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planetcupcake13 · May 20, 2011, 09:27 AM

I recently adopted two 6-year old Burmese cats from their original owner. The cats have lived together their whole life and are spayed and neutered. When I first brought them home, the male walked around the house for about an hour, checking it out, and then began wandering aimlessly and hissing and growling at the air, as if the house was out to get him. The female has just been sitting on top of her perch most of the time. Every time I go to pet the female, she meows every time I call her name and alternates hissing and meowing when I pet her, but she never attacks when she hisses, she actually is enjoying being petted. But the male, every time I go to pet him, he starts hissing and growling. But he will allow me to pet him a little bit but he hisses and just moves away. And the next day, the male is being very affectionate and wanting to be held and loved, but only in the back bedrooms, if I bring him into the living room he looks around and begins hissing at the air and goes back into the room. The female, only will tolerate being petted but not being picked up. They are normally very affectionate cats. But I have never seen this type of behavior before in any cat. Is this normal for this type of breed or is this just a weird way that they are dealing with their change in environment? And what can I do to make them feel more comfortable with the whole house and not just the back rooms?

Wondergirl · May 20, 2011, 11:06 AM

They may smell something that you can't smell -- maybe evidence of another animal that used to live there?

Give them more time. It sounds like they are already adjusting, now that they accept the back rooms and are more affectionate in general. Cats hate change. Just let them explore as they wish. Also, get down on the floor, lying or sitting, at their level and be still. See what happens.

Always talk to them; keep a running conversation going. Cats like to be told what's going on.

planetcupcake13 · May 20, 2011, 03:50 PM

Thanks for your information. That is very helpful. I'm just concerned about the hissing and growling when I'm petting them. It makes my husband a little jumpy when he is petting them too. And it seems that they are more comfortable in the smaller rooms than the larger ones like the living room. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this from their cats?

Wondergirl · May 20, 2011, 04:17 PM

Originally Posted by planetcupcake13

And it seems that they are more comfortable in the smaller rooms than the larger ones like the living room. I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this from their cats?

This is typical. Last Christmas, we rescued and brought indoors two outdoor strays/ferals that we had been feeding and socializing. The first few months, they lived on the enclosed (and warm) back porch and slept under my sewing machine. Our three cats mostly ignored them, and the rescues mostly ignored the "old" cats, but occasionally everyone hissed and growled at each other as the "old" cats passed through the back hall to go into the basement. By March, all cats were congregating in the kitchen for meals. Now, at the end of May, one of the rescues is still shy, but wanders around the house late at night when the rest of the cats are asleep. Everyone else acts like they've lived here since they were born.

As for the hissing and growling when you pet the cats, maybe just let the cats be for now until they find their own comfort levels. Let the cats come to you. Sit or lie on the floor and just be still. The cats will be curious and may walk on you or rub against you. Talk softly or even sing softly to them, but don't reach out to touch them. Let them be in control. Everything is new, so give them time. They'll come around.