New Kitty getting aggressive please help!

[Byakko's Mom]

Hi everyone,
I am having problems with one of the new cats we got just before Christmas.I wrote about them.They had allergy problems and needed a new home.The allergy problems were worse for her.There seems to be no problems here.But he is becoming aggressive suddenly like if you are petting him and he wants you to stop or you pick him up and he wants down or doesn't want to be picked up ,he hisses ,growls,bites and scratches but not hard enough to break the skin.I don't want it to go any farther.I want this stopped.She is great,cuddley and sweet,none of this.I feel like we are doing something wrong.They were both spayed and neutered a while before I got them.There has never been a people aggression problem before.He did go to their first home a couple days after her and he fought her as an adjustment which was unexpected-they are brother and sister and were 9wks old or so.Then after the anethesia he went crazy and flipped out after neutering(they were done the same day) and he fought her again but just those incidents and never people.They will be 1 yr old next week.Jan 28th.Can anyone help and tell me what to do?Someone told my daughter to scruff him and say "No" but I don't know if that is right.I haven't had cats in yrs and have always had dogs and teach them with positive methods and find that works best so I wanted to seek advice before juming in to the wrong thing.I see no other change in behavior like a physical problem but my shiba Inu is going to the vets tomorrow so I can talk to her then but there is no other sign but the aggression.All advice welcome and wanted.I am desperate.I want him to be as happy as she is. Thank you so much.
Laurie

[PayItForward]

Originally posted by Byakko's Mom
But he is becoming aggressive suddenly like if you are petting him and he wants you to stop or you pick him up and he wants down or [He] doesn't want to be picked up ,he hisses ,growls,bites and scratches but not hard enough to break the skin.

Easy, See the highlighted blue text in the quote.

Cats are not toys !!!!

Tell your daughter not to play or pick him up, when he has had enough and they'll both be happier and the behaviour will cease

This is not agression, it is only warning behaviour. If he is pushed further, he may start biting or stratching.

With cats you have to respect that they are independant creatures.

Though occassional you'll have to pick the cat up against their wishes, to take to the vets, take off a kitchen surface etc, it should be the exception not the rule.

You are right not to scruff the cat, in older cats this can really hurt.

To be honest he sounds like a normal cat that has had too much loving He sounds like he wants a bit more nap time.

--------------------
As for sibling fighting, this is normal esp after a vet visit. Going to the vets makes that cat smell funny to the other cats.

Try dabbing vanilla on the back of the necks of both cats to make them smell the same, after future vet visits.

[Byakko's Mom]

Thanks for the information.I will try the vanillla.So even though this is new behavior for him you think it is normal,that is a relief.The other one,his sister is a lover and they have alot of free time and he comes to you like he wants attention but then you give it to him and it starts.They have many areas of their own to go for quiet time if they want to be alone.My daughter is a vet tech and in college not a small child so it is not a bothering thing allthough my grandaughter visits weekly but she isn't unsupervised with them and then again they have places to go to be alone.I put chain locks on the outside of doors so they can come and go alone without anyone going in like my grandaughter or the dogs if they want and my grandaughter can't play in any litter pans and the dogs can't have cat crunchies.You did make me feel better I was afraid maybe we weren't giving him enough attention because she is such an attention hog.My youngest child is 13 and he is great with animals and the girl is his and they fall asleep together. I will see what happens if we just let him come to us and we don't pet him but we never go and get them.When it is me he does it too he comes to my legs and rubs me and I pick him up or just bend down and pet him and he does it.It just is so unlike how he was the first 10 months of his life now for the last 2 months or maybe even 1 month it has changed.Thanks again.I do feel better.
Laurie

[jazzcat]

It is possible the recent changes and enviroment has made this behavior come out in him but like PayItForward said cats are independent and since he is now reaching a year of age he is settling into his likes and dislikes.

Just remember that there are some cats that do not like to be picked up and only want to be pet or touched when they choose. It sounds like this little guy is going to be one of those cats. Who knows, when he gets more adjusted and settled into his new home he may relax a bit.

If his behavior keeps getting more aggressive you might want to try using Feliway. You can buy it at PetsMart and other pet stores. It comes in a spray bottle or plug-in (I use both the help my oldest cat to feel less stressed around our newest cat). Here's a description of Feliway:
Feliway uses synthetic feline facial pheromones to end urine marking and scratching and to comfort cats in stressful, unfamiliar situations.

Hope this helps.

