Feline afficianados?

[Callisto in NC]

Blanket statements that aren't true? Wow ~ when did I do that? False accusations aren't cool.

I