# new cats hissing at me



## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Hello Everyone

Not much to tell. I just recently have taken two cats from a friend of mine as her new apartment was too small for them. One is a 7 year brown and black strip tabby and the other is 6 year black short hair.

I have always like animals, although my original choice was to get a dog, my work schedule being as crazy as it is has made me realize that getting a couple of cats for company would be the better way to go.

I am looking forward to having them with me but now have to get over the hurdles which i post soon.

looking forward to hearing from you

All comments and suggestions welcomed.

Thanks in advance

k


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Welcome!


I can't imagine what apartment would be too small for two cats. I had cats in a granny flat (about 400 square feet). The key was cat trees. Vertical space is more important to cats than square footage. 


But now that you have cats, you're in for a wonderful time.  You'll realize that they each have their own unique personalities and they'll keep you entertained.


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Hello, I read multiple web pages of about owning a cat and yes they said I would be in for a wonderful time however because my friend has had her cats for so long I am starting to experience difficulties. My apt is approx 800 sq.ft.

When i visited my friend before Tiger (brown with black strip tabby) would always come to the door when i arrived and would seek out a place in my lap while sitting on the couch while i petted him. he would engage with light nipping of my fingers for short time and just quietly fell asleep. Now Tiger is hissing at me every time i walk by to get things done around my apt. Tiger has even started to swipe is paw at me. Skippy (black short hair) would come over and get a few pets when i arrived at my friends but after he arrived he was very scared and hid for about approx 3 hrs and then started exploring. Skippy has now started to his at me. I am letting them be so they can get used to the new apt. i have tried to calmly talk with them but I don't know if it is working. I can understand the adjustment all three of us need to go through but the hissing is what has me worried because i am afraid of them clawing at me. I have read that petting them may calm them down but when i try, the hissing starts then they run away. I am new to this and don't know what to do.

All suggestions and comments welcomed.

Kind of need help

Thanks in advance

kev


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I think they need time to adjust to a new person. My girls take a little more time to get used to male friends because their voice is louder and they're bigger. Did your friend give you any cat toys? If you play with them and give them some treats, they'll learn that hanging out with you is a good thing. They'll also catch on that you're the person who feeds them. 


Hopefully, you'll get better advice, I really don't have experience with this. I moved this thread to behavior for better replies.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

If you give a bribe with a morsel of roast chicken or beef or cat food on your finger will often break the ice of a cat that is uncertain about its new owner or surroundings. Talk to them in a calm and quiet sing-song voice, and offer a morsel to them....if they don't move to your finger then just place it near them and keep sitting and just read something not paying attention to them. After a while most cats will take the bait, and then start taking it from your finger, and eventually when you sit down will come to you and meow. Just have patience and take the time, as cats love their territory and it takes some cats a while to adjust to a new home. When they are coming to you freely, then get in some light caresses as long as they are comfortable with that and not resisting or shrinking away. Let the cats seek out your affection, rather than imposing it.

Some members have had good luck with_ Feliway_ https://www.feliway.com/ca_en/ to make them feel calmer, others have said it didn't work for them, but if they haven't settled down in another few weeks, it may be worth a try. 
Also, _Bach Flower Essences _may be helpful: Do-It -Yourself Bach Flower Essences | Little Big Cat 
or a mild sedative from your vet for a short period of time if none of the other things are working. Good luck, hope some of these suggestions are helpful.


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## ebonytigger (Jan 27, 2017)

They just need time to settle in and patience while they settle in. Some of the suggestions made by others on this thread are good suggestions


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## Sarah Barrett (Sep 4, 2017)

Maybe they just don't feel safe yet. they aren't kittens, so they are much more aware of their surroundings and take time. I wonder if the previous owner came by and played with them in the new apartment that would help them feel a bit more comfortable. Also, do they have any used beds/toys/cat trees from the previous apartment around?
Smells go a long way for comforting animals, and you/your apartment might smell very strong to an animal especially if there's carpet or other animal scents around.
If they know to their names that might help, too. sometimes my cat hisses at me when he's scared of something (vacuum, new person, etc). I can help calm my cat when he's scared by just slowly and calmly repeating his name over and over until he calms down.
if none of those help, like everyone else said food and treats. Wet food = Love when it comes to which of my friends my cats prefer...


