"Evil" Orange female Tabby

[ldsnunna]

Hi I need some advice on my 12 year old orange tabby named Scrappy .

She is just plain ole' MEAN ! She bites , hisses , and growls . She has been that way since she was a kitten . I'm trying to help her become more personable. She only allows my mom and I to pet her ..if that. She can be agreeable sometimes .. about 50% of the time but she still is pretty much grumpy and mean .

Any tips or words of advice ?

I'll be happy to give more information about Scrappy to anyone who finds time to reply ( :

Thank you so much !


ldsnunna

 

[jennyr]

I have to ask - if she has been this way since a kitten, why have you waited till she is 12 years old to do something? Or what have you tried till now? Often what we see as 'bad' behaviour has a medical reason, so has she been checked regularly by a vet throughout her life?

 

[ldsnunna]

 My mom and  I  take and have been taking  her to regular check-ups and visits to the vet ,as well as, trips to go get her washed. ( I've recently turned 18 so there were some obvious age limits when it came to her care ) 

We ask the vets if she may have a medical problem and so far no real answer has been given 

Even the vet. assistants "know" who scrappy is every time she goes to the vet. Recently during  visit to get washed  scrappy had to be given a shot to help her clam down so she wouldn't claw or bite the person washing her . 

 

[whollycat]

When does she do the biting, hissing, and growling? Are you trying to pet her, or what?

 

[ldsnunna]

Also here is a list of life events about scrappy  ( I don't have exact dates for some...) 

• Scrappy was found by my Aunt in a NYC scrap yard as a kitten --hence the name "Scrappy" 

      as a kitten any time my aunt tried to hold her or bathe her she hissed. My aunt took scrappy to vet to receive her    check-ups , vaccinations etc.  Also scrappy's front paws were  declawed and she was spayed . My aunt said she had never seen kitten that hissed so much ..  

• Around 2006 My aunt gave her to my family as a gift because my  other cat had passed away. She didn't take to kindly to other animals ..( I had a 8 year old female beagle and her sister who "came" with her to the house) . Anytime I or anyone else in the family tried to pet her softly or call to her she would growl/hiss and then bite us on our hand.

My family was afraid of her ! We initially thought the other animals might be making her nervous , so my aunt took back her sister. The dog stayed with us. 

During this time I was living in Louisiana and Hurricane Katrina was barreling towards the state we had to evacuate . We dropped the animals off at the vet's office as usual during evacuation but , we had now clue how bad Katrina was going to be .  While we were away she and the dog stayed at the vets office during the storm . There were at least 50-60 other animals staying at the vet's office as well during the storm.  While the storm was occurring the vet's office experienced about 8" of flooding and no where to bring the animals to go to the bathroom -- they were stuck indside because of the ferocious weather . Appreantly for all 50/60 animals there were only two people that stayed behind to monitor the animals .

The stress level on the animals was so high that some of them had to be given valum and other anti stress medications in order for them to calm down ---  the food was running low the air condition broke  I mean this had to be just one of the worst environments going i can't imagine how much these animals & care givers went through. 

When we came back scrappy seemed to be a little freaked out but no more than her usual self still biting and hissing but , one thing changed .. she started to piss EVERYWHERE !  this went on for about a year until she finally stopped on her own and with the help of correcting spray . ( My dog had passed away a moth later after the ordeal ) 

Please excuse my grammatical errors ! 
 

 

[p3 and the king]

Now, it could just be part of her personality.  However, like humans, cats can suffer from chemical inbalances in the brain which cause psychological disorders.  Like people, there are similar medications that are available to "even her out".  Vets are mostly for physical illnesses but what you need, I think, is a behavior specialist.  They are kind of like shrinks for dogs and cats.  But they don't have to go to counseling.  They just try to figure out what the reasons for their behaviors are and try to help.  Ask you vet if they can recommend a good behavior specialist. 

 

[ldsnunna]

in 20009 we moved out of Louisiana and up north and since then , she's grown to allow my mom and I to pet her and she sometimes takes a nap on the foot of our beds. 

