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Original poster

Cat we have rehomed hissing at us

89 replies

why100000 · 05/01/2019 11:22

She must be scared - she is 6 years old and has lived all her life so far with her previous owners.

Now she is in a completely different environment with strangers - it must be terrifying.

Is this why she is hissing at us repeatedly, or is it because she is underlyingly aggressive?

She has a whole room to herself at the moment, with everything she needs in it, and we go in every so often to visit. When she feels more confident we will give her the run of the house.

What can we do? It’s a bit scary to be honest as the other cat who has spent a lot of time at our house (that we looked after for a friend) never hissed once, and was pretty good natured.

We need to take her to the vet to get her registered, but tbh I am scared to try and pick her up.

Have we made a mistake if I can’t even cope with hissing Sad.

Any advice welcome. She is half tabby, half siamese and looks really switched on.

OP posts:
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2019Dancerz · 05/01/2019 11:44

Probably better to have got a friend for your solitary pig than a cat!

Branleuse · 05/01/2019 11:49

Ignore her. This could take a couple of weeks

Original poster
why100000 · 05/01/2019 11:49

He did have a friend but fell out with him massively and we then had to have them in two separate cages. That other guinea pig has since died and we don’t want to repeat the whole thing only for him to fall out with the next guinea pig as well.

We are definitely going to have the guinea pig in his own safe room.

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Original poster
why100000 · 05/01/2019 12:05

Any more happy settling in stories welcome - or cat getting on with guinea pigs stories - does it ever happen?

Thanks for all the advice so far - it is really really helpful.

OP posts:
2019Dancerz · 05/01/2019 12:21

I’ve seen pictures of a cat and pig curled up together but I think they must have lived together from birth. The cat would instinctively want to have a poke at the guinea pig and they have (I’ve heard) weak hearts so even without physical damage it can finish them off. It is hard when they fight we got very lucky with our “replacement” pig as they live in relative harmony.

Flower777 · 05/01/2019 12:58

My cats and pigs are in the same room. There is obviously a lid on the pigs cages.

Flower777 · 05/01/2019 12:59

I would definitely let the cat roam. Then she can find her own hiding spot. She will come around, just give her time and space.

maddiemookins16mum · 05/01/2019 13:10

It’s very early days. Next time you go in, take some treats, pop them on the floor, sut quietly in the corner and ignore her. Avoid eye contact.

Aquamarine1029 · 05/01/2019 13:37

Keeping her locked up in one room is a mistake. It is probably making her feel anxious. Let her roam in order to get comfortable with her new home.

GarethSouthgatesWaistcoat · 05/01/2019 13:40

Come over to The Litter Tray too, lots of brilliant, knowledgeable cat people over there as well as on this thread Grin

Wintermam · 05/01/2019 13:48

Swap the cat and the pig! Pigs not going to be bothered about being in one room but the cat is and hissing because she's terrified and not able to get used to her surrounding.
Agree with pp about dreamies being kitty crack too.

Wauden · 05/01/2019 13:49

A tip- don't all stand looking at her, it's intimidating to her. One of you only sit down, avoid eye contact, just be there all nice and laid back, speak in low ,comforting voice.

BertrandRussell · 05/01/2019 13:54

I would put the guinea somewhere safe and let the cat wander round. Just ignore her and and you and her get on with your lives in parallel. If she’s been happy with people before she will be again. But never trust a cat alone with anything as tasty and plump as a guinea pig!

flameycakes · 05/01/2019 14:14

She needs to explore, everything is on your terms if she is locked in a room x

Popsicales · 05/01/2019 14:17

We adopted our cat (2yo) in July and he hissed at DP and sometimes me if the room was particularly dark or I approached too quickly. This lasted for around 2 weeks and then he was absolutely perfect, super confident, affectionate, definitely no underlying aggression and tolerates toddler DS and DD. I was worried that it was a sign of bad things to come too and DP felt a bit scared. Blush

Just give it time.

