- Joined
- Apr 4, 2018
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Hi all,
I was hoping for some advice on a cat I am currently fostering. Background: She was found so no idea what her history is before the shelter but since her arrival she hid and had no contact with people...she was there since July 2024 with no interest poor little thing. She has come to me for fostering as I am experienced with shy cats. Very aggressive when getting her into a carrier but not unexpected from a scared cat that has had little to no human interaction for 7 months.
She has been with me for two weeks and has done far better than expected. After two days she started coming to me on her own initiative asking for attention and fuss. However, she wasn't eating much and after a few days she started randomly attacking me (sudden lunge, teeth and claws followed by hissing before she would then retreat to her safe space under the sofa). I thought it could be pain related and she has been on pain meds for nearly a week now but, whilst her eating has improved, the attacks haven't and if anything the more confident she gets with me the more she attacks suddenly.
This isn't my area of expertise and I was wondering if anyone had any tips to try and work out the cause plus how to positively deal with this to try and stop them happening in the future. Currently I don't react when she does it (luckily it is jumper weather, if not I am not sure I could be so calm) then, after she has retreated, I leave the room. I am also trying to engage her in play more but she is always more interested in attention from me.
One additional thing is the attacks are getting a little longer - where as before she would do it in a split second and then retreat now she does it and will look at me before doing it again. There is nothing playful in her behaviour that I can recognise, her ears are flat, her eyes have the whites showing and she looks terrified.
Thanks in advance and if you need more info please let me know.
I was hoping for some advice on a cat I am currently fostering. Background: She was found so no idea what her history is before the shelter but since her arrival she hid and had no contact with people...she was there since July 2024 with no interest poor little thing. She has come to me for fostering as I am experienced with shy cats. Very aggressive when getting her into a carrier but not unexpected from a scared cat that has had little to no human interaction for 7 months.
She has been with me for two weeks and has done far better than expected. After two days she started coming to me on her own initiative asking for attention and fuss. However, she wasn't eating much and after a few days she started randomly attacking me (sudden lunge, teeth and claws followed by hissing before she would then retreat to her safe space under the sofa). I thought it could be pain related and she has been on pain meds for nearly a week now but, whilst her eating has improved, the attacks haven't and if anything the more confident she gets with me the more she attacks suddenly.
This isn't my area of expertise and I was wondering if anyone had any tips to try and work out the cause plus how to positively deal with this to try and stop them happening in the future. Currently I don't react when she does it (luckily it is jumper weather, if not I am not sure I could be so calm) then, after she has retreated, I leave the room. I am also trying to engage her in play more but she is always more interested in attention from me.
One additional thing is the attacks are getting a little longer - where as before she would do it in a split second and then retreat now she does it and will look at me before doing it again. There is nothing playful in her behaviour that I can recognise, her ears are flat, her eyes have the whites showing and she looks terrified.
Thanks in advance and if you need more info please let me know.