Also , she will only eat canned tuna cat food ( wet ) and any type of dry .. We usually mixed the two together when its  time for her to eat . 

I hope this helps . 

 

[ldsnunna]

 @ WhollyCat  She normally bites and hisses after about 20 or less min of petting . I've also tried playing with her using treats Ie: moving them on the floor while they're in my hand .. she actually played pretty nicely for about 5 mins and started pawing at me and then all of a sudden HISSS with all of her teeth showing I told her "we don't hiss" in stern voice while looking at her and then just dropped the little treat and left the room so she could eat it . 

@P3 and The king  I been thinking about that a lot ..well the psychological factor anyway . 

 

[catmom5]

While you are working out the medical piece, I would just suggest that you start handling her with what she can tolerate. Start with a minute of petting or touching (praising her softly if she will accept that) and then give her a treat and walk away. I would not give her a treat when she is being hissy, nor would I try to play with her with my hand. I'd use a toy on a wand. Start with tiny amounts of handling and gradually increase the amount of time you can pet her. Don't try to pick her up or hold her, or do any of the other things that seem to set her off. As much as possible, keep it positive and allow her to control the interactions. Also, does she have places where she can get up on (ie cat trees or shelves) where she can be the master of her domain and have her space and feel in control?

I'm guessing that she was not well socialized as a kitten (or not treated very well) and you are seeing the results of that. The poor girl has been through an awful lot and I can understand why she might be fearful and untrusting.

Not every cat is a lap cat. I have one who is 9 years old and I've had her since she was a 3 week old foster kitten. She still is shy and hides a lot, and will not let me pick her up comfortably. They are all different and have different personalities and quirks.

Try to relax and love her and go slow and easy, keeping your interactions short and positive.

Just my thoughts. Hope someone else can help with some ideas, too.

catmom5
 

 

[ldsnunna]

@ Catmom5

I concour with your statement about not ever can't being a "lap cat"

She definately has plenty of places to run and jump about I have a two-story house along with a basement . She has declared the basement her "kingdom" haha! The basement has a very bright window along with some carpeted areas and chairs of different levels the she likes to lay on. Her food bowls and litter box are down there as well. She has a cat bed up stairs right underneath her favorite red chair. I've put some catnip inside of the bed and she enjoys that very much.

We also let her out side once or twice a day , depending on the weather. She'll show up right at the door when she's ready to come back inside.

My mom and I have tried different types of treats and toys but after a while she becomes disinterested all together OR starts hissing. At the point we'll stop and I'll put whatever she's playing away. She has a a special word that we use when she acts out . The word is , "IF". She knows exactly what that word means --- she's acted out . She makes a soft "Merrrrer" noise when we say it.

 

[ldsnunna]

And like @P3 and The King wrote ;

I'm just starting to feel like that's "her" ..her personality and the way she goes about her life.
I just wish she wasn't so grouchy and mean all of the time. It's just really sucky when you have to tell your company or little kids that you can't pet the kitty because she bites !

I've often wondered if she would become a little bit more tolerable if she had a young kitten around -- maybe just a few months old . I thought that maybe her "motherly" instincts would kinda kick in because there's a baby cat to "look after" /:


I'm going to include some pictures of Scrappy for you guys so you can see the "woman of the hour" haha

 

[ldsnunna]

Also thank you all for being so kind and understanding to me and my concerns ( :

 

[catmom5]

Sometimes cats need high places where they feel more safe and secure. That's different from lots of places to run and jump.
 

 

[p3 and the king]

Usually with a grouchy older cat, a new cat being brought into the home is not such a good idea.  She is mid life and she may see it as an intruder and never accept it.  Unless she is used to other cats being in her space, I would just leave her be and learn her body cues.  Tail swinging or back muscles twitching mean "stay away. leave me alone."   Tail up and cheerful bounce to her step means "I feel like being loved." etc.  I don't think a new cat is a good idea at this point.  It would cause more trouble than solutions for sure.

