The kitten that he was planning on taking from the farm originally (who was very affectionate and sweet) got run over :( so he took her instead at the last minute.
She can be sweet but whenever he tries to pick her up or sometimes even when he pets her she growls a lot. She doesn't bite or scratch like she did to him a couple times on the farm but she growls A LOT! He spends lots of time with her and takes excellent care of her, feeding her lots of different types of food and keeping her cage nice and clean and warm (although the door is often open and she can come out to play or snuggle).
Recently, she also had a couple accidents and peed on his bed. She can be sweet and likes to be petted sometimes but sometimes will growl and purr at the same time.
What's up? What can my friend do to help his grumpy kitty?
Answer
Tina:
I have a cat like that. We decided to just love her eccentric ways. We laugh at her as she runs into a room hissing just in case one of our other cats or the dog is in there.
It's especially funny when she's eating, sees one of the other animals, and hisses with her mouth full and food goes spraying all over! We tell her it isn't polite to talk with her mouth full! And yes, she has growled and purred at the same time, too.
Once in a while she'll decide she has an itch that only we can scratch for her and will allow us to touch her. Every few months or so she'll sit near one of us on the sofa or at the end of our bed while we're sleeping. We feel appropriately honored and tell her so.
She may change as she gets older, but if not, learn to love her fiesty ways. There's not much to do about it anyway.
As to the litter box issue - if her box is clean and she's using it regularly for other things, I'd take her to the vet to be sure she doesn't have an infection or something. That can sometimes cause them to urinate outside the box.
Noelle:
It is always best to rule out any physical problems, i.e.; UTI(Urinary
Tract Infection), parasites, food allergies or other illness).
Then
check kitty's litter box, clean it daily and wash it out with a
deodorizing cleanser weekly(boxes should be replaced periodically as
plastic absorbs smells and cats have very sensitive noses).
It could be
the location(to much traffic), actual box (covered or uncovered) or
litter type (clay, crystal, newspaper, alfalfa pellet or clumping) or
scent/unscented. Perhaps a second litter box in another location will
help.
If all is well with Miss Kitty, then it is just her feral instincts battling her domestic situation. It will take some time but most if not all her grumpy behavior should change.
Source(s):
lifelong feline housekeeper (current count 17)
Delta:
he kitty still has a lot of the feral/wild instinct in her from being a farm born cat. It is for self-preservation that poor felines had to survive by their wits and have a natural fear of their worse enemies,.. people.
Patience and lotsa love and gradual attention will enable the cat to trust more.
But as far as the growling/purring is concern, the kitty is probably confused with mixed feelings (from the human kindness and yet the trained instinct of fear and caution).
Also, it prob. developed into the cat's personality and character.
Just accept whatever the kitty grows up to be.
Cathryn:
I have a cat just like that (the only difference is my pet is already an adult and a male). You're friend's pet may have that kind of behaviour because of how she grew up (or spent her trime) before she was taken under his wing.
Maybe his pet is not used or still unfamiliar with his actions. Or maybe the pet doesn't like it. Cats express their dislike or irritation through hissing.
For your friend: Try knowing your pet (her likes and dislikes) and base your actions with these. Do not give your pet too much attention (if you are ...), it might stress her.
She may also have some parts that she doesn't want to be touched, so be aware of it. Its all about patience.
Faith:
I have a 4 month old kitten from ferel parents. She too acts like your friends cat. I see her starting to calm down more every day.
She is set for a spay appointment in 10 days and I know she will be a sweeter kitty after her surgery. I have 5 cats in total and all of them were stray kittens.
Inked:
she's kept in a cage which is 'often' open? No wonder she's grumpy!! Cats should be free to roam and explore, and being feral she will be missing that even more than most.
Sky:
as farm cat might be bit feral so will need lots of time to come round,playing with helps
