May need a cat whisperer or Cuatro gone crazy

[gritsar]

Our new cat Cuatro, been here a week or so. Not sure where she came from. At first I thought she was just a little weird. She'll sleep for hours on end; yes, I know cats sleep alot but she takes it to an extreme.

Last night was coat brushing time and all the critters lined up as soon as they saw the brush come out; no seriously they do, with KiKi always trying to butt in line. First the dogs, then the cats, Cuatro last. I let her smell the brush over well before I tried to use it on her. She did okay for a few seconds but the second I tried to brush her belly she started hissing and bit me. She immediately ran to the door and started yowling to be let out. I let her out, five minutes later she wanted back in. She proceeded to pick fights with all the other cats, some serious hissing, spitting and clawing going on. Smacked the dogs a couple of times too.

Hubby thinks she's partly feral, I think she's just weird or has a serious mental defect. She was really loving at first, now it's just leave me alone I'm only here for the food and shelter.

Input?

 

[ChickenfootDuckbutt]

have you been able to check her over for sores?? or mats under her main coat if she's longhaired. If a cat has alot of flea dirt it can cause the fur to become corse and a brush can pull through it causing discomfort.

it could be her personality finally coming out, she's getting comfortable enough to say "hey, I'm not a scared little kitty anymore"


OR she's evolving into a vicious monster of D00m that will suck your livers out in your sleep.

have you fed her after midnight?

no seriously, whatever that junk is I said above are all possibilities.

 

[watchdogps]

Most cats don't like their bellies touched. Ad that to what was probably a strange feel - most people don't brush their cats. And it probably just freaked her out. She will get over it.

 

[gritsar]

I guess I'm not like most people because I brush my cats all the time; Kitty not so much because she's a DSH but KiKi the siamese loves to be brushed. It helps keep their coat and skin healthy. No sores on Cuatro, no flea dirt either (thank goodness). She is a long-haired cat that definitely needs regular brushings, but the only tangles or mats I found were around her ears and she was fine with me getting those out.

I am allowing both Cuatro and Bug to stay in the house at night and on yucky rainy days like today, but Cuatro is going to have to stop her fighting with the other cats. She's upsetting the whole critter family.

 

[ChickenfootDuckbutt]

more than likely she's starting to settle, and her REAL personality is coming out, you know how girls are

, always trying to be best, and one-up everyone

no seriously, depending on her age, she may be ready to come into heat (rare in winter but it does happen) or her hormones are kicking in, my two cats are both girls, sisters, they're starting to test each other badly.

 

[4Hchickenproject]

You said she just showed up....has she been spayed? If not, she could be in heat, which might cause her to pick the fights since she's...ummm...ornery.

Also, as has been mentioned, most cats do not like -- at least at first -- having their bellies brushed. If she's fairly new to the household, she may have never been brushed either. For a dog or cat to lie on its back with soft belly exposed is to be fully submissive and trusting. She might just not be there yet. Keep working with her, she'll grow to enjoy it, or at least maybe tolerate it.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
She has an appointment to be spayed, if she's not already pregnant and too far along to do it safely. I've owned many cats in my 49 years and if she's in heat, she's the quietest in heat cat I've ever seen. Seems like she just wants a warm place to crash and eat. DH and I agree she looks alot like a feral that stayed closed to the house for a couple years, so they may be related.

 

[zzGypsy]

it can take a month or more for new cats to settle in, consider that untill she's settled in, she's running a fair amount of stress. new experiences on top of some level of continuous stress may not go down well.
and as already said, lots of cats haven't been brushed, and lots aren't big on the whole touch-my-belly thing.
patience, go slow, give her time. if you get any belly-brushing in at all, stop well before she gets agitated. work up to it.

 

[EmtheFishLady]

Most people don't brush their cats? Must be a North Carolina thing then, because I see cats at the groomer when I take my poodle. I bathed and "brushed" my Rex cat weekly. Every cat I've ever had loved to be brushed.




Gritty, I think she might be partly feral too. just needs time to settle in and get used to things maybe.

 

[redhen]

Yeah, she may not like her belly touched..
Most of my cats hate it too... so i do it to irk them sometimes..

Also the fighting thing will probably continue..off and on... my cats squabble every now and then too..
I just let them work it out.. but if i see one being a REAL bully, i pick them up and put them in a "time out" somewhere for a few minutes until they forget why they were fighting in the first place..