Psychocat :evil:

[IanT]

Ok, so my girlfriend picked this kitten up a while ago, shes probably almost a year old now and is PSYCHO :evil: :evil: :evil:

I have been the one that had to feed/clean up after it/change litter box etc... because it conveniently wound up in my bathroom ( hey thats how it goes i guess )

I was also kind of the disciplinarian gave her a few light taps on the nose when she bite/scratches because we didnt declaw her (im mkind of against ripping an animals knuckles off unless absolutely neccessary) , spray with water bottle when she trys scratching the couch (which she LOATHES)...but works well..... etc,

taught her how to jump too...that was kind of cute,

but now shes just psycho not really cute anymore lol... shes cool around my Gf (maybe a woman thing??) but not really anyone else...just tried to pick her up because I wanted to take her to the vet because shes been literally chewing her hair off in patches (i dont know what its from--dry skin??) and I got TORE up... she was all hissing and scratching, biting any exposed flesh (which in my current dress is not so hard :wink: ) ....I dont know whats up with her but I think she hates me!!


shes definitely the devil cat! we are going to be living in seperate apartments next year so I cant wait to not have to live around this beast and get a dog that actually likes human attention as opposed to a cat that wants only to rip me to shreads like a sheet

have we created a monster or has she gone senile!? lol

anyone have a similar experience??!?

and PS screw taking her to the vet! Im going to leave that to my gf...i value my hands and the rest of my exposed body parts and need them for future use! (like soapmaking!)

 

[jadiebugs1]

She just loooovvveeess you, Ian....you can handle it! Teach her to be a lover and not a fighter! :wink:
When our Baby Boi was a kitten...when he'd bite me I'd stick my finger down his throat....he doesn't bite me anymore....but he does bite my brother!!! Now our newest 'pound rat' as I call her, she still 'plays' with all razors......I'm thinking about clipping them (not removing) but I heard when you do that they scratch on everything in site to sharpen them again....
Maybe you could just handle her with kid (read LEATHER!) gloves????

Cats can be craaazy! That's why I love them!

 

[IanT]

lol yeahh Im going to buy a pair of those gloves they use for training eagles and stuff lol...I forgot to mention i did the finger-down-the throat thing too ( i mean not like toooo far...just enough for the gag reflex), I know that works with dogs too (even in emergency situations)

I clip her nails, shes kind of grown to accept it now when I do it..she looks like she thinks shes getting a manicure lol... my girl wants to declaw her but ive been trying to convince her not to (worked so far...the water bottle sprayer works well for getting them to learn not to scratch stuff, go on the counters where we eat etc...), I dont know how to make her tone down though!.. I think she just likes to play with me and try to kill me, and then when she wants affection she goes to my girl lol.


maybe its cause I established that I was dominant or something?? just trying to think of it form an animal-psychology perspective...


I think when i get an apt. Im going to try to get a puppy and a kitten at the same time so they can grow together and play together and stuff when im not around, kind of keep themselves busy while im at work (im looking for a 9-5 so im kind of worried if i have to leave them alone that long) but i know you can train dogs to use a poo-mat or litter box type thing... got to see what happens i dont really have much else for them to chew on if i get them as I really have no furniture just a mattress from a futon with no frame, a tv stand, desk and a chair lol... nice and simple...nothing i wouldnt mind being gnawed on.


I miss my puppy (hes with my mom up North and now an old fart living his retirement away in bliss ...) and being able to take him outside and play (though he was the laziest dog ever)


the cat is going with my lady in her apt and then im going to have an apt to myself

 

[7053joanne]

As an owner of multiple cats and the caregiver to a colony of feral cats (all of which I trapped, spayed and neutered/rabies shots, and rereleased into my back yard) I may be able to help.

As far as the chewing...that is likely an allergy related issue. My big boy Darwin had chewed off all his fur on the stomach and legs (he looked like plucked chicken...not cute). I took him to the vet who immediately wanted to put him on meds. I did my own research and realized that many of the "fillers" they put in cat food can cause severe allergies in cats. As soon as I switched him to an all natural diet the chewing stopped.

I also have a crazy cat that is seperated on the second floor of the house. She was so bad I did have to put her on meds to control her anger. She would lash out at all the other cats (there were 6 others in the house at the time) and would hiss and try to bite you as you walked past her. Just by spending quiet time not touching her she became much calmer and is now one of my most affectionate cats. She runs into the room to climb up on me. I should mention she was a rescue from an abusive home and suffers from rippling skin syndrome (an over active nervous system).

