My cat is going to kill me - literally - please help.

[hersheys mom]

This is no joke. My cat, Hershey Rose, has sent me to the ER 4 times in the last 3 weeks. My mother & her sister (whom I don't live with) are now begging me to get rid of the cat. Our doctor told her I could lose a limb or worse, my life, to a cat bite. Now she is totally paranoid about my having the cat. Basically, here is the story.

I just got Hershey Rose from the Denver Humane Society (I live in San Diego) on Sept. 15th. She had been fostered for 2 months before I got her. At the airport, she was terrorized for 40 minutes by the TSA, and I was injured in the process. But since they are the government, there was nothing I could do to help her. I got her home. She was very shy, and she hissed if approached. 1 1/2 months later, she is still at the "don't touch me" stage.  She interactively plays with me, walks around "her" office when I am it freely, cries to me if she wants something, and seems to be adapting well. Except she has one tiny problem. She thinks I am a chew toy. She often strikes, with either paw or hiss for no reason. Lately, she has been biting me if the wet food I give her does not suit her liking. She will sniff it, and if she doesn't like the smell, bite. The thing is, it is the same food she has been eating since I got her. After she bites, if I put a little bit by her nose (with the hand that is not now bleeding), she will taste it, and then dive into the food. The problem is this - while I have, in my lifetime, been bitten probably a hundred times by various cats, I have never reacted to their bite - until now. The doctors tell me Hershey Rose has a bacteria in her mouth my immune system can't handle. So far I have had 2 sausage fingers and a paralized arm and hand, both from actual bites or scratches. Last Saturday I was in the ER again, getting a tetnus shot and having the wound scrubbed. I can understand my mother's concern - I am deadly allergic to almost every antibiotic out there, and the 3 I can take are not strong enough for animal bites. So, once infected, if badly enough, I may have to make the call as to whether to risk my life to an antibiotic or risk losing a finger or hand. Her foster mom did not have this problem, but she was not ill when with her foster mom. When I picked her up, her foster mom told me she just started to have diarrhea. Well, she never stopped. After trying pumpkin, rice, probiotics, Amonium AD and Xanax, I have had no luck. Her vet just suggested Pepto Bismol. The above can be put in her food and virtually not detected. However, there is no mistaking the odor of Pepto. Added to her food, even a can of tuna, only results in my being bitten and her not eating the wet food. Today, before I could even put the plate of food on the floor, she smelled the Pepto and ripped my arm open with her claws. Does anyone out there have any suggestions? She has a large bowel problem, so if any of you have any experience with this please let me know. In the mean time, I have got to stop her biting and scratching. Gloves may help my fingers, but she can still reach my arms and I don't have any chain mail handy.......Lei Ann

 

[tobytyler]

I'm sorry that you are going through this Lei Ann, and I don't know the background. But may I ask why you got her from the Denver Humane Society to fly her to San Diego?  Aren't there similar shelters closer to home?  Did you spend any time with her at the shelter to get to know her and her temperament before taking on this commitment? 

Flying is very stressfull to kitties, I have been there.

What was it about this cat that you had to have her instead of checking into the compatibility issue thoroughly ahead of time?   This is not your mother and aunt's decision, were they even there when you adopted Hershey?

 

[tjcarst]

When you feed her, please set the food down and back away so  you are not within striking distance.  Leave the room and return when she has finished eating.  Perhaps she does not like you to be near when she eats?

 

[three cat night]

Hi Lei Ann,
I certainly understand how you feel, your health is priority , if you get sick then you are no good for anything and how will you be able to help cats that need homes etc. ? I think Hersey has had some bad things happen to her in the past. I bet the food issue is just her insecurity to protect the food as she may think you are going to eat her dinner. When I work at the shelter I wear long sleeves that are tight and leather gloves (I cut up a danskin leotard to get the long sleeves and the fabric is pretty strong. Also if she plays then give her a tiering session of play !( like the stick with a long string holding a feather, really looks like a bird ) and wear her out a little . This might help with the agression. Wish I
Could help you. You may consider checking out one of local no kill shelters like the Gaines st humane
Society & asapca in San Diego , I live in your area. Sometimes they can work with a cat like Hershey as they are specialized in cat behavior. It would take time but I have seen some miracles from these folks. Good luck to you and Hershey.

