Is my cat 'normal'?

[duckyisback]

I had a cat a few years ago who was absolutely lovely. He would just follow me round the house, he didn't like going out much. He would go out once a day for around an hour, usually about 9pm and would be back for 10.30 when he would come up to bed with me. He had cat flaps so was free to come and go but chose not to. He never attacked me or dogs etc and was very friendly.

My lovely boy went out one night and never returned. I found him the next day at the side of the road and he'd been run over. I was so upset I thought I would never have another cat.

Recently I changed my mind and brought a kitten. Saw the mum etc. A few days after coming home the kitten started acting unwell. We took her to the vets and found out she had cat flu. She was quite poorly and was put on different medications. Because of this we have been unable to get her spayed so far so she can't go out the house. She had been better now for a few weeks so I am going to speak to the vets today about booking her in.

But, she is a horrible cat. She constantly meows for food (she has been wormed and checked by vet), if she isn't eating she just attacks she will run at your feet/hands/arms and bite and scratch. She also attacks the dogs. If we have any food she has to be locked in another room as she will launch herself at you from across the room and will swipe food off your plate but when you lock her out she meows so much it sounds like she's being abused

My husband grew up with a lot of cats and recons that all cats are like this and I was just lucky when I had my boy. But I grew up with cats too and haven't come across one like this.

Is there any hope of 'taming' her? Or when she goes outside is it likely to calm her down? She just seems so evil

[PlanD]

I think spaying might help! She might be very be the same as your old cat though. She sounds pretty stressed to be honest. So it might not be her 'personality' but a reaction to stuff that's bothering her.

[NeedACleverNN]

Sounds like a baby at the moment.

They need to learn manners. So basically not much you can do but persevere.

I know where you are coming from though. I have a 16 week old and she is really nasty sometimes. Can't just sit on me and have a bit of fuss. She has to bite and scratch me all he gone

[NeedACleverNN]

Be gone= the time

[PlanD]

Typo on my post- she might not be the same as your old cat.

[BertPuttocks]

Mine was an evil bugger when he was younger. He would lie in wait for any unsuspecting humans and then launch himself like a feline Freddy Krueger.

He calmed down as he got older, although he will still occasionally swipe at any bare feet. Rainy days can also be a trigger for him,

He refuses to go out, so I don't know if that would've made a difference. Feliway plug-ins were helpful when he'd been to the vets and was feling stressed.

[MsMims]

All cats are different, I'm a bit horrified that you've called her horrible! Is she viciously attacking or is it exuberant play? I expect the latter when she's a baby. She sounds like a pretty normal kitten regarding stealing food, all of mine naturally would pinch off a plate when young and had to be taught not to except one who never learnt and still does it

[dizzyfucker]

Female cats are generally different to male cats. It is less likely for a female cat to be cuddly. More likely for them to be a bit wild at heart.

[RubbishMantra]

Little Monsieur was a bugger for food stealing when he was a kitten. The breeder told me he once ate a piece of cardboard pizza box, because it had pizza grease on it.

MCat's a bit more casual, he'll saunter past, and if there's something he fancies on your plate, he'll just pick it up a walk away with it. Or delicately lift the bread off a ham sandwich, and steal the ham.

I wonder if your little cat associates the move in with you and feeling unwell, (the cat flu). And due to feeling unwell, went on the defensive, like an intrinsic survival mechanism.

[duckyisback]

Thank you everyone, hopefully the spaying will help things so she can go outside.

The plug in is a good idea, the vet told me about that but I had forgot. I never thought it could be out of stress.

A lot of the time it is probably playing but sometimes she seems to be doing it nastily. It's funny because she seems like a different cat with ds, when he's with her she's will not scratch him or anything and seems calmer, she will still take his food tho

I worry about her attacking the dogs so much, they are softies but will bark at her if she won't leave them alone for a while.

[RubbishMantra]

Typical teen dickhead behaviour - testing boundaries.
When I first met DH, he always had scratches on the backs of his legs. MCat's idea of "fun".

[RubbishMantra]

*Another thought, she mayn't have been socialised well as a kitten. Those first few weeks are so important. How old was she when you adopted her?

And yes, spaying should calm her down a lot, and then she can go outside and work off some of that excess energy.

[ImSoVeryTired]

I think they have different personalities just like humans. I had one who was a bit of a psycho. She used to attack the older cats tails and us after she had had enough fuss. Wouldn't get off you, just got this crazy look and you had to try to boot her off without getting clawed or bitten. She did calm a bit after a yr or so but stayed kinda crazy.

[duckyisback]

My husband just thinks all cats are evil

When we got her we were told that she was 11 weeks old, I took her to the vets for a check up the following day (that's when she first started to show some signs of being ill) and the vet said there was no way she was that old, they think the people selling lied to us and she was only 6ish weeks . The vet also said she was under weight for her age so I have no idea what they treated her like before she's more than making up for it now though!

[FolderReformedScruncher]

I agree with PP about getting her spayed ASAP. Cats endlessly cycle because they only release ova when they mate. If they don't mate they are locked in a on off heat cycle so she must be a hormonal mess. It not might turn her into cat of the year but it will take away that side of it at least.

[MaddyHatter]

play with her, it sounds like play aggression to me!

Cats like the "hunt, catch, kill, eat, sleep" thing.

Play with her, lots of chasey toys, like the flying frenzy/fishing rod things, for a good while, then feed her.

Fizzy cats generally just need some kind of activity, and if she can't go out, then she will be like that.

My 2yo was a cowbag until about 6 months ago, very bitey, but she's mellowed right out into a proper fussy lady.