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14wk male F2B aggressive adaptation to new home
- Thread starter schlieperk
- Start date
casper75
Savannah Super Cat
Something mush have really scared him on the way home from the breeder their is a product which you can plug In to a power point & It's meant to release a sent that calms cats down maybe give that a try & see if it helps.
schlieperk
Savannah Child
Time for another update and this time I actually have some good news. First a little history. I have not forced Diego to let me pet him nor did I neuter him yet. I spoke in depth with his breeder and the concern was that his behavior is not like a sexually maturing male, but more like a kitten that is just having a hard time with the change of territory. Furthermore, we decided that a tramatic trip to the vet would more likely cause him to be even more upset/unadapted.
I have done two things that seem to have helped dramatically. First, I believe that I was teaching Diego to be afraid of my hands by always trying to pet him. I would sneak in the occasional pat when he was distracted by a toy. He didn't like this and most of the time he would hiss or scratch me as a result. Also, this limited his ability to really have fun while playing. He was always keeping an eye on me!
So by not trying to pat him, he is relaxing and not as cautious when he is close to me. I am hoping that over time, he will initiate contact with me instead of the other way around.
The biggest change has come from me allowing him full access to the house. He is no longer confined to one room. He is very curious and explores the house at night. He is getting used to the other animals in the house, but still does not allow contact from them. He does seem much more relaxed and confident. He comes to join us in the TV room. He comes close and finds a place nearby to observe, but not too close yet. Amazingly, he does not seem to be phased by any of the comings and goings.
Things still may not be where I would like to be at this point, but I am encouraged by the progress that he has shown in the last 48 hours. I'm looking forward to what tomorrow may bring. For now, it's just neat seeing him out and about!
I have done two things that seem to have helped dramatically. First, I believe that I was teaching Diego to be afraid of my hands by always trying to pet him. I would sneak in the occasional pat when he was distracted by a toy. He didn't like this and most of the time he would hiss or scratch me as a result. Also, this limited his ability to really have fun while playing. He was always keeping an eye on me!
So by not trying to pat him, he is relaxing and not as cautious when he is close to me. I am hoping that over time, he will initiate contact with me instead of the other way around.
The biggest change has come from me allowing him full access to the house. He is no longer confined to one room. He is very curious and explores the house at night. He is getting used to the other animals in the house, but still does not allow contact from them. He does seem much more relaxed and confident. He comes to join us in the TV room. He comes close and finds a place nearby to observe, but not too close yet. Amazingly, he does not seem to be phased by any of the comings and goings.
Things still may not be where I would like to be at this point, but I am encouraged by the progress that he has shown in the last 48 hours. I'm looking forward to what tomorrow may bring. For now, it's just neat seeing him out and about!
M
MK Anderson
Guest
My Dsh female was dumped in our yard 5years ago. you really couldn't touch( a little bit), pick her up or treat from hand. We let her get use to us at her pace, never forced. It took a long time, I'm not going to lie(a good year or so). We would talk to her, sit on the floor with her and play with toys and just go about or business, would try not to make hard eye contact as we walked by. But know we can pick her up, pet her and she will even come get in our laps. She is definitely my hubby girls! Every cat is different I think hers was a trust issue!
You have made excellent progress, this is so exciting to hear! It may take months or years for Diego to be comfortable with physical contact, or he may never allow it. As with anything else in life we learn to accept and love what we have been dealt, and it is clear that you understand and embrace this. Diego is very lucky to have found such a wonderful home!
schlieperk
Savannah Child
Thank you all for your posts. I have very little to share from this past week. Diego is still roaming the house at times, but finds comfort in being able to retreat to his own space. He seems most active in the middle of the night. I am able to spy on him with remote cameras, but the mess that I find in the mornings pretty much tells the tale.
I think there is a dominance battle raging with our Egyptian Mau. I would have guessed that she would enjoy having him in our home more than the other cats, but she is actually being the most difficult. I know these things just take time. There is no contact between the two, just some hissing and the occasional chase. It is clear that she will wear the pants in this relationship even though he will be 3-4 times her size. I think the other animals in the house have accepted him and are happy as long as he leaves them alone. Still, I would be happier if he wouldn't leave me alone!
I think when he does come around, he is going to be very sweet and gentle. It's just going to take a very long time.
