Hi There,

First of all, I do believe that the problems Halifax is having stem from his difficult start in life. Losing his mom early on is very hard on a kitten, and kittens that grow up alone often have behavioral issues. They lack the interaction with mom and other kittens so that normal development is almost impossible.

I think you have to accept the fact that Halifax will always have some issues. Then you can start working with him in hopes of seeing some "improvement" in his behavior. Cats are the way they are because of what they have gone through in their lives, just as we are.

Bonding with humans will always be difficult for Halifax, which may be why he hates your boyfriend. Jealousy is definitely an issue, for not only Halifax, but the boyfriend as well. Try looking at things from the cat's point of view. He has been banished from his bed most nights and his place has been taken by a stranger who also wants your attention. Plus there has been a kitten added to the household. I would not recommend adding a kitten when there is already so much tension in the house, but you have already taken him in.

Halifax becomes overstimulated when he feels he has had enough petting. This is not unusual in some cats and it's not something that is likely to change. The key is to only pet him as much as he likes.......when you see him flicking his tail or his ears go back it's time to stop.

As far as spraying Halifax with water, yelling at him, or flicking him on the nose, please don't. These things are not going to help, they will only cause more tension and stress for Halifax. He is already dealing with so much.

It disturbs me that you have considered the possibility that your boyfriend has abused Halifax. To me this would be a huge red flag, even though I know he has denied touching him. Even intentionally scaring a cat can be abuse. There have been times when I have looked back and realized that my cats had more insight than I did and I should have listened to them.

I am a vet tech in a cat hospital and I would probably be fired if I refused to do something for an aggressive cat. The assistants where you go need some serious training. We even have feral cats come in on a regular basis and rarely are hurt by them.

If you do decide to try medication on Halifax, ask your vet about clomipramine. It works very well in cats.

Regards,
PHKitkat

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