Hi,

I have a female young cat (just became one year old). I got her from the asiel when she was about 7 mounts old. She came from a family with another animal and they had to give her away because the two animals couldn't get along.

She adapted quite quickly. She was in the beginning extremely dependent and had to be physically close to you (like 1 meter distance). If you would go to the next room she would start miaowing.

Within time, I noticed more and more strange behavior in her. She maws a lot (for attention, if she cannot jump somewhere) and makes always noise when she jumps or runs. After she uses her "toilet" instead of moving the stones she scratches the floor next to her "toilet". If she cannot go outside she will maw constantly, repeatedly. If she goes too often outside, she becomes more wild and naughty. Outside she attacks young birds but never kills them. She rather leave them behind (suffering) and goes straight back home.She's also very much afraid of other cats. She is still very playful.


I notice also that if my morning routine changes, she becomes crazy and runs everywhere like some maniac.

I wounder if she suffers some kind of autistic behavior in the feline version. I don't think her behavior is quite normal.:confused:

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I'm no cat expert, though I've lived w/ them all my life... but it sounds like a kind of separation anxiety or failure to assoc with other cats. If the ones she was around didn't like her, then she might not have been able to learn just how a cat should act. It's a person choice, but I keep my cats indoors. I feel it keeps them safer. If your cat is not spayed, I definitely suggest it be done. If she's having these probs, her kittens may pick them up.

Except that it sounds to me like she is acting like a cat. Cats like to be around people, and it's common to follow them around. They don't all like sitting in your lap or being picked up, but I think every cat I've had has wanted to be in the same room with me. Some will meow if I'm somewhere else. My current cat does this, and all I do is call out his name and he shuts up. (It's like he wants to make sure I'm there or something.)

"Mawing" is perfectly normal. Some cats do not cover up their business in the litter box, and I've seen them paw outside the box. I've seen them paw outside a food dish too (especially if they're unhappy with the food).

Cats most definitely attack birds. It's not uncommon at all to leave them suffering. (Sad, but they do this.) I'm not quite sure why they don't finish killing them and eat them. Either because they're being fed by us humans and don't need the food, or because being domesticated and fed easy food for so long has either made them lazy, or even made them forget what they're supposed to do. (My one cat does sometimes chomp the heads off mice -- and then throws it back up.) But regardless, this is not uncommon. She doesn't know she's leaving them suffering -- it's not like she's being "bad." She's being a cat.

Becoming more wild from being outdoors -- don't know if I'd consider that "common," but it also doesn't surprise me. She's not really being quite as "domestic" by being outside -- she's more reverting back to her normal (wild) state. So it's not a surprise. And being timid of other cats -- very common.

Cats also like routine. They like it a lot. Some cats react to changes more than others, but they don't like change.

Rather than sounding like something is wrong with her, it sounds like you don't know how cats act. :) Unless something becomes extreme or harmful in some way, as far as I can see, she's just acting like a cat. They are pretty odd sometimes and that always surprises people who aren't used to them. Those of us who love cats, their oddness is part of what we like.

Just fyi: Apparently hunting and catching prey is pretty instinctive in cats, but killing prey has to be learned. And well-fed cats are better at catching prey than hungry ones. And yes, the cat sounds pretty normal to me, too.

I'm really in agreement here! :) it sounds like your kitty is just a healthy, quirky kitten. Growing up will relax her eventually. In the meantime, just enjoy how funny she can be. Is she part siamese by any chance? They are big meow-ers. They love to communicate that way. I should know - I had three of them.

I also had two persian cats, and both of them did what yours did with the litter box and in the hunt. They never really covered what they "made," but they would often paw the plastic bag, the walls or the floors instead. They also caught small animals every now and then, but I think they thought it was just for fun. It didn't seem that they understood that their idea of play was leaving the animals in a bad (or dying) state. Both of these things come down to what their moms taught (or didn't teach) them. We eventually learned that a collar with a little bell would save the other little creatures from such an experience because they could usually hear them coming.

Another thought: I'm from the US, but I live in italy, and I've come to realize that there can sometimes be different ways, culturally, of looking at pets. For example, we live in a major city in the north, and pets are seen in pretty much the same way as they're seen back home. But when we go to the south, where my hubby is from, it's a different story. Oftentimes, pets aren't seen as company that should be living inside the home. (funny story - we're getting a puppy, and my hubby mentioned this proudly to his mom. She asked, sincerely, "where are you going to put it?".) so maybe if you're from another place, it's just going to take some getting used to. But I can promise you that it's worth every single second you have with them!

I've become allergic to cats, which feels like a total curse to me because I'm totally crazy about them. I don't know how to live without one in the house. The last of my cats has recently passed away. Appreciate what a miracle you have! :)

Good luck!