Is my rescue a strange cat?

[FixerUpperUp]

I rescued our cat Elsa almost three weeks ago now, she is lovely, such a friendly little thing. She is about 2 or 3 and neutered and is so chilled out.

She lets me pet her, headbutts my legs and weaves in between them etc but she also likes her space.

I have never owned a cat before so I have a couple of questions.

1. Catnip seems to have no effect on her whatsoever, her toy mice are filled with them, her scratching post and bed have been rubbed down with catnip to encourage her to use them but she isn't interested in it at all. I have even got her a pure catnip ball which is ignored.

2. She does love dreamies and will meow for them but she doesn't go nuts like I have read many cats do. She just munches on them eagerly and then goes back to whatever she was doing. She knows to meow for her wet food and does that in the morning until I feed her.

3. I have never heard her purr. I pet her lots and she seems to love it, she lays on her back (but doesn't want to be petted on her belly otherwise she thinks you want to play and the claws come out!) and I've read that means she trusts me so I just wonder why she has never ever purred.

Finally, she doesn't seem to want to spend much time outside at all, which I don't mind one bit but her foster carer had said that she liked spending time outside (maybe because there were lots of animals in that house and she is the only one here so feels more comfortable?)
She's been out a couple of times, for a max of about ten minutes (just hangs around the garden) but otherwise she will meow at the door to be let out I assume, but when you open it she looks outside then changes her mind.
I do love the way she comes running back to the house when I call her though (dreamies help I must admit)

She's been checked by the vet and other than being a little rough around the edges (nothing some TLC won't cure) she is absolutely fine.

Does she sound like an average cat?
Is there anything I can do to make her happier?
She really is a wonderful cat, I would like to pet her more often but I think she has had enough after about 10 minutes as she usually walks away as if to say "thank you minion, you are now free to leave" but at least I get to pet her for much longer than the kids before I am dismissed lol

Thanks in advance and sorry for the stupid questions
x

She sounds lovely, and pretty happy with her lot. It is still very early days and she will get more relaxed and settled over the coming weeks.

Quite a high proportion of cats are not sensitive to catnip, so that's not a worry. Valerian has a similar effect as catnip on some cats (including some that aren't sensitive to catnip).

Re purring, could it be she just has a really quiet purr? Next time you are stroking her and she seems to be having a good time, see if you can feel a vibration in her throat (just lightly touch your fingertips there.).

Gosh - they're not at all stupid.

I've never tried catnip on any of my boys but I know that Seniorboy won't touch Dreamies and only purrs when he's in bed next to me and going to sleep - the rest of the time......nothing.

Some cats don't much like outside either - and in this weather, who can blame them. They'd much rather be close to their people and if that means being inside where it's warm and carpeted? Gee - Life's a Bitch, eh?

It all sounds quite normal actually. Cats have different likes and dislikes just like humans and it sounds as if she likes your company.

PS - where's the picture of her?

Thanks Gerund, I'll try getting some Valerian and will definitely see if I can feel her purring too.

Thank you too Cozie, and here are the requested pics :)

Wow, she's beautiful. And looks VERY comfortable!

What a pretty girl. Beautiful markings.

Ah thanks guys.
I know squat about cats (we chose her by the foster carers description of her personality) so it's lovely to know that she has pretty markings too.

I was always a dog person to be honest but I am a total convert now, cats are fabulous!

That cat can relax! Very cute!

She's beautiful.

Not sure there is anything like an average cat though; they're so contrary. MKitten is the happiest little thing ever, but he only purrs when humping stuff.

Update - Seniorboy is giving me The Paw and purring for once. (He must want his bed early.)

What a beautiful cat! Some cats purr very quietly, others literally vibrate! She looks very content to me, that's the main thing. Enjoy!

Does she like dangly toys? Mine absolutely love these - either ones bought from pet shops or improvised stick + string + something on the end of it - they will spend ages chasing, leaping, catching. Also cardboard boxes are very popular - they like little ones that they can squeeze into and large ones (which they cannot resist jumping into, even if they can't see what's inside). Also climbing - they like a high vantage point.
Sounds like she is very contented. Don't be tempted to get another 'for company'. Most cats are happily single!

All sounds pretty normal.

I haven't ever bothered with catnip etc, they find the things they like (usually things you don't want them to have!)

If you want her to play, try a piece of string with a ball of newspaper tied in the end, trial it across the floor, and she will chase.

My cats have never been bothered by dreamies, they like their wet food.

My current cat is a very outdoors cat, in the summer he spends all day asleep in a lavender bush, or follows me round the garden to 'help' me garden, and only comes in for food. But at this time of year he peers through the cat flap, pops out for a wee and rushes back in to his favourite spot on the bed.

We have had a cat in the past who didn't purr. Very occasionally you could feel a buzz in his throat, but very very quiet.