,

 

[fluffynut]

Good Grief!!  What drama!   All pet owners must have Tetanus booster injections.  At 50 yrs of age ALL humans should have a Tetanus/Diphtheria booster.

Respectfully, tell your family to butt out, buzz off, and mind their own business. You have chosen to adopt and your responsibility is only just beginning. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy or simple.  It will take TIME. Talk to her. Make friends and try not to touch too often (it's very hard to do). The extreme trauma of being shoved in a box then stuck on an aeroplane will not disappear overnight.
1 1/2 months is nothing!!  Persevere, but gently. This little pussycat is like a Brutalised, Battered Child.  You need patience (lots of it) and a loving heart.

Clearly, you have not gained your bubby's trust. 

Are you quite sure about the name Herschey Rose?   The sound of H and SCHSCH in Herschey makes an rather nasty HISSING sound, so too does the S in Rose.

I suggest you consider a name change instead of hissing at this poor distraught pussycat.  What sort of voice do you use?  A low dog owner's voice, or the higher pitched 'baby-talk' cat owner voice?

Ensure you use a designated area/corner for food & water bowls. Use a regular term for when about to give food, like "Tea Time!, DinDins or 'Munchies!'  to alert HR that her dinner is about to be served. Let HR see you prepare it and put in her special bowl. Then you go back to the TV, bedroom etc and mind your own business.  Let HR eat in peace without interference.

Do you provide a choice of 2-3 different foods for HR during the day?  I.E: one bowl containing a handful of Fish flavoured dry food, with a handful of Chicken flavoured dry  food, and a handful of  Beef/Lamb/Veg flvd dry food. Let her choose.  Eventually YOU will get the message as to which is preferred.  Do you have a bowl of dry food out all day for her to eat when she feels like it?  Show her you care and mean no harm.....and don't yell, don't smack, do not abuse!!!. 

Your poor, defenceless pussycat trusted people twice before - the last time she was rewarded with being shoved into a nasty, cold, locked box, dumped in a very cold & very noisy aeroplane, then manhandled until you finally let her out in a strange foreign place. I wouldn't love you much either after that!

It was not 40 minutes, dear, it was more likely to be in excess of 4 hours. Caged/boxed animals must be delivered several hours before departure, sometimes the day before, depending on airline policy. Then left amidst noise, chaos, other distressed caged animals crying, barking, howling, surrounded by horrible, terrifying noises & smells, unable to get away and hide in safety.  Did anyone bother to sedate this poor little pussycat before forcing her to be boxed and flown to you? Why did you do it??

I am allergic to cats with the scars to prove it.  My Vet told me to have Sooty-Bear put down at his first visit - he nearly took the Vet's eye out. I do not know what happened before he was found in a tree at 6-7 months old, tiny, skinny, starving and had learned no social graces. Horrid idea he may have been ferral. I dread to think what he would have done if someone tried shoving him in a box then on an aeroplane!! To me that is a wicked thing to do and extremely cruel.  He would have torn anyone to pieces and kept doing it for a long time to make sure you could not get at him to do it again.

You both need time alone together.  Things will change if you give HR a proper chance.  Once she trusts you, do not destroy that trust.  An animal is for life.  Play nice and you'll get there eventually - it will be worth every scratch. 

* Try wearing cut-off long socks up your arms and thick stiff jeans for a while as some protection from scratches and take Anti-Hystemines to help with allergic reactions to bites & scratches. I used crepe bandages to wrap my arms in overnight to assist healing.

Good Luck and Hang In There!

 

[tobytyler]

Good Grief!!  What drama!   All pet owners must have Tetanus booster injections.  At 50 yrs of age ALL humans should have a Tetanus/Diphtheria booster.

Respectfully, tell your family to butt out, buzz off, and mind their own business. You have chosen to adopt and your responsibility is only just beginning. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy or simple.  It will take TIME. Talk to her. Make friends and try not to touch too often (it's very hard to do). The extreme trauma of being shoved in a box then stuck on an aeroplane will not disappear overnight.

