Hi-
My husband and I have rescued several cats, some feral, some not. My question to anyone, is that the last cat that we saved becomes moody, quickly irritable and bites. I am not sure if it the temperament of this particular cat, possible past owner (if there was one) and bad habits, or the cat has a wire crossed somewhere. I try not to aggravate the situation, but I am starting to worry about the aggression toward the other 5 cats in the household. How do I handle the situation? Before we absorbed him into the 'pride', no shelters or friends would take him. One vet wanted to put him down and I couldn't do it as he does have some good traits and wants to be with us. Any suggestions on body languages or aggression? Thanks.

I have a cat similar to that. One minute he is on my lap purring and next I go to pet him and he hisses. We had him for 2 years and brought home a female. For a long while he would always hiss and be aggressive towards her. After a few weeks they clean each other and then play fight. Usually I can tell by his tail if he is not in his happy mood he will have it flipping a mile a minute. I usually lay down some cat nip and he will mellow. I usually just ignore him and when he wants attention he will come to me.
Oddly enough he has never had a mood swing on my son.
It may just take him a bit longer to adjust with everyone. Good luck.

http://messybeast.com/images/cat-chat3.png Elle50 I know of another link that shows the whole body, when I find it I will post it. Hope this helps

I have a cat like this.If you bump into him and he's in a bad mood he will swat or bite.I have had him 7 years,and he is never going to change.I still love him,but I show caution when he's near my legs,and I keep my 3 year old away from him.I tell him that cat may bite,be careful.He was a feral cat that was capured at a hospital,and the vet fixed him and tried to adopt to a family,but he was returned for this reason.I brought him to my farm,because she was going to euthanize him because know one could handle him.He is 15 lbs. and is tough as nails.He likes to fight,and doesn't allow stray cats in my yard.My other cats stay clear of him,and a few appreciate having him as a protecter.:)

I got my parents a female cat just like yours. Unfortunately, they are older and don't heal well. We had to declaw her & "defang" her(file down her I teeth). Some may think this is cruel, but it was that or put her down. No one else would want her because she was so mean. It is hard to tell when she is playing or not. My parents love her to death & didn't want to give her up so we had those procedures done. Now she's the perfect cat. If you decide to do this, make sure you find a vet who is real good with teeth. She is a happy & healthy cat now. This is just a suggestion for your cat so it:) can co-exist in your family.

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Originally Posted by elle50

Hi-
My husband and I have rescued several cats, some feral, some not. My question to anyone, is that the last cat that we saved becomes moody, quickly irritable and bites. I am not sure if it the temperament of this particular cat, possible past owner (if there was one) and bad habits, or the cat has a a wire crossed somewhere. I try not to aggravate the situation, but I am starting to worry about the aggression toward the other 5 cats in the household. How do I handle the situation? Before we absorbed him into the 'pride', no shelters or friends would take him. One vet wanted to put him down and I couldn't do it as he does have some good traits and wants to be with us. Any suggestions on body languages or aggression? Thanks.

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A lot of times a feral cat will always remain feral, especially if they are fully mature. Sometimes they can become semi-tame, but just like a wild cat, they will retain the traits that help-ed them survive.