need help with shelter cat, keeping us up at night & bites unexpectantly...

[Elektra]

We got our cat this Tuesday. As they told me at the shelter I kept him in the bathroom where his litter box is until he started using it.He meowed the first night and started scratching the door. I taped aluminum foil onto it ( we rent) and he stopped. Second night we let him roam. He tried to get into our bedroom and meowed intermittently for hours. At 2 a.m I had enough and when he took a little break put him back into the bathroom. He had toys, water,food and his litter box there. I could hear him with earplugs ! And he managed to find a spot without foil to try to open the door. He also seems frustrated as I found fur on the floor. He's a medium hair mix, I think he does that out of frustration in the night.

Now he is extremely social. Where we are,he goes. In the daytime that is. Literally from room to room. I tried to engage him more into play,but he won't move,only swat! Which is fine, but I think it would help with night times.

They told me used to be an indoor/outdoor cat. Could it be that? He has been at the shelter for 2 months.

Also,he purrs all the time but with tail switching. He wants to be touched and will rub his head on us,but seems agitated at the same time. He hates being brushed and tries to bite the brush.Not good with the long fur. I could not brush anywhere close to his abdomen yet, that includes the legs. He tolerated tail brushing for a few seconds.

Any suggestions? We're tired . I have a vet visit scheduled for Monday.

[October]

I can only really comment on the brushing issue. Murphy did the same thing when I tried brushing him (probably for the first time in his life, as a short-haired cat), and his first response was to try to bite the brush. Little by little he got used to it, and how he doesn't bite it at all. So I think that one will just be a matter of getting her used to it. The other areas, I'm sure people will comment on.

Good luck with your kitty! It sounds like she wants out of that bathroom, that's for sure. No reason she couldn't roam the house, is there?

[Elektra]

Originally Posted by October

I can only really comment on the brushing issue. Murphy did the same thing when I tried brushing him (probably for the first time in his life, as a short-haired cat), and his first response was to try to bite the brush. Little by little he got used to it, and how he doesn't bite it at all. So I think that one will just be a matter of getting her used to it. The other areas, I'm sure people will comment on.

Good luck with your kitty! It sounds like she wants out of that bathroom, that's for sure. No reason she couldn't roam the house, is there?

Right, I let him out but only took him back when we weren't sleeping at all. He's not in there during day time at all.

[Elektra]

Oh and I think he must have had the brushing issue at the shelter,too, as he has like a felted lock under his belly. He lived in an abandoned house for a while. Anyway, the more important issue is to get some sleep

[Olivers-Slave]

do you have to keep him in the bathroom at night or outside of your bedroom? My cat can't stand when I close the door even to go to the bathroom and is instantly meowing and scratching at it only to leave as soon as the door is opened. My cat is pretty independent, likes about 5 minutes of petting a day. But he also HAS to have access to me 24/7 to feel comfortable. Doesn't mean he is with me 24/7 usually hes in the second room sleeping on the top of the closet. But if he is out of there he wants to be in the same room with me at all times...mind you no touching, just wants to be in the same room.

When we sleep he doesn't even bother sleeping with us and goes to the second room but if we close the door he will meow till its open. (unless its cold then he will want under the blanket too the wierdo)

He was a shelter kitten when we adopted him and he figured out the litterbox right away. So you can probably let him out and he will use it if he is already using it.

Anyways the whole point of all that was...yeah he just may not like being locked away if you let him out you'd probably save the door, save your ears, and get decent sleep.

Just a theory but if it isn't a problem letting him out it may be worth testing

[Elektra]

It's unfortunately not really an option because my husband has a lot of allergies and we want to keep the bed(room) cat free to not trigger a cat allergy ( shelter recommended that,too). You have a point though,I will leave our daughter's bedroom door open and see if he likes that.

Again, he's not in the bathroom now and doesn't need to be unless he keeps everyone awake .And he uses the litter box just fine indeed.

[GeorgesMom]

Brushes don't work very well on a long haired cat. They just skim the top surface of hair.

What you need is a good quality (stainless steel comb with no rough edges to snag fur) comb. Mine were made in England and set me back $10-15 bucks each, but are in like new condition after years and years of use (I have showed cats on and off and longhaired show cats have to be immaculately groomed).

You don't have to get top quality but they should be good quality, stainless, and have all rounded, smooth edges (no cheap stamped combs)

They are sometimes referred to as "Greyhound" combs:
http://www.groomersmall.com/images/R...bs-9091-lg.jpg

[Olivers-Slave]

how allergic is allergic? I am allergic to animals (dogs and cats). Just being in the same house my eyes get semi puffy, red, water up and a stuffy runny nose. BUT I also get used to animals I am in proximity regularly. It only works for that individual animal but I had allergies with Oliver for about a month (slowly goes away) then nothing unless maybe I pet him then rub my eyes and they turn a lil red. But if you are going to have the cat around for a while you may not even have to worry about your room if you make him have regular contact with the cat.

edit: so if it is mild allergies may wanna try it

[Elektra]

Originally Posted by Olivers-Slave

how allergic is allergic? I am allergic to animals (dogs and cats). Just being in the same house my eyes get semi puffy, red, water up and a stuffy runny nose. BUT I also get used to animals I am in proximity regularly. It only works for that individual animal but I had allergies with Oliver for about a month (slowly goes away) then nothing unless maybe I pet him then rub my eyes and they turn a lil red. But if you are going to have the cat around for a while you may not even have to worry about your room if you make him have regular contact with the cat.

edit: so if it is mild allergies may wanna try it

Might be worth a try,but he doesn't want to risk it. My husband I mean. Right now I'm trying to keep him awake so he's more tired in the night. Pudding that is (the cat, yes the kids named him).

re:brush

I did order a zoom groom,the shelter told me the cats love it...might not be thorough enough for him? If that's all they used it might explain the knot at the stomach ( and where I'm certainly not allowed to touch). I'll see what the vet says and how things go,if he gets to knotted he might need to be sheared ( certainly not by me )

[GeorgesMom]

Cats do like the zoom groom and it works great for short hairs but it would have not been remotely enough to keep any of my longhairs from matting. Depending on the cat it might work. But it does the same thing, really, it doesn't get down to the skin to seperate the hairs and pull out loose ones like a good steel comb.

Oh and almost no cat likes their belly to be combed (not combed thoroughly for loose hairs and matts). Not even mine. And they know better than to argue (mostly). They still protest. Just be patient but firm, kind but insistent. Don't expect to be able to thoroughly groom the whole cat the first time.