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Sorry for the late reply.

Yes i do have their toys from before but every time i try to play with them with their toys they will either ignore them or take a couple of quick sniffs and walk away.

I did buy a laser pointer and they both seem to like this and will play for about 10 to 15 minutes. I have also purchase a cat wand and try to play with them with touching them and again they seem to like it and play for about 5 to 10 minutes.

The boys both coming running when i shake their bag of treats though and seem to understand that I am the one who is feeding them. only time will tell.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

It sounds like the cats are settling in and are more comfortable now. You're making good progress, keep up the good work....lots of play and treats. Grooming can also be a bonding experience, if the cats enjoy it. If they're longhair gently comb their cheeks or their back. Do the areas that they like, avoid ones they may not, like their tummy. Use a brush for shorhair cats.


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

that's a great sign that they do play for short periods of time AND come running when they hear treats! I think it will definitely just take them time to get used to the new situation. i WAS going to suggest before i read about the improvement that your friend actually come over and stay a night or two to help transition them. but that might be taking a step back at this point because if they see her again, then they might think they are going back with her and then you'd be at square one again. so maybe ditch that idea.
i took care of a friend's cat when she had to go away for several months and had her stay 3 or 4 nights in the beginning (more than i wanted unfortunately!). she had a pretty easy going cat luckily, though. but it was pretty funny when she came back to visit after a few months and her cat was confused when she saw her. even my friend thought it was funny that when her cat saw her, the cat immediately looked to me for guidance as if asking me what to do or asking permission to even say hello to her "mom". ha ha!
anyway, i say just keep doing what you're doing without rushing it. let them come to you when they are ready to be touched. i think since they are adults, you have to let it happen on their terms now.
definitely the feliway plug-ins, too. they can't hurt. and continue with the play. that has always worked for me when socializing kitties. eventually they come around once they know you are harmless and actually a pretty fun companion! :laugh:


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Hello All

I thought i would give you an update.

Well as of this friday it would be a month since the boys arrived here. I think things are going well and they continue to come around.
I would like to take the boys up north for the holidays so I have talked a few vets near me and the people at the local pet store (petvalu and petsmart) and they had all agreed that having my parents come down a number of times prior to the holidays and have me introduce them to the boys would be a good idea in which i did. i was not expecting the boys to bond with my parents right away but they were more sociable than i thought they would be so i guess that is plus. The boys hid for the first few hours but eventually came out and started to hang them. Everything was going well last weekend until tiger scratched my mom while i wasn't in the kitchen. the only thing that I can think of is that because there was so much going on too fast it might of overwhelmed tiger and the trigger for him scratching my mom was the sound of the pantry door. I firmly believe that tiger did not scratch my mom out of malice, it was because felt to stressed from the situation. The boys were only here for two weeks when i introduced them to my parents. it my be my fault pushing the boys into a situation they were not ready for. Your thoughts on this as always are welcomed.
Moving forward, both Tiger and Skippy are progressing well, for example, for what I was told Skippy doesn't liked to be picked, but I was able to pick Skippy up 5 times in the last two weeks. I have even gotten both of them to take treats out of my hand. Tiger has come around faster than I would thought to a point after when i come home from work and lay down for a few minutes he would come and lay down beside me. Skippy has never done this until today and it put a big smile on my face. Obivously they need more time but I think in am on the right track.
On the subject of scratching, i do have a few scratch pads and scratching post, i also have a scratching deterant spray hoping that they wouldn't scratch the funiture but it doesn't seem to be helping. I have shown both boys where to scratch and Tiger has taken it well while Skippy does use the pads and post but still likes my furniture. I was just wondering if anyone has any ideas on this.
and one last thing with regards to biting. The other day, Skippy was being playful and letting me pet him which he engaged the interaction but i guess i missed the queue when to stop and Skippy bit me very hard. I truley believe if he wanted to draw blood and cause me pain he would have however didn't. can anyone tell what he meant or what the situation means.

