odd cat behavior

sl55 · Feb 13, 2004

My cat Summer used to be very affectionate and sweet towards me. Then all of a sudden she wouldn't go near me. She won't let me pick her up and she hisses if I go near her. We got a new kitten a few months ago and I'm wondering if that's something to do with it. Has anyone else had this problem? I hope that it isn't due to an illness.

Brooke · Feb 13, 2004

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not an animal expert by any means, but your new kitten seems like it could be a big part of it. My cat Sassy gets ragingly jealous if any other cats are around... she'll growl and be very p-o'd...

I hope your cat eventually gets used to your new kitten.

Mort · Feb 13, 2004

I would say that it's very likely that your cat is upset about the new kitten.

We had the same problem. We originally had one cat and she's fairly old (in her teens). We got a new cat a couple of years ago, and our original cat would hiss constantly. She was mostly upset when the other cat was in sight, but would often hiss when picked up or even when she was petted. She used to come and go as she pleased, but the straw that broke the camel's back was when she started urinating in the houseplants and finally on some mail on the kitchen counter. Now she's outdoor-only, but has access to the garage via a cat flap. She's happy. We're happy. We also added three more indoor-only cats to bring our total up to four indoor-only cats, and they all get along just fine.

sl55 · Feb 14, 2004

Thanks for the advice. She appeared to be depressed for the first month we had the kitten. She slept on a chair and only got up to eat or use the tray, but letting her go outside made her happier. It was about a month later that she started hissing at me.

What still confuses me is why she has only rejected me. She'll happily sit on the laps of my housemates, and they pay as much attention to the kitten as I do.

Evee · Feb 14, 2004

Cats are so complicated. I have just moved they rode 400 miles with me to my new home.
One cat just freaked out and lost his mind.
He went in the garage and want come out.
He was always odd but I had one that is 14 and another that is 10 years old and they are fine.

Marissa · Feb 15, 2004

I had the same problem. I bought a new cat about 9 months ago because I was down in the dumps and cats cheer me up. The family cat was not impressed with the new addition to the family, and he seemed to know just who to blame for it. The rest of the household continued to be loved, but I was ignored completely (with the exception of meal times). It is odd. Like with your household, the new cat gets just as much attention from the others in the house as she does from me, but Panther knew that I was to blame. He never hissed or attacked, but for a cat that hates going 10 minutes without company complete ignorance of 1/3 of the household is a big thing.

Thankfully, he got over it. I'm back to being one of the favourites and it only took six months. Just 10 minutes ago he was in here complaining that I hadn't payed him enough attention today.

Give your old baby a bit of time. He might still come round.

Dagna · Feb 15, 2004

One thing you might consider trying is a product called Feliway. You can get it in Petsmart and it's about $30 or so, but it works great for helping to reduce stress in cats. It's a plug-in, you can't smell anything but the cats can. I would also take kitty to the vet though. Some illnesses can cause sudden changes in temperment

Mort · Feb 15, 2004

sl55 said:
What still confuses me is why she has only rejected me. She'll happily sit on the laps of my housemates, and they pay as much attention to the kitten as I do.

I can't help you there. Our cat hisses at everyone.

Evee · Feb 15, 2004

Dagna said:
One thing you might consider trying is a product called Feliway. You can get it in Petsmart and it's about $30 or so, but it works great for helping to reduce stress in cats. It's a plug-in, you can't smell anything but the cats can. I would also take kitty to the vet though. Some illnesses can cause sudden changes in temperment

I think I will inquire about this. Thanks
I feel so sorry for him.
He won't let me close enough to take him to vet at this point.

Brooke · Feb 16, 2004

Is it perhaps possible to call an animal expert for verbal advice over the phone?

sl55 · Feb 16, 2004

Dagna said:
One thing you might consider trying is a product called Feliway. You can get it in Petsmart and it's about $30 or so, but it works great for helping to reduce stress in cats. It's a plug-in, you can't smell anything but the cats can. I would also take kitty to the vet though. Some illnesses can cause sudden changes in temperment

Thanks, I'll ask my vet about this the next time I see him. Hopefully it will work.

Evee · Feb 16, 2004

Brooke said:
Is it perhaps possible to call an animal expert for verbal advice over the phone?

I could call the vet but I believe it was the trauma from the move.
He was always an odd behaving cat.
My daughter found him and kept him and then left him with me.
He has always been semi anti social.
He has went over the edge it seems.

Dagna · Feb 17, 2004

With your cat always being semi anti-social, it's possible that he was at one point a feral cat, or became feral after a period of time outside with no human contact. It's quite common and it's very possible that the move did push him over the edge. With time, I'm sure he'll some around again. Definately try the Feliway. The package will say it's for stopping cat stress and inappropriate urination, but it works great for other behavioral problems as well. I've used it to reduce stress in the household when a new cat is brought in and it works very well. Most cat behaviorists will tell you pretty much the same thing when it comes to a stressed cat. Basically let him come around on his own time and reduce stress.

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