I think there is a dominance battle raging with our Egyptian Mau. I would have guessed that she would enjoy having him in our home more than the other cats, but she is actually being the most difficult. I know these things just take time. There is no contact between the two, just some hissing and the occasional chase. It is clear that she will wear the pants in this relationship even though he will be 3-4 times her size. I think the other animals in the house have accepted him and are happy as long as he leaves them alone. Still, I would be happier if he wouldn't leave me alone!
I think when he does come around, he is going to be very sweet and gentle. It's just going to take a very long time.
schlieperk
Savannah Child
Well Folks,
It's been almost 5 months since I posted an update on Diego. I'd like to say that it is because I am lazy, but unfortunately it is due to a very minimal measure of progress.
We are currently splitting time between Diego and "The Girls" as to who has free access to the entire house. We let the girls run for a while, then put them in their room and let Diego out of his. Diego enjoys being out and spends most of his time near my wife and I. He is usually around, but still will not let us get too close. We still cannot pet him or touch him in any way. Typically if we try to pat him, he will run off, but if he is sitting somewhere and we get too close, he'll hiss at us and stand up... completely on guard.
We did neuter him, which had zero change in his behavior. We also tried an anti-anxiety medicine (Buspar) for a period of time and that had no change either.
We're being patient with him, but would have hoped to see more results by now. He is now 10 months old.
The other problem we are having is that since we cannot handle him, we cannot cut his claws. His sharp claws and growing size along with his affinity for running across the back of our leather couch are leaving marks all over it. We tried a dose of acepromazine hoping to tranquilize him, but this had no effect on him other than to diminish his appetite.
The vet wants us to bring him in so that they can gas him and cut his claws, but that is such a tramatic event in his life. We're trying to get him to relax and trust us. I'm afraid that will only reset the clock on all of our efforts.
These are trying times at our place. Now to add insult to injury, we have not heard back from his breeder about his registration papers. The last we heard from her, she said it was due to financial difficulty. We're beginning to question her legitimacy and practices. Her cattery and contract were on the up and up. I met the mother and father along with siblings both litter mates and adult.
As always, I appreciate any insight and suggestions that any may have with these experiences.
It's been almost 5 months since I posted an update on Diego. I'd like to say that it is because I am lazy, but unfortunately it is due to a very minimal measure of progress.
We are currently splitting time between Diego and "The Girls" as to who has free access to the entire house. We let the girls run for a while, then put them in their room and let Diego out of his. Diego enjoys being out and spends most of his time near my wife and I. He is usually around, but still will not let us get too close. We still cannot pet him or touch him in any way. Typically if we try to pat him, he will run off, but if he is sitting somewhere and we get too close, he'll hiss at us and stand up... completely on guard.
We did neuter him, which had zero change in his behavior. We also tried an anti-anxiety medicine (Buspar) for a period of time and that had no change either.
We're being patient with him, but would have hoped to see more results by now. He is now 10 months old.
The other problem we are having is that since we cannot handle him, we cannot cut his claws. His sharp claws and growing size along with his affinity for running across the back of our leather couch are leaving marks all over it. We tried a dose of acepromazine hoping to tranquilize him, but this had no effect on him other than to diminish his appetite.
The vet wants us to bring him in so that they can gas him and cut his claws, but that is such a tramatic event in his life. We're trying to get him to relax and trust us. I'm afraid that will only reset the clock on all of our efforts.
These are trying times at our place. Now to add insult to injury, we have not heard back from his breeder about his registration papers. The last we heard from her, she said it was due to financial difficulty. We're beginning to question her legitimacy and practices. Her cattery and contract were on the up and up. I met the mother and father along with siblings both litter mates and adult.
As always, I appreciate any insight and suggestions that any may have with these experiences.
Julie
Savannah Super Cat
I am sorry to hear about the difficulties with our boy. It is very hard to deal with.
We were lucky as much as our second savannah was skittish with my husband for a few months, it took me almost 2 years, but he remembered his brother and thankfully our house could still function. It sounds like your house is really stressful right now which doesn't help.
As for your papers, my "breeder" pulled the same shit. 3 years later no papers. Don't hold your breath.
We were lucky as much as our second savannah was skittish with my husband for a few months, it took me almost 2 years, but he remembered his brother and thankfully our house could still function. It sounds like your house is really stressful right now which doesn't help.
As for your papers, my "breeder" pulled the same shit. 3 years later no papers. Don't hold your breath.