New Cat Is Not Happy

[ArtificialB]

Hello

I've recently adopted my first cat, who is a year old. When I went to meet with her and the rescue she was with, they told me she was a calm, quiet and very well behaved cat, never shown any bad behavior and destructive tendencies, perfect for a first time owner......

After bringing her home I discovered she was very high-energy, she is constantly meowing and has been a trouble maker. She actively goes for the wall trim, never stops meowing and twice now she has found new spots to consistently pee, the newest one being the hammock on the one cat tree she loves to use. I've had to remove it from her reach to deep clean it as she has peed in the hammock multiple times instead of the litter box. She is more miserable without that cat tree.

I know she's lonely and has a lot of energy to burn. She went from a foster home with multiple cats and a family that was home almost all day, to a home where I am gone at work for 9+ hours a day. People keep saying to get a second cat but I'm barely handling one at the moment. I've tried leaving her out, because I think being cooped up in one room when I'm not home isn't helping, but after a 15 minute errand I came home to find the entire contents of a bookshelf on the floor, what will she do with 9+ hours!

It's been almost a month and whenever I feel we've taken a step forward, there are more steps back. I've called the rescue to ask them and they said it sounds like a completely different cat, and have tried everything they suggested. I'm starting to believe I am not the right home for her and that I will have to return her to her foster home to be adopted to a home more suited for what she needs. A home with someone home all day or with a companion for her.

 

[Purr-fect]

Others will likely disagree with me, but I suggest you take her back now if she can get into the same foster home she was in.

The PRIME goal in my mind is her happiness.

She isnt happy and you arent happy.

You can play with her when you are home, but you (like most people) are gone for 9 plus hours when you are working.

There are options you can try, spending a great deal of time interacting with her, fostering a playmate for her, getting her interactive toys, leaving a radio on for her, ect.

But in my mind, she is young, full of energy and just being a kitten/young cat. Coming from a home with other cats and people around all day is a difficult adjustment for her.

Perhaps what you need is a senior cat that is ok being left alone during the day and is less active.

This little cats happiness is most important. You understand what is happening, but she doesnt.

But do not return her if her new environment will be worse than her current one.

Just my thoughts.

 

[ArtNJ]

You can solve the peeing issue relatively easily most likely, but the high energy destructiveness is going to be super hard to solve if you aren't home much and are not willing to tolerate a little destruction. It takes time to stop a young cat from climbing your curtains, scratching paint off walls (I've had that too, its not that that rare) and all the random other things they do, and certainly the energy level only decreases gradually over the next year or two.

So maybe Purr-fect is right. A one year old is not the right cat for you. You want a 3+ cat (and probably older) that is used to a relatively sedentary lifestyle and is good with liter and scratching posts. Get the same kind of liter, boxes and scratching posts and your likely good.

I do not think a second cat/kitten is the right solution here. Maybe, just maybe, adding a kitten is the right solution when an only cat's demands for your attention are driving a person nuts. But that isn't the issue here. I don't see any reason to believe that adding another kitten would lower the destructiveness. I've certainly had curtain climbing, paint scratching, couch scratching and all of that while having two same age youngsters more than once. Maybe its not double, but its not less than one cat!

 

[ArtificialB]

You can solve the peeing issue relatively easily most likely, but the high energy destructiveness is going to be super hard to solve if you aren't home much and are not willing to tolerate a little destruction. It takes time to stop a young cat from climbing your curtains, scratching paint off walls (I've had that too, its not that that rare) and all the random other things they do, and certainly the energy level only decreases gradually over the next year or two.

I've started using cat attract and have removed the 2 items she was peeing on. One was a shower curtain that now just hangs out of reach, the other is the before mentioned scratching post/cat tree that is being thoroughly cleaned.

And I was prepared for a little destruction as she adjusted and learned the new household. I even prepared specific furniture with anti-scratch measures while she was learning, though the smart thing she is has worked around those XD

I'm trying to exhaust every option before I give up completely. I made a commitment and I want to try and see it through if I can.

There are options you can try, spending a great deal of time interacting with her, fostering a playmate for her, getting her interactive toys, leaving a radio on for her, ect.

She hasn't been interested in any of the interactive toys so far. I have a laser pointer she plays with and the crinkle balls she really enjoys as well (i have more on order because it's just 2 from package with a variety of different ones to try). Are there any specifically i should look into to try? And I will try and see if I can move a radio into her room with her and see if that helps.

 

[di and bob]

Cats are often quite opposite when in a new environment. She is young and needs to be stimulated. She is exploring, is lonely, and is maybe looking for a way out. She IS spayed I take it? A cat in heat displays the symptoms you are describing, getting spayed would calm her down. I would give her a month, it takes at least that long for a cat to get more used to a strange place. I am really sorry you are going through this, but I really think she will settle down in time. As for the peeing, make sure she has several litter boxes (you can eliminate some later) with maybe some different kinds of litter, tehre is something she doesn't like about them. She could be marking her space now too, once she feels more at home, and that she really has a home, that should stop. All teh luck, and thank you so much for trying so hard!

 

[ArtificialB]

Cats are often quite opposite when in a new environment. She is young and needs to be stimulated. She is exploring, is lonely, and is maybe looking for a way out. She IS spayed I take it? A cat in heat displays the symptoms you are describing, getting spayed would calm her down. I would give her a month, it takes at least that long for a cat to get more used to a strange place. I am really sorry you are going through this, but I really think she will settle down in time. As for the peeing, make sure she has several litter boxes (you can eliminate some later) with maybe some different kinds of litter, tehre is something she doesn't like about them. She could be marking her space now too, once she feels more at home, and that she really has a home, that should stop. All teh luck, and thank you so much for trying so hard!

She is spayed, the rescue I went through spays and neuters all their cats.

 

[CreamsiclePuff]

There are so many cats with personalities that would fit into your lifestyle so perfectly. This cat just doesn't sound like she's it though. I'd seriously think about returning her and trying your luck with another. There's no sense forcing something that just doesn't seem to be working.