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I adopted a six month old male kitten 11/16. The kitten was from a local no-kill group who said he and most of the other cat were from an apartment complex. He let me hold him, the foster mom said he was very sweet, etc., and he seemed normal. He seemed socialized.
When I brought him home, I let him out of the carrier while I went upstairs to use the restroom. I came back down the stairs five to ten minutes later and he ran under a gap between my floor and the cabinet/dishwasher in the kitchen. He came out a day or two later, ran upstairs, and I was able to plug that gap, but there was a similar, larger gap on the other side that I didn't notice with a few square feet of empty space between the two cabinets, and he's since been holed up in that area almost all the time.
I have only seen the cat twice since he found that other gap. I woke up to go to the bathroom 11/20 and he jumped on the vanity in the bathroom. He didn't growl or otherwise look defensive, so I picked him up to put him out of the bedroom and it was Custer's last stand. He tore a big gash in my thumb and cut under my fingernail to the point part of the nail fell off. He was in the bathtub of my second bathroom on 11/25. He didn't growl or get defensive, and I was able to pet him with a thick glove on, but ran out of the restroom within a few minutes back to his hole. I'll get down on the floor and take a picture of him in the hole between the cabinets. I haven't actually seen him since last Monday night. He has never meowed or attempted to communicate with me, even when I call his name, talk, etc.
I've tried everything I can think of to coax him out. I cooked some salmon the other night and left it in his bowl. He never came out. I've gotten numerous toys that jingle, picked up a new bed and placed near the hole, and there's no evidence that he's using any of these. None of the tree ornaments or anything laying around appears to move. He doesn't appear to be checking the house out at all. There are no other animals in the home. I have had probably a dozen cats in my lifetime, and while some aren't social, I haven't seen a single one that has basically no interest in their environment. Pretty much every time I take his picture, he's asleep.
He is coming out to eat (mostly dry, occasional can), drink, and go to the litterbox (he is using it correctly), all when I'm not there. He looks fine at a glance and isn't visibly unhealthy. I got some Feliway spray yesterday and sprayed that at the entrance of the gap and around his food bowls.
I'm beginning to be at a loss with this cat. I can cut into the plywood wall of his "lair" and force him out, but don't really want to make the mess and don't want to terrify him even more. At the same time, he can't lay in that hole indefinitely.
It sounds like you were a bit misled on how socialized this kitten was. What you do depends on your patience level. Socializing a cat takes a lot of patience and love, but can reap tremendous rewards as kitty begins to trust you. But it can take a long time.
I would recommend you absolutely stop trying to get him out of his hidey hole. If it is safe for him there, let him have it. You can place other forts for him near by, that he can explore at night. It might help him want to explore more if he can find other places to dash and hide. A cardboard box on it's side with the flaps hanging down, for instance, a Box Fort is something most cats really love.
Sit quietly near his spot when you have a few minutes talking softly to him (use his name a lot) or even just reading out loud in a soft voice.
He has no reason to trust you or any human, sounds like, but in time, with lots of patience, he'll get there.
Is the kitten neutered? If not, that would be job 1. If so, time and patience, as above, are all you can do. You might also call the shelter and ask them if there was anything there he responded to. Usually someone works on socialization with the cats and they might know a toy or something that worked well with him.
Years ago when my daughter was on her own for the first time, she adopted a kitten from an acquaintance. She grew up with 4 house cats, assorted strays who when fed stayed around, and friends' cats. Over the phone she would tell us how mean this kitten was, how he would lay in wait then pounce and attack with teeth and claws, she couldn't pet him, he would bite and scratch, etc. We poo-pooed it thinking he was just a kitten, he was trying to play, yada yada. Well, we went to visit her over Christmas and found out she wasn't kidding. I have NEVER run into a kitten or cat that was like this one. He was a psycho-kitty in the true sense of the word. Don't know what happened to make him like this, but there was no way for her to keep him. She returned him to the acquaintance and his (kitten's) mother.