Good advice.  Just for clarification, you do not get Tetanus from a cat.  The potential for Tetanus in the environment is always there, that's why it's important to have the boosters.  Especially if you are scratched by a rusty nail or anything that comes in contact with the soil.  Cats being carnivores are especially resistant to Tetanus.

 

[hersheys mom]

I'm sorry that you are going through this Lei Ann, and I don't know the background. But may I ask why you got her from the Denver Humane Society to fly her to San Diego?  Aren't there similar shelters closer to home?  Did you spend any time with her at the shelter to get to know her and her temperament before taking on this commitment? 

Flying is very stressfull to kitties, I have been there.

What was it about this cat that you had to have her instead of checking into the compatibility issue thoroughly ahead of time?   This is not your mother and aunt's decision, were they even there when you adopted Hershey?

Okay, I will try to answer all of you who are kind enough to respond, as best I can. Apparently I did not include some valuable information in my first post.

First, the background. For 12 years I had a dark chocolate colored Burmese whom I loved like a child.She was a rescue from an abused home, and turned out to be the most beautiful soul I've ever known. I had to make the decision every cat lover dreads when she developed brain cancer. She took her final breath in my arms this past June, exactly 2 months shy of her 17th birthday. Her name was Hershey. I grieved for her everyday (still do), cried a lot, and lost interest in everything. I even destroyed the herb/vegetable garden in my yard because we always "gardened" together, and I couldn't even stand to look at it after she passed. I got on the internet and started calling different shelters, including the Humane Societies in all of California looking for another "Hershey". When I could not find one, I extended my search country-wide. A very nice lady has been fostering a feral sable Burmese (Rose) for the Humane Society for two months, and it was felt she could be adopted by the right person. After many e-mails and phone calls to both foster mom and the Denver HS, I was notified that I could adopt her. I had already worked with an abused cat and a food monger cat, and it was felt I could handle a feral. Since I was in San Diego, I made arrangements to fly to Denver IA and pick her up from her foster mom, and fly back with her at my feet. Everything I knew about her temperment I learned from her foster mom. My mom and aunt never knew until 3 weeks ago that I had gotten her. I renamed her Hershey Rose. At present, she walks around her room with me sitting here, smells my feet, uses the potty a few feet away, eats treats and some food out of my hand, and cries to me when she wants to play with her fishing pole toy. I am not sure it is a compatibility issue. When I got her, her foster mom said she had just started to have diarrhea two days prior. She still has it, and my vet and I are doing everything we can to help her. She has just started passing blood and mucus, and I am sure she is in quite a bit of pain. And when she looks at me now, I can see the change in her eyes. She no longer looks at me like the enemy. There is a look of curiosity and one of recognition now. She is becoming inquisitive and sniffing me more. She rubs up against me, but does not want to be touched. We are making progress on this, I have be able to pet her for several days now, without her biting or scratching. It's just this food thing that triggers the temperment. Not sure what to do, because she needs the medication but when she smells it in her food, she bites or scratches. If I leave it out, she has no problem. What to do?

 

[hersheys mom]

When you feed her, please set the food down and back away so  you are not within striking distance.  Leave the room and return when she has finished eating.  Perhaps she does not like you to be near when she eats?

This worked for the first month. For some reason, she has done a 180. If I leave the room, she will not eat the food. If I sit in front of her, and talk to her genlty, she eats with no problem. Unless I put her medicine in the food. When I do, she smells it and uses me for a chew toy.

