- Joined
- Apr 4, 2019
- Messages
- 56
- Purraise
- 30
Ygritte! What can I say? When I saw her at the shelter, she was the sweetest cat around. Normally I'd have gotten a mean one anyway since they're less likely to be adopted, but I'm staying with someone who has dogs, and I needed them to get along. I have always had a talent for getting cats to behave how I want them to, so Ygritte has been difficult for me. I've had cats with aggression issues, but never like this. The worst behaved cat I'd owned before Ygritte was a black cat named Snickers who was massive and mean. He had redirection aggression and would often attack from out of nowhere, completely unprovoked. He would attack anyone who petted him wrong, or smelled like any other animal. If you called another pet over, he would get jealous and push them out of the way. He was aggressive with food and anything else he could find a reason to be angry or territorial over. Even Snickers turned around for me.
Now I've got Ygritte. She's got a clear case of status aggression. I know it is status aggression because she is completely particular about when and where she is petted. She will start growling at anyone who doesn't pet her before petting the other cats in the room. She tries to guard the litterbox, steals food from the other cats' bowls instead of eating her own, and will even sometimes attack people who don't speak to her before approaching. She is mean to the other cats, but does not dare attack them. She will hiss, growl, and even scream at the other cats, but if they move in on her, she retreats and grumbles to herself angrily. Sometimes she will scream at you just for approaching. I spoil this cat, I give her treats even when she is being mean, and when she is being mean, I just put her on the windowsill The only critters she gets along with is the dogs. The shelter could not tell me much, only that she had been found in some man's lawn and he took her to the shelter. (My guess is the man in question either was abusing the cat and didn't want to be asked any questions or this cat was taken from a loving home just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.)
If this is status aggression, which I'm relatively sure it is, does anyone have experience with this and know what to do?
Or, is it possibly fear aggression from some sort of recent trauma? Could I be mistaken by her motives? It seems directly connected with her status to me, but I'm sure some of you might know the difference a little better.
Any advice on how to fix this?
PS: the shelter thought she was a male and had named her Connor. I renamed her Ygritte, after her personality began to remind me of the wild personality of Ygritte the wildling from Game of Thrones. She is sometimes the sweetest, cutest little furball you've ever seen, stretching as she's petted and purring loudly. But other times, especially when you pay attention to the other cats before her, she is a beautiful angry demon!
Now I've got Ygritte. She's got a clear case of status aggression. I know it is status aggression because she is completely particular about when and where she is petted. She will start growling at anyone who doesn't pet her before petting the other cats in the room. She tries to guard the litterbox, steals food from the other cats' bowls instead of eating her own, and will even sometimes attack people who don't speak to her before approaching. She is mean to the other cats, but does not dare attack them. She will hiss, growl, and even scream at the other cats, but if they move in on her, she retreats and grumbles to herself angrily. Sometimes she will scream at you just for approaching. I spoil this cat, I give her treats even when she is being mean, and when she is being mean, I just put her on the windowsill The only critters she gets along with is the dogs. The shelter could not tell me much, only that she had been found in some man's lawn and he took her to the shelter. (My guess is the man in question either was abusing the cat and didn't want to be asked any questions or this cat was taken from a loving home just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.)
If this is status aggression, which I'm relatively sure it is, does anyone have experience with this and know what to do?
Or, is it possibly fear aggression from some sort of recent trauma? Could I be mistaken by her motives? It seems directly connected with her status to me, but I'm sure some of you might know the difference a little better.
Any advice on how to fix this?
PS: the shelter thought she was a male and had named her Connor. I renamed her Ygritte, after her personality began to remind me of the wild personality of Ygritte the wildling from Game of Thrones. She is sometimes the sweetest, cutest little furball you've ever seen, stretching as she's petted and purring loudly. But other times, especially when you pay attention to the other cats before her, she is a beautiful angry demon!
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