aggressive adult in boarding type situation

[guslizsid]

hi, i volunteer with an organization that has resident cats at a pet supply store. one of them, alexa, is about 5 years old. they get all animals from the city shelter, and we get no background info on them. she of course has been spayed, is up to date on vaccinations and has been vet checked. she is extremely fearful, and will attack when i(or anyone)try to maintain her kennel. in order to reduce her apprehension, i get a clean litterbox, fresh food, & water ready as soon as i come in and exchange as quickly as possible. she starts growling if i or any of the other cats(whom we let out of their kennels)come near or look at her, she growls if i speak to her. she does enjoy looking out her kennel window into the store. i have ordered her a petstages kitty cuddle pal toy, which seems like it will at least be safe for her. she likes her soft bed. she was in foster for about 6 weeks and returned, which unfortunately was not surprising. i usually go in once a week, i'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions on how i might be able to make her less fearful, other than dealing with her as little & quickly as possible? thanks, i really want to help her.. 

 

[jcat]

Have you tried Feliway spray in her cage and/or Bach's Flower Remedies in her food or water? A vet could prescribe an anti-anxiety medication, but it could be very difficult to administer if she won't take it in food. I basically use Feliway as "perfume", spraying it on my clothing, especially my sleeves, before working with ferals or very aggressive cats. They definitely smell it and are so interested in sniffing that they're distracted from their fear to some extent. It has to be applied a good half hour before interacting with them so that the alcohol odor has a chance to dissipate, but it lasts for hours.

When ferals are caged in the quarantine section of the shelter, we usually use a thin piece of plywood or heavy cardboard pushed between the bars to divide the cage while we're cleaning. The "feral cages" have hatches allowing us to change food and water without actually opening the cage. It's a multi-stage process with the regular cages, meaning you use the board to confine the cat to the sleeping part of the cage, clean the other half and put food and water there, remove the board so the cat moves over to eat, replace the board and clean the sleeping area. It's far from ideal, especially because the food is so close to the litter box, but the cat feels a bit protected by the board and you're not trying to do everything wearing heavy gloves.

Needless to say, we get them moved into a regular cat room as soon as possible!

Cats are smart enough to grasp the concept of pointing very quickly, too. We have a very aggressive feral male at the shelter who will attack at the slightest provocation. I've found that if I stop and point at whatever I want to pick up, or the spot I want to put something down, he'll relax and let me do it. He'll even move from in front of a window if I point at it and tell him I want to open it. It's worth a try with her. She'll be watching your every move and should make the connection between your pointing and then doing something that doesn't directly involve touching her.

 

[guslizsid]

thank you @jcat   i will suggest these ideas to staff members. will update if anything improves.

 

[kkoerner]

Is there a place to hide in the cage? Like a small cardboard box or something?
You can also hang a pillowcase in front of the cage, over the door, and cover 3/4 or so that the cat doesn't have to see out if it doesn't want to.

 

[guslizsid]

@KKoerner there really isn't a hiding place in there. i think a towel or blanket would be a great idea for her kennel door, will bring something when i go in.. we usually do that at adoption events, between the crates if any kitties aren't getting along. thanks!

 

[kkoerner]

Awesome! Hope she starts calming down a little

 

[guslizsid]

update-they gave her a 'duplex', double condo which she seems to enjoy. she actually seemed a little less hostile when i saw her yesterday, i was able to put some treats on the same area she was on. i got some growls, but was able to change her litterbox, straighten up uninjured. in the past i've always put the treats on a different level to stay out of her face. progress! she is still not being taken to events, but hoping she will continue to improve.