 

[hersheys mom]

Hi Lei Ann,
I certainly understand how you feel, your health is priority , if you get sick then you are no good for anything and how will you be able to help cats that need homes etc. ? I think Hersey has had some bad things happen to her in the past. I bet the food issue is just her insecurity to protect the food as she may think you are going to eat her dinner. When I work at the shelter I wear long sleeves that are tight and leather gloves (I cut up a danskin leotard to get the long sleeves and the fabric is pretty strong. Also if she plays then give her a tiering session of play !( like the stick with a long string holding a feather, really looks like a bird ) and wear her out a little . This might help with the agression. Wish I
Could help you. You may consider checking out one of local no kill shelters like the Gaines st humane
Society & asapca in San Diego , I live in your area. Sometimes they can work with a cat like Hershey as they are specialized in cat behavior. It would take time but I have seen some miracles from these folks. Good luck to you and Hershey.
,

Hershey Rose went through hell (please see my response to Fluffynut). Now, 2 months later, she is beginning to come around (please see my response to Toby Tyler). In the last 2 weeks she has developed this new habit. She won't eat her wet food unless I sit in front of her and talk to her. If I leave the room after putting her wet food down, she will not eat it. And we both love the stick with the bird toy. She will come up to me and cry when she wants to play, and that is her favorite toy. She is not food agressive. She will however, not hesitate to use me for a chew toy if she does not like the smell of her food. I have worked with an abused cat and a food monger, with great results, but Hershey Rose's behavior puzzles me. Perhaps seeking the help of a pro is not a bad idea. What shelter do you work at? Gaines St? I am in El Cajon. Would love to meet with you.

 

[hersheys mom]

Good Grief!!  What drama!   All pet owners must have Tetanus booster injections.  At 50 yrs of age ALL humans should have a Tetanus/Diphtheria booster.

Respectfully, tell your family to butt out, buzz off, and mind their own business. You have chosen to adopt and your responsibility is only just beginning. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy or simple.  It will take TIME. Talk to her. Make friends and try not to touch too often (it's very hard to do). The extreme trauma of being shoved in a box then stuck on an aeroplane will not disappear overnight.
1 1/2 months is nothing!!  Persevere, but gently. This little pussycat is like a Brutalised, Battered Child.  You need patience (lots of it) and a loving heart.

Clearly, you have not gained your bubby's trust. In some ways I have. She roams around freely when I am in the room. She sniffs me and brushes up against me. She eats out of my hand. We play interactively with the mouse on the stick. We play by her rules, which is, don't touch me. Okay, I respect that. But please stop using me as a chew toy, you have plenty of others.

Are you quite sure about the name Herschey Rose?   The sound of H and SCHSCH in Herschey makes an rather nasty HISSING sound, so too does the S in Rose.

I suggest you consider a name change instead of hissing at this poor distraught pussycat. Her name was Rose I renamed her Hershey Rose after my late Hershey.   What sort of voice do you use?  The same voice I would use talking to you, only slightly softer. The only time I use a different tone is when I say "NO BITE".

A low dog owner's voice, or the higher pitched 'baby-talk' cat owner voice? Please, people, don't take offense, but I can't stand seeing people talking to their pets like they were 3 month old babies.

Ensure you use a designated area/corner for food & water bowls. Use a regular term for when about to give food, like "Tea Time!, DinDins or 'Munchies!'  to alert HR that her dinner is about to be served. Let HR see you prepare it and put in her special bowl. Then you go back to the TV, bedroom etc and mind your own business.  Let HR eat in peace without interference.

Have done all this, but recently she want me to sit in front of her while she eats or she won't eat. And yes, I vary her food 3 times a day, and she has kibble 24/7.

and don't yell, don't smack, do not abuse!!!.  My mom yells at her cat, has since it was 6 weeks old. All it got her was a neurotic cat. She also tapped him on the butt when he did something really bad, and now he bites peoples fingers all the time. I tried to tell her don't yell, just change your tone, and definitely do no hit, but I guess it just comes natural to an Italian mama.

Your poor, defenceless pussycat trusted people twice before - the last time she was rewarded with being shoved into a nasty, cold, locked box, dumped in a very cold & very noisy aeroplane, then manhandled until you finally let her out in a strange foreign place. I wouldn't love you much either after that!

It was not 40 minutes, dear, it was more likely to be in excess of 4 hours. Caged/boxed animals must be delivered several hours before departure, sometimes the day before, depending on airline policy. Then left amidst noise, chaos, other distressed caged animals crying, barking, howling, surrounded by horrible, terrifying noises & smells, unable to get away and hide in safety.  Did anyone bother to sedate this poor little pussycat before forcing her to be boxed and flown to you? Why did you do it??

