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- Nov 1, 2015
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We had 3 cats until last year when one basically died of old age, and the other of cancer complications. They were both very sweet and affectionate, and my husband and I are still missing them greatly. The cat that is left, Newman, came to us as a rescued kitten, while we still had the other 2. He was a very active kitten, and got along pretty well with the other 2, who were very tolerant of him. He was very active, and liked to chase the oldest one, but never caught her nor hurt her. He is now 4 years old, and very healthy. However, he's not anything like the other 2. He is very aloof, and sometimes aggressive with people, and with other cats on the street. On the other hand, he is low maintenance, which is good for us when we go on trips. He eats dry food from a "vacation feeder" and drinks water from a cat fountain. He refuses any kind of canned food or fresh meat. He does like to be led to where he eats, and to be petted before he eats, but will eat without all that.
We recently helped our neighbor rescue an orphaned 3 week old kitten. We kept it here all last week to give my neighbor a break, and really fell in love with it. However, Newman growled and hissed when he saw it, so we kept it from his sight as much as possible the rest of the week. He was definitely boycotting its presence by staying outside even more than usual. (He has his own little kitty door.) He also stopped eating as much. When he did come in, he interacted with us even less than before. By the end of the week he calmed down a bit, but only because he rarely saw the kitten. We kept it in the bathroom when he was in the house, or otherwise hidden from his sight. I also gave him more treats than usual, because I knew he could smell the kitten on us. I read that was a good thing to do when introducing a new cat.
So, last Friday we took the kitten back to our neighbor, because we could see that Newman would not adapt to having it around. We were heart broken, though, because this kitten was so affectionate and really liked to cuddle with us. Newman rarely even jumps up in our laps, or even at our feet if we're laying on the sofa, and when he does, we're so shocked, and pleased, that we try not to move or disturb him, and give him positive attention. Even though, this behavior continues to be rare.
This same neighbor won't come into the house anymore to care for Newman when we're on a trip, because last time he attacked her, scratching and biting her legs. He rarely gets that aggressive with us, but will bite "at" us if he gets tired of being petted. I've learned to watch for his body signs to avoid that. He seems to be very protective of his territory, especially with others from outside our family.
Anyway, (1) is it possible to modify this aloof behavior, and (2) get him to be nicer to our neighbor? I still need her to come in to check his food and his fountain at least twice a week when we're gone.
I really miss having a cat that likes to sleep next to me while I'm reading, watching TV, etc., but I don't want to get rid of Newman.
We recently helped our neighbor rescue an orphaned 3 week old kitten. We kept it here all last week to give my neighbor a break, and really fell in love with it. However, Newman growled and hissed when he saw it, so we kept it from his sight as much as possible the rest of the week. He was definitely boycotting its presence by staying outside even more than usual. (He has his own little kitty door.) He also stopped eating as much. When he did come in, he interacted with us even less than before. By the end of the week he calmed down a bit, but only because he rarely saw the kitten. We kept it in the bathroom when he was in the house, or otherwise hidden from his sight. I also gave him more treats than usual, because I knew he could smell the kitten on us. I read that was a good thing to do when introducing a new cat.
So, last Friday we took the kitten back to our neighbor, because we could see that Newman would not adapt to having it around. We were heart broken, though, because this kitten was so affectionate and really liked to cuddle with us. Newman rarely even jumps up in our laps, or even at our feet if we're laying on the sofa, and when he does, we're so shocked, and pleased, that we try not to move or disturb him, and give him positive attention. Even though, this behavior continues to be rare.
This same neighbor won't come into the house anymore to care for Newman when we're on a trip, because last time he attacked her, scratching and biting her legs. He rarely gets that aggressive with us, but will bite "at" us if he gets tired of being petted. I've learned to watch for his body signs to avoid that. He seems to be very protective of his territory, especially with others from outside our family.
Anyway, (1) is it possible to modify this aloof behavior, and (2) get him to be nicer to our neighbor? I still need her to come in to check his food and his fountain at least twice a week when we're gone.
I really miss having a cat that likes to sleep next to me while I'm reading, watching TV, etc., but I don't want to get rid of Newman.