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Cat With No Joy

3K views 19 replies 6 participants last post by  bigjimslade 
#1 ·
I at the local shelter I deal with the cats that are not considered adoptable. The hope is that with enough attention some can become adoptable. All of these are cats that have been come from animal control. Some clearly are feral. Others probably had some human interaction. Still others are from hoarding situations. There are five of them sharing a catery. They exhibit a wide range of behaviors. Some will take your arm off.

I am looking for suggestions about what to do about one of the upper middle cats in the group. This cat came in as a vicious scratcher. After the usual treatment, she stopped scratching. In fact, she has no bad behaviors now.

The problem is that she shows no joy. It is like she has just surrendered to the inevitable. She is the only cat in the group who does not hide (the catery has lots of hiding places). She sits out in the open so that you can pet and brush her at will but she never purrs and never moves to show where she wants to be scratched. She just lets you do what you want to her.

She does not touch treats. I have tried canned fish and she shows no interest.

I've had cats in the will-inflict-harm stage for much longer. I've just never had a cat progress like this and then just stop progressing. Cats that came in after her and were even more violent upon arrival are in now the adoption pool.

She has been examined for medical problems with nothing found.

I'll keep petting her and brushing her but I am looking for ideas of other things that might get her out of her funk. She has been at the stage where she is almost adoptable for months.
 
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#2 ·
It sounds like you're doing everything right, and thank you for working with some of the more challenging cats. Talking to her and using praise could help. Some cats take years, but I'm sure you know this. She needs a reason to take the next step and expanding on the trust you already have could work. You may not see results, but she could be experiencing the beginnings of a thaw already.
 
#4 ·
thank you so much for working with the cats who need socializing. I find so much joy doing the same thing when the shelter I volunteer at needs it. it definitely sounds like you are doing everything right like the others have said. I don't know if the place you're at has foster parents that could allow her to go to an actual home to get a break from the community environment. sometimes that really helps them to open up and come into their own. it's possible she just feels a little lost without the ability to express herself properly in the group setting. if that's not an option, then if it's possible to spend a little more one on one time with her even while you're in the room with all the other cats, that might help a little.


does she react to catnip? can you try that with her? new toys? different treats like the others mentioned? does she like laps? how 'bout if you read to her? just throwing all kinds of suggestions out there.


I hope you can come back and keep us updated to let us know if anything works.
 
#5 ·
Some of these animals go into fostering before the adoption pool. I have asked about doing it for this one.

She definitely likes her space. There was one cat in the group who liked to share her general area. If he got too close, she would attack him. That cat got moved to adoption. He was not aggressive towards her. I think he just wanted to have company. Sometime he would accidentally get too close and she would attack him. That is the only fire I have seen in her. Now that he is gone, she has her entire area to herself.

(This male is suffering in the adoption cateries because other cats pick on him—another story).

Two of the five (the wildest of the bunch) sometimes sit right next to each other (I do not see any affection, they just tolerate each other). The other three hang out by themselves.

I have not tried catnip. I put a packed into my supplies to take.

She does not play with toys.

She will not sit in my lap. I can pick her up but she immediately wants down or struggles to get down.

I am trying to find some treats that she likes. I am going to take a trip to a high end pet food store to see if they have any recommendations. My car is full of canned sardines and cat treats (and cat toys and brushes).
 
#6 ·
Fostering sounds like way to proceed.
It may take a lot of time in a more relaxed setting to allow kitty to get more socialized.


My cat, Miss M had a terrible history in the shelter system. After she adopted me it took patience and time to get her comfortable with being a cat.
It took two months before she stopped hiding in the walk-in closet while I was at work. Six months before she came downstairs during the day.
Every victory with her takes a lot longer than it does with a "normal" cat.


Your cat may need a less stressful place to live and time to remember how to be a cat.
Most likely on her terms in her own sweet time. Good luck and report back.


And post pics.
 
#7 ·
I agree with getting her into a foster home if at all possible.

I was in this phase with Maisie for a long time. Like, for a couple of years. I don't think it necessarily is the case that she doesn't feel any pleasure from anything - she may just not feel safe enough to express it yet. With Maisie it literally happened overnight that he went from what you describe to acting like he was my cat... but it took a really long time for him to decide to trust me enough to do that.

I would just keep on keeping on. I know it's frustrating but I think the effort you're putting in will eventually pay off.
 
#8 ·
Yes, I adopted one of these. She was a scratching monster for about 6 months. Then she suddenly became a lap cat. However, she is the reason I don't volunteer to foster this one (mine would inflict stress).

Meanwhile, my car is now packed with a variety of treats.
 
#9 ·
her story just makes me want to adopt this little girl AS WELL AS that male who gets picked on. :-( I have a special place in my heart for the underdogs. it made me feel good when the shelter I volunteer at told me they like giving me the cats who need socializing or who are on "bite quarantine". a little quiet time with a patient person can really transform a cat. so praying the shelter can find a foster parent for her soon!


in the meantime, any chance of also bringing something like a special toy or little blanket or pillow that you rub all over her so it has her scent and her scent alone on it so she feels like she has something of her very own that is not community owned? and instead of leaving it there, you just bring it with you and take it away each time when you head home so no chance of the other cats marking it?


I've tried so many different treats myself. friskies, tempations, pounce, freeze dried salmon or chicken/turkey, greenies, bonito flakes, etc... hope you find something she really likes.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
He (I use the pronoun because his proper noun changes on me) is but he can do some surprising things when he is scared. Apparently in fear, somehow he climbed up to a 9' high window sill in a cinderblock wall in a catery.

The first time I met him was doing my usual cat inventory upon entering the catery. I peeked in his hiding place and he shot out like a missile and (literally) started climbing the walls in panic. But I had him purring like mad within a few hours.

Some of these cats do silly things that get them condemned out of the adoption pool.

I have one who gives vicious hisses and growls when you come up to her. She sounds like she will scratch your eyes out. But if you just ignore those sounds and pet her she starts purring. She has never done anything violent but she scares people.
 
#13 · (Edited by Moderator)
I know what you mean! You gotta have a good amount of courage and confidence to do what you do. When my shelter gives me my fosters, sometimes they scare the bejeesus out of me telling me what to expect. I've certainly collected my share of scratch wounds and bites, but some of these kitties surprise you. The one I do want to adopt right now was given to me because he did bite a staff member and I was told he is easily overstimulated and will bite and scratch. They actually told me to have AS LITTLE contact as possible with him for at least 10 days. told me to just bring him his food and water and clean his litter box mostly. But...well you all know how it goes. ha ha! as soon as I got him home, I sat down on the couch and he immediately ran over to me and leapt onto my lap and promptly fell asleep. I was stuck for at least 2 hours right away. he is now the gentlest cat ever. lets me touch him everywhere, clip his claws, sleeps with me, has to be next me all the time. I'm hooked.


thanks for the pics too!!! I love them! they're beautiful!
 
#15 ·
aw darnit. : ( so the gray and white one is the the girl who shows little emotion, right? the other one is the boy who gets picked on? what are their names, anyway? would love to know.
 
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