cat remains fearful and aggressive after 7 months

by john

i need help and i honestly don't where i get it. we lost two cats recently and my wife wanted to adopt one from a no kill shelter. i agreed. she chose a female cat from hell. the woman fostering the cat told us the cat had been dropped off at the shelter by a man who said the cat showed up in his yard one day and he was going to shoot it if the shelter wouldn't take it. he had other cats and they apparently attacked her(his story) causing multiple wounds on her head and neck(the lady showed us the before and after photos).
this cat has obviously been someone's pet at one time as she has been spayed and front paws declawed. when we viewed her at the shelter she was hunched up in the back of a cat carrier and would hiss at anyone who approached her. her foster mother said she had to keep her in her van as she did not get along w/other cats(red flag) and she had never seen a cat behave like this, i.e. extremely aggressive towards humans & other animals.
we have had her for 7 months and there is no improvement at all. the only time you can touch her at all is when she is hungry and then only on her head for no more than 10-15 seconds before she attacks you. the only way she could be examined at the vet's office was under sedation as she cannot be handled or picked up.
one last observation, she is the only cat i have ever had who does not purr. i think the man who dropped her off at the shelter was in fact the owner and this was his way of dealing w/a cat who had gone psycho.
i am in no hurry for an answer, i just want to find some help.
thank you

Reply
Hi
This is a very sad story of neglect and fear and goodness knows what other horrible things.

It sounds to me like this cat has not gone psycho buy has had some terrible experiences with humans. I wonder if the injuries to her head was caused by other cats or by some evil person.

It is no wonder that this cat has lost all trust in human beings.

Sadly cats like these may never fully return to the sort of family pet most would like. Sometimes the fear and mistrust is just too deep and the most you can expect from them is that they will remain in your home allowed to be looked after.

However don't give up hope,7 months is nothings really. My friends have two cats who were found neglected in a box in a local park. they were only 4 months old then but two years later, they are still very wary of people, although over time they have mellowed a little.

The other thing you could try is to give her some calming medication to allow her to relax and while she is relaxed she may come to realize that there is nothing to fear from you.

Calming medications come in several forms, oral and sprays which can be used in the home. Your vet may be able to prescribe some on a temporary basis. or there are other natural products available.

I have a page which has some information about these sorts of temporary medications.

scared-cat.html

Also it is important that your cats home is as stimulating and distracting as possible so that she does not focus on her fear. Again I have some ideas on another page here

http://www.our-happy-cat.com/indoor-cats.html

Thank goodness for your good selves. You have given this poor cat a good home and I hope with time she will learn to relax around you and give you back some affection too.

best wishes

kate