A year ago I started a thread „Behaviour Problem or Something Else?” It centred on my new foster, a cross-eyed female stray called Meghan. External influences (my mother’s death, serious injuries to another of my cats after being hit by a car, my own hospitalisation and recuperation) meant that a year has passed and Meghan is still with me and suffering from stress. I intend making a concentrated effort to reduce sources of her stress and, if things don’t improve, I’ll perhaps have to try to get her adopted as an only-cat in a household where no-one cares about scratched furniture!
The Cat
Meghan: small female, estimated to be 6 years old
Heart problem: septum defect (hole in the chamber wall)
Cross eyed – practically blind in her right eye (an old injury, infection or genetic)
She is nervous, never in the same place for long, and suffers from alopecia (her belly, inside of her back thighs and backs of her front legs are bare, she has bitten or scratched a hole on her left thigh and on each ear.)
She loves people, particularly strangers.
Possible Stress Factors:
The Other Cats
Cat Space Available
Litter Boxes
People
Perhaps, I’m the problem. Even when I was working I had time to sit! But now I am always on the go. I have been so involved with Katy’s intensive care (and still am highly protective of her) that I may be neglecting Meghan. But, Corona has kept me at home, so now I am trying to help her.
Another problem I haven't quite solved, she scratches the furniture. It happens whenever I sit down to eat! I've completely covered the sofas with extra large throws (they look like dust sheets). She still tries to get under the sheets to do her damage. But the damage is done and I can live with that!
My Plan:
And now I’m asking you!
What else can I do?
Should I keep Meghan, even if things don’t improve and she remains so stressed?
Could stress be due to brain-damage and nothing to do with external influences?
All members of my family say, keep her! But is that fair?
Thank you for reading!
The Cat
Meghan: small female, estimated to be 6 years old
Heart problem: septum defect (hole in the chamber wall)
Cross eyed – practically blind in her right eye (an old injury, infection or genetic)
She is nervous, never in the same place for long, and suffers from alopecia (her belly, inside of her back thighs and backs of her front legs are bare, she has bitten or scratched a hole on her left thigh and on each ear.)
She loves people, particularly strangers.
Possible Stress Factors:
The Other Cats
I would not classify my three other cats as aggressive.
Emily: acts like a battering ram, and runs at all of the cats, particularly if she thinks they’ve got more food than she has. Meghan reacts by springing out of the way, turns around and tries to jump on her attacker. Emily hisses but no damage is done.
Katy: used to play quite roughly with Meghan but since her accident, she keeps her distance. Meghan sometimes jumps on Katy, when she is lying on my bed. Katy screams and runs to hide behind the door, till Meghan takes herself away.
Mogi, won’t attack anybody. When she’s attacked and feeling brave she will raise a paw, but normally she will simply creep away.
Cat Space Available
Since Katy’s accident, all cats are kept indoors. They seem to have accepted the fact. I have a large living/dining room with 3 sofas, 3 easy chairs, 2 cat trees, and numerous cat beds. There are 2 bedrooms which they can use, a hallway, stairway and cellar. They are usually all in one room – the room where I am, though Katy still spends a lot of time in my bedroom, where she spent 8 weeks being treated and recuperating.
Litter Boxes
Plenty of those - only Meghan tries to prevent the others from getting to or from them! No litter problems.
People
There are 2 of us. Though my partner likes cats and used to be great friends with previous cats, he now does nothing to make the cats like him and gets annoyed when they ignore him. Funnily enough, when he leaves his chair for a few minutes, there is always one of the cats sitting there when he returns.
My daughter and family live upstairs. Meghan loves to sneak up there, though she never stays long. My daughter, the 2 grandsons (almost grownup) and my step-granddaughter think this is fine, as Meghan is such a friendly cat, but my son-in-law is not so happy.
Perhaps, I’m the problem. Even when I was working I had time to sit! But now I am always on the go. I have been so involved with Katy’s intensive care (and still am highly protective of her) that I may be neglecting Meghan. But, Corona has kept me at home, so now I am trying to help her.
Another problem I haven't quite solved, she scratches the furniture. It happens whenever I sit down to eat! I've completely covered the sofas with extra large throws (they look like dust sheets). She still tries to get under the sheets to do her damage. But the damage is done and I can live with that!
My Plan:
- In spite of pressure, I am not taking in any more foster cats or kittens (I have an empty room in the cellar, but I haven't got the time or the patience right now)
- I have contacted the woman who was feeding Meghan while she lived on the streets until I had room to take her.
She has given me a bit more background information and has made a few suggestions about what sort of place she should go to, if and when she goes. We will keep in contact. She said, Meghan always had bare patches but she thought it was a flea-bite allergy. - I have started playing with Meghan (or trying to) every morning. Meghan plays very aggressively. Emily reacts accordingly. But, we keep ourselves occupied for a good 30 minutes, even if most of the time we are only watching! Mogi doesn’t participate at all.
And now I’m asking you!
What else can I do?
Should I keep Meghan, even if things don’t improve and she remains so stressed?
Could stress be due to brain-damage and nothing to do with external influences?
All members of my family say, keep her! But is that fair?
Thank you for reading!
.
