Reptile & Amphibian Forums

We got a calico kitty from a shelter in March; she's about five and we spayed her when we got her. Initially, she was very ill for a few weeks and had to spend some time at the vet. It was, along with the moving into a new home and whatnot, a pretty tough time for her. It also seems like she has been either mistreated or just not handled very much when she was younger, because she doesn't like to be held at all. So that's the background.

She has become leaps and bounds more comfortable here since we brought her home, but she's still quite erratic at times. She gets in these crazy moods where she will just follow us around meowing incessantly. When we figured that she doesn't want food, water, treats, etc, it seemed that she wants attention, but she still seems uncomfortable when we lay down and pet her. She always moves a foot or two away and then re-situates herself, only to immediately look over and wonder why we stopped petting her. We usually just end up scooting all around the floor after her just to calm her down. It's like she can't just relax and accept the doting.

Also, while she does drink water out of her bowl at times, she really likes to drink from the bathroom sink. Sometimes she just sits on it and waits until we run it for her, instead of drinking her completely fresh and cold bowl water.

Another odd thing she does is just get terribly hyper. She runs around the apartment knocking herself into things and meowing like a wild banshee. My boyfriend (a little more worry-prone than I am) always gets very concerned when he does this. I don't know if this is normal cat behavior, but it is seriously like she's possessed. Maybe something to do with her childhood - we'll never know.

So lately, I've been wondering if she maybe needs some extra love from another cat. She may have lived with others previously, but she was horribly unfriendly to the one cat we introduced her to. Maybe just because he was unfamiliar? We were thinking it might be a good idea to get a male kitten and slowly introduce them to each other. But then I look at her sometimes and get so worried that that would make her feel less loved by us. It seems like she hasn't had enough affection in her life, and I only want to introduce a friend for her if it will make her happier and more comfortable.

Does this seem like something cats do when they are lonely? Or maybe she just needs more time with us? Or she just seems like a sort of nutty feline and that's ok? I just worry about her so much because of how fragile she is, and how terribly sick she was at first.

Hi There,

I think I would wait a few months before seriously considering adding a kitten to your household. Your baby has been through so much and it sounds like she is just learning how to trust you. She needs more time to bond with you, yet she doesn't seem to know how to accept your love.

What I would do is spend a lot of time talking to her without touching her or getting too close. Gradually get closer and start letting her sniff your hand before actually petting her. It sounds like she may be hand-shy since she moves away from you when you try to pet her. Another thing that might help is playing with her using interactive toys. It's a great way to bond with a cat.

Many cats love running water, so it isn't unusual that your kitty likes to drink from the faucet. They think it's fresher that way, even if you have just filled her water bowl. I have a cat that comes running when I turn on the shower and she will sometimes get in the tub with me!

Getting the "crazies" is also a normal cat thing. It often happens late at night but can happen anytime. With 11 cats here it gets very interesting. Some of them act like they are being chased by something. They also seem to see things that we don't........lol

Your baby is also a calico and they can be strange, along with torties and torbies. They can be unpredictable and have a lot of what I call catitude. I love them dearly, though

Take care, and I hope all this is helpful to you.

Regards,
PHKitkat