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Post by craftedbys on May 22, 2022 17:54:20 GMT
TL;DR: my youngest cat has lost his damn mind.
Mando, our year old male cat, the one I found abandoned in the backyard shed when he was barely 2 weeks old, has become an even bigger asshole.
He had been a little bitey and aggressive last summer and fall, but after getting fixed he had been getting more mellow as he got older.
He is now obsessed with going outside.
When he first showed interest in outdoors I insisted he had to have a harness and leash to go outside and so I bought him one several months ago.
He was a little hesitant at first but he got to the point where if you asked him if he wanted to go outside he would run and jump on the washing machine next to the back door and wait to get his harness on.
The last few weeks he has been harder to get back inside. Whenever we pick him up to take him back in he starts growling and getting agitated.
I know he smells the stray cats that wander through our yard and occasionally hang in our shed to get out of the weather. Have seen both his mama and daddy outside at one time or another, but never when we are out there with him.
So the last week or two he has become a demon and refuses to wait to get his harness on. He hears someone at the back door and races in there and tries to slip out whenever someone is coming in or out.
The few times he slipped out we picked him up and carried him back in with a scolding and if we had time we would put his harness on and take him back out the correct way.
This morning he ran out as I opened the back door. I had my hands down to block him and he still managed to get by me.
I went over to get him and he wedged himself among the flower and vegetable containers and when I tried to pick him up he rolled over and started growling and hissing and clawing at me. He kept moving to where I couldn't get to him and I ended up having to put a towel over him/his head and just carry him at arms length into the house while he was growling and hissing and trying to wiggle away.
He has spent the last hour growling and hissing and being an asshole to the two other cats.
Any cat experts who can give me any ideas how to improve his behavior?
Do I need a water bottle outside and spray it whenever I try to go in the house? (I ask because he does respond to the water bottle when we tell him to get off the table, now all we have to do is point to it and tell him to get down and he does).
I need to nip this in the bud because DH won't put up with an asshole cat. HELP!
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Post by MichyM on May 22, 2022 17:59:00 GMT
Unless you want to continue battling this, I would stop letting the cat out under ANY circumstances, even fully harnessed and leashed. And I would be consistant using whatever methods necessary (spray bottle, put hm in a closed room when you're going in and out, etc) to keep him from sneaking out on his own.
Good luck.
Oh and as far as him being a jerk to the other cats. Separate them. Food, toys, litter box, all of it. And slowly reintroduce as if he's a brand new cat to the house (google if you're unfamiliar with ideas for that).
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Apr 28, 2024 5:14:34 GMT
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Post by Deleted on May 22, 2022 18:10:23 GMT
First of all, kudos to you (and a big thank-you!!) for taking in a baby kitty who was abandoned outside. You saved him. I agree with MichyM about not letting him outdoors at ALL, even with his harness. We have had up to 5 cats at a time here and they are each very different. We'd let them out on our screened-in lanai and they'd love it, but one of my cats would go into hunting-mode and sniff around. She'd hang on the screen if she heard or saw any animal. It became too dangerous (we have alligators here who have been roaming outside of the ponds, so they could have walked right up to our lanai or broken in) so they're inside now & a bit sad. Even though my "attack cat" loved hunting (and killing bugs, etc), she'd be fine when we called them all inside. Once they start trying to get out or if they give you a hard time about going back inside, then I wouldn't give them (him) the opportunity to go outside. Too dangerous. One more thing: We had a 4-5' black snake come into our lanai. That "attack cat" had the snake's head and my kitty (he was only a few months old) had the snake by the other end. I heard them and ran outside. I didn't want them to get hurt so I brought them back inside. That was the ONLY time that my girl cat hissed at me. She didn't want to leave her kill-game. Tough! |
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Post by CardBoxer on May 22, 2022 18:36:31 GMT