First, I did not have her shipped in a cargo hold. Would never do that. I flew to Denver, picked her up, and she flew back betwee my feet. However, TSA put her through hell (story follows), and there was nothing I could do about it but cry, and report them to the local paper and TSA headquarters.

You both need time alone together.  Things will change if you give HR a proper chance.  Once she trusts you, do not destroy that trust.  An animal is for life.  Play nice and you'll get there eventually - it will be worth every scratch. 

* Try wearing cut-off long socks up your arms and thick stiff jeans for a while as some protection from scratches and take Anti-Hystemines to help with allergic reactions to bites & scratches. I used crepe bandages to wrap my arms in overnight to assist healing.

Sher is feral. She bites without provocation. It will takes months for us to get to know one another. She takes up a lot of my time. Feeding, cleaning her box, and playing with her. And yet I love every minute of it (except for the biting, could do without that). I just told my mom and aunt that I had her 3 weeks ago. They never knew I flew to Denver to get her. I fell in love with Burmese cats, but none of the breeders I called had a brown Oriental. So that is why I went to Denever instead of here in San Diego.

Good Luck and Hang In There!

Thank you. To anyone thinking of adopting an animal out of state, and to those of you interested in how to really screw up a cat, please read the story below..

First, the background. For 12 years I had a dark chocolate colored Burmese whom I loved like a child.She was a rescue from an abused home, and turned out to be the most beautiful soul I've ever known. I had to make the decision every cat lover dreads when she developed brain cancer. She took her final breath in my arms this past June, exactly 2 months shy of her 17th birthday. Her name was Hershey. I grieved for her everyday (still do), cried a lot, and lost interest in everything. I even destroyed the herb/vegetable garden in my yard because we always "gardened" together, and I couldn't even stand to look at it after she passed. I got on the internet and started calling different shelters, including the Humane Societies in all of California looking for another "Hershey". When I could not find one, I extended my search country-wide. My family suggested I get another cat, unaware I was already looking for onej. When I still could not find another chocolate Burmese, I gave in. I adopted a Tortie from a local shelter. The Tortie turned out to be a hellion, although in the shelter she was an absolute love. When I got her home, all she did was scream for food. She was fed 3 times a day and had kibble available to her all day but she would jump on the kitchen counter if I went near it, even when I was cleaning or doing dishes. A cat jumping into a sink full of dishes, forks and knives is not a good thing. Twice she almost became kitty stew when she jumped on the stove and just missed the pot of boiling water that was on it. Three weeks of one-on-one care and lots of love and patience later, Minja now sits and waits for her meals and no longer jumps on the counters. All it took was patience, love and a change of tone in my voice. Minja and I became fast friends. Two weeks later I got an e-mail from Denver. A very nice lady has been fostering a feral sable Burmese (Rose) for the Humane Society for two months, and it was felt she could be adopted by the right person. After many e-mails and phone calls to both foster mom and the Denver HS, I was notified that I could adopt her. I had already worked with an abused cat and a food monger cat, and it was felt I could handle a feral. Since I was in San Diego, I made arrangements to fly to Denver IA and pick her up from her foster mom, and fly back with her. There was never any question of her flying in a cargo hold. Before I booked my flights, both her foster mom and I called TSA to be sure we could fly her with the least trauma. TSA promised us (individually) that if I asked for a Supervisor, they would do a visual inspection, and not remove her from her carrier. I could just walk through the x-ray machine with her and then they would look into the carrier. Except that's not what happened. They let me through while they held her carrier. Then they made me go to a private room. I asked for a supervisor to do a visual inspection. A young man came into the room and insisted on taking her out of her carrier so they could x-ray it. It had a metal bar door, and holes in the plastic. You could see there was nothing in the carrier except the cat. I begged him not to open it. It had been sealed with cable ties as she was still quite wild, even though sedated. He cut the seals and she flew out of the container, bounced off the wall, tried for the ceiling, ran all over the room, and went totally ballistic. In the process, she knocked over a torchier lamp which fell and broke on my head. I could hear people laughing outside, hearing the comotion. I was crying hysterically, fearful that she would break her leg or something worse. When he was done inspecting the carrier, he told one of the attendants to x-ray it. Evenually she came back and he had to chase her all over to get her back in the carrier. Just as we came out of the room, an older man was coming in. The young man held up his hand, his latex gloves still in one piece, and started laughing and bragging how well he handled a feral cat. The older man was not impressed. He took Rose and gave her to me, and then took me aside and sat me down and asked what happened. I told him the whole story. It turned out that the "supervisor" I asked for was actually a lead who had NO authority to remove the cat. When I asked what position he was, he said, 'I'm the Supervisor they should have called. There was no reason for this insanity. I would simply have done a visual inspection." He then wanted to call the Paramedics for me as I was injured by the lamp, but I didn't want anymore comotion around Rose. He called the Manager of Denver IA TSA and he came over and took an incident report. I was informed the young man would be looking for another job tomorrow. But it didn't matter - the damage to Rose was already done. I covered her cage with a towel, and was driven to the gate so I could catch my flight back. She rode between my feet all the way back. Once home, I put her in her already fixed up room and opened the door to her carrier. I then left the room so she could explore it. Before I re-entered I knocked on the door so as not to scare her. After her terriying ordeal at the hand of TSA I took every precaution, even moving in slow motion not to startle her.

