Georgie Girl Day One

It's been a looonnnggg time since I did any blogging but now I really do have something to blog about and record. Georgie is a 6lb Bengal package of trouble with a capital T. See Georgie isn't your usual fun loving, naughty, paper shredding, wall clawing, ornament destroying.. well okay they don't all do that but you get my drift.

No.. Georgie has a far worse problem she attacks people. In a shelter a cat like Georgie would not be alive for long and even for Great Lakes Bengal Rescue it isn't the best habit to have. Georgie has been in foster for a year now, she has already been adopted once, that lasted three months and with two attacks under her teeth and claws, Georgie was returned. We have exhausted all avenues, sanctuaries won't have her, because she immediately attacks other cats and it is very serious. We can't adopt her out, because we can't adopt out an aggressive cat.

Yesterday I get a letter.. you are the cat whisperer.. can you help Georgie? I said I would try, so after a trip to De Kalb today to pick her up at a gas station from her former foster family, LOVELY people by the way. Georgie came here. Another interesting fact about her.. she has no tail.. she looks like a Manx cat.. her mother ate her tail when she was born.. ouch!

Georgie HATED her new apartment. She spent the first half hour growling and snarling and hissing especially hissing at me every time I walked in the room. I put food down.. Georgie wouldn't touch it. I took her some treats, she got stroppy. So I have ignored her. A few minutes ago I went in the room and heard meowing, she was in the back of her cave, no hissing this time. So I picked up the food she had not eaten and took it away leaving her fresh water, litter trays, toys and plush comfy beds. I also have a Feliway diffuser plugged in so that we can work on her mood and de-stressing her.

I walked out tonight, turned off the light and left her.

What comes next? It seems that the times Georgie attacks are when there is something she does not like, perhaps the scent of another cat, or, when someone stops playing with her and she wants to continue. It seems to me that she is using Dominant behaviour so the steps I take will be to redress that balance. The first steps in that will be structured routine. Her environment is Bengal perfect. She has a window shelf, scratch post, toys, comfy bed retreats and a cave. Morning and night I will offer her food, none left down so that she understands humans bring her food and good things and she is dependent on that. We will also start a play session before supper at night that hopefully she will find interesting, stimulating and will wear her out!

Note some Cesar Milan ideas here?

Georgie is extremely smart and very energetic. She was turning cartwheels in her cat carrier today just because it was fun. She plays fetch with pencils and loves that particular activity. And it looks like she has been thoroughly spoiled. The problem is being spoiled right now is the last thing Georgie needs.. her life depends upon it.