Thanks to all for your suggestions and comments and as always they are always welcomed.


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

it really sounds like it is going well! and i think you have a lot of common sense and have the correct answers to a lot of your questions already. so, i will just give you my support and confirm what you've figured out already pretty much. we're all always still learning i think and it is always a little different and takes different amounts of time for individual cats to come around and get used to new situations. 
so, i agree with you that yes, it's probably just a little too much a little too quickly and that's why Tiger scratched and also probably why Skippy bit you. they're both excited with all the changes and learning that you're their new mom and i imagine you're pretty excited about it, too, right? : ) I sure would be! can't help that. sounds like they're smart kiddos, though, and once all the holiday trips are done, hopefully you can all get back to the nice "boring" routine of just the 3 of you at home for a good long time and all will be happy and calm once again.
the fact that they were comfortable with your parents quicker than you expected is also another great sign of how smart they are and how comfortable with YOU they are. they already trust you to have their backs and know you wouldn't bring anyone in the home that you don't trust yourself, so they've already accepted you. i mean heck! they're lying down next to you already! hurray! I think until everything is back to normal after the holidays, your parents might just want to remember to treat your boys with kid gloves. they might need to hold back on the affection despite them being irresistible. they're probably really need to just let them come to them a little more. let them feel more in control.

as for Skippy's scratching, i suppose you could try some of those things like foil or double-sided tape on the furniture. not sure myself how well that works as i luckily haven't needed to try it myself. or maybe just get a ton more scratch pads and posts! half the furniture in my house is for my cat. what's a few more scratch pads? you could always just put them away temporarily when you have guests if you don't want them to think you're a crazy cat lady. ha ha!


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

@maggie23

Thanks for the advice. When the xmas holidays come around, I usually spend a couple of weeks of up north just to get away from everything here. My biggest worry is that when that time comes and I take the boys up north, is the amount of stress i will probably put them through, granted they will know me and hopefully warmed up to my parents by then, but the sight, smells and sounds will be all new and different for them and i don't know how they will handle that. and when the holidays are over and they come back home, i don't know how they will react even though they know the apt or what to expect.

On a separate note with regards to Skippy, i have been finding him a little moody lately. He would want to play a little, be affectionate but then in a minute he becomes "hey leave me alone" and the paw start swing. I am not sure how to read this or how to correct this if possible. I am under the assumption that he will need more time.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

The older the cat, the more time it takes to settle in. I adopt seniors and usually it can take a week or more to get comfortable. It can take months before they feel they are totally settled and secure. Time is your best friend.


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

agreed. heck, I get more ornery and set in my ways myself with age. still, anyone who's nice to me gets treated pretty well on the whole. ha ha!


when you do go up for the holidays, I would just be sure to bring along plenty of their stuff and your stuff so that they are still surrounded by familiar sights and smells. kinda like how some people bring their own pillows when they travel - or even just their own soap and shampoo, etc... you could even go as far as bringing one of their litterboxes if you've got the room in the car and it's not too much hassle.


and I'll bet when you do get back home after the holidays, they'll be like, "Thank goodness we're home! I can sleep in my own bed again and not be woken up by housecleaning!" :wink2:


XOXO to you and Tigger and Skippy!


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Hello All

A new problem has risen in which i don't know if I should be concerned.

As mentioned before Skippy is slowly warming up to me to a point where he has started to lay down beside me (about 3 times)
This morning Skippy hopped up and laid down beside me, gently put his paw on my cheek and engaged me to pet him. I was not looking at Skippy as i was petting him as i was trying to get enough strength to get over a headache before heading to work. Before I knew it (i didn't even feel of see him move - wow is he fast), Skippy had gripped his claws on my wrist and bit my hand quite hard to a point where he drew blood. (yes it hurt). Prior to him biting me he tried to gently nip at my fingers but i didn't let him as i don't like it.

