- Joined
- Aug 7, 2014
- Messages
- 6
- Purraise
- 1
Hi,
I'm happy to find this group. I've been a cat owner for almost 50 years, having taken in kittens born to strays and/or helped place strays with friends on occasion. But I'm dealing now with an adult male who's been on his own for awhile. He had been visiting my front porch since January and in April showed up with an injured foot. I could not catch him to get him in a carrier, so contacted organizations and found someone who had a humane trap. He avoided entering the trap (smart boy!), but I started feeding him in the open trap for a few weeks so he would enter it.
On July 6th I finally outsmarted him and trapped him. I had him neutered at a non-profit vet service along with his shots. The foot injury is pretty much healed. He unfortunately has FIV, which is not uncommon in battle-scarred, unneutered males like this guy. I would like to find a good home for him with someone who has experience dealing with FIV cats.
While on my porch, he allowed me to pet him (I only petted his head). I knew he was an "assertive" cat because of his behavior - loud meowing and vocalizing, standing or lying in my path, etc. On the day I trapped him, he nipped at my hand when I reached over to give him a treat while he sat on a chair he liked. He had never hissed or bitten or scratched before that one time.
Isn't he cute???
He is now living in my office. He has become territorial to this entire room. When I enter to feed him or clean the litter he hisses and meows constantly and jumps off "his" chair or couch and stands in my way. I washed his towel and he hissed and would not let me get near the chair to replace it. Last week I foolishly tried to stand my ground and he went for my ankle. I now wear boots and long pants when I go in the room. He does let me work at the computer at least (after hissing at me when I come into the room).
I would like to socialize him, but don't know how to socialize a cat I'm scared of. I've never been afraid to handle cats and have always been able to gain their trust, even if it takes awhile. I can bathe cats, cut their nails, and I'm a whiz at pilling sick cats. I've had cats who bite/scratch when over-stimulated. But I've never dealt with this kind of assertiveness. All my males were neutered as kittens so this is new for me.
I was hoping he'd calm down once the hormones were gone, but he hasn't changed much in a month, and if anything the territorial attitude is getting worse, as it started with just the chair/food area and now it's the entire room. It will be hard enough to find a home for an FIV cat, but if he is aggressive, no one will ever want to take him.
Any advice?
I'm happy to find this group. I've been a cat owner for almost 50 years, having taken in kittens born to strays and/or helped place strays with friends on occasion. But I'm dealing now with an adult male who's been on his own for awhile. He had been visiting my front porch since January and in April showed up with an injured foot. I could not catch him to get him in a carrier, so contacted organizations and found someone who had a humane trap. He avoided entering the trap (smart boy!), but I started feeding him in the open trap for a few weeks so he would enter it.
On July 6th I finally outsmarted him and trapped him. I had him neutered at a non-profit vet service along with his shots. The foot injury is pretty much healed. He unfortunately has FIV, which is not uncommon in battle-scarred, unneutered males like this guy. I would like to find a good home for him with someone who has experience dealing with FIV cats.
While on my porch, he allowed me to pet him (I only petted his head). I knew he was an "assertive" cat because of his behavior - loud meowing and vocalizing, standing or lying in my path, etc. On the day I trapped him, he nipped at my hand when I reached over to give him a treat while he sat on a chair he liked. He had never hissed or bitten or scratched before that one time.
Isn't he cute???
He is now living in my office. He has become territorial to this entire room. When I enter to feed him or clean the litter he hisses and meows constantly and jumps off "his" chair or couch and stands in my way. I washed his towel and he hissed and would not let me get near the chair to replace it. Last week I foolishly tried to stand my ground and he went for my ankle. I now wear boots and long pants when I go in the room. He does let me work at the computer at least (after hissing at me when I come into the room).
I would like to socialize him, but don't know how to socialize a cat I'm scared of. I've never been afraid to handle cats and have always been able to gain their trust, even if it takes awhile. I can bathe cats, cut their nails, and I'm a whiz at pilling sick cats. I've had cats who bite/scratch when over-stimulated. But I've never dealt with this kind of assertiveness. All my males were neutered as kittens so this is new for me.
I was hoping he'd calm down once the hormones were gone, but he hasn't changed much in a month, and if anything the territorial attitude is getting worse, as it started with just the chair/food area and now it's the entire room. It will be hard enough to find a home for an FIV cat, but if he is aggressive, no one will ever want to take him.
Any advice?