Do not fret Ian...You crazy cat is still a kitten and will likely calm down as time passes.

joanne

 

[Missjulesdid]

After you do all that joanne suggests if it still does not work, you can take your cat to the vet and have it put on kitty meds. I had a friend who had a crazy cat and they had the cat medicated so it would behave normally and not have so much anxiety which lead to the bad crazy behavior...

Good luck, hopefully it's a phase.

 

[IanT]

joanne and jules, thanks for the encouragement! I dont want to put her on med unless i HAVE to...the allergy thing could be spot-on because we just changed her food to a new formula with fish and seaweed and stuff..thought it would taste better, but she doesnt really touch it as much as the other food...just put some of the old food in her bowl tonight....Im going to switch it back to the old one and see what happens... she def. looks like a plucked chicken!...spots on her butt and neck (I thought she was blonding at first because shes all black with some suddle tiger stripes if shes in the sun, she liked to lay in the window so i thought it was bleaching her booty blonder or something)...what do you mean like quite time not touching her?? like just letting her do her biz and ignoring her or playing with her toys with her and not touching her?

you think if I gave her like REALLY potent catnip (if I could find/grow a plant and give it to her fresh??) it would mellow her out some?? I know she loves it dry but I feel like its not as good as fresh... maybe ive got to just get her a kitty litter box of catnip to roll around in lol..


I moved her litter box out of my room until she stops freaking on me, I think she thinks my room is her turf now, I figure itll take her stress level down abit too because she wont feel weird about walking past me or something to get to her box and food.

and if all else fails?? what do they put them on ?? kitty paxil or ambien or something??? lol


thank you so much for the help! I really appreciate it!

 

[7053joanne]

I should give a little background on her. I adopted her from a shelter when she was 3. At the time I was living in an apartment with two other cats. She instantly became the dominant and took over. I then moved to my parents house for a while and rescued another kitten that had been abandoned in the flower pots outside by her momma...and at that time my parents had 3 cats. So now she was one of 7 with a male dominant that hater her. So she was pretty nasty by that point. I did put her on kitty prozac but she became a zombie. I decided I preferred her mean than drugged and defenseless. When I moved into my own house last summer I decided to keep her seperated so she would feel safe and so there would be no more bloody attacks.

So I started to just sit in the room with her watching tv or reading. Letting her do her own thing....I think it's a trust thing since cats are so independent. Slowly she started coming over and sniffing me and laying down in my vicinity. Then I would start petting her but stopping before she got angry (if you pet them until they get ticked off they associate the petting with something they don't like). Now she runs right up and cuddles up with me. She is 8 now but better late than never....

You can work it out. Don't fret...just take it slow.

 

[IanT]

alright got it to the point where she doesnt hiss at me when i walk past her...been kind of playing with her with her toys and little kitty hut (which she loves) off and on, giving her lots of space and not trying to touch her or anything.

I gues itll be a slow process but i think she will come around eventually...

is there a way to tell if your cat is allergic to a certain food? and how do you find one theyre not allergic to? or can i just start making her food??

 

[7053joanne]

I know the vet can do tests to figure out what they are allergic to. I just switched to natural foods with different protein sources like duck and venison. Just trial and error basically. They do sell some of the more natural type foods at petco.....called natural balance. My cats seem to like it but it is more expensive than the general foods.

If you are making your own cat food there are certain additives that cats require such as taurine. So you will have to do a lot of research.

Good luck and keep us updated.

ps Glad to hear you are having some small victories!

 

[IanT]

aww! I just layed on the floor with her and she sniffed my nose...so slowly i think shes getting used to me again..you know how they kind of flop over...and lay on their back and kind of rub all on the carpet sometimes all cute?? I kind of copy her with body language sometimes (I know animals really pick up on body language MUCH more than words..)

It was so cute, I kind of flopped over next to her while she was licking herself and she kind of did one of those quick "raow" 's to be like hey!...and scootched over to me on her back and sniffed my nose...

ahhh another small victory...

I think Im going to get her some natural pet food but may still take her to the vet because she has sores also, I want to make sure its not a skin disease or something, and maybe get her tested for allergies...
I wonder how they test that stuff in animals??

Again, thank you for the encouragement and advice!

 

[mandy93]

I'm not one to declaw either. Now, my grandpa had a cat he could trim the nails on-Minnie would not let me do that! LOL But they do have caps you can glue on them that I have heard works...but again, I am SURE my cat would not sit still that long. (You can get all sorts of colors of the caps though, so they look "painted" LOL)