Hi All! My name is Anita. I have two kitties. Piper and Leo. My problem is with Piper. She is my first cat. She was 3 years old when I got her from a shelter, where she was given by a man who abused her, and said he treated her like a dog! So we brought her home. I at the time didn't know much about cats. She was petrified of us and the new environment. She hid under the bead for two days. We only new she was alive because the food has benn eaten and litter box used, when we weren't home only. Then she eventually came out and head rubbed us right away, it was unbeleivable. But right from the start every time we pet or go near her her tail waggs like crazy and she will hiss and growl. This behavior stops if we leave her completely alone, and it's so hard because we want to give her love more and more. She does do cute things on her own, but will never play, just sniff, expolre the house, and rubb carboard boxes. The thing is from after that first rubbing she never rubbs agasint us anymore. We have talked to different vets, and they all seem to think she will not change since she hasn't already. We have tried evry toy, and nothing. One of our mistakes was that we didn't know the tail wagging means she didn't want to be pet, and we contiued to pet her, which I think maybe part of the reason she stopped rubbing us. After continously trying to get her to turn around, a vet suggested getting another cat to help her be more social. So we got Leo a male kitten, he is 4 months old, very very socialble. A loving purr bug all the time. I have never heard or felt piper purr.
The two cats get along well, no hissing or growling right from the beginning. they eat together, sleep in the same rooms, and chase each other, well leo chases piper more, but its fun to watch. Piper will watch the kitten like a hawk all day, and when we play with him. It's really funny, and she does look us right in the eyes all the time. People who have seen her from when we got her till now, say she looks much happier than before. What I would like to know is how I can get this cat to trust me? (althouhg I believe she does for food) Is change even possible? My kitten loves affection and will ask for it all the time, even meow when he wants to be held. I am in no way expecting this from piper, I wish she would jsut give us more signs she was happy. Is it possible for a cat like piper to enjoy being pet? or do we have to give up on this entirely, and just never touch her? If she is in the bathroom drinking from the tub, and I come in, she will run out. If anyone comes in she will run away in fear. I want so badly to improve this cat's life, especially since I know how bad it must have been before. Any adivce on how to help her with her fear, and become more social, loving and playful would be gratefully accepted. It's just now I don't know what to do anymore. She only interacts with me when she wants wet food (as a treat I leave dry out and give them a little wet food twice a day). My husband think if we take the wet food a way for awhile maybe she will come to us to get it. So I tried and it just made her more aggressive, hissing and growling. I have tried picking her up and then giving her food so she would associate me holding her with food, which she does, but always just wants the food and not me. I can pet her while she eats sometimes, but other time she run aay, so I stopped doing that... Last week the oddest thing happenned, which gave me hope, there was no more food in thier dry food bowls, so she make this certain noise whenever that happens. It was morning before work 6 am. Suddenly I see this shadow flying on the wall, and it can't be leo he was with me, it was piper swatting a ball of paper we left for them on the floor, something we never saw her even attempt to do from the day we got her. For that brief moment I was the happiest person alive! WE have never seen other signs of play at all from her before or since that. Otherwise she is healthy not overweight at all (only 7 lbs) and takes good care cleaning, using the litters box...I thoguht maybe all you feral experts can give me some ideas on how to treat piper, or what to do next to help her??? And gain her trust...thanks in advanced....
The two cats get along well, no hissing or growling right from the beginning. they eat together, sleep in the same rooms, and chase each other, well leo chases piper more, but its fun to watch. Piper will watch the kitten like a hawk all day, and when we play with him. It's really funny, and she does look us right in the eyes all the time. People who have seen her from when we got her till now, say she looks much happier than before. What I would like to know is how I can get this cat to trust me? (althouhg I believe she does for food) Is change even possible? My kitten loves affection and will ask for it all the time, even meow when he wants to be held. I am in no way expecting this from piper, I wish she would jsut give us more signs she was happy. Is it possible for a cat like piper to enjoy being pet? or do we have to give up on this entirely, and just never touch her? If she is in the bathroom drinking from the tub, and I come in, she will run out. If anyone comes in she will run away in fear. I want so badly to improve this cat's life, especially since I know how bad it must have been before. Any adivce on how to help her with her fear, and become more social, loving and playful would be gratefully accepted. It's just now I don't know what to do anymore. She only interacts with me when she wants wet food (as a treat I leave dry out and give them a little wet food twice a day). My husband think if we take the wet food a way for awhile maybe she will come to us to get it. So I tried and it just made her more aggressive, hissing and growling. I have tried picking her up and then giving her food so she would associate me holding her with food, which she does, but always just wants the food and not me. I can pet her while she eats sometimes, but other time she run aay, so I stopped doing that... Last week the oddest thing happenned, which gave me hope, there was no more food in thier dry food bowls, so she make this certain noise whenever that happens. It was morning before work 6 am. Suddenly I see this shadow flying on the wall, and it can't be leo he was with me, it was piper swatting a ball of paper we left for them on the floor, something we never saw her even attempt to do from the day we got her. For that brief moment I was the happiest person alive! WE have never seen other signs of play at all from her before or since that. Otherwise she is healthy not overweight at all (only 7 lbs) and takes good care cleaning, using the litters box...I thoguht maybe all you feral experts can give me some ideas on how to treat piper, or what to do next to help her??? And gain her trust...thanks in advanced....