Two months have passed. She is trusting me, slowly. We play with the fishing rod toy with the mouse on the end. She eats out of my hand. She sniffs my feet, and won't eat unless I sit directly in front of her, sort of like her protector. Except for the biting thing, we are making good progress. It will be months before we are at the stage where I can touch her, but I've got the time. Wouldn't have gone and gotten her out of the Mile High City if I didn't intend on keeping her for life.

 

[orientalslave]

The thing is that HR is NOT your previous cat.  You looked for a cat with the same appearance, but it will NOT have the same personality.  Giving her the same name doesn't strike me as a good idea as in my view it subtly reinforces the idea she's the same cat when she isn't.

It sounds to me like HR is very stressed.  She was living feral, now she's shut in a relatively small room.  Now I have no idea what your living situation is - how big the house / flat is, if there are other people and/or other animals, but if you live on your own and don't have other animals I'd be inclined to give her free range.  Actually living where I do I'd let her resume her outdoor life, but I live in rural Scotland not San Diego with very few objective dangers outside.  One of them might shorten her life, but the level of stress she currently has almost certainly will shorten it, plus her quality of life at present sounds low.

The best suggestions I've seen above are to wear protective clothing, and to consult a behaviourist.

 

[tobytyler]

 

I am sorry but it's impossible for me to read this post in orange font written in one paragraph.  

 

[otto]

Hey there. I agree about the name. Please give her a different name, for two reasons. First for her, because I agree that the sounds in Hershey Rose sound like aggressive hissing and growling. Hershey does sound like hissing. Rose sounds very much like the sound a cat makes when moaning in fear or aggression.Cats can be very sensitive to things like that.

Secondly, for your own sake. You are trying to replace a beloved cat who is gone. This is wrong. Your Hershey was one of a kind. She and you had a wonderful special bond and I am very sorry for your loss. 17 years is a testament to the loving care she received from you. You probably, in time, maybe lots of time, will have a bond with this girl too. But it is not fair to her to expect her to take the place of your Bridge Angel.

What medication is she on? If you said already I missed it, sorry.

Also, what are you feeding her? Diet plays a larger part in behavior than people may realize.

 

[stealthkitty]

Hello Lei-Ann,

I agree about wearing protective clothing when you are putting down her food. Do all you can to protect your skin when around her. Look into long sleeve denim shirts or clothing of other heavy material. If there are farm-supply stores in your area they might carry heavy-duty clothing. Always wear heavy-duty gloves. Don't let her near your face so she can't swipe you. Risking your life to feed a cat is irresponsible, so please take extra precautions.

Also, please reconsider the Pepto-Bismol. It doesn't work wonders in humans and apparently your cat hates it. Instead, try the excellent suggestions that have been given to improve her diet.

Acidophilus is a probiotic that you should be able to get in any health food store. It supplies good bacteria to the gut in order to improve digestion and overall health.

