New Mom To An Aggressive Cat :(

[cattyclaws]

Hi guys! New member here as well as a first time cat owner. Not sure if this is the right place to post but here goes...

Some background: I was looking for a cuddly cat to keep me company as I live alone and wasn't bothered about the age. All I wanted was to give and receive lots of love and affection. The local shelter suggested that I adopt 6-year old Casper, who grew up there. They said he was really friendly with the caretakers and people who visited the shelter, however he was not social and disliked being around other cats so they had him in a two-tier cage.

I waited 3 weeks before bringing him home and was very excited; had everything setup for him before his arrival.

Well its been about 3 days and he has been really aggressive towards me. I know he needs more time to adapt to his new environment but his behavior is really bothering me. I tried playing with him with DIY treat toys, small bouncy stress ball, feather toys but he doesn't seem to get the concept of "playing" so he starts to meow and get aggressive. He won't let me touch him or pet him, hasn't rubbed his scent on me, hisses every time I come near him and has scratched me already. Eg: As I was laying down his food today he quickly comes near me and starts to hiss; he wants his food but doesn't want me near it! He has also taken over a certain part of the room and starts to hiss when I go within the area.

I understand that he is being territorial and needs more time to adjust, but I really believe he has an underlying behavioral issue. I am a new owner so I would like some insight whether this is normal behavior? Did your cats act the same way? TIA

 

[tabbytom]

cattyclaws and Casper, on behalf of The Catsite community, a warm

Glad that you’ve joined the site and feel,free to ask questions if you have any and do post them under the appropriate forum headings and and do check out the many informative articles here in Articles | The Cat Site

As for Casper’s behavior, guess he’s trying to get use to the new surroundings and sights and sounds and of course you. As for your questions, best place to ask them is here in Cat Behavior. You’ll get a faster and more answers from there.

Hope he settles down fast and get use to the new place and we do hope to see photos of him.

Enjoy your stay and see ya around

 

[rubysmama]

Welcome to The Cat Site.

Sorry things are off to a rocky start with your first ever cat, Casper. As suggested, definitely post in the Cat Behavior forum.

Poor Casper. If he grew up at the shelter, then this is his first time in a real home. It's probably all big and scary to him.

Does he have run of the whole house? If so, maybe try confining him to one room only and letting him get acclimated there.

Here's a few articles on bringing home a new cat. Good luck.

First-time Cat Owner's Guide
How To Help A New Cat Adjust To Your Home
Bringing Home A New Cat - The Complete Guide

 

[cattyclaws]

Thanks, folks! I will post in the Cat Behavior forum!