Cat is doing great but new surprising things (kittens, eating, furniture)
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When I first got her from the shelter I, of course, bought her 'stuff' , you know, the usual - toys, scratch pad things and just cat things you buy.
Well, one of those things was a fairly expensive cat tower. She used it a lot at first but then ignored it.
I was on the verge of donating it to the shelter when, lo and behold, all of a sudden it's become her favorite place to hang out.
Once in a while since I adopted her almost a year ago now, I have regretted it. Cats have always loved me and climb all over me. Not this one.
I picked her because she was the eldest, 5 and had been there the longest, 5 months. From the start she simply tolerated me. No affection, didn't want to be held, let me pet her a bit but not much.
What a difference a year makes! I am so glad I stuck it out. All of a sudden she is using her tower again, lays close to me when she is not in her tower, listens to me when she's outside and I want her in and yesterday she laid across my lap to take a nap. She has never done that before.
I don't know what happened to her before I adopted her but, being 5 and dropped off just before she had kittens must have been traumatic to her. I feel sad that she may have lost her kittens to soon, but maybe they let them bond. I don't know. I didn't ask. All I saw was a cat who had been in a cage for far too long. I knew I had to give her a home.
She is such a blessing. So glad we found each other.
Last edited by PJSaturn; 09-24-2018 at 10:22 AM..
Reason: Correct typo in thread title for OP.
When I first got her from the shelter I, of course, bought her 'stuff' , you know, the usual - toys, scratch pad things and just cat things you buy.
Well, one of those things was a fairly expensive cat tower. She used it a lot at first but then ignored it.
I was on the verge of donating it to the shelter when, lo and behold, all of a sudden it's become her favorite place to hang out.
Once in a while since I adopted her almost a year ago now, I have regretted it. Cats have always loved me and climb all over me. Not this one.
I picked her because she was the eldest, 5 and had been there the longest, 5 months. From the start she simply tolerated me. No affection, didn't want to be held, let me pet her a bit but not much.
What a difference a year makes! I am so glad I stuck it out. All of a sudden she is using her tower again, lays close to me when she is not in her tower, listens to me when she's outside and I want her in and yesterday she laid across my lap to take a nap. She has never done that before.
I don't know what happened to her before I adopted her but, being 5 and dropped off just before she had kittens must have been traumatic to her. I feel sad that she may have lost her kittens to soon, but maybe they let them bond. I don't know. I didn't ask. All I saw was a cat who had been in a cage for far too long. I knew I had to give her a home.
She is such a blessing. So glad we found each other.
I've found that sometimes it's not the thing you buy, it's where you put it. I got a scratch post with a seat on top thinking it would be a great vantage point in the corner of the porch: you could see the back yard and also up to the top of the street where the cars went by on the bigger road. It sat there, and it sat there some more, and I finally gave up and took it inside and now it's one of my cat's favorite hang-out spots. She has a great vantage point to watch us eat and when we're not eating, she can hop up on the chair, the table, her seat. She makes it look like an Olympic event. She also spends a pretty good amount of time scratching it, which she never did before.
You can't figure cats.
I'm glad you bonded, and it can take a little while with an older cat. You don't know what their experiences were.
I had one cat that never did and it was so sad for me. She just stayed away from me and the other cats, even the one she was in the cage with when I adopted them both.
My cats love their tower too, it's right in front of the window, great for watching wildlife. They fuss over who gets the top spot. If it weren't in front of the window I don't think they'd use it as much.
Her tower is in the corner close to the window. I have a furniture piece under the window and she is on that a lot.
We can't have anything under the window that obstructs the opening. I suppose it's a fire rule being as it's Arizona.
It is sad when cats don't bond. I had one cat that practically pushed himself at me and wouldn't let any other cat near me at the shelter. He was an older cat and was huge.
When I got him home he refused to have anything to do with me. Then, months later I caught a big and was really sick. He did not leave my side and after that everything was good.
He was already an elder when I got him.But at least he had a few good years.
Glad to hear your patience paid off. A cats' personality/behavior can change, but it can take a very long time. I had female calico that was stand-offish & not very affectionate with people. She stayed that way for about 10 years, then did a complete 180. She turned into an attention junkie, and even went so far as to climb in my lap on occasion. You did all the right things and let her come to you in her own time.
As for favorite hang-out spots, toys, beds, etc., all are "subject to change without prior notice". And just because they've ignored something for a year, doesn't necessarily mean they don't want it. Every time that I've been ready to do away with something they've ignored for months, suddenly there's a cat using it. And usually they use just long enough to remind me it's theirs and to leave it alone, then they'll ignore it again.
my precious Molly is aloof, and very timid. She has learned to love being stroked and loved but not picked up! She's a loner. I think she is very happy though. Sweetest purr baby I've ever had. I had to learn her terms.
my precious Molly is aloof, and very timid. She has learned to love being stroked and loved but not picked up! She's a loner. I think she is very happy though. Sweetest purr baby I've ever had. I had to learn her terms.
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