Agree, he just can’t go out any more. Please no water spraying or yelling. Cats don’t learn that way other than it negatively affecting their connection with their humans. Sticky paws at the door, compressed air, yes. www.jacksongalaxy.com/blog/the-best-and-worst-way-to-train-your-cat/If it continues to be a problem, I suggest a remote session and emailing with a certified behaviorist, because this may not end well. He’s not an asshole, he’s got extremely logical cat reasons, like defending his territory, which you already figured out, and it’s up to us with our bigger brains to solve it in a way that resonates with a cat. The behaviorist we worked with remotely on difficult cat introductions between our two was Dr. Marci Koski. Our veterinarian now recommends her now too. I thought I knew what there was to know about cats, but it was extremely helpful letting a third party with encyclopedic knowledge and experience take the lead. And yes, our two are together now, and other than occasionally distracting our big orangie cat with a clicker training/trick session, which he loves, the big and little orangies are together. felinebehaviorsolutions.com/about-feline-behavior-solutions/Good luck and think like a cat. If you’d like the behaviorist option but don’t have the budget, since things are tight for so many now, I hope you’ll let me know. |
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Post by peano on May 22, 2022 18:48:34 GMT
You have written our story. We go through the same thing with Vinny, our 7-year-old cat. He lurks by the back door and hides in the shoe rack and sneaks out. He then runs under the low back deck where it’s impossible to grab him. He then leads us on a merry chase around the house, which has become a rewarding game for him. When he gets tired of it, we open the door and he runs inside on his own. We can’t let him be an outside cat because we’ve got bears, bobcats and coyotes around us. And there’s the shortened lifespan thing for outdoor cats. We’ve been trying to figure out a catio setup that works with our house.
He also picks on Mabel, particularly when his efforts to get outside are thwarted.
Eager to hear other solutions.
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kelly8875
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,390 
Location: Lost in my supplies...
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Post by kelly8875 on May 22, 2022 19:01:32 GMT
You have written our story. We go through the same thing with Vinny, our 7-year-old cat. He lurks by the back door and hides in the shoe rack and sneaks out. He then runs under the low back deck where it’s impossible to grab him. He then leads us on a merry chase around the house, which has become a rewarding game for him. When he gets tired of it, we open the door and he runs inside on his own. We can’t let him be an outside cat because we’ve got bears, bobcats and coyotes around us. And there’s the shortened lifespan thing for outdoor cats. We’ve been trying to figure out a catio setup that works with our house. He also picks on Mabel, particularly when his efforts to get outside are thwarted. Eager to hear other solutions. We also have a 7 yo cat who wants to get out. She’s done it twice in the last couple of weeks, and only runs out on on DBF. She’s a stinker. She was a stray as a kitten we think. It takes about 10 minutes of me shaking the treat container and she’s back in the house. She’s not mean or hissing at all, but I can tell she thinks she’s having the best time ever outside. (It’s super cute in a super annoying way) |
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Post by Zee on May 22, 2022 19:13:44 GMT
He's wanting to defend his territory. Some cats are just more into that than others. Our Jack, rest his soul, eventually could not be kept indoors because he would pee at the doors and viciously attack the other cats. I had to just let him out and accept that if he died, it was doing what he loved--defending his turf. It was that or not have him, because he was very disruptive and damaging my home.
I don't recommend it, but he really didn't give us a choice. Unless you can eliminate his outdoor "competition", he's going to want to go out there. Can you build an enclosed "catio" so he has a safe space in which to threaten visitors?
I have kept and continue to keep all other cats besides Jack indoors, though we now have a balcony/deck 2 stories up with no ground access so they can sit out there among the plants and bird watch. All seem to like this arrangement.
Jack eventually developed cancer and was put to sleep peacefully at the age of 17. He came home every night. When he got too old to be patrolling and started showing his age (around 15), he seemed to be content to no longer go out.
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Post by scrapmaven on May 22, 2022 19:14:00 GMT
Kitty was likely feral and he's still feral at heart. I love the idea of a cat behaviorist. Even reading a Jackson Galaxy book might help. I love him! Sounds like kitty needs to be kept indoors 100% and that might mean advice from the behaviorist, because your kitty will take any opportunity to sneak outside.