 

[ldsnunna]

@P3 Oh wow ! Cats go through mid life crisis too? Could my cat's behavior be a definite sign of that phase in her life ?

I will have to read up on that! I really need to find a way for her to "stop" the bitting though!

My cat tore up my mom's hand with her bitting that my mom had to go get looked at by a "walk in doctors office" . She recieved a few stitches and got a shot in case of infection . ( this was about 3 months ago). As the doctor was instructed to do ; he had to call SPCA to come take a look at scrappy to see if her tags were up to date.

I still have and she still has scars from her bitting .. I wish I knew what makes her "snap" all of the sudden.


Also , I forgot to mention in my post describing scrappy that at random times during the day/night she starts to growl like a mad man and run around the entire house..
She makes sure that everyone hears her growl . She's done that for years now . I can't understand , but like I said before , the vet hasn't really given an answer on her behavior .

 

[valanhb]

And like @P3 and The King wrote ;
I'm just starting to feel like that's "her" ..her personality and the way she goes about her life.
I just wish she wasn't so grouchy and mean all of the time. It's just really sucky when you have to tell your company or little kids that you can't pet the kitty because she bites !
I've often wondered if she would become a little bit more tolerable if she had a young kitten around -- maybe just a few months old . I thought that maybe her "motherly" instincts would kinda kick in because there's a baby cat to "look after" /:
I'm going to include some pictures of Scrappy for you guys so you can see the "woman of the hour" haha

I just needed to jump in with regard to this post...

I wouldn't count on the whole "motherly instincts" thing coming out. Our girl Ophelia wasn't so much grumpy but she sure lost the whole "playful" aspect of being a cat once she grew out of kittenhood. We also thought that getting a kitten of a few months might get her to play a bit more and/or bring out the mothering instinct. We did add to our family - actually 3 more times to get a playmate for our other cat who never has lost his playfulness. All of those girls were around 6 months old. Ophelia not only did not get those "motherly instincts" she isolated herself from the new girls, especially the smallest one. Go figure. (Trent did get himself a playmate, but Ophelia wasn't nearly as happy about the little girls as he was!)

Just be wary about bringing in a new kitten/cat to a household with an older grumpy queen. She may not react the way you imagine. Our Ophelia definitely didn't do what we expected or wanted her to.

 

[ldsnunna]

@ Valanhb

Im glad im not the only one with the whole mothering idea haha (: Was there any interaction at all with the other cats and Ophelia , besides the isolation ?

 

[p3 and the king]

@P3 Oh wow ! Cats go through mid life crisis too? Could my cat's behavior be a definite sign of that phase in her life ?
 

Not so much a mid life crisis... I meant that she is "set in her ways"... She is used to being the only kitty and a new kitty or pet could upset her and be more of a problem than a solution.  So, in a way, if you were to bring home another cat, it would cause her more stress and frustration and you'd have a whole new set of problems therefore it could be seen as a mid life crisis for her.

Cats are very territorial by nature and once they reach a certain age, they don't like change as much.  I just feel that because she is used to being an only kitty, the whole "motherly instincts" arguement is getting you into more than you can handle.  If she is NOT used to other cats in her space, it will most likely take her a lot longer to adjust and she might not adjust.  It all has to do with how much interaction she's had with other cats... And whether or not they have been in her space. 

 

[otto]

It's obvious you love Scrappy very much. She's really been through a ton of stuff hasn't she? Very stressful for her and her family, both. My thoughts:

It's quite possible that Scrappy's feet hurt from the declaw and that has shaped her whole personality. Declawing is an amputation of the first toe digit, including bone, tendons, ligaments and nerves. In addition, declawing changes a cat's gait, a declawed cat can never walk properly or stretch properly. And it is fairly common for cats who have had this surgery to become biters.

It's also possible that she was born feral of feral parents going back several generations, and she just has not ever completely adjusted to being domesticated. But I think the declaw has much to do with her life time habits.