Years ago when my daughter was on her own for the first time, she adopted a kitten from an acquaintance. She grew up with 4 house cats, assorted strays who when fed stayed around, and friends' cats. Over the phone she would tell us how mean this kitten was, how he would lay in wait then pounce and attack with teeth and claws, she couldn't pet him, he would bite and scratch, etc. We poo-pooed it thinking he was just a kitten, he was trying to play, yada yada. Well, we went to visit her over Christmas and found out she wasn't kidding. I have NEVER run into a kitten or cat that was like this one. He was a psycho-kitty in the true sense of the word. Don't know what happened to make him like this, but there was no way for her to keep him. She returned him to the acquaintance and his (kitten's) mother.
But what happened to the kitten then? There are some cats that just are wired wrong and can't be helped. There's a condition..I can't recall the term now. The word rage is in it but there is some clinical term that goes with it. I'll try to look it up later.
I don't think anyone would blame the OP if they decide they can't handle this level of work and care. It wouldn't be right for OP or the kitten to struggle on if they aren't cut out for it. I hope for the kitten's sake they can persevere.
google "limbic rage syndrome cat". A quick scan over the results indicates there may be a parasitic cause-toxoplamosis.
However I asked about the "declaw" because this kitten's behavior could possibly be pain related. If his toes are intact, there may be somehting else causing him pain.
Last edited by catsmom21; 12-03-2019 at 05:40 AM..
1) If he was from an apartment complex, does that mean he was living outdoors at that complex? If so, he probably has many feral-type behaviors such as distrust and/or simple shyness of humans. Ferals live with anxious stress always concerned with what danger lies ahead. It takes a nanosecond for a feral, or any living being, to lose trust and it takes a very very very long time to feel safe, less anxious, less stressed, trusting. It's all about time - give him time. Cats can take days or weeks or months to become comfortable enough to come out of hiding. As it was suggested, let him be and provide for his needs (food, water, litterbox, toys, soft-spokened conversation). It is very encouraging and a very positive thing that he uses the litterbox - that tells me he does want to come out, has the ability to come out. If he didn't he would be doing his business in secret places.
2) Although by nature cats are solitary animals, many have evolved to prefer to be around others. If he has always been with others (at the apartment complex, at the foster home) and now he is the sole cat, that could be part of it. Chances are he is a more submissive cat and always relied upon others above him in the pecking order to keep him safe, keep him in line. He may have no idea how to be self-sufficient.
He is probably the type of cat who learns by observing from afar. Some cats have to stick their noses right into things, while others prefer the sidelines. And often these sideline cats want to be ignored while they're observing. So, once your kitten starts coming out, just pretend you don't notice. And when he does get closer, signaling he is communicating, probably take the no-touch approach until he chooses to touch you. The human hand is not always a comforting thing. Not all cats like the feel of having their backs stroked. Top of head and cheeks, maybe, because those are places cats will touch on other cats. Some cats like to be picked up, some just tolerate it, but there are those who never like it ever.
Is the kitten neutered? If not, that would be job 1. If so, time and patience, as above, are all you can do. You might also call the shelter and ask them if there was anything there he responded to. Usually someone works on socialization with the cats and they might know a toy or something that worked well with him.
He's not neutered. He's at that age, but I have to be able to catch him and get him out of the hole to do anything.
I did try calling the group this morning, but didn't remember the name of the lady I dealt with. They had a record of the event I got him at, but didn't remember him.
Quote:
Originally Posted by catsmom21
It sounds like you were a bit misled on how socialized this kitten was. What you do depends on your patience level. Socializing a cat takes a lot of patience and love, but can reap tremendous rewards as kitty begins to trust you. But it can take a long time.
I would recommend you absolutely stop trying to get him out of his hidey hole. If it is safe for him there, let him have it. You can place other forts for him near by, that he can explore at night. It might help him want to explore more if he can find other places to dash and hide. A cardboard box on it's side with the flaps hanging down, for instance, a Box Fort is something most cats really love.
Sit quietly near his spot when you have a few minutes talking softly to him (use his name a lot) or even just reading out loud in a soft voice.
He has no reason to trust you or any human, sounds like, but in time, with lots of patience, he'll get there.
The problem with this hole is that's completely inaccessible. He is, literally, sitting in a corner basically for days on end. I'm not sure how sitting in this corner is going to help anything. If he appeared to be getting out and engaging with his environment and just used that as the occasional "safe spot," I wouldn't think much of it, but keep in mind I haven't even seen him out of this corner in over a week.
Last edited by Serious Conversation; 12-03-2019 at 08:25 AM..
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