Cat doesn't like guys

Orla K

This cat I found is really afraid of guys. My brother came over last weekend and he hid behind the toilet all weekend (the cat not my brother) I thought it might have been because my brother rang the bell before he came in, it's the most horrible bell and even makes me jump when people ring it.

My other brother came over today and it again hid behind the toilet until he was sure my brother was gone.

He hissed and spat at both of them if they came near him. With me he couldn't be friendlier, he rolls around the place in joy when I pet him but he acts like a feral cat when my brothers are here.

I'm guessing he doesn't like any guys not just my brothers. I've never seen a cat act like this, I'm wondering could it be because he was mistreated by a guy or could it be something else?

dee o gee

Our cat is like that also, except she doesn't like strange people in general especially those with loud deep voices which tend to be men! We got her from a shelter when she was about 5 months old, she'd been locked in a tea chest with another older cat and a few tins of food and dumped at the shelter, so we don't know her background of whether she was ever abused by anyone, even though I reckon she was possibly just not socialized and maybe even from a litter of wild cats which would explain why she's so skittish.

No matter how much I tried i could never get her to completely trust strangers. Even though I found it helped if they started playing with her, with a piece of string or one of those rod toys with things hanging off them, she'd eventually (after a long time) start to play but would still be very nervous. Also get your brother to lie down very still and quietly near the cat, but wait for the cat to approach him and don't reach out to him, bits of food will help also if its a very food orientated cat.

Possibly he might have been hit or kicked by a man before, but its probably just that since men generally tend to be bigger, and have louder and deeper voices, and women tend to be smaller and have a gentler way about us and a softer voice he's probably intimadated and nervous of men!!

Is this the cat that you found with a rotten tooth? Have you decided to keep him?

Orla K

dee o gee wrote: »

Is this the cat that you found with a rotten tooth? Have you decided to keep him?

It is him but it's rotten teeth not just one tooth

I'm still not sure about keeping him, he's lovely and would hate being in a shelter but one cat is probably enough for me. He's alot better now than when he first came, I think if he were to go into the shelter he wont be as good. The thing I find weirdest is that he was the completely different when I first saw him, he was rolling around on the floor letting me pet him.

luckat

My late cat was the same, poor little love. But once she got to know my son when he came visiting, she adored him and ran to meet him when he'd come in the door.

I had her a year or a year and a half, and she'd turned from being a poor terrified wooden little cat to being a social, happy cat when she died, poor puss.

Maybe give male visitors her favourite treats to give her, if they like cats. Mine was hooked like a junkie on those Vitacat sticks from Aldi - three or five or something for 79c.

Orla K

luckat wrote: »

My late cat was the same, poor little love. But once she got to know my son when he came visiting, she adored him and ran to meet him when he'd come in the door.

I had her a year or a year and a half, and she'd turned from being a poor terrified wooden little cat to being a social, happy cat when she died, poor puss.

Maybe give male visitors her favourite treats to give her, if they like cats. Mine was hooked like a junkie on those Vitacat sticks from Aldi - three or five or something for 79c.

I used to get some sticks in tesco only place I could find them were the cost was decent but they seemed to have stopped doing them. I may make a trip to aldi.