You mentioned that you feed her wet food and leave dry food out at all times so she can graze. Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that it is harmful for cats to mix wet and dry foods. You might consider feeding only a high quality wet food; and raw food might give HR even more benefits but you have to take extra pains to provide a balanced diet if you prepare your own raw meals for her. The links others have provided are excellent if you want to learn how to give HR a raw diet.

Please tell us what changes you make and how things go.

ETA: Since there are several threads active about Hershey Rose, I've posted my two cents about each of them here, in the thread that seems most urgent.

 

[otto]

I want to touch on diet a little more, too. I have no scientific data, but I am discovering, by comparison, that food high in carbs can really affect a cat's behavior.

I didn't realize how much, until Dr Pierson came out with her list:

http://catinfo.org/docs/Food Chart Public 9-22-12.pdf

I discovered that three of the foods I was feeding were extremely high in carbohydrates even though they are "grain free", and in two cases "fruit and vegetable free"

I cut way back on those foods. I feed a combo raw/canned diet, and their daily foods now consist of 2% or less from carbohydrates.

However I still have quite a bit of the canned foods high in carbs (22% !!!) I've been feeding those foods only once a week now. And holy cow, is there a difference in their behavior after they eat the high carb food. Two of my cats have many food sensitivities, one of the reasons I turned to a raw diet.

Queen Eva, who is 2 1/2 and very energetic becomes...frantically hyper. She is a very active cat normally, but the way she runs around about 15 minutes after eating the high carb foods is not at all normal.

Mazy, who is very mild when it comes to the other cats, now becomes aggressive to Jennie, after she has eaten a meal that is 22% carbs. She stalks Jennie, with hackle raised. Mazy has never raised a hackle in her life before. But since she is so used to being on a low to no carb foods, when she eats one loaded with carbs, she starts this aggressive behavior.

Jennie doesn't have any real food sensitivities that I know of, but does have food anxiety; her behavior changes too. She becomes absolutely ravenous. Like I said, she does have a food anxiety anyway. But after eating a high carb meal, she will continue to beg and beg and beg for more food.

I have observed these things over the past 3 weeks. It makes me want to not feed these foods to them ever again, but being budget conscious, I don't know if I want to give away a couple hundred dollars worth of food.

So, my recommendation, in addition to the other great advice you have gotten, is to read that list, and get HR on a low carb canned only diet, or even a raw diet if you can manage it.

Raw really would probably be the best for her.

 

[brandy-neka]

A) I've had two cats come to me by plane - both times in cargo holds - they both were fine within days. Then again they were not feral.

B) Good the TSA got fired, that was absolutely idiotic what he did. 

C) I agree with the idea of socks, long sweaters, and potentially dan skin clothing over your arms to help with not getting bitten or scratched by HR. 

D) I've read this whole thread, and btw I didn't have an issue with your orange text. Anyway what you name your cat is up to you, not any of us. As a person who just lost a kitty two months ago I know how you feel. It also seems that HR doesn't have any issues with you outside of him not trusting you with his food. So even if his name does sound like "hissing" then he at least knows you are not hissing at him. If he'll eat out of your hand, and nuzzle against you then I'd say for a feral that you haven't had that long you're doing fairly well and I don't think the name is an issue. As long as you know his behavior will not be the same as your Hershey's was.

E) What has the vet done to check why he's having loose stools? Has he been checked for parasites... also giardia, that's a parasite in the small intestines that can cause loose stools but that is not checked with a normal snap test. I know you said you got your cat from a shelter but even shelters can have parasites. So essentially what tests have been done with HR to make sure there is not something wrong with her? Has there been a blood test? Also was she given a rabies shot for all of the times that she's bitten you I sure hope so. Was she tested to make sure she doesn't have any of the more common cat diseases such as fiv/feLV?  Sorry I'm asking all of these questions that you most likely think are "duh of course I did that" but just wanting to make sure...

