So far he doesn’t have a name, apart form “Oiyoulittleshitstopbitingme!” and “Dontscratchtheiryoulittlesod!” as I’ve only had him since Saturday night.

He’s a 9 month old male with his bits still attached, although if he carries on like he is, I’ll be removing them for him!

Anyway, it appears as a first approximation that he’s afraid of the dark. I’m guessing this is not normal for an animal that can see significantly better in the dark than I can?

If I turn the landing light off when I go to bed, he starts meowing, pawing at the carpet and backing himself up into a corner and looking less than impressed with the world. When the light comes back on, he’s as happy as larry in a couple of seconds, and quite happy to shit on my rug whilst staring me down.

Suggestions, that don’t involve euthanasia (for me or the cat) are most welcome!

He’s breaking you in and establishing who’s boss, your his bitch now…

Leave the light on.

Squirt him with a water pistol when the lights on, stop squirting when it’s off. He’ll either start liking the dark or hate the light as well…

Ghosts innit?

Big, scary ones.
Do you live on a farm? Could be a poltergoose.

Btw, looks like a Dave to me. Possibly a Barry.

Bowie Cat!

Makes an awful whining noise every ten years?
Your spot on with the eyes though. 🙂

Sure he doesn’t just want attention? One of our cats is very needy and cries to picked up and stroked. After a while they learn your routine and if you leave then shut downstairs at night, he’ll just get used to it.

NB Best to get his bits cut off, there are far too many stray / unwanted cats around and he’ll make a more sociable pet without them…

He does look very cute!

Tell him to CTFU!!

It might not be the dark. You’re trying to attribute rational behavior to the most irrational creature on the planet. All cats are as mad as a box of frogs. He’s just after some attention. Just leave him to it. He’ll soon settle down. He’ll be fine.

Oh… and get his tackle off. They become a lot, lot calmer

Tell him to CTFU!!

This and then…

Best to get his bits cut off, there are far too many stray / unwanted cats around and he’ll make a more sociable pet without them…

And then…

Btw, looks like a Dave to me.

I also think he could be a Phil or maybe a Tony…

What Khani said 🙂

Where is he sleeping at the moment ? We found it good to have 2 doors between tall people who might want to sleep in past 5am and our kitty overlords who though that sleeping in was a terrible sin.

If he’s happy with being cuddled by you/feels safe around you, wear an old jumper for a day then stick it in a basket in the kitchen, close kitchen door and bob should be your uncle.

binners – please explain why a male cat becomes calmer when you confiscate its fishing gear. I thought that would make it somewhat irate. Some of those carbon rods can cost…..oh – I see what you mean…

It sounds like catatonic schizophrenia to me.

cranberry – Closing doors is all well and good until the little sods learn that they can jump on the door handles, and hang off them until the door opens.

They’re evil!!!

Could you not sellotape a little petzl to it’s head?

Cheers for all the responses.

His bits are professionally coming off as soon as possible, the vets reckoned on leaving him to settle for 2 weeks after rehoming before dragging him in. If he keeps crapping on the rug, they’ll be off sooner!

I don’t think his response to the dark is attention seeking behaviour. When he’s wanted company, he’s just stood at the top of the stairs (he was frightened to come down for most of Sunday) and meowed at me from there, not this backing into a corner and pawing and the ground effort. That and the fact that it stops as soon as the light goes back on, and starts straight away when the light goes off. I left him howling and meowing for about 5 minutes to see if he’d calm down before I went and turned the light back on for him. He’s training me well!

He’s quite happy to be stroked but wont let me pick him up yet. He’s currently sleeping on the landing, as that’s where he seems to feel most comfortable. I don’t actually have 2 doors to keep between me and him! He’s got an old towel to lie on, and there’s one of these feliway/snake oil defuser things running next to where his bed is.

Chops his balls off. It’s the only way.

Could you not sellotape a little petzl to it’s head?

I now have bits of sandwich in my keyboard! Cheers for that 😆

I think we have a solution!

One of those hand crank torches might help.Looks a reet evil little trouble maker.And i agree you are now owned

Sudocrem and carrots.

Looks a reet evil little trouble maker

Yep, pretty much… 🙂

Plug a night light into a socket on the landing?

He’ll probably settle down in a few days.

He’ll be ok soon enough…

Squirt him with a water pistol when the lights on, stop squirting when it’s off. He’ll either start liking the dark or hate the light as well…

ha! Manly Cat Advice at it’s finest.

How’s his hearing?

There’s a link between odd-eyed cats and genetic deafness. It’s a long shot but I’m wondering if darkness plus deafness equals disorientation / distress.

I’d wondered if he was deaf (because of the eyes thing), or that one of his eyes has poorer night vision and that freaks him out. Judging by his response to me whistling, and opening the food bag in another room this morning, I don’t think he’s particularly hard of hearing at least

cranberry – Closing doors is all well and good until the little sods learn that they can jump on the door handles, and hang off them until the door opens.

They’re evil!!!

Cat ownership fail – everybody knows* you need to fit rounded door handles before you let the darlings into your life. That said, I once caught Jasmine stood on her hind legs with her front paws wrapped around the handle trying to figure out how it worked. 😯 She was ace.

* this bit might be made up

Shut it in a light and sound proof box for a couple of days. Cure it or send it mental.
Name wise, give it a proper cat name, genghis, pol, adolf, etc.

You’ve got to call him something Bowie related. Major Tom?.

Genius.

We have a rescue cat that did something similar when she first arrived.

Turned out she’d been rescued from a household that had a dog who would attack her in the dark, but be all sweetness and light when it was.. errr.. light.
She would sit still and quiet (pretty much stop breathing!) as soon as the light went out. We had to use a night-light on a timer to train her over a few days, gradually increasing the time it was off.

I’d be delving into the cat’s history with previous owners to see if something similar has traumatised him. Takes a lot to make a cat afraid of the dark.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

According the previous owner, she’d never experienced this behaviour. He was in a family with young kids, so there was always a light on in their hall way, and he never used to go out at night, so she’s as perplexed as I am.

I left the light on last night to help keep him calm, and he decided that pulling over a chest of draws in the middle of the night was the best way to thank me! 😯