OneStepMoreFun · 05/01/2019 14:20

I would let her explore, not confine her to one room. Speak in a low voice to her when she is near you but don't try to touch her yet. When you give her food, just gently touch er head or back or give her a single stroke or scratch then let her be. She'll come to associate your touch with food therefore pleasure.

notsodimwit · 05/01/2019 15:01

What lovely people you 'cat /kitten ' people are xxx my daughter and I want to get our first pet cat in the next year and would love some advice xxx from March I am working 2 weekdays at home (and all weekend free) and daughter is aged10 (going on 20 Grin )so any advice welcome Smile we live in a house with garden and would like to cat proof our high fence to keep kitty in garden/ housr , is this possable and which is better a girl or boy? Of course we will get it spayed etc Smile

Luscinia · 05/01/2019 15:05

When you look at her, half close your eyes and blink. This is a friendly and reassuring gesture for a cat. Don't stare at her or move towards her. As others say, sit on the floor, close eyes and blink a few times,

Bebe03 · 05/01/2019 15:16

The cat will get much better mine was exactly the same & then turned to the friendliest little cat!

As others have said ignore & don’t intimidate also be good to have a little box for the cat to go in so she isn’t exposed in the room when you go in. This will make her feel safe & protected.

Don’t try and coax her out, she’ll do this on her own.. give her time to explore and come to you rather than you go to her. She’ll slowly feel safe & it will build trust.

Patience is the more important thing oh & it’s too soon to introduce the pig! x

Jaxhog · 05/01/2019 15:23

Give her time - she will come round once she feels less scared.

We adopted a feral kitten who growled at everyone and would bite anyone who tried to pick him up. So i wore gardening gloves to pick him up when we took him to the vet the first time. It took about 2 weeks before he got confident enough to approach us. He's now 11 years old and a total tart for being stroked. He still growls occasonally when he doesn't get his own way.

Your little lady may take longer as she's older. But be patient and let her come to you in her own time. She will (as soon as realises you are in charge of the food).

PenApple · 05/01/2019 15:24

My guinea pigs were free range within one large room, and bunny had the whole house. I also had 2 cats and 1 was a daily hunter who often brought back rabbits.

Cats would often follow me into the piggy room, 1 kept her distance (but she was also scared of the rabbit), the other walked among them unbothered, while the Guinea pigs followed her around excitedly.

Jaxhog · 05/01/2019 15:25

The box is a good idea too. We made a little house out of a cardboard box so he had somewhere to retreat to when he felt scared. He mostly hung out in the doorway.

DustandRubble · 05/01/2019 15:29

I'd agree with putting the guinea pig somewhere else and let the cat roam. We have two guinea pigs and a cat. The guinea pigs don't seem to care about the cat at all, and she hasn't shown any signs of wanting to pounce on them. But we don't leave them together unattended and the door is shut so the cat can't get in unless we let her.

Although she has ended up stuck in their overnight when dh hasn't noticed her and we still had two happy pigs in the morning. But I wouldn't risk it!

TimeIhadaNameChange · 05/01/2019 15:51

One of my last pigs was convonced my cat was his best friend, much to her disconcertion! I only left her unsupervised with those three once, when I knew she just wanted sleep, as they were very active and appealing to my huntress, but my current three are lazy lasses and she just ignores them.

As for the hissing, I agree with everyone else. You need to appeal to her vanity by ignoring her. Go in with a book and a cuppa. And some Dreamies. Throw some Dreamies down away from you, not for her, just to litter the room (wink, wink) then sit and read out loud for a while. If she appears do not react. If she hisses, don't look at her. She needs to learn you're not a threat.

When you leave maybe leave a worn t-shirt in the room, possibly with some Dreamies on top, to get her used to your smell.

OneStepMoreFun · 05/01/2019 16:29

@notsodimwit I think you'll get more replies if you start a new thread.

Not sure about cat-proofing gardens. Our cat and neighbourhood cats can get anywhere - they are on roofs, up trees etc. But as long as there's outside space and ideally a cat flap so they can come and go when they want, they should be happy.