SHould i be worried, is there a meaning as to why he bit me that way. i am not sure what i should be doing now.


Thoughts and comments?


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

Ouch! one of my prior cats bit me when she woke up from a nightmare once and definitely drew blood. luckily she came over immediately to apologize. I was paranoid about all the horror stories about cat bites so I cleaned the wound out really well. hope you did, too.


so, with Skippy - doesn't sound like he's displaying any signs of pain or other craziness for the most part. hoping he was either just impatient for you to get up and give him his breakfast OR maybe you touched a sensitive spot OR he just needs more activity and play time to expend extra energy. if you feel there might be something else going on, though, maybe it's time for a checkup? have you brought the boys in yourself yet? maybe you can just ask your friend when their last check up was and if there was anything the vet said to keep an eye on. If your friend actually has all the medical records, that would be great for you to have. unless you're planning on sticking with the same vet, then you can get the records from them yourself.


bites can be pretty common, though, so it might be nothing to worry about. I foster cats that have been put on "bite quarantine" after they've drawn blood. they want to make sure they don't bite anyone else for 10 days minimum to make sure they actually do just calm back down and there are no other issues building up. most of the time, these cats from the shelter are just feeling cooped up after being in a cubby for an extended time (i would go stir crazy myself. cats are so tough and put up with a lot!) or are just naturally more sensitive and get easily overstimulated. then they lash out unfortunately.


hope you keep us updated and Skippy starts to behave!


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

It sounds as if as _maggie23_ suggested that he gets "easily overstimulated". The hard bite could be because he was never socialized properly with his momacat and litter mates.....taken away too early from them (before 6 or 7 wks.), was a sole survivor found as a stray or bottlefed....whatever, he never learned how to control the force of his bite. Kittens learn this through rough and tumble play_ from 5 or 6ks. to 11 wks_., by squealing when they are hurt, and a bop on the head by momacat if kitten bites her (often followed by a lick on the top of the head and then walking away). As an adult cat that missed out on this important socialization it is very difficult or impossible to teach them......a loud "OOwww!!" followed by walking away and going to another room (close the door), sometimes may help. It is a very bad behavior and many cats get euthanized for hard biting as it is a danger and can result in a nasty infection or even blood poisoning which could be fatal. Am sorry you're having to deal with this difficult problem. All the best!


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Hello All

I thought I provide another update of the boys progress.
During the thanks giving long weekend i had parents down hoping that the process of having the boys get use to them would continue to develop but my hopes were short lived as I feel that the boys have started going backwards.

The first introduction of the boys meeting my parents and went well except for one incident as previously mentioned in the thread. The boys were more sociable than i thought they would be and was even able to come up and rub against my folks.

The second time around, the boys hid most of the weekend and if my parents came near them just to go to the kitchen or just doing small things around the apt, they would run to another room or let out a loud "meow", the length of the meow was short to medium. I was worried that either one of them would repeat the incident that happened last time. My parents did try to make an honest effort to get to the know the boys. The boys even refused to take accept treat from parents even though they were placed in front of them. 

After my parents left, they both continued to hide for a day and half. Tiger is out and about while Skippy continues to hide. I am not sure what I can do. While Tiger will come out, eat and roam around, Skippy on the other hand would only come to eat if i shake the treat bag. Skippy will very little and run to his safe corner which is my loveseat. During this time Tiger would go to Skippy's bowl and start eating his food. I constantly correct Tiger and point him back to his bowl to eat his food. I am finding myself placing Skippys food on the counter until I see him go to the kitchen so he has food to eat when he wants it.

