I swear to you I have the craziest cat on the planet.

[Skip Intro]

She spent her kittenhood in a cage surrounded by big dogs, poor thing, But I've had her for over a year. She sleeps with me now. But she sits up at every sound and looks around. She reminds me of a prairie dog in that respect. But she also does it when we're not crashed out. She's jittery.

Beautiful cat. And I have kind of gotten to know her. Gotten. There's a word. Is that a real word? It looks so strange. Gotten. Ok, humor me on a tangent here...yep, a real word. Anyway....

I've tried a couple of times to pick her up, carry her around, and I did it. She let out a little yelp now and then, but man, if she's going to live here, she's going to be walked around. I guess. Maybe I'm being cruel to her.

But she's just crazy. She runs through the house growling. She just needs to calm down. I don't now any other way to calm her than to envelop her in my arms and walk her around. Let her see the rooms that are scary to her. There's really only one. She didn't like that tour. I let her down, and now she's out in the garage, plundering through something. She loves to do that.

But she's so jumpy, even when we're all chilled out watching tv. Even when she's curled up at my feet. She jumps at any sound. The heater, normal sound this time of year, but she jumps, looks around, I swear, like a prairie dog. Long neck and big eyes, just looking around for some coming terrible thing.

I just wish I could take her down a notch or two. She can't be happy, always on edge. And I'm evidently not the answer. But this cat is going to be with me for years and years. And it isn't a selfish request. I want her to slow down, to chill out, to know everything will be ok.

How do I make that happen?

[WillParkinson]

1. Keep doing what you're doing...

Eventually the calm will come.

[Bertha Venation]

2. Just keep loving her

I don't know of any way to calm her, although you might try a Feliway diffuser (google; am on my droid and don't know how to C&P).

Just the fact that you rescued her and are providing a safe and loving home is absolutely wonderful for her.

[siligut]

3. Feline PTSD

She is so much better off than she was. Continue to comfort her, allow her to plunder through things in the garage, let her become who she is, accept and love her. Time is on your side.

[MiddleFingerMom]

4. I inherited a cat that had been abused by its owner's housemate...

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...what had started as a 3-month cat-sitting gig turned out to be forever.
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She would not be held... she didn't cuddle... hell, the only times I could
even PET her was if I were real sneaky about it -- and when she realized
that I was TOUCHING HER. she'd bolt off to another room.
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I resigned myself to what was -- and didn't try to "MAKE" her do anything --
but showed her love and talked calmly and reassuringly to her often.
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One day, after having her for about 2 years, I was watching TV on the couch
and she jumped up and sat on the other end. Over the course of the next 10-15
minutes, she came closer and closer and closer until finally, she sat down
RIGHT next to me and leaned against my thigh. She allowed me to pet her.
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This became our "usual thing".
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I never could pick her up. I never could hold her. I never could cuddle with
her. But the progress she had made -- the calm and comfort she had found?
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Priceless.
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Be patient. Her life must have been one freakout after another surrounded as she was.
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Whatever she's capable of will come. But it takes time -- sometimes a LOT of time.
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[elleng]

7. That's a great story, MFM, will remember it.

[rurallib]

8. we had a similar one. Shetook about 5 years to come to that point.

getting her to the vet was something else. When I finally caught her if I didn't catch and lift in one motion she would dig her nails into the carpet so deep I couldn't lift. Then she would shed her hair. She was like a greased pig.
But then one day, out of nowhere she jumped on my chair arm and allowed me to pet her. A little.
It gradually became more to the point she would lay in my lap.

[applegrove]

5. When I got my monster he used to become enraged and attack once a week. He has since calmed down

and now does it once a month and only mildly. Pets do adapt in some aspect. Good luck with your little one.

[GoCubsGo]

6. As the others point out...

It's all about time and patience. And, FWIW, my 16-year-old cat still pitches a fit when I pick him up. It's like he's being killed. This happens even when he wants to get up on my lap and I'm helping him up. Once he's up, he usually quiets down. I think sometimes they just like to complain.

Something you might want to look into: http://www.feliway.com/us . You can find it at most pet stores, or buy it online. Even Amazon.com sells it. People say it helps stressed-out cats. Others swear by this: http://www.rescueremedy.com/pets/.