h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Having decided that we have room for another cat to be a possible companion for a younger cat who is a bit of a loner, we visited the cats home.
After a good look round there was a good looking white cat with grey markings who took our fancy, he was a year old and had been in the cats home since a kitten.
He look perfect fit healthy and been to the vets for the snip operation. So we decided to give him ago, it started well picking him up was simple, well picking him up was not absolutely correct he attached himself to an arm with teeth and claws. Good start the evil growl that he omitted rivaled an air raid siren.

Ten minutes he lost the struggle and went a**e first into the travel box, in the car and home. After driving home to the accompaniment of muttered threats of a fearsome revenge, we took him inside and put the cat box on the hall floor. All the other looked on in wide eyed horror and rapidly vanished.
Time to release he shot out of the box like a champion race horse and started an inspection of surroundings, with in 5 minutes he had chased off three of the other cats the others glared at him from the top of the bookcases. He then disappeared under the sofa easy to find due to him issuing manic growls and general threats.

Feed time came and went with a failure to tempt him to eat, by bed time he had migrated to an upstairs bedroom where we left him (under the bed) with food water and litter tray and a cat bed on the wooden floor. He went silent and we looked in several times and he was quiet and curled up on his cushion.

In the morning he was up and awake an so was his mood an attempt to stroke him was received by a swipe of a claw that would be envied by a ninja and he coughed. Ok matey down the vet check up, the vet asked us to take him into the examination room.
We did warn her but he was to quick for her, we had to take the box apart to get him out.
The cough was diagnosed as hair balls medicine was supplied and he liked it, strange cat.
Now could you clip his claws says me pretending we had no clippers. First claw was difficult but with three of us holding him down one up to us!
Cats learn fast, claw 2 was a disaster he released he was being disarmed, and he was going down fighting it took two vets to defeat him, it cost them several scratches and one good hard bite. Must admit he did put up an epic struggle.
It appears that his mood with us improved as we did not inflict the defeat on him and his mood has become more mellow with us and the other cats.
An interesting 24 hours, more later.

Its a challenge but never say never I think there are signs of hope, and the scratches are starting to mend.

If we succeed he will be a very good cat the signs are there.

Wearing a diver's dry suit top & gloves can help.

worth a thought he is in a reserved and thoughtful mood at the moment and has more appetite so eating better

Good luck! I'm sure he'll get used to his new home.

Once reduced to purring, the crisis is over, mostly.

After good night in a bedrroom with only human company, and time to rest and think, with added titbits. He is calmer we appear to be no longer on his hit list. Good and plenty of choice three types hard and soft offered in small quantities served like a buffet has helped. He favours a dry food with a ginger cat on the packet.

Still bites the hand that feeds him I had to un hook him from my arm twice in the morning and once this afternoon. Top tip if they wont let go flick an ear repeatedly they soon drop off.

Still prone to take a swipe if he is stroked. Very suspicious of the other cats but I think that will pass as over the time they have been together they seem to look after each other.
Good news Roxie a small blackish female cat from Montreal, Canada, was picked as target. He rushed up to her and stopped a few inches away, growling and was just about to attack? Good girl she rose up on her rear legs and rained several hard blows on his head with her front paws. He backed off and she just sat there and gave him a "come on then if you think your hard" enough look. did he? no well at least he is not stupid.

House training is coming on he has almost stopped random deposits now, we have one tray per cat plus one and plenty o room to put them.
The suspicious mood has lessened and he has had some special attention and there is some trust seeping through the manic behavior.
After the doubts of yesterday there are a few hopeful signs. The good thing is there have been no cats scratched, people yes 2 vets and us.

This morning it seems to have released that no one is going to hurt him, he is still cautious and with help he joined in with the daily routine. There is still some dark muttering going on, but today he came up to sit on the back of a chair some was sitting on just for the company, and he obviously felt save. He was there or over an hour and he gave us a purr, though he still dislikes being picked up and bites if he we do not let go. So we are more confident for his future if this surprising progress continues. The other cats however are not quite so sure.

More tomorrow.

News Flash - Cake Burglar
Immagine a packet of sponge type cakes individually wrapped on the table, one removed awaiting a coffee to arrive.
What could be best described as a whitish blur jumped over the table, whilst still in flight snatches a wrapped cake (approx size 3" x 2") and hit the floor at a run and muttering manic growls of defiance.
Managed to grab now static blur cake unwrapped and half eaten retrieved and tidied up cake crumbs only to see the said cat shaped blur heading up the hall with "2 more" wrapped cakes in mouth.
Fortunately Basil the black cat blocked his way, and unfortunately for our thief the act of hissing at Basil made him drop the cales, he retreated muttering dark threats.

Its been 2 hours now and he is still in a bad mood growling at me and Basil, maybe I shouldn't have given Basil the remains of his first cake.

Not wanting to be complacent vet tomorrow check him out for feeding problems worms and the like.

It sounds like you've bought Billy Idol in cat form.

"I'se CAN have cake!"

Cat training point (operant), when I had the local troop of feral cats hanging about, though they were constantly catching kangaroo rats, dragging them home and releasing them, alive, presumably against a rainy day, they only ate the birds they caught.

Even with the dry kitty kibble I left out for them, they ate the yellow (poultry) kibble bits first.

When they ran out of local wild birds, they moved on.

So for rewards, if perchance the cats do something one want them to repeat, I'd suggest one can scarcely do better than to allow them a chicken nugget.

I'm still trying to work out whose ear you flick.

(Post 8)

The offending cat's ear gets a flick just on the tip, it just causes them to stop and think.

(post 11)
He is not a French peasant

He slept well last night and today he has been fairly normal (if a cat can be normal) quiet and the no sign of bad temper.
He has become a different cat, the kibble tray daylight hours access has proven a good idea it seems to have calmed them all.
He still has the occasional temperamental flash of violence (I dont want to be picked up!) but now occasional.
So the good news today he is a different cat, I do think we have found the off switch to his suspicious temper tantrums. That took less time than expected, we did try a vapouriser recommended by the vet to get them all to chill, Basil the black cat sat next to it inhaling it with a groovy hippy expression, I thought they were just a fad but it dose appear to be otherwise otherwise.

So fingers crossed the job is almost done happy days

Thanks for your interest everyone more news will be posted as it happens.

...like training an infant, making a pleasant fuss and offering a reward reboots the cycle and starts it over...

He has reached that point where he feels at home things will develop from here

Cats are not as biddable as dogs, but on sheer diversity of personality traits and special talents, they've got dogs beat.

They usually level off after the first 3 days in a new home.