" of attention. They can take it or leave it.

This is not the case with every cat, just a few examples. If your kitty is medically ok, I would just give her some more time to acclimate. I also suggest contacting the rescue/shelter you got her from and just touch base with them. I know we keep in touch with our adopters and would want to know if one of our social lap kitties had a personality change once in a new home. This way we could offer some advise based on the specific cat.
 
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kittyfostermom

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I've been reading books on cats trying to learn as much as I can, so much more complicated then dogs lol! but just as lovable in my opinion. I've been reading this fabulous book called The Cat Whisper by Mieshelle Nagelschneider that I signed out of my local library. You might find some wonderful tips and ideas dealing with your cat. Worth a try! :)
 
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jamaal

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I hope that it is an adjustment period, she has been to the vet....but now the biting thing is a little scary!  Especially when I'm asleep and that's how I'm woken up, with this cat biting my face, that's a new thing so what's the next new thing for her, biting harder?!  I just hope she warms up and stops biting or at least doesn't bite harder...I'll even take that!  I'm going to contact the woman I adopted from at the shelter to see if she had any issues with the previous owner.  OH, also this cat ALWAYS poops outside the litter box, but she is standing in the box but half her poop is in, the other ( always bigger) half, outside the box....even bought a larger hooded box, and she still does it.  She's a real gem this one!  I'll also check out that book you mentioned, kittyfostermom, thanks.
 

kittyfostermom

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I'm really hoping that the book can help you, Yes this cat sounds like a real gem :( Don't give up, something I'm sure will work. Have you tried feeding her using puzzle game feeders at night or morning to maybe keep her busy or putting some wet food into a cat kong and freezing it and give it to her at night before you go to sleep or in the morning before the biting starts. Example if the cat comes into your room at 7am to bite you, wake up before that time to feed her before the bite happens. Try and see if her negative behavior is at set times and see if you can find something positive to do with her before she has a chance to act up. One thing I did with one of my fosters was she was very hand shy and I couldn't get near her, so I started tossing small treats or kibble in front of her and she would go and get them then run back and hide, weeks I did this. She was so terrified of hands,( and she was a nursing mom and she had no problem letting me handle her brood, go figure) the great news is, she came around. :) It's possible in her past home (from the family that got rid of her) she was mistreated and maybe the mistreatment happened around the meal time in the am maybe the owner didn't like the cat waking her/him up to be fed. Maybe she was hit if she woke up the owner. You never know. That's why I'm suggesting that you get her food for her before she tells you she's hungry in her not so nice way. If you want to try food puzzles I fill it with a few treats to encourage the cat to play with it, but still feed with the dishes, until the cat has excepted the puzzles, as not all cats like them, and since she's not a kitten anymore she may not like it.
 

kittyfostermom

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As far as the litter box goes, I know someone who uses a big Tupperware storage container, there's no way she could poop outside of that. lol!
 
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jamaal

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 I just bought a huge litter box, and it's taking up so much space but she will go to the very corner of it to poop, so her butt is dangling between being in and out!  It has the little flap thing on it, but she just let's her butt hang out of it...I only bought this giant thing because of her, and still.... poop on the floor every single day.  I'm going crazy with this cat. She just decided to dig her claws into my face when I picked her up to take her off the counter.  She didn't do it hard, she just looked at me calmly and put her paws on my face and then let the claws out a bit, and again on my neck. I don't know what that means?  annoyed? affectionate?  This is frustrating since I'm trying to make some type of bond with this cat  but honestly I just don't like her at all!  I don't treat her any different even though I want to strangle her!  My kitten who was feral and had no human contact for the first 8 weeks of life, then stayed with one woman for a month and never came out of hiding the entire time is more affectionate than this cat, and she never uses claws.  I've got tons of patience, especially for animals who need it.  But this cat, she's giving me no reason to even want to be patient.  I also have to feed my cats separately now because she will eat all of her food and then go to the others and eat theirs, I know cats do that, but she just keeps on adding to the list! I'm home with her all day most days, I play with all of them for a while, so do my kids.  I have to leave dry food out for her otherwise she just follows everyone around wanting to eat again. And we have a new cat condo and scratching posts, she uses the carpet, the couch and anything else that ISNT the scratching posts. She's killing me!!  I know she is my cat now, but I don't feel like she is my cat, you know?  Like I'm taking care of someone else's cat.
 

kittyfostermom

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I would speak to your vet and get the name of an excellent cat behaviorist and see how to handle things. You have definitely had your fill, now it's time to bring in the experts in this area.
 
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jamaal

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Wow I was just reading this thread...I can't even believe she sounded so bad...I remember being so annoyed!  SO its been a year and she stayed very withdrawn for a while, never came to anyone for affection, always left when anyone would try and pet her....don't know why...but she is now a very sweet loveable cat!!  I love her so much, soooo affectionate without being needy....she kisses everyone! No more biting or clawing onto our faces!  She still grabs us to come back when we try and leave her, but less claw!  I can't imagine not having her, she really is like the perfect cat now.  AND she doesn't poop outside the box anymore, got the hooded one...She will still eat the other cats food if I'm not around but its more like normal cat stuff.  I cant remember when she started to come around and be the sweet heart that she is but I'm so glad she did.  She is awesome!

 
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betsygee

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That's such a wonderful update!  
  Thanks so much for letting us know how you're doing.  
 

furmonster mom

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It sounds to me like she just needed someone to be more stubborn than her and stick it out for the long run.   
 

Ya done good. 
 
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