With regards to the toys, scratching post and bed, I am finding they are both avoiding them now especially Skippy. I am hoping someone can confirm this, i was reading an article online saying that one possibility why they are avoiding the items is that the scent from my friend, her place is confusing the cats and that they might think that she is still around because they smell her and that I should replace the toys, scratching post and bed with a new one. I am not sure if there is any truth to that or not.

Anyway I feel that i am going backwards with the boys and am not sure what to do.

Help, comments and suggestions are always welcomed.


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## Grandma2Kiri (Sep 7, 2017)

You know, new cats hissing at me until they get to know me is fine, but to be honest, I put on the adoption application recently that my one reason for not adopting a particular cat (or for returning them) will be if they bite me for no good reason. Love bites, gentle, don't thrill me, but aren't reasons to return the cat. However, sometimes a cat will strike out and bite harder and that's my no-no point_ if they draw blood_. I make sure they have an 'out' of any situation so there is no reason to bite me in anger under normal circumstances. I have adopted on cat that love bites pretty hard and she has done so in overstimulation even though she had a clear escape route to move away from she. She has done this a few times WITHOUT warning. No lashing tail, no ears back, no visible sign she isn't happy. The key here is that my husband is a senior with very fragile skin (he's not that old but his skin is very thin and bleeds easily on the back of the hands and arms). I'm not that far behind him but my skin isn't as thin so her "frustration"bites haven't punctured the skin. But should it ever happen, I will probably arrange for her to be rehomed because at our ages, neither of us want to risk serious infection because the cat doesn't have the sense to just get up and walk away if over stimulated. (If I hurt her or scare the life out of her and she doesn't know it's me...that's a different story). So I applaud all of you for putting up with blood-drawing kitties, but I'm too old for that kind of nonsense. I fostered-to-adopt 2 cats three weeks ago, and both have settled down a lot. the younger of the 2 (3 years old) still love bites but is gentle about it and a simple NO or OW suffices. The 5 year old I'm more careful around and so far she seems better with that hard biting. So we shall see. But as I said, should she ever bite in anger and without warning and draws blood, I may rethink her staying with us.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

First of all it's still early days for these two adult cats to get comfortable with a new owner and new home. I think the article you read about the scent of your friend still being scratching posts, etc. has merit. Before you go out and buy new scratching posts, beds, toys, etc. I would get some _Nature's Miracle_ enzyme cleaner and really soak down everything that came from your friend's home. Then rub in lots of _catnip_ into the clean scratching post, bed and stuffed toys. If the cats are still avoiding and don't accept them, then I think you should replace them----if they have any blankets, these should be laundered. I think you should try to engage them in more play sessions, with a fishing pole type of toy (like "Da Bird"). Don't just wave it in front of them, but direct the movement like a real bird flying, landing, moving on the ground. Get some food puzzles for their treats, so that have to work at it to get the food out. If you have any windows in your place consider placing or shelf for the cat can look outside.....most cat prefer a south-facing window to sunbathe as well. Another cat tree would also be beneficial. Perhaps a small heavy aquarium with a couple of goldfish will keep them amused. Sometimes when cats get too bored they get stressed out and then act out. I think you just have to be patient and loving and hopefully they will come around and not do any more hard biting. They have made some good progress so I don't think it's hopeless at this point.


