I am on day 5 of a 19 day sit for a single 9,5 year old female cat in a small 4th floor appartment. This is my 11th cat sit, and as a former cat owner, I know them a bit by now. The cat clearly suffers from a petting agression problem (not my first cat with that) but rather serious. i wait patiently until she shows signs that she wants some petting. But in most cases, after a few strokes of the head or chin, her front paw (with claws!) swaps my hand away (i have quite some scratches by now). I know in general how to handle this, but i also have the impression that she is not happy. She has no place to scratch (except the sofa), is very hard to get to play (hardly any toys), has no âown placeâ even though she seems to own the sofa (almost the only sitting place in this small appartment), she wants to go out on the balcony (which the owner does not want-balconies are running all around the building but passage for a cat is the narrow dangerous handrail). She rests/sleeps all day on the sofa. She has access to the other rooms but seems not very interested. There are also no free âupper spacesâ (too mutch stuff for too little space)like cupboards to get on. My impression is a bored and maybe frustrated cat, but i can be wrong. My one previous experience with an appartment cat was comparably bad. I feel unhappy because I think the cat is unhappy. I would be glad to hear your own experiences for comparable situations and how to handle them
Hi @markhellemans
As a bit of a cat daddy thatâs been around over a 100 cats and volunteered at a cat shelter I think youâve nailed a lot of issues here.
If she was my cat Iâd have a vet check to make sure thereâs not an underlying illness that is making her lash out. If that was clear it sounds like she has bad things happen in her past with hands. She may get used to petting and not lash out but in my experience this could be a reasonably long road.
All cats need a scratching post unless their nails are regularly clipped as they can get long and splinter if not.
Most cats like somewhere high up to go as high places are usually where a cat goes for safety.
Not wanting or knowing how to play sounds like the owner doesnât engage the cat tbh. So yes the cat may be bored especially as itâs not allowed to play outside either.
You sound very thoughtful and conscientious. Would you be willing to buy an inexpensive scratch pad and a couple toys to see if it helps? The owner may not realize their kitty is lashing out due to boredom. Not everyone is super empathetic to the needs of animals and many people seem to think cats are fine as long as they get food and water. Those of us who know and love cats know that is not true. Maybe you can help improve this kittyâs quality of life.
I agree that your assessment is correct.
In that amount of time I wouldnât change much except I would buy or create a new toy. I think many owners give up on toy buying but it seems like cats need new stimulation. Often I find that simple things I have in my suitcase- yarn, a stretching rope- is a fascinating new toy for cats. Or i buy something simple.
So true! My catâs favorite toy is a whiffle ball with blue tape wrapped around it. His previous favorite was a champagne cork. They are so easily amused LOL
I agree with almost all of what you said except that the cat may simply be too old for playing. My 9-year-old cat is very lively, but doesnât engage with toys any longer.
I have similar experience as you (@richten1 ) do with cats, and think that this cat is probably bored and under-stimulated for a long time. It is sad. Perhaps a simple box with a towel will give her a place to retreat to when she wants her own space.
Since there are 2 weeks left of the sit, i would probably buy a scratching pad and add catnip to attract the cat (with the HOs approval on catnip in case of allergies). If you want to try a toy, the one that I find the best is a Cat Dancer. It is very cheap and hopefully available in your area. Young cats and kittens are fascinated by it, and it may work for your charge.
As for the scratching, does she give you any indication that she wants you to stop petting her? For example, is her tail twitching or are her ears back?
I donât know if the cat is food-driven - but if the cat is, maybe a toy with a treat inside could be interesting. Could be an empty loo roll with a few treats inside and tuck in the ends of the roll so the cat would need to figure out how to get the treats out. Or a piece of paper, put some treats on it and roll and scrunch the paper firmly together. Might make a mess of paper, though. 
If it is successful. Or maybe the cat is really smart to get them out. Or, of course - canât be bothered.
It sounds as if this poor cat has been under-stimulated for 9.5 long years! You might struggle to get her to play or interact now, but itâs worth a try.
You canât change her lifestyle, sadly, but - as others have said - you can make some small changes for the duration of the sit. When we had cats, they too used to love the Cat Dancer and another favourite was those small white or grey mouse toys, though you could try things like tying a knot in an old sock (if you have one to spare) or getting some cardboard boxes from the supermarket for her to investigate. Cut doors in them and see if sheâs interested in exploring. A scratching post or pad if you can afford it would be a lovely gift for her snd something she might enjoy after youâve gone (and her pet parent might see her enjoying toys and take the hint). They also usually like thick hairbands, which you can stretch and twang.
You say sheâs reactive to hands. Iâd just stroke her once, then stop, but keep talking to her gently and tell her whst a good girl she is. You can possibly then increase to 2 strokes over the coming days, but always stop before she tries to swipe you (and always stop and turn your back if she does swipe you).
I feel sorry for her. Cats need mental and physical stimulation but it sounds like her life contains neither.
I would get some cheap toys, boxes etc and see what seems to stimulate the cat. Take videos of him playing and send to the owner a day or two before they return. That might inspire them to engage with him more.
As for scratching, some cats donât like rythmic stroking. My sisterâs cat could only tolerate two strokes. After that she was âENOUGH!â and tried to bite the hand that was annoying her.
@KChev
âboxes etcâ
I agree, a box left out lures many cats. Is there any cat nip ?
If the cat eats dry food, you could try sprinkling some of it on the floor and let him find and eat them. Our cats love that, and it does calm them down.
Poor cat! It might be worth offering the back of your hand, or even a fist, for a head rub. Iâve come across plenty of cats who dont like being stroked but love a head rub - maybe itâs also their chance to âownâ you.
Well, I suppose everyone here knows cats anyway. We had one like that (my ex still has her) who didnât like other cats, and who was very short-tempered when it came to stroking. One second she was fine, the next you had claws sticking in your hand; my pain threshhold seems to be sufficiently high, but she was (and is) no fun.
Wasnât a solo cat, wasnât harrassed, wasnât left alone, got more than enough playtime (which she mostly ignored)⌠I suppose some are just either traumatised or weird from birth (my ex told me sheâd always been like that).
Really beautiful cat; if you need a picture, just check out the Felix packages. I swear that looks just like her.
Anyhow - my experience with unapproachable cats is: They need to approach you first. So holding out hand or (with some, strongly preferred) fist until she bumps and working it from there is the best bet.