New adoptee introverted?

[swampmonster]

We adopted another cat into our multi cat household two months ago. He's a darling thing, pretty, loves to look out the window (spends hours there) and occasionally likes to be stroked, but he is the most introverted cat I've ever met. He doesn't react to his name, which is fair because he's four and had a different name for his whole life, but I'm surprised at how uninterested he is in people. He doesn't seek us out, but he's ok if we come to pet him. He never makes eye contact with us. I sometimes feel like a food dispenser and less like his cat mom. I'm not unrealistic and I don't expect him to be jumping on me every five seconds, but I've just never had an introverted cat before. His history indicated that he lived in a five cat household (possibly with other animals, we only saw names on vet records that accompanied his papers) where he was well cared for medically, but I wonder if the family were like pet hoarders, where they liked to have lots of pets but spend almost no one on one time with them. My mom insists if the previous owner had multi cats then he clearly loved them, but I've known people who treat their pet(s) more like an accessory than a companion. Is there a way to train him into being more social? Or should I just sort of accept that he'll always be different?

 

[susanm9006]

Two months for an adult cat is a very short time to adjust. If he is eating, coming out and getting along with your other cats he is doing wonderfully. It may take him much longer before he builds an attachment to his new humans so you may see him act quite differently towards you at some point in the future. If you can manage some alone time with him for treats and play it might help the bond but I would only try this if he doesn’t shy away from the contact.

 

[LTS3]

Like people, cats have their own personality. Some are confident and love being around people. Other cats prefer to hide but that doesn't mean they're unhappy, maybe just insecure especially coming from a questionable previous living situation. Just let your cat be himself. Provide plenty of Maybe one day your cat will start to interact more with you.

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[swampmonster]

Hello, everyone!
So he's pretty content to do his own thing. In the initial weeks he was skittish because it was all very new, but he's adjusted quite well to both the house and his housemates. I think my husband is the only one who has had him lie down next to him, but his previous owner was a man, I imagine that's his preference. We've both been trying to sit beside him on his favorite chair and give him deep petting sessions. I like to massage my cats around the neck and shoulders, my one cat demands it from me, and he seemed to respond well to it, but again it's definitely us initiating the cuddles. We try to play with him when we can, too, but he's a bit aggressive so you have to give him a toy and step back so you don't get caught in the crossfire. I'm hoping that by making a habit out of seeking him out he might one day come to associate us with more than just food and opening the front door to look out the window lol. Then again, maybe he could be introverted for the rest of his days! - I must stress that this would not affect how we feel about him, I would just come to accept it.

 

[Tobermory]

My guess is that your idea about his previous interactions (or non interactions) with humans is right. I’ve often heard from people who don’t know cats that they’re aloof. Well, yes, they are if you don’t spend time socializing them.

I once rescued a six-year-old cat that didn’t know how to interact with me. Mayflower had been dumped and had spent time living on the street before I rescued her. It was so interesting to watch her watch my other cat interacting with me. It took awhile, but she started to imitate Teddy. She was never a lap cat, but she did like to be near me.

Mocha, whom I adopted four years ago at age three, was semiferal so we really started from scratch with her. But she is an extremely affectionate cat and has become a super lap cat. So there’s certainly a difference in cat personalities. And by the way, it took her a year to learn her name!

I’m with susanm9006 . Two months isn’t a very long adjustment period. I think if you continue to seek him out for attention, he’ll gradually become more of a “team player.” It will be interesting to see how he develops.