Cat adoption in Orrtanna, PA, 17353 domestic shorthair Cat "Gracie"

Hi, I'm a big fan of your organization! I appreciate all you do.

I need your advice about the possible surrender of our cat Gracie. She is a rescue - originally found in January 2020 in an abandoned car in the Harlem (NY) sanitation department garage with a litter of 5 kittens. She weighed only 5.5 pounds. She was then fostered through "Little Wanderers NYC" in a one-bedroom apartment with 12 other cats (very clean, very loving, and very crowded!) We adopted her in June 2020. Her birthdate is estimated to be around June or July 2019 so she's now about 7 yrs old. She has had all her shots and is not de-clawed (of course).

Given her history, it's not surprising that she is very food driven and has anxiety issues. When I or a cat sitter try to leave or walk past her feeding area, she will grab us by the leg, sometimes drawing blood. We've lost one cat sitter due to this!

Beginning a couple of years ago, she also started biting me on the arm if she is startled, either by my letting out a shriek (once in the case of being sprayed with hot water from the sink, once because I saw a mouse under some papers I was dealing with), and once because she was in bed with us and I let out a shriek in my sleep. (I have sincerely tried to stifle my vocalizations!) The other two times she bit me, more recently, were both in the middle of the night when she jumped up on the bed and started to curl up, so I reached out to pet her and she was startled. These were all hard bites, drawing blood and causing a bruise, three times requiring antibiotics!

I have consulted our vet about this and we tried a round of fluoxetine (Prozac) which initially made her dopey and then stopped working as she regained her usual consciousness. We tried letting her outdoors to work off some energy, but she never goes far from the house and only will stay out a few minutes at a time. (She has her FLV shot.) She has also started overgrooming her belly, so she now has a big bald spot there. The vet prescribed Revolution in case it's caused by a mite, but that made no difference. He said with some cats "they'll just do that." Seems to be another example of her anxiety coping.

I'm at my wits' end. There is no behavior mod facility near us. When she is not feeling anxious, she is adorable. She is not a lap cat, but she'll snuggle, especially in bed at night, and she has a couple of tricks - she'll stand up against a table leg (like a meercat!) when she is asking for food, and she'll roll over (many times) on request from my husband. She likes her "brushies" and asks for them by standing in a particular corner near her food bowl. Once she gets her brushies, she goes right to the food. She likes petting but not on the tummy, please - then she'll let you know! - and she does sometimes react with petting aggression (paw swipes) especially after too much vigorous petting by my husband. She brings us toys to the bedroom with loud, proud meows at night. (She doesn't play with toys, she just enjoys carrying them around.)