F) If you're vet has given her thorough check ups, and blood tests, and her stool samples have been checked. Then maybe look at changing her diet. Because if it's not health related then maybe she's having an allergic reaction to the food. I would think of maybe trying to go with a raw diet, with the needed supplements and maybe adding rice to it or something to calm her stomach. Make sure if you've never fed raw before that you look up how to make it because it can't just be raw food things need to be added to it. I've never fed raw before but if she was a feral cat before then she would most likely be used to eating things from outside from before... It doesn't have to be a raw diet forever, you could give it to her now see if it helps her with her loose stools and then slowly try to find a different pet brand for her...

Just idea's... Good luck, and also is there any way to get the bacteria out of the cats mouth with antibiotics or something? Probably not but figured I'd ask that.. so that when she bites you - you don't get an infection as badly.. 

Hope things go better for you.. 

 

[tjcarst]

Have you tried switching foods?  Blood and mucous was reported when the Diamond Pet Food recall was happening with contaminated food.  Cats/dogs had these symptoms.

Google Diamond Pet Food recall and see if your food is on the list.

 

[orientalslave]

Hey there. I agree about the name. Please give her a different name, for two reasons.

My suggestion is HRH - HR is for Hershey Rose of course - and HRH is short for His / Her Royal Highness. Cats of course are royalty.

I'm not at all convinced her food is the issue.  I think it's boredom and frustration and major stress.

I am also very confused about this:

I fell in love with Burmese cats, but none of the breeders I called had a brown Oriental

A Burmese breeder won't have a brown (or rusty black) Oriental unless they also breed Orientals.  The two breeds are quite separate, quite different.  But even if you went to an Oriental breeder and found a cat that looked like Hersey, it would NOT BE Hersey - it would NOT have her personality, it would be itself.

I take it that by 'last June' you mean this year - June 2012.  If that is the case you haven't had anything like enough time to properly grieve for Hershey.  You need time to tell the difference between the general cat-shape hole left in your life, and the special Hershey-bits.  Most cats could fill the general hole, none of them can exactly fill the Hershey hole.  They might fill bits of it - partially, completely or to overflowing - but they will never, ever exactly fit the Hershey hole.

Have you got back in touch with the rescue in Denver to see how she got on with her previous foster?  I really don't believe the ordeal with TSA is the cause of her distress.  Possibly talking to the previous foster and finding out how they treated her will help.

I also don't believe she is biting because she doesn't like the smell of the food - from what you say she is biting before she has really smelt it.  I feel that for some reason she sees your hands as dangerous and threatening.  I have no idea why, but a pair of really strong gauntlets for the time being is a necessity.  Even if you can take the normal cat bite antibiotics keeping getting bitten and having to take them is very bad for you.

Finally, here are a few links which might be of some use:

http://www.messybeast.com/feralkit.htm

http://www.fabcats.org/behaviour/nervous_aggressive/info.html

 

[tobytyler]

I have had to board three different cats on three separate occasions in cargo. There some are airlines that are better than others.  It is never easy for the owner or the animal, IMO.  We are also talking about well socialized cats.

My Pantaloons

 flew in the airplane cabin with me and went through TSA. 

When you got through TSA, you need to remove the cat from the carrier, period. It doesn't matter what the TSA 'supervisor' told you.  They are not going to let you carry something on that can't be x-ray-ed.  Since you aren't going to put the cat through the scanner,  they are required to do a manual search.  There is nothing the TSA did that was out of line that I gathered in your post.  Do you really think you should be treated any different than the general traveling public because you are traveling with a cat in tow?  If I were traveling on your plane, I would be glad the TSA was doing their job.

 

[three cat night]

Hey Lei Ann, geez some of these post's are really being harsh to you. Assuming the absolute worst case scenario when they have very little facts. You are going through hell trying to give Hershey a good home and take care of her. Just keep going to the vet and being consistent with love and play but at a safe distance. I had suggested to contact the Humane society& ASPCA San Diego central campus , 5500 Gaines St. San Diego 92110 www.sdhumane.org. And ask for help with this problem. I hope they can help you with this. Hang in there, ( I am @ Oceanside location) often when we get a new cat that has these kind of issues , they are sent down to Gaines St location where they have experienced people to work with the cats. Send me a private message with your email address and we can discuss it. I am no pro but am happy to give you more info.