So today, my mom and me took a stray cat that's been living around my grandma's place. My mom was really happy about it, since the only one who fed him was her. Grandma lives really far away, and the only times she got to feed him because of that was when she drove me to school. But since it's new years and vacation time, that would mean he would be left out all alone outside in the really cold Russian of a winter, with no food to boot.

So...that's why we took him in. We already have a cat, but we are gonna try out best to make them get along with each other.
We got him neutered today, bought him his own toilet and such.
The cat we already have is neutered too, but he was only neutered about a month ago, so his hormones haven't subsided 100% yet.

Anyways, right now I'm in my room with the stray cat beside me. [ We are separating our cat from him since they would just fight anyways. ] And I'm scared to fall asleep. Why?
Because when I laid down, he started staring at me. I petted him, but then he bit me.
A love bite, right? But then he started getting vocal, and it really scared me. In general he is very vocal though, and my parents and me are scared to even move or pick him up in any sort of way.

Am I being a sissy, or do I have a right to be afraid of a stray cat biting me gently and then making random noises?
In general, does anyone have experience with bringing in a stray cat into your home? How about if you already have a cat?

If the cat has only been in your home for a few days then it's probably still afraid of the new environment. It'll probably be a bit more feral than an animal you would have gotten from a friend or a pet shop since it's likely spent most of its life outside, and it may likely retain those traits. The biting sounds like it's just trying to play. The only time (outside of playing) I've heard of a cat attacking someone is when it hasn't eaten for a while and is getting desperate.

Some cats just like "attacking" and consider it a form of play, though the best way to subdue this sort of behavior in cats is to simply ignore it without punishment, thus allowing the cat to learn that this isn't what you consider "playful" behavior. If you punish them by yelling, swatting, etc. they won't understand this and will think you're playing with them. It may still retain this personality though, especially if it's an older stray that you have taken in. As long as the attacks don't become severe you should have no issues.

Also, you may want to introduce something that the other cat has been around/touched alot such as an article of clothing or a toy into the room that the new cat is in. This will help acquaint it with the scents of the cat you already have in the home and lessen any incidents that may occur if you were to simply put both of them in the same room and let them have at it.

Yeah I think you should give the cat a reasonable amount of time to settle in ( not sure how long that would be?)...untill you conclude the cat is too vicious or dangerious.
Also, nice to you to take in a poor stray when you could have easily ( I'm sure if here is any indication) picked up a friendly kitten.

To be honest, I read a Shivers book once about a killer cat named RIP. So if a cat started doing that. I'd lock it in my room and sleep in someone else's with the door locked and the dresser infront of it. But seriously, it's still new to it's surroundings, maybe you scared it.

Take it from some one who has and loves a stray.

We got Puff this time 2years ago, she did the same thing, except she bit me on my face. (I know right). She still talks alot for a cat but she did warm up to everything/body. Our old house was rlly a duplex and she got to roam and do what she wanted. The fact she's close to you, that says alot. Don't let it get to you, just treat her like a new member of the family, give her time to adapt.

Don't worry at all about the staring. Cats like to stare at people. They're weird. My cat stares at me all the time. Sometimes she sits above me and stares at me in my sleep and I guess I can understand how you interpret that kind of behavior as crazy (because if a human were to do it, it would be pretty crazy), but it's not that strange for cats.

You and this cat are strangers, keep this in mind. And you don't even speak the same language. Imagine if you were to take someone from another country who didn't speak a word of English and invite them into your home. You'd get confused a lot by the things they would say or do and there would be a lot of miscommunications as well.

You don't know this cat at all. My cat is really loud. She complains at the slightest thing. If I walk by her even sometimes she growls at me or if I do anything slightly that she disapproves of she'll let me know in this way. Some cats when they growl it means they're going to hurt you. Others are just loud and whiny and vocal like my cat. She makes so much noise. XD Sometimes she's really annoying. Whenever I pet her she growls a whole bunch and people think I torture my cat for that reason, but I know it's only because she enjoys being cranky and it makes her feel independent and strong to reject me while I am petting her in that way, but it doesn't mean she doesn't want me to pet her because when I let go and she's acting that way, she'll often stay put and keep growling. It's just the way she is and because I know her, I'm not afraid of her.

So give yourself time to learn this cats personality. I can't say for sure what the bites and growls and starings mean, but none of them are out of ordinary for a cat to do. Just be patient and get to know the cat and you'll start knowing the difference between when it's really mad and when it's just doing something else because it's easy to misinterpret them until you know them well.

I think you're more scared of the fact that you don't understand why your cat does these things than you are scared of that fact that it might be vicious, so give it time and you'll get to know it and be comfortable with it.

Like they have said, this cat was a stray, and strays are often a bit more anxious when they enter a house. And often they haven't had a lot of experiences with humans, so they don't understand your behavior and you don't understand theirs.

As long as the bites are not breaking skin I'd say the cat probably considers them love bites. Ignoring is one strategy you might try. Lets the cat know that when he bites, the attention goes away.