I have 3 cats, 2 of which purr so loud I can hear them in the other room. The other purrs so quietly, I only know she is purring by lightly touching her throat. I can feel a gently vibration.

Atm none of my cats go out very frequently. And none of them like catnip, though they all go crazy for valerian (warning - it has a very 'pungent' odour which most people hate). You can buy this dried from a herbalists, but you'll need to store it is a sealed container.

No such thing as an average cat. All different, like us. Mine doesn't 'do' catnip either. She sounds happy enough to me. Re wanting the door opened, then not being bothered, I read that sometimes they just want to have a sniff of the air, see what's going on on their territory. Once they've had a sniff, and there's nothing they need to go and sort out, job done. Makes sense if you're a cat

We bought home our new rescue cat tonight! V excited. Our first long hair cat. Dh is in with her now (she is in the spare room at the moment, to allow the other pets to get used to her smell etc) - he said for a few minutes, but I imagine he'll be in there all night. He is such a big softy with all pets!
To answer a few of your questions as best I can, OP, the cat-nip thing is quite normal I think. All my childhood cats and my first 2 as a grown up loved cat-nip, like a drug to them, but my later cats, not so much. Either cat-nip has got worse, over time, or, more likely, some just like it more than others.
And I do just think some cats are more vocal than others. Many of the cats I've had before have been furious purrers, and big yowlers, but my more recent ones, not so much. Our current boy is silent except for a) loud snoring in the night, and b) a joyful miaow when he comes in through the cat-flap at approx 3pm! This new one seems utterly silent, but I noticed, when I was holding her, that she seemed to be vibrating. Silent purr? That would be just lovely.

She looks super happy and relaxed there - I think she's probably just blissed out at having been rescued into such a lovely home with a nice fire to sprawl out in front of and dreamies/wet food on demand!

As several others have said not all cats "react" to catnip and it isn't a necessary thing anyway, but as well as valerian as an alternative there are some other herbs and scents that some cats get excited or a bit high on - honeysuckle is one, and something called "silvervine". If you search for catnip alternative on ebay you'll find lots of people selling toys with other scents. One of mine loves and goes distinctly a bit bonkers playing with honeysuckle scented pom poms!

My cat doesn't go outside much in winter either. In summer it's a different story and it's hard to get her to come in at night. Old cat used to ask to go out and then dither on the threshold which drove me nuts. I can throw the door wide open for this one and she'll ignore unless it's both mild and sunny.

I'd agree. She does look blissed out.

She looks totally chilled, beautiful cat! I would love a pretty tabby one day, both my cats came by people who had irresponsibly let their cat have a litter and needed homes, they are of course gorgeous in their own way!!

All the things you mention sound totally normal to me, my boy cat goes really weird around catnip, acts totally stoned! My other girl cat it seems to have no effect on likewise with dreamies the girl cat goes really mad for them whereas boy cat isn't bothered.

The purring one is slightly weird though, you have to work quite hard to get a purr out of my girl cat so maybe girls do have quieter purrs??

She's beautiful, gorgeous markings and colourings. She also looks so relaxed and lying like that with her belly exposed shows she must feel that she can trust you.

One cat of mine goes crazy for catnip, the other isn't interested at all. Both will refuse to go outside if it's cold, or damp. Sometimes they demand I open the back door and then the front and side doors so they can check if the weather is the same on all sides of the house.

My cats don't go out much in winter and if they had an open fire to laze in front of, I don't suppose we'd get them to move at all.

I thought my two were immune to catnip as they showed no interest in it until one day a friend of mine bought them a toy with some special high quality crack catnip in it. Wowzers. They were high as kites!

Thanks so much everyone for all the replies, I didn't expect it at all!

We have lots of interactive toys for her, feathers on sticks a laser etc and she loves them and will play until she collapses! lol

I felt her purr! She really does have a silent purr, it's very strange but I definitely felt the vibrating while I was petting her, that puts me at ease now as I am reassured that she is happy.

Thanks so much for all the advice, I am quite new to mumsnet but am loving the litter box part of the site since we got Elsa :)

x

Oh and we also have a scratching box, I wedged a few dreamies into some of the grooves and it really encourages her to scratch...........the scratch post however is simply an ornament

She sounds very happy and pretty normal - for a cat!

The cat nip thing is genetic, either they respond to it or not. Wanting the door opened and then changing their mind is just typical cat treating you like a slave behaviour - and a lot of cats barely venture out in this kind of weather IME. I think dreamiest are a tad overhyped- mine don't go any more potty for them than lots of other stuff, and it depends on the flavour too. Try her on sardines or tuna if you want to see a cat go really bonkers for food

Second suggestions about boxes, perches and toys. Laser pointers are good to chase (just don't shine in eyes).

Glad you're a cat convert - you've got a furry little dictator to rule your life from now on and sounds like you've made a little cat very happy. Love a nice rescue story