[Byakko's Mom]

Thank you jazzcat Feliway sounds interesting.I will look into it.You are both making me feel much better.Wow I am so messed up with dates.I just realized they have only been with me for 5 weeks-see I have known them since 9weeks of age but only visited occaisionally before they lived here as they had allergies where they lived and who knows what would have happened to them if I didn't take them(long story) any way when they came they were fine so I guess this has actually only been going on a couple of weeks it just seems longer because he was great for a long time when we first got them.I can't believe it feels like they have been my babies forever,I decided to check the calendar for the day they came and it is 5 weeks today,such a short time.I guess I worry to much anyway I just want to be the best mom ,gramma to these babies.I llove them so much and even though they are brother and siste I must remember they are individuals and different with their own personalities.He wasn't like this in his other home or the first few weeks we had him.It has just been these last couple,maybe it is age.I just worry it is me and I try to read everything and ask and give them their own room and space and they have 3 litter pans,lots of scratching posts and houses/trees and beds and toys and quiet places.By the way my dogs are spoiled rotten,my friends get on me because I cook and bake for the dogs and will for the cats(anyone know simple recipees for cats treats,maybe b-day cake) but I won't for the kids or people.I tell my 2 older kids they are 20 and 23 it is time they cook for me.I say when the furbabies get hands and can cook for themselves I will stop in the meantime people have hands and I cooked for 15 yrs until I was divorced it's someone elses turn Thanks again everyone.Keep the advice coming for a new cat Mom.It has been at least 10+ yrs since my last cats-just dogs.
Laurie

[Byakko's Mom]

jazzcat, I researched the comfort zone Feliway for cats and they have one for dogs with D.A.P. plug ins.Both for calming and new adjustments and now that I realize that they have only been here 5 weeks and after the suggestions here and some others I bought both.I called the company but they are closed,maybe you know the answer to my question.The cats have a room for themselves upstairs and the dogs downstairs have a room,of course the cats have free run of the house but the dogs have the downstairs because we put up baby gates so the cats have some privacy to adjust.It's like a split foyer you walk down 3 steps into the main part of the house and upstairs.I don't mean a basement anyway since they each eat in their rooms and go into them when they want to be alone that is the room I chose to put the comfort zone in.I bought one for each.The dogs haven't had any problems but they do still bark at the cats sometimes and I thought it might make the adjustment easier for both if all were relaxed.Here are my 2 questions 1, am I wrong to use it on them both ?and 2. is it wrong to use both in the same house at the same time? allthough they shouldn't reach each other on 2 different floors they don't do that much space.What do you or anyone think?I want it to be as comfortable as possible for all.The vet also wants us to keep track of when anything happens with him,what is going on at the time,what we are doing,what he is doing and what is going on around him for 2 weeks.So we will be doing that as well.Thanks everyone for all of your help
Laurie

[moosmom]

Laurie,

You got some great advice here. PayItForward hit the nail right on the head.

Some cats can be overstimulated. Their way of showing they don't like it is to scratch, bite, hiss and growl. I might suggest Rescue Remedy. It's an all natural herb that helps calms cats down. I've used it and can highly recommend it.

Holding kitty by the scruff of the neck is not a good idea. For a kitten, yes. But a grown cat, no.

[jazzcat]

Laurie,
I really don't know the answer to your question but from what I know about the plug-ins for cats it should not be a problem. They only cover so much square footage so I don't think they would mix with the way you plan to use them.

Good luck and please let us know how it goes.

[Byakko's Mom]

moosmom I have rescue remedy here.I have used it before for one of the dogs that was afraid of thunder.I thought about that when jazzcat suggested the Feliway but I wasn't sure about mixing the two things together allthough one is a scent in the air and one is swallowed.I was going to ask about that.I have a friend that uses rescue remedy when she brings new cat rescues home..I agree No scruffing here.
Thanks again everyone.I really apprecate all the advice.
Laurie

[Byakko's Mom]

The other day a friend was over to help me.He sat down for a few minutes and I was getting ready so we could leave.(he is not a cat person but a dog person so wasn't paying any attention to the cats-he is allergic to cats)I didn't see what happened and he does tend to exagerate a bit but something happened.All I know is suddenly he yelled and said the cat attacked him as he sat there and he wasn't even moving.JC was the closest so I am sure it was him.He said he got him 3 times and was sure it was scratches and it was bleeding.I didn't see it but I know it was something. That is the only real incident since all of your suggestions.Now he didn't have any rescue remedy in him but he doesn't have it every day or all the time.The feliway comfort zone is plugged in always in his room but this was downstairs at the time,but the feliway is where he likes to spend most of his quiet time.Otherwise things have been going really pretty well.Thanks again for all of your suggestions.I love tips on kitty rearing.In gen.discussion I asked for recipee's-their birthday is wed.1-28-04,just a couple days and they will be 1 yr old.I haven't gotten any responses so if any of you know any simple recipee's for treats,cookies,cakes anything I would love to make them something.I don't cook for the 2 legged family members anymore but love to cook for the furbabies and they need birthday treats that are special.Any ideas would be wonderful.Thanks again for everything.
Laurie