Can You Change A Cats Personality???

Hi Everyone,

I am new here and in need of some help. Can anyone tell me if its
possible to change a cats personality??? A few years ago, I
rescued/adopted/took in, a male cat who was about a year old at the
time. He was raised and living in a elderly nursing home where the
people there would often mistreat him. I don't want to sound mean or
anything but most of the old people there were crazy and/or senial, and
they would abuse him. They would beat him with their canes, thow stuff
at him, spit at home, urinate on the floor at him and other stuff like
that.

As a result from this, he now doesn't like humans and is usually mean
towards people. With me, he is SOMETIMES friendly and will let me pet
him WHEN HE WANTS, but other times he just wants to be left alone and if
I try to pet him, he will try to scratch or bite me. When my nieces and
nephews come over the house to visit, if they go near him, he will
actually CHASE THEM away, as if it was like he was a dog protecting HIS
territory, and try to scratch or bite them.

I usually have him out on my enclosed front porch so that he can be by
himself and left alone but even out there he has been mean towards
humans!!! Everyday when the mailman/mailwoman comes and they put the
mail through the mailslot on the porchdoor, he sticks his paws and claws
through the door and swipes at their hand and fingers!!! He also jumps
up and HANGS from the screen door and hisses at the mailman/mailwoman or
anyone else that comes to the front door. A few weeks ago when I was out
at the porch, the maillady told me that she "has NEVER in her life seen
a cat like him, that jumps up and hangs from the screen and hisses at
her, like he is an attack cat or a tiger or lion ready to attack!!!".

So my question is, is there anyway to CHANGE his hatred toward humans or
will he probably be like this for the rest of his life??? Any
information would greatly be appreciated!!!!!

Thanks!!!!!

"MICHELLE H." wrote in message
...
Hi Everyone,

I am new here and in need of some help. Can anyone tell me if its
possible to change a cats personality???
With me, he is SOMETIMES friendly and will let me pet
him WHEN HE WANTS, but other times he just wants to be left alone and if
I try to pet him, he will try to scratch or bite me. When my nieces and
nephews come over the house to visit, if they go near him, he will
actually CHASE THEM away, as if it was like he was a dog protecting HIS
territory, and try to scratch or bite them.

I usually have him out on my enclosed front porch so that he can be by
himself and left alone but even out there he has been mean towards
humans!!! Everyday when the mailman/mailwoman comes and they put the
mail through the mailslot on the porchdoor, he sticks his paws and claws
through the door and swipes at their hand and fingers!!! He also jumps
up and HANGS from the screen door and hisses at the mailman/mailwoman or
anyone else that comes to the front door. A few weeks ago when I was out
at the porch, the maillady told me that she "has NEVER in her life seen
a cat like him, that jumps up and hangs from the screen and hisses at
her, like he is an attack cat or a tiger or lion ready to attack!!!".

So my question is, is there anyway to CHANGE his hatred toward humans or
will he probably be like this for the rest of his life??? Any
information would greatly be appreciated!!!!!

Thanks!!!!!

Poor cat, he has suffered much abuse and doesn't trust humans.
Well done for taking him in and giving him a kind home.
Some cats can be pet me one minute and leave me alone the next, even if
they haven't been abused and I think you have to respect that
and not insist on petting him when he doesn't want to be petted.

How old are your neices and nephews? Pets sometimes don't like children
if they are not used to them. If they are small, they run around and
make quick jerky movements which pets dont like.
I would stop them approaching and persuade him to approach them using
fishing rod toys or get them to feed him.

I would read Pam Johnson -bennets boks including Psycho kitty.
You could put a basket over the letter box in the porch to catch the post
and to protect the postie. Get people to drop treats through the letter box
so he associates the post coming with nice things and stop attacking.
You can modify his behaviour with time and patient and the right advice
Alison

MICHELLE H. wrote:
Hi Everyone,

I am new here and in need of some help. Can anyone tell me if its
possible to change a cats personality??? A few years ago, I
rescued/adopted/took in, a male cat who was about a year old at the
time. He was raised and living in a elderly nursing home where the
people there would often mistreat him. I don't want to sound mean or
anything but most of the old people there were crazy and/or senial, and
they would abuse him. They would beat him with their canes, thow stuff
at him, spit at home, urinate on the floor at him and other stuff like
that.

