Hi,
I have two cats. One is a 17month old male cat that I have had since he was 6 weeks old. Recently we got a 8-10 month old female kitten named Lucy (both hav been fixed) Pepper has been declawed Lucy hasn't. Lucy was a ferrel/rescue cat we have tamed. She will come to me and is a sweet gentle baby with me and will let my husband hold her some but if my daughter comes near her to even try to pet her or hold her she will hiss and run away. She hisses so bad Lucy looks like a vampire. And it scares my daughter. Lucy is shy and wont just sit in your lap not even mine she wants to hide under our bed all the time. We are keeping the bedroom doors shut during the day making her stay in the livingroom or kitchen area which is helping but wondering if she will ever become more lovable like Pepper or if it will just take a lot more time since e have only had her for 4 weeks. We was told she should be better in 2 whcih she is better than she was when e got her but we expected a lot more I guess. Have any of you ever worked with Rescue cats or Ferrel cats. If so any suggestions.
Daily Kitten Chat Forum » Introductions
My new cat/kitten Lucy
(7 posts)-
Posted 3 years ago by misseasyink #
-
It really can take a year for a cat to fully integrate into a household and she may never be a lap cat. She will find ways to show her love and appreciation though. You did not say how old your daughter is, but she may need to be coached on sitting quietly and letting Lucy come to her. My cat Gracie is social, but she doesn't like being approached too quickly by children. But, if the child in question sits quietly and talks softly Gracie will come closer for petting.
Posted 3 years ago by KYKAT 12 23 #
-
MEI, my two girls were feral. We managed to catch Willow when she was only five weeks old. She is becoming more of a lap kitty, on her terms, of course. She's very affectionate and not afraid of anything.
But Windi was five months old before we were able to catch her and she had lived on her own in the desert all of that time. She is still extremely nervous of anyone except us. She doesn't like strangers to be in the house at all. She is the sweetest kitty and she never hisses. But she sure does run and hide if there is anyone here except us. On the rare occasion she may jump into our laps, but she never stays very long. I'm hoping that she will outgrow her nervousness, but I know that realistically, she might never.
At the suggestion of lots of TDKer's, I ordered Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets, which is supposed to help calm them. I put four drops on Windi's food every morning, and I do honestly think that it has helped.
The other thing that you might try for a short period is a Feliway diffuser. It releases pheromones into the air and help to calm the kitty.
Good luck and keep us posted!
Posted 3 years ago by WillowandWindismom #
-
Hi MEI, I have used the Feliway diffuser before...I think it does help...never tried the Bach's..and yes, it will take TIME and patience. There are alot of TDKers who have experience with feral/rescue cats....wishing you the best of luck...We'd love to see pictures :)
-
Kittens need lots of human contact while they are young. Do you know how much human interaction Lucy had? Or whether she suffered any abuse before she was rescued? Both of those things could contribute to her shyness and fear. Just keep loving her and letting her advance on her own terms. Like WWM says, she may never be a cuddle-kitty, but she'll still have a firm grasp on your heart.
How old is your daughter? If she's a toddler her size and quick movements may be scaring Lucy. If Lucy was tormented by older kids in her past, she could be remembering that. If your daughter just says Hi Kitty when Lucy is around and doesn't make any movement towards Lucy, Lucy will eventually become more trusting .
Posted 3 years ago by CheetahBoysmommy #
-
(((Lucy))) Thank you for taking in this little gal! Agree with all that was posted above. All our cats growing up were feral. They were always dumped on our land and us kids made a point of "kitty hunting". We couldn't comprehend that cats were not all house cats, so we wanted to catch them and save them. Only thing is I think we scared them away more. Some of them grew trustworthy and others never did. Each cat is different. I think a gentle approach is the best as we don't know the horrors she has seen in her short life. I am sure you can help your daughter gently approach the kitty and soon enough they will be friends. Good luck and please keep us updated! We love KITTIES!
Posted 3 years ago by mollycat71 #
-
We took in Mali two years ago. She was probably 8 or 9 months old and also pregnant when we got her. She has always been very shy, does not like to be picked up, will not sit on our laps, runs if we move too fast or "funny"; but, has become easier with us and has recently begun to turn belly up at our approach - for tummy rubs, a huge compliment! One month is no time at all for little Lucy to acclimate. Patience and time are what she needs. Unfortunately she is likely very scared by your small daughter; the advice above is excellent regarding their relationship. Don't give up on her, give her lots of love on her terms and she will come around eventually.
Posted 3 years ago by DancingCatHill #
Reply
You must log in to post.