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

the good news is that at least in the latest update it sounds like Skippy's biting hasn't gotten worse, right? So, take heart. There's a bright side after all! :grin2:
If they still love you, but just have a bit of an issue with other new people, that's not the end of the world. I would reiterate that when you do go up north for the holidays (you are still going up to your parents' for Christmas for like a week, right?), I would suggest keeping them in the one room you will be staying in if possible so it's not too overwhelming for them. I always remember reading in one of those cat books long ago that introducing a cat to a totally new space with strange sights and smells and people, and especially a totally new big house or something, is like dropping someone in the middle of Tokyo and telling them they're on their own. just imagine how that would feel to a human if they've never been outside of their hometown and didn't speak the language. that's why it's best to let them get used to a small area first surrounded by some of their own comforting things with their own scents on them, give them their same old food and litterbox if possible, a safe hiding spot, etc... they won't feel brave enough to venture into any new places or socialize with any new people until they are comfortable that they have a safe spot to retreat to. that is, unless you have a cat that is just a thrill seeker to begin with, but that is not the case with your guys. I have a foster right now that was very scared and hid the whole time at his prior foster home. I've had him now for 3 weeks and I always need to remind myself to go really slow with kitties like him and be patient. patience goes a long long way in the long run, so it is SO worth it to go slow and have the patience. after 2 weeks of getting used to his room and just me coming in and out, he turned into a lovebug. yes, he still hisses when the door opens until he sees it me, but now he comes out of his hiding spot to greet me instead of hiding all the time and he's all headbutts and licking and kneading as well, too. I think your boys will be that way with you in their own time, too. 


For some specific suggestions on Skippy, though -
Since you already try to keep his food away from Tiger, do you think you could instead put it really close to where Skippy feels safest so that he would come out and eat more regularly? I just keep thinking back to the Tokyo thing. If the food dish is far away, he may be reluctant to come out and eat until he's really really hungry because it means crossing the open safari where he might get attacked by some unknown entity. better yet, since he feels safe with you, could you put his food dish next to his safe spot and sit close to him so he knows you are there to watch his back when he does come out to eat? I do this with my fosters a lot. I do a lot of reading or tv watching or just playing on my phone ignoring them just so they get used to my presence and learn that I'm no danger. enough time of doing that has so far worked with all of them - they do eventually come out and explore and start to introduce themselves to me.
As for the toys, scratching posts, blankets, etc... if the enzyme cleaner, catnip, and laundering don't work, I agree with Ami to maybe buy new ones. some cats, though, just don't like those scratching posts and prefer a different material to scratch. you may have to experiment. and try different toys. if you don't mind stuff all over your house (ha ha!), have you tried just leaving empty cardboard boxes out for them? paper bags? packing paper? (my girl LOVES sitting on really loud scrunchy paper and scratches and paws at it, too) my current foster didn't feel brave enough to play AT ALL for the whole first week, but once he started showing a little courage, I started trying all kinds of different toys - the laser light was his first choice while he ignored everything else. but he has slowly started chasing a string around and biting on the wooden dowel rod I tied it to. now he's even brave enough to pounce on it when I hide it and move it under blankets. once they start playing like that, their confidence really builds I think and then they learn not to be so scared of new things and people. I was very happy to see him playing on his own as I left his room on my way to bed just last night.
oh! if they DO like to play, then you can try running the strings (old shoelaces are awesome too!) or laser light over those other toys, blankets and scratching posts to encourage them to use them again. that also might work. once I started shining that laser light on the cat tree and my foster got his claws on it, I think he realized it felt pretty nice under his paws, so now he actually sits on it sometimes.
good luck to you again, Kev!


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Hello All,

Another problem has risen and this time it is with Tiger. Tiger just started this past week to start peeing outside the litter box even though he goes in it. I am not sure if he aware that is doing this or not. The little box i have has a cover so i am not sure if the cover is stopping him from going inside all the way. but also on some occasions he would pee on the mat or on the bathroom floor. luckily this is ceramic tile and easy to clean. Tiger never use to do this and i am not sure what has happened to make him start this behaviour. He does this mostly while I am sleeping at night.

The litter box was cleaned twice a day when the boys first arrived so i just kept that schedule. Thinking that the litter has become too soiled for them, I had just changed litter itself not a couple of days ago but Tiger seems to have switched to the floor. 

If i try to help him get in the litter box, he would let out a loud, long meow. please keep in mind that I am not trying to hurt him in anyway, I am just trying to get him use the litter box.

I am trying to correct the problem before he starts pooping or peeing elsewhere in the apt.

Thanks again


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## kev0619 (Sep 9, 2017)

Hello All

I thought i would give you an update, rather a sad departure.