Recently during visit to get washed scrappy had to be given a shot to help her clam down so she wouldn't claw or bite the person washing her .

I don't understand this. Why is she taken to the vet to be "washed"? Cats are self cleaning animals

She normally bites and hisses after about 20 or less min of petting . I've also tried playing with her using treats Ie: moving them on the floor while they're in my hand .. she actually played pretty nicely for about 5 mins and started pawing at me and then all of a sudden HISSS with all of her teeth showing

but after a while she becomes disinterested all together OR starts hissing.

Becoming hissy after 20 minutes of petting or playing is not all that uncommon. Individual cats have a certain level of tolerance and then when they've had enough they let you know it. Hissing is a normal way cats communicate. It means, in this case, leave me alone I don't want to be pet or play any more.

It's just really sucky when you have to tell your company or little kids that you can't pet the kitty because she bites !

I don't see what's wrong with that. Company, and especially little kids, should respect the family pets in the household and leave them alone if they are not friendly. The family cat is not there to entertain the company. I have a cat who will bite or scratch if someone reaches out a hand to her. People are warned to leave her alone and why. If they get bit or scratched, it's their own fault, they were told she does not like hands coming at her. :lol3:

Also , I forgot to mention in my post describing scrappy that at random times during the day/night she starts to growl like a mad man and run around the entire house..
She makes sure that everyone hears her growl . She's done that for years now . I can't understand , but like I said before , the vet hasn't really given an answer on her behavior .

There is actually a medical condition that this behavior describes. It is called Feline Hyperesthesia Syndrome. FHS. You can google it, there is quite a lot more info on it now than there used to be. And several treatment options from diet changes to medications and keeping stress levels down.

she will only eat canned tuna cat food ( wet ) and any type of dry .. We usually mixed the two together when its time for her to eat .

I would really work on changing her diet, to a non fish all canned food. Fish, especially tuna, is not good for cats. Eliminate the dry all together. It will take time to change her over, but it can be done.

Has blood work been done recently? If not in the last 6 months, I recommend you have it done to check her organs, especially thyroid.

Certain additives in cat food can be the cause of erratic behaviors, and in fact a diet change, eliminating all: dyes, sodium nitrates and sodium nitrites, artificial colors and artificial flavors, grains and glutens, has been successful in treating some FHS cats also.

PS I recommend installing a few feliway plug in diffusers to help with stress. Rescue Remedy can also help her feel less anxiety. And I would keep her inside.

Please, don't call her "evil". Animals are innocent creatures. They do not have the capacity to be evil. She is who she is, but there are things that can be done that may help her be happier, and as a result, her family will be happier too. :heart3:

 

[p3 and the king]

I would really work on changing her diet, to a non fish all canned food. Fish, especially tuna, is not good for cats. Eliminate the dry all together. It will take time to change her over, but it can be done.
Has blood work been done recently? If not in the last 6 months, I recommend you have it done to check her organs, especially thyroid.
Certain additives in cat food can be the cause of erratic behaviors, and in fact a diet change, eliminating all: dyes, sodium nitrates and sodium nitrites, artificial colors and artificial flavors, grains and glutens, has been successful in treating some FHS cats also.
PS I recommend installing a few feliway plug in diffusers to help with stress. Rescue Remedy can also help her feel less anxiety. And I would keep her inside.
Please, don't call her "evil". Animals are innocent creatures. They do not have the capacity to be evil. She is who she is, but there are things that can be done that may help her be happier, and as a result, her family will be happier too.

Fish is good once in awhile.  It has taurine in it and cats need taurine.  A steady diet however is not recommended as Otto stated above.  Plus it has a very strong flavor so it is hard to get them to eat anything else.  So if you do make the choice to try to change her diet, be aware of this.  Cats can be stubborn.  

Feliway can be expensive and it can take a month to start seeing results... If it works at all.  I would recommend the calming collar first.  If that works, she might also respond to the diffuser as well.  So you can have her wearing the collar until the diffuser takes affect.