As a result from this, he now doesn't like humans and is usually mean
towards people. With me, he is SOMETIMES friendly and will let me pet
him WHEN HE WANTS, but other times he just wants to be left alone and if
I try to pet him, he will try to scratch or bite me. When my nieces and
nephews come over the house to visit, if they go near him, he will
actually CHASE THEM away, as if it was like he was a dog protecting HIS
territory, and try to scratch or bite them.

I usually have him out on my enclosed front porch so that he can be by
himself and left alone but even out there he has been mean towards
humans!!! Everyday when the mailman/mailwoman comes and they put the
mail through the mailslot on the porchdoor, he sticks his paws and claws
through the door and swipes at their hand and fingers!!! He also jumps
up and HANGS from the screen door and hisses at the mailman/mailwoman or
anyone else that comes to the front door. A few weeks ago when I was out
at the porch, the maillady told me that she "has NEVER in her life seen
a cat like him, that jumps up and hangs from the screen and hisses at
her, like he is an attack cat or a tiger or lion ready to attack!!!".

So my question is, is there anyway to CHANGE his hatred toward humans or
will he probably be like this for the rest of his life??? Any
information would greatly be appreciated!!!!!

Thanks!!!!!

Clicker Training for Cats. Yahoo site and book. You cannot change a
cat's personality. At least in 10,000 years, the cats are pretty much
the way they were before they decided to let people feed them. That
said, you can change bad behaviors. Clicker Training is about changing
behaviors. Generally it is for circus tricks but it can be used for
unwanted behaviors. Basically you are rewarding the cat for doing nice
things. Food is used for bribery. It can work but you have to be
persistent and do it simply and elegantly.

I am sorry to read your cat was abused. That's incompetence on the part
of the staff. Very incompetent since in controlled circumstances cats
have been used in retirement homes for good results.

But with patience, you should be able to make strides. The children
come too infrequently to make any inroads there. Animal trainers who
uses the clicker method should be able to guide you. If they train wild
400 pound tigers, I think you can train a little, but previously
unhappy feline. Look it up on the web, CLICKER TRAINING FOR CATS [also
other animals.] It's the same method used by Friskies in their
traveling circus. It's a little I don't know how to express it, but the
little cats do jump through hoops and are very well behaved. They are
bribed with soft food fed with soft baby spoons so their teeth don't
get hurt in their enthusiasm in gobbling down the food. It's too cute.
All those little cats running around jumping through hoops or sitting
quietly. I am not sure how pleased the cats are but they look okay and
not too bored.

MICHELLE H. wrote:
Hi Everyone,

As a result from this, he now doesn't like humans and is usually mean
towards people. With me, he is SOMETIMES friendly and will let me pet
him WHEN HE WANTS

I think this is a tuff one as only time can heal him.

Charlie gave me some good advice one time...about my female cat who was
actually scared of me...

Charlie told me, don't call her, or seek her out.. she may see this as
a threat... and push her further into defense.

What you're saying was also true of my girl, she would get sweet when
she got hungry.

but I also took those sweet times and brushed her before I fed her,
this gave us a little time to bond, say... 10 mins of brushing.. then
over a months time you've spent hours handling your boy.



worst thing is to become frustrated with him in this, he'll sense your
frustration and Im sure it can only make things more rigid.

resolve that it's going to take time, and realize, it is impossible for
him to not reciprocate your love at some point...

if it's just him setting on one end of the sofa while you're on the
other end.

Let him know you are content with whatever degree of closeness he is
comfortable with, he will appreciate your patience and hopefully soon
dismiss the idea that you're going to abuse him.

Good Luck!