Kitten comes home, behavioral problems?

[Shellybean02]

For those of you who don't know about Kit Cat, I had her since she was a month old. When she was around 3 months old, I had a family member care for her for the summer. I just got her back last night*yay!* I'm sure she remembers me since she sleeps with me, and she's still very active. But when I approach her, she gets extremely timid. She's not scared, just very tense or confused. She seems comfortable already, probably since she's been here before. If I touch her, she hisses and meows, pawing and biting me(gently though)... she's really confusing me, coming to me but running away when I come to her. When I'm settled she wants to play. I'm getting her *fixed asap, will that help? She's still young so I hope I can help reverse whatever happened. Help is greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

So glad you have your kitty back.
She has been through a tremendous upheaval and has not yet had time to adjust and become fully comfortable - just give her time. As she is comfortable when approaching you leave it at that - let her come to you and, when she does, follow her lead as to what she is comfortable with from you. While having her spayed is an excellent step, it is not really something that is playing a part in her behavior at this time, imo. Give her time, things will fall into place in the coming days/weeks.

 

[Shellybean02]

Are you sure the hissing is a stress thing? That's so strange, I thought it was for self defense... she's been on and off, so I'll definitely give her more time. I think distant interaction is a good step, so I'll get some toys. Thanks for the advice, I'll let you know how things go

 

[Shellybean02]

One minute she's hissing, growling and attacking. Another she's running around, attacking imaginary things. Very rarely does she calm down to look out the window, allowing me to pet her. How can I get her to see that I'm a human who PETS her, not an enemy or prey? I know she needs space but with her running around and attacking me, is there anything else I can do to calm her? Her moods are so unstable I can't tell if I should ignore her or show her that I'm here... is this normal cat behavior?

 

[spoikey]

Pure white cats tend to have birth defects. Is it possible that she could be deaf? Being deaf or blind are common defects and obviously she isn't blind. If she's deaf you might be startling her unintentionally.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Pure white cats tend to have birth defects. Is it possible that she could be deaf? Being deaf or blind are common defects and obviously she isn't blind. If she's deaf you might be startling her unintentionally.

Very good point now that we have seen miss kitty (and she is a beauty, OP) -- deafness is is definitely something to consider.

 

[Shellybean02]

I'm positive that she has 100% hearing. She's so curious, listening to cars, pigeons and people coming upstairs. Most cats with odd eyes are perfectly normal, I'm glad my kitty applies to that! But thanks for the suggestions. She's getting better, allowing people to hold or pet her (not for long though, she gets uncomfortable with too much interaction)
Thanks Ol Grey Mare, I love taking pictures of my princess^-^

 

[donrae]

One minute she's hissing, growling and attacking. Another she's running around, attacking imaginary things. Very rarely does she calm down to look out the window, allowing me to pet her. How can I get her to see that I'm a human who PETS her, not an enemy or prey? I know she needs space but with her running around and attacking me, is there anything else I can do to calm her? Her moods are so unstable I can't tell if I should ignore her or show her that I'm here... is this normal cat behavior?

This describes pretty much every kitten I've ever had, and we went through a period of having way too many

They're schizo, spazoid, freaky, over-reactive little critters who seem to be on overload, or asleep. No middle ground when they're young. they grow out of it, but this is part of the fun of having a kitten.

Our interaction with kittens was not set and pet, it was play. A string or cord is the best toy ever. Drag/swing/tease with it, they'll chase it for hours. When she's tired, she'll be more interested in snuggling. But they have a LOT of energy to get rid of. They literally can not set still sometimes at this age.

that said, don't let her attack you. That's unacceptable in any animal. Pick whatever form of discipline you want, spray bottle, hissing at her, etc. Attacking humans is bad.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

How is your kitty? Has there been any change, either positive or negative?

 

[Shellybean02]

Hello everybody! I wanted to mention that Kit is doing a lot better. She always finds something to occupy herself with, so I'm no longer her prey. But occasionally she may gently pounce on me. She is totally okay with me holding her for a while, but she's not the cuddle type. She thinks petting is play fighting, unlike other cats who settle down to enjoy a chin scratch... She is more interested in playing, running around like crazy and eating. Thanks for the suggestions!