Animal Welfare Professionals

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

Maybe try using a longer object to pet her a bit. She may get used to the pets and start to be comforted. Hopefully you will then be able to eventually move to shorter object and then your own hand. 

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

Is there any way you can get her out of the kennel? Foster home, office, even a bathroom? Some cats just don't do well in cages and getting them out can make a world of difference. We've had several cats who were dangerous to work with when caged but when put into a room the aggressive behavior vanished. I'd also consider trying her on gabapentin to see if that will bring down her stress level, but ultimately I think the best thing you can do for her is get her out of the cage. 

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

100% agree with Samantha here. Best thing is to get her out of the kennel. Gaba may help as well, if it is kennel stress. Poking and prodding at her while she is in such a fearful state is likely only to increase her FAS, not lower it. Foster home is likely the best option but an office is also great if fosters aren't available.

Is there any way you can get her out of the kennel? Foster home, office, even a bathroom? Some cats just don't do well in cages and getting them out can make a world of difference. We've had several cats who were dangerous to work with when caged but when put into a room the aggressive behavior vanished. I'd also consider trying her on gabapentin to see if that will bring down her stress level, but ultimately I think the best thing you can do for her is get her out of the cage. 

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

Is there any way you can get her out of the kennel? Foster home, office, even a bathroom? Some cats just don't do well in cages and getting them out can make a world of difference. We've had several cats who were dangerous to work with when caged but when put into a room the aggressive behavior vanished. I'd also consider trying her on gabapentin to see if that will bring down her stress level, but ultimately I think the best thing you can do for her is get her out of the cage. 

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

Is there any way you can get her out of the kennel? Foster home, office, even a bathroom? Some cats just don't do well in cages and getting them out can make a world of difference. We've had several cats who were dangerous to work with when caged but when put into a room the aggressive behavior vanished. I'd also consider trying her on gabapentin to see if that will bring down her stress level, but ultimately I think the best thing you can do for her is get her out of the cage. 

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.

Hi Stefanie!

Here are my thoughts on your situation:

1. Do you know the cat's background, as in where she was before she was in a home? Was she doing well while living outdoors? How did she behave in a home? I wonder if there is a chance the cat is feral or semi-feral, and is struggling living indoors. Maddie's University has a great course on angry versus feral cats called  "Feral and Fractious Cat Handling" which I recommend checking out. It can help you evaluate the cat's behaviors and find a suitable living environment for her in the long run, whether that is a home, a colony, or a barn.

2. Has the cat been seen by a vet recently? Pain or discomfort can manifest into aggression. 

3. Does the cat have access to other cats or animals? The direct line of sight, sounds, and/or smells can be stressing her out if she does not coexist well with other animals. If she cannot be placed in a foster home with an experienced foster that is equipped to handle fractious behaviors, isolating the cat from other animals until she decompresses fully may be helpful, or she may need to remain isolated from others if she behaves better on her own. Isolating her can also help with human socialization.

I would try adjusting the environment the cat is in and reviewing as much background and medical information as possible first. Then, discussing with your vet potential routes of medication can help reduce the cat's anxiety if she must remain in a kennel.

Kennel environments are extremely stressful for any animal, as we all know, and I think the 3-3-3 rule is super important to keep in mind with new intakes. 

I hope this is helpful and I wish you all the best!

At our rescue we have a cat that has been with us for about two months and is just not doing well in a kennel. She swats and hisses at staff and just sits in a scared panic stage whenever you open her kennel. I am super patient with her and she lets me clean inside her kennel without swatting, hissing or biting, but she is still scared and doesn't trust us. I have tried treats and churu with her, and it doesn't help. She eats well, but only when we are gone. We covered her kennel when she first arrived to let her decompress, but it hasn't seemed to change her behavior. She was originally in a home and then found on the streets and think she must've gone through something awful. I was hoping someone might have some ideas of anything I can do for her to calm her down and gain her trust. She has never let anyone touch her and will swat and bite if she feels threatened. Any ideas would be great as I just feel like she isn't doing well in a kennel.