First I would like to thank you all for all your comments, suggestions and advice with regards in helping me help the boys adjust to their new environment.

Sadly due to some repeating issues, biting without provoked mainly, it is with heart felt regret that I had to ask my friend to take the boys back and find another home for them, hopefully a home where the new owner is more experienced in these matter.

It was mentioned to me earlier in this post that owning cats would provide me with great joy and that i would be in for a wonderful time. Even though the boys were only with me for two months, the boys definitely have done just that and i had a great time with them. I am not sure if this happened to anyone else, but I had grown quite fond of the boys in such a short period of time and I will miss them as they did do things to make me laugh, mainly popping up out of no where and startling me. While there were some difficult times, I always did my best make them feel comfortable and loved.

one thought that had crossed my mind was that maybe i didn't try hard enough to help them and then again even though they had provided me with a great experience, maybe they were not the cats for me. I am hoping that other individuals in this community see and understand that the safety for my parents, myself and the boys was my first priority. The boys safety, feeling stress free, feeling comfortable and their well being was a big factor in my decision.

I will take this experience and do some reflection and hopefully soon I will find a pair that is the right fit for me but I will definitely try again taking a different approach and have my family there when I adopt.

Thanks again to all.

Suggestions/Comments are always welcomed.

Regards
Kevin


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

So sorry to hear that the cats didn't work out well for you. Just wanted you to know that from what you've said you were not at blame for the biting, and there are some very nice cats that _don't_ bite. I suggest that when you're ready to get another cat(s) that you get a _purebred registered cat_ in a known cat registry, such as CCA=Cdn Cat Assoc., CFA=Cat Fanciers' Assoc., or TICA=The International Cat Assoc. The reason is that as a long time ex-breeder of Manx/Cymric cats, it's my experience that a good breeder will have kittens with wonderful temperaments. Good breeders will be showing their cats in cat shows, and cats must have a good temperament (no biting the judges!) and be amenable to being handled by strangers. The cat shows itself, and is not on the end of a leash by a handler or owner, to pose it. The judge does the work and the cat must have an outgoing, calm temperament to put up with all the noise and busyness of a cat show in a strange environment. So a good breeder will not only be looking at conformation, but personality and temperament and health as prime considerations for their breeding stock. Titles on the sire and dam are important too, such as Ch.=Champion or GrCh.=Grand Champion, as it is evidence of the quality of the cat and its temperament. So you can be confident that most kittens from such animals will be very similar to their parents, as temperament is passed to their offspring.....Domestics breed themselves, so if there is bad or unreliable temperament in the sire or dam such as aggressiveness, shyness, etc. this will get passed on to the kittens....so it's really the luck of the draw if you get a really good Domestic that has all the qualities you're looking for. Certain breeds of cats have definite characteristics.....some are cuddlier than others (my Devons are like that), others companionable but not a lap sitter, others more independent and agenda driven and busybodies (Abyssinians). So my suggestion is that you check out different breeds to see what kind of cat you want, go to a cat show and check out the cats. Find a really good reputable breeder, and visit the kittens/cats in person to see how they react to you. Let a kitten choose you, and you will have a close bond with that cat.

Check out breeds: 
CCA https://www.cca-afc.com/Breeds/Default
CFA CFA Cat Breeds
TICA http://www.tica.org/en/cat-breeds

I think you have been a responsible owner, and sometimes things don't work out well, so don't blame yourself for the cat's biting....it may be just genetics, or the fact that the cat was not well socialized with its momacat and litter mates until 11 wks., or received much handling as a kitten from loving owner, or was bottlefed......whatever the reason it was a biter and you tried your best.
I hope you will find your dream kitten or cat, even if it is more expensive; cats can live a long healthy life and it's worth it to get what you want.
All the best and good luck to you!


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## maggie23 (Mar 10, 2012)

kev, I've been offline for a week and missed your post. I just PM'ed you. I'm so sorry things didn't work out, but you truly did your best. you are one of the good ones and we need more like you.


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