for his whole life, my cat has been grumpy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mimi507

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ozzy has been grumpy ALL his life , or at least ever since we got him - when he was 1 month old. I absolutely LOVE him, but for some reason, hes always sad - his tails always flicking, its always down, he bites everyone etc. me and my family try REALLY hard with him - feeding him when he wants food (and when he doesnt!), sometimes playing with him, letting him outside when he wants (via his catflap), giving him treats, a variety of food, water, stroking him but it doesnt work!!!!!!!! I sometimes even CRY when im stroking him - the 3 years weve had him hes led a miserable life. I feel really sad for him, but i dont know what to do. He is the only cat in the house, but does that make a difference? Plus, he was treated cruelly in his first home - made to drink from a drain and eat from the trash can. even then he wasnt allowed to eat much! Anyway, i try so hard, but it doesnt make a difference!!! I need DIRE help!!!!! pls!!!! thx x
 

rad65

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I think the problem is partially spelled out in the very first sentence you wrote. One-month-old is way too young for a cat to be taken away from his mother. There are many well known problems including suckling on blankets, shirts, etc because they were taken away before that reflex is lost, not knowing how to do basic cat things like groom or cover poop in the litter box, and yes, emotional problems are one of the big issues. Ozzy never had a mother to scold him when he did something wrong or teach him how to do things the right way. In essence, nobody ever taught him how to act like a well adjusted cat.

Then we get into the more serious issue of trusting humans again because of how he was raised from 0 - 4 weeks. It sounds like the previous owners contributed their fair share to his behavioral problems. All you can do now is love him as much as you can and find ways to make him feel at ease. If he doesn't like something then don't make him do it, including human contact. If he avoids people, try to give him his space and wait for him to come to you.

If possible, it may help to get a second cat for him to play with. If his meanness is only directed toward humans, then getting him a cat companion would give him a friend to play with and work off some of his aggression. Also, he would see you treating another cat nicely and he would see the new cat interacting properly with you, giving him something to mimic if he likes the way that looks. That's how my cats are. One of them randomly learns to do something new, then the other cat watches to learn how to do the same thing.
 
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mimi507

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thank you very much rad65! I thought so, but couldnt be sure. I just had to take him away from that cruel owner as soon as I could, and I only just met him then, so I had no choice really. but do you think that his grumpiness can be cured, or no?
 

rad65

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While he may never be a lap cat, my experience is that cats do adjust to their surroundings, and since you are providing a loving home for him, there is a very good chance that he will mellow out. Quite a few members on this site have taken in feral cats who have never had human contact and won't let anyone within 10 feet of them. Most ferals need to be kept in their own private rooms in their homes due to their attitudes, and even those cats eventually get better at interacting with people.

One other thing is to make sure you are in a positive mindset when you are interacting with him. Cats' senses of hearing and sight can easily detect the unconscious body language signals that we give off, and some cats will act out if they sense that their owner is upset over something.
 
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mimi507

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Thank you! Will carry on (trying my best!) to love him without him nipping at me lol.
 
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mimi507

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although he hates me, I still love him and always fall in love with him, and have happy feelings when I stroke him, so hopefully It's not that but might be something else
 

gibbly

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some cats are just grumpy, I had a cat like that who was ALWAYS mad, the slightest movement would set him off on a growling spree, his tail even flicked and he growled in his sleep!

my grandpas cat is like that, she's almost 8 years old, and for as long as I can remember she has been a little B of a cat, you can't touch her, you can't do anything with her but look at her, and even if you look at her she'll growl at you.
 
 
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mimi507

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lol! aww, at least ozzy isnt the only 1. thx btw - I thought that he could be grumpy for any reason at all, but maybe he IS just a grump' cat
 

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My Noodles is a grump.  She is almost 8 and we have had her since she was about 11 weeks old.  After all that time she still has to sniff my hand or DH's before we can pet her.  Sometimes we get swatted just for walking by the cat tree.  She has to come for attention and lovings on her terms!  She tolerates my kids; esp for treats.  But she doesn't usually seek affection until everyone else is in bed for the night and its just Mooch and I out here.  But she will back off even if Mooch comes near.  But if it's 3 am and I decide to visit the bathroom...she will be in there in a flash and crawl inside my pants.  
  It's just her way!
 

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I agree that you will have to treat him like a feral cat in order to win him over.

The first part of this is to never pet, stroke or touch him unless he wants it.
Cats aren't like dogs; you can't cuddle them into liking you; you have to let them come to you.
If you stop petting him, all/most of the bad experiences will stop, and he will come to want your attention instead of fearing it.

Of course, still greet him with a nice voice, praise him for playing with you, and give him lots of treats. :nod:
 
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mimi507

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thx Minka - that actually makes a lot of sense, will try it out!
 

fabianana87

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hi mimi,

I know its been years but what happened with your cat in the end?
 

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I was browsing through the internet and I came upon this and I just have to say..my cat is also as grumpy as your cat..I took care of her since she was just 11 days old because her mother was stolen from us and even after all the loves that we showered her..she is still grumpy all the time..she will go on a growling spree if we carry her around but somehow she is just too adorable to be ignored..I wonder if the grumpiness will ever go away cause it makes me feel like she actually hates me..
 

Cmoney

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Hi, i'm new to this but my cat, Smokey is always grumpy but when he was a kitten he always wanted to cuddle into me a lot and he doesn't like my mom, step-dad, and my 2 sisters. But right now he keeps hiding, he won't eat or drink etc. I'm worried about him everyday, what can I do to help him? please help me make him better he's been acting weird lately. :( He's only 3 years old and we have 6 cats all together and 2 dogs. I'm trying really hard to help him but everytime I try he attacks my other cats and the dogs when their near me. I don't want my mom to get rid of him. I am not losing him like I lost my first Smokey but he had cancer and he was 8 years old. :headshake:
 

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Talk to your parents about taking him to the vet. Not eating for more than a day can cause a very serious possibly life threatening condition called hepatic lipidosis.

Information the vet will need:
When was the last time he ate or drank
Does he go outside
How long has he been hiding
How long has he not let you touch him
How does he get along with the other animals - Fight - Ignore- Friendly

He sounds very scared and maybe sick or hurt. Is he in your room? Can you close the door so the other animals can't come in? Bring in food, water, and litter. Talk to him softly but don't try to touch him unless he comes to you.

When he sees the vet and starts eating you can start reintroducing him to the rest of the household.

Here are some articles (save them for later)

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction
Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Safely Introduce A Cat And A Dog

:grouphug2:
 
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