We've finally finished integrating Chloe into the household. The three
cats have established their pecking order, and can co-exist (the boys,
Tiger and Louis, retain their strong bond, and they give Chloe a wide
berth)..

Chloe on the other hand still exhibits some unusual behavior. She will
purr happily in your lap, and suddenly hiss and strike. I've been
around cats for 30+ years, and usually this means they have a
sensitive spot you've unwittingly touched, but she doesn't seem to
have one. I don't think she's overstimulated - she'll strike and howl,
and seconds later be back for more attention.

She's a six-year old, spayed, front-declawed female. I'm taking her to
the vet tomorrow to discover if there's any medical reason she's so
touchy. The last cat we owned that had this problem (my brother's cat
who was brought back from his Navy stint in Sicily) turned out to have
lead poisoning.Chloe was a shelter-kitten, and never spent much time
out of doors. Nonetheless, I'm gonna ask for blood work.

The declawing is of course a possibility - but I'm curious if any of
you have some new ideas about this type of behavior, and ideas on
mitigating it. Thanks for your help.

BLink