Lovely cat turned psycho cat today!

[maggiethecat]

We're still learning the personality of our 2 yo rescue who for the first few days home was fairly calm although friendly. She's never seemed shy of us at all, took her time familiarising herself with the house and first night slept in dd's bed. Today is day 4 and suddenly she's been sprinting around the house up and down the stairs, high jump on to the top bunk bed etc.
Is this normal behaviour? letting off steam perhaps?

[TheQueef]

The toilet lid summons cats.
Here you get a cat scarf a cat in your underwear hammock and occasionally a knee loaf.
Much sulking if you turn on the shower.

[giantangryrooster]

Our late Maine coon used to nap (for hours) in the bathroom sink.
One of our two boys loves to bond going to the loo, if you close the door, he will scratch until it opens or you let him in. If we are really bonding we pee together (him on the litter tray) that's hygge .

[FlippinNoah]

One of mine swears blind she is a dog. Waits for me outside the bathroom door, runs down the stairs to greet me when I get in from work, follows me about when I'm pottering.

My other one is AloofCat - will actively turn her head away if I so much as look at her....but at 4am is LovingCat, will walk round the house crying till you stroke & fuss her, then it's headbumps and demanding tummy rubs.

Cats are ace, I'm coming back as a cat.

[maggiethecat]

Yep, definitely have a dogcat here!

[flourbroach]

@maggiethecat

I know! If I go out she comes bounding down the stairs when I get back.
We were told by the rescue home that they got her because she wasn't getting on with the other cats at her old home. Maybe she needs lots of attention.

Ah, that'll be it then. It's suddenly dawned on her that she is the only cat in the house, it's all her territory and she's safe. Let the daftness begin.

[Toddlerteaplease]

I get Cheddar with her paws on the side of the bath shouting at me not to drown!

[maggiethecat]

Day 6 - convinced she really is a nutter! She's been waking us up at 6am (who knew cats did this ??). Went downstairs with her, she had a bit to eat and then she decided it was funtime. Sprints up and down the stairs and then she came over to the sofa where I had plopped myself and started eyeing the wooden beams holding up the ceiling of our extension. Since we got her I noticed her stalking these beams probably working out how to get up there but I dismissed it as impossible. It's not! psycho cat scrambled on to a thin panel above the glass door, pulled herself up and hopped across to the beams . I only had an old spare mobile phone to hand to get the evidence as no one in my family would believe otherwise. Was worried about her getting back down but she just used the sofa as a trampoline.
Can deal with her gym sessions but need to work out dealing with the early wake up calls. Maybe lock her downstairs at night?

[maggiethecat]

Lucky her, she gets to go back to bed!

[TheQueef]

I'm being punished for the rain
I just built an awesome catio for them (which they only ignored for two days) and they do not approve of the wet!

[Deux]

I’ve got zoomie envy. My 2 seem to have lost the appetite for zoomies as soon as they had free reign outside. They only seem to sleep inside now.

[maggiethecat]

reckon she's stir crazy as we're waiting until she's with us a bit longer before letting her in the garden. she settled with us so easily we think she may scarper and not return if she is so comfortable with people.

[MyTwoBengals]

I hate to tell you this Maggie, but cats are light activated. They wake up at dawn, which in the summer is about 4am 😸🙀

[TheQueef]

Build a catio if you can.
She's too pretty someone will nab her.

[maggiethecat]

Arghh! How did I not know this?! Get her a mask?
What is a catio?

[giantangryrooster]

Please don't leave her downstairs as long as she is bonding.

Early wake ups are imo best ignored. Don't get up and feed her, she is training you, and believe me cats are a lot more patient than humans.

But I ignore and the boys know it's a no go. Dh on the other hand has had to learn the hard way. He ended up being woken an hour earlier each week .

Oh and keep you toes covered if she is having an early morning play-fit.

[maggiethecat]

Ok, will not banish her. Not sure if I will get used to being woken up again though - my dds are teens!
She's at it again. Just ran to the door growling when the letters came through the door

[Toddlerteaplease]

She'll settle down..... eventually. I didn't get a proper nights sleep for about 9 months when I got Cheddar as she'd wake me up for cuddles. She's joe much better and sleeps next to me on the other pillow and only wants a cuddle if I'm awake.

[TheQueef]

Catio, fenced off area outside or a frame outside the window.
Just timber and net very easy to make but you can get bespoke from EBay.

[giantangryrooster]

One of mine growls when someone at the door. Haven't had this with any of our other cats, but he is a very nervous cat due to his early kittenhood.

Btw we have fenced in part of our garden for them, looks like shit but safer.

[maggiethecat]

Will see how she gets on once let outside. I've sorted out her microchip today ready for when she gets her freedom!
She's going on the Ferber programme tonight!! This takes me back - I was reminding my older dd how we let her fall asleep crying on the floor outside our bedroom door when she was a toddler. Heartless woman

[giantangryrooster]

I think general advice is two week inside at a new place? We do a month and if possible on a leash in the beginning. But we are nervous ones. (and leash is definitely depending on your cat ).

[maggiethecat]

We're on day 6 so 2 weeks is feeling years away! I'm really curious about what she'll do when let out as she seems very attached to us but I reckon that we may be flattering ourselves. But it's clear she doesn't like to be alone. She's sleeping now on my dd's top bunk and today she was on the sofa within sight of me at my desk until she made a space for herself on the desk . And when I was cooking she moved to the chair in the kitchen. She is quite a character!

[minipie]

I’m obviously a meanie as our rescue cat has been kept downstairs at night since day 1! But she’s always been pretty confident. I couldn’t face being woken at dawn by her having just got out of that phase with the DC.

You’re supposed to keep her inside for at least 1 month I think? that’s how long it takes for them to know your house is ‘home’ and reprogram their cat GPS.

[maggiethecat]

No way jose! Not if she continues like this. She'll probably figure out how to unlock the door herself by then

[Toddlerteaplease]

Maybe put a box on your desk for her to sit it. It will stop her trashing your desk/computer etc. And she can sit near you.