ETA: I'm liking Zee's idea of a catio. |
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Post by librarylady on May 22, 2022 19:16:41 GMT
DH built a cattery for our cats.
It is essentially an outside cage for our 2 cats. We installed it, with cat flap, outside a back door that was seldom used.
Cats love it. It is only 2 months old and they often take their naps outside.
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Post by craftedbys on May 22, 2022 23:21:29 GMT
Thanks for all the information, suggestions, and insights. I will definitely be looking at some of the readings.
A couple of years ago I wanted to build a catio outside my sewing room window for the two cats we had at the time but couldn't get DH on board. Now the window is in my Dad's room and he is not a fan of cats, so I don't want to impose.
So as of today, Mando is now a full time indoor cat. I even closed the kitchen window so he can't get his fresh air fix overlooking the backyard.
I am sorry about not coming back earlier, but the little brat slept on my lap all afternoon while I watched a movie and I was nice and didn't move him to get my phone in the other room.
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Post by Layce on May 22, 2022 23:31:57 GMT
lol at the bottom of this thread is an ad to “Reduce Unwanted Cat Behaviors!” With a pic of a very cute kitty.
Anyway, remember. You’ve got yourself a feral cat and what you’ve described is what they do.
I hope though, that you are able to re-train him to live indoors. 🙂
Rotsa Ruck.
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Post by MichyM on May 22, 2022 23:49:23 GMT
I’m going to have to disagree with this whole “feral cat” thing. Both my cats are feral rescues, as were the two before them. I also used to volunteer weekly at the animal shelter.
When a kitten has been bottle fed since 2 weeks, it is not feral. If a kitten is socialized once it starts weaning from mom, it is no longer feral and can domesticated in a matter of days. Cats and kittens taken when older are a different story.
I don’t believe that because he was born to a feral momma, that he is feral. There is nothing in the cat’s blood and/or DNA that makes it more feral than any other cat. He’s simply being a jerk.
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Post by Lexica on May 23, 2022 1:38:35 GMT
I agree that can't let the cat outside again, with or without a harness. My own cats have been raised inside and just don't go outside. They can sit by the screen door, but I don't want them out in the street area. The cat that had been the neighbor's was allowed to go outside whenever he wanted to. It took me a bit to get him used to the idea of remaining inside. I feel their lives are better when they are in safer circumstances.
I have given consideration to building an enclosure for my cats when I move. My realtor was telling me about a neighbor near me who built a very sturdy and large enclosure in her backyard for her cats. It is about 12 ft tall and has plants growing inside of it along with tree branches for the cats to climb up. She has a large plastic pool filled with litter in the corner for their bathroom needs and a large water fountain motor that circulates the pond her husband built for them. I am a bit iffy on the pond water because I feel the need to scrub water containers fully, especially since they might be getting rain water in them. Also, my cats tend to stick their paws in their water bowl and any stray bits of litter come off creating a messy water bowl. I would think over time, their pond would get pretty dirty. I just feel better putting down fresh water daily. Anyway, something to consider for a compromise to allow this cat to have the outdoor feel while being safely enclosed if he just will not settle indoors. I imagine they would be attracting fleas more than an indoor cat too.
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Post by 950nancy on May 23, 2022 3:24:27 GMT
We are building a small dog run area next to our house and around the corner. It will be about 3 feet tall with a ceiling that we can lift up or lock. We are using the 4 inch wires that will keep out the murder kitties, bears, and other creatures that aren't good for dogs out. It isn't cheap, but it will give them a little outdoor time.
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luckyjune
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,685
Location: In the rainy, rainy WA
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Post by luckyjune on May 23, 2022 13:07:45 GMT
Our female cat is a huntress. She also attempts to sneak outside and outside here means all kinds of predators. Since moving, we have a large upper story deck on the house. It is like a giant playpen for the cats. We are able to leave the slider door open and they go in and out freely during good weather. Just being outside has helped her a lot.
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