New Kitty Behaviors

Hi! I’m new to this forum and so excited I found it. My husband and I recently lost our 13 year old kitty to kidney disease. She was the love of our life. We knew we wanted to get a new kitty sooner rather than later because we love having an animal in our house (we have no kids).
We ended up taking in a stray that was found at a relatives farm. After taking her to the vet we found out she was a she and not a he that we had originally thought! Oops! Anyway the vet concluded she’s very healthy, has no microchip, and is between one and two years old. It was very apparent that she had never lived in a house before we took her in. Luckily she has no problems with using the litter box! We have had her now for 3 weeks. She is constantly roaming around the house and seems very uneasy most of the time. She’s not shy or scared and likes people. Unless she’s sleeping, she’s roaming and meowing or like a little tornado tearing everything up. We have a screened in attached porch that she loves too which seems to comfort her because it’s like being outdoors. She has pretty much slept with us each night but has recently been freaked out by anything with blankets. She constantly jumps and bites and pounces on the blankets and us. So much so we can’t sleep with her in the room. My question is, will she eventually settle in? Is there anything else I can do for her to settle in? How can I get her to calm down and stop pouncing on us at night. More than anything, I just want her to feel safe and have a happy indoor life!
Thanks!!!

Your kitty seems to be adapting to indoor life quite well and quite quickly, so that is terrific! The "seems uneasy all the time" bit will likely fade on its own over time. Re: blanket pouncing, I think its likely you are misinterpreting. Pounce the human under the blanket because their limbs are wiggling is a very popular cat game!

When you want to extinguish a negative behavior that isn't dangerous, their are basically two methods. One, raw persistence. For example, cat jumps on counter, just pick them up and put them down. This works maybe 50-75% of the time on an "eventually" time scale. Two, negative reinforcement. We generally recommend a loud-enough-to-startle noise; I like a loud "no!" This tends to work better than method one, both in percentage and speed, but of course, making a loud noise when you are trying to sleep is crap!

A squirt gun is another method of negative reinforcement but it comes with some down sides. Firstly, to have a chance of working, you need to leave it right there. This means that kitty constantly sees the squirt gun on the nightstand near your bed, and it might discourage the kitten from EVER coming on the bed. Unintended consequences -- its less precise than a loud "no!". Two, water doesn't bother some cats. Three, some here will tell you its cruel or damages your bond with the cat (I think this is bunk, but some says it).

I recommend either the raw persistence method or simple exclusion from the bedroom when you are trying to sleep.

The feline GoT --> Game of Toes!. Thank you for the rescue!

I'm here to bunk [sorry NJ] I don't think water pistol punishment for a kitty that you're trying to bond with is appropriate. For me, ignoring unwanted behaviors and putting up lazy deterrents would be more appropriate.

We've used lemons on the TV stand to discourage the cat from scratching on it, and it has worked. To get the cat to stop pouncing on you, shut them out or do not react. If you want kitty to sleep with you, do a high energy play session and then feed them before you sleep. Still expect a disturbance for breakfast though. Catch it kill it eat it.. sleep.

Is she spayed? If not, that could explain some of the behavior.

No she has not been spayed. We are probably going to have that done soon.

Spshaffer said:

No she has not been spayed. We are probably going to have that done soon.

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The constant roaming and meowing will probably settle down after that.

war&wisdom said:

The constant roaming and meowing will probably settle down after that.

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I was wondering if that would help. Thanks!

To keep your cat from scratching furniture carpet , and such, I have used double sided sticky tape. You can find it at pet shops or Amazon. It comes in different sizes, up to page size sheets. Leave it in place for several weeks. Works like a champ. Beats declawing for a fact!

As far as jumping in you at night, if you are persistent you can stop the behavior without traumatizing your cat. First step is a warning phrase like “settle down”, or “no biting!”, whatever you can remember to use consistently . When she pesters you use your phrase, and then pick her up and set her on the floor. If she comes back and starts in again you use the phrase, pick her up and shut her out of your room for the night. You may need to repeat this dozens of time but she will eventually understand that the only way to stay in your room is not to bite or jump on you and the phrase alone will be enough to stop the behavior.

And you might try hiding at the kitten! That is, after all, what a cat does when another cat over steps the bounds.

And don't let the kitten play with your hands. As kitten behavior, it's cute. But an adult cat can inflict serious scratches also doing the same thing.

Once you get her spayed I suggest giving her some ‘pets’ by hanging a few bird feeders so you get a mini bird flock to entertain your outdoor kitty.

About pounce. I suggest more play. I also suggest kicking her out for the night, every time she wakes you up. (Just be sure to never open the door until your morning alarm goes off! Or you will train her that meowing opens the door.)

Having her spayed ASAP would definitely help with the uneasiness and the meowing. When she comes into heat it will get MUCH worse. Don't wait until she comes into heat, then the blood vessels expand and make it a more complicated surgery.
Three weeks is not near enough time for her to get settled. Cats absolutely hate chnage and she has been through a lot. She is uneasy, excited, and trying to adjust. She sounds like she is doing very well, and will calm in a few more weeks. Bless yuo for taking her in!