I figure this goes here, since it's about behavior.
Years ago when I was looking for a new baby to bring home, I went to our local no-kill shelter with the intention of bringing home an adult cat as a companion for my one girl kitty.
I brought home Marquis. He was a plump little man, about 5 years old. He had lived at the shelter for the last 3 years, having been captured as feral. He lived happily in the shelter the whole time, was very friendly to all of the other residents there. He was territorial, being the alpha and all, but "fair."
The day after I brought him home, he went insane. Like, literally. He yowled and hissed and backed into a corner. Any attempt I made to come within 10 feet of him and he would turn into a demon and lash out. I couldn't even be in the same room with him, even ignoring him.
I put my girl kitty in my bedroom and closed her in there; I thought maybe it was just stress of the new surroundings and all, but nothing changed. Even the next day, nothing had changed. I called the shelter and they told me to bring him back; they hadn't ever witnessed this behavior but they thought he might be happier at the shelter.
After a couple hours and many, many scratches, I finally managed to trap Marquis by throwing a blanket over him, wrapping him up and putting him in the carrier. It was even an ordeal to unwrap his head so he could breathe.
When I brought him back, he just jumped out of the carrier, went to his "place" and laid down. I was dumbfounded.
I did eventually bring home my other babygirl Marble, and she's a doll. But here's the weird thing. Marquis never acted out in the shelter at all. In fact, they told me that he had been adopted again since I brought him back, and they returned him too, with the same problem.
The shelter told me they had taken him to the vet and the vet had diagnosed him with Feline Schizophrenia. Needless to say, he was a shelter lifer after that, lol.
So has anyone heard of this? For some reason, I'll never forget Marquis, and the diagnosis.
Years ago when I was looking for a new baby to bring home, I went to our local no-kill shelter with the intention of bringing home an adult cat as a companion for my one girl kitty.
I brought home Marquis. He was a plump little man, about 5 years old. He had lived at the shelter for the last 3 years, having been captured as feral. He lived happily in the shelter the whole time, was very friendly to all of the other residents there. He was territorial, being the alpha and all, but "fair."
The day after I brought him home, he went insane. Like, literally. He yowled and hissed and backed into a corner. Any attempt I made to come within 10 feet of him and he would turn into a demon and lash out. I couldn't even be in the same room with him, even ignoring him.
I put my girl kitty in my bedroom and closed her in there; I thought maybe it was just stress of the new surroundings and all, but nothing changed. Even the next day, nothing had changed. I called the shelter and they told me to bring him back; they hadn't ever witnessed this behavior but they thought he might be happier at the shelter.
After a couple hours and many, many scratches, I finally managed to trap Marquis by throwing a blanket over him, wrapping him up and putting him in the carrier. It was even an ordeal to unwrap his head so he could breathe.
When I brought him back, he just jumped out of the carrier, went to his "place" and laid down. I was dumbfounded.
I did eventually bring home my other babygirl Marble, and she's a doll. But here's the weird thing. Marquis never acted out in the shelter at all. In fact, they told me that he had been adopted again since I brought him back, and they returned him too, with the same problem.
The shelter told me they had taken him to the vet and the vet had diagnosed him with Feline Schizophrenia. Needless to say, he was a shelter lifer after that, lol.
So has anyone heard of this? For some reason, I'll never forget Marquis, and the diagnosis.
And congrats to Marbles, who found her perfect home too.
I am a true believer that Big Boy is Schizo!!!!!! This is a cat with moods swings that never stop!!!! All day yesterday no one or critter could get near him without repercussion and lashing out.....he followed me all over the house only to pounce on me aggressively if i stopped moving!!! This morning he is as playful as a kitten and doesn't even mind the other fur faces!! This won't last....i know this....he is evil!!!! 