And how is he talking/making noises? If he's just sitting there, it could be just that, talking. Some cats just talk. I'd say as long as he isn't crouching, flattening his ears, and making to jump at you, he probably doesn't intend to attack you. My cat will put her ears back some, give long drawn out yowley meows, and her eyes will be as big as saucers when I annoy her to the point she jumps at me.

Anyways, the point is, since it sounds like he's just sitting there making noise, it's just his personality. Give him and yourself time to adapt to each other and you'll learn when the noises are annoyance/anger and when they're just him being who he is.

what i would do is give the cat its regular shots to make sure by taking them to the vet. and give the cat lots of love and let it sleep in a seperate room then you so your not scared!

I have a non-stray that does those same things. He's very chatty and likes to love-bite. I also have a smaller cat who will sit on my pillow and poke my face with her paw until I get out of bed. She's such a pain :lol:

I'm assuming the stray is vaccinated already, so you shouldn't have to worry about diseases from the bites. Cats rarely mean harm when they bite, so if your stray love-bites you and it does hurt, it's because the stray doesn't know the limitations of biting yet. If you get a painful bite, just pull your hand away and loudly say "NO." It may take a while, but it'll get the idea :)

My love-biter is still finding the boundary. He's gotten much better, but every once in a while he bites just a bit too hard and he gets a yelling. He doesn't like being yelled at, but it's the only way he can learn what hurts and what doesn't.

If you don't want the stray to bite at all though, the best thing you can do is ignore the stray altogether, or distract it with something else.

Of course you have a right to be afraid of the cat, you have the right to be afraid of anything you wish.^^ If you can't sleep with him around, just kick him out of your room -- don't be too afraid to think that you can't move him, remember that you're much larger and stronger than him and he really can't do you much harm. Just make sure you aren't forcing him into a room you're keeping the other cat in, and if you do move him from your room, don't let the other cat in unless you've already had him tested and given all his shots. You wouldn't want him to pass something horrible like feline leukemia on to your cat.

From the sound of what happened, it sounds like he's just nervous with you, though. If it was aggressive, it wouldn't have just been one bite, he would have continued attacking after you tried to take your hand away. Let him get used to you -- offer him treats and stroke the back of his head and his shoulders, but offer him your hand and let him approach before you try to touch his face, and don't try to rub his belly until he's really used to you touching him and rolls over on his own while you're petting him. He won't like it if you try to go for the more defenseless places on his body without his permission.
Also, if you're having trouble picking him up, make his acquaintance every time for a while, let him know that it isn't an attack, but that you're the one in charge, not him. Do it slowly, don't surprise him. Some cats never take well to being picked up, but he can learn to tolerate it if you teach him.
My mom has a stray that hated being picked up, then she learned to like it but would still bite and squirm while we lifted her and only settled once she was in our arms. Now she's fine with it, she knows what's going on.
The other cat she has right now is very old, so she hardly ever bothers having a problem anymore, but she was the runt of the litter, so she used to be very defensively aggressive. I was about five when we got her, so she thought she could take me, and every now and then she'd decide that she had to kill me and it took a third party to get her to lay off. I don't have a single scar left to show it though, so it just goes to show that there really isn't any damage they can do. And, y'know, it make take 20 years or so, but some day you'll have a fine old lap cat out of him.;)

Aww, don't be scared of kitty. I'm assuming if you got him neutered he also got his rabies and other shots. If that's the case, you're fine. Getting bit by a cat isn't fun, but it's not the worst thing in the world... You'll probably get used to it. :sarcasm: My kitty loves to bite. He can be such a pain sometimes, and bratty. If he doesn't get his way, he bites. XD But I love him. He can be a real sweet cat too. I don't let my cat sleep with me, mainly because I don't want him in my room because he gets into things he isn't supposed to, but I also wouldn't doubt he'd bite me in my sleep. As it is he prefers to sleep with my mom and she has problems with him when he does that with him waking her up and sometimes biting her. XD So sometimes he gets locked in a room at night because of it. I have fallen asleep with him though and not had too many problems, but it's only once in a while that I do that. If you don't want to sleep with the cat in your room, is there another room you can put him in? Or can you switch cats? Bring your other cat in to sleep with you, and put the new cat out of your room?

Tip: If you need to pick him up or move him you can put something like a towel or small blanket over him. Cats won't move if they're covered. Then you can pick him up.

I haven't been in a situation like this one before but it's always good to be cautious right? Maybe you should talk to a vet about the situation and see if they have some tips. Good luck! :D

Oh, I too have a cat who loves to stare XD He used to hide under my parent's bed, but he got used to us, and now we're used to him. When I walk by him, he turns his head to stare at me, even when I go into my room and closes the door. It's kinda creepy, but cute at the same time. And sometimes he suddenly just runs trough the living room, and you can really hear him, 'cause he's a heavy cat! And his purring is really noisy. Sounds like a motor, when he gets happy =3
Oh, and he loves to bite. Like, really. Sometimes I wake up, with scratch marks all over my hand, even some in my face. I sleep too deeply.
So yeah, be afraid of your cat. Be very afraid.

I think he's being vocal, because he doesn't know why you are sleeping, and not giving him attention xD Well, i don't know how much attention you give him, when you are awake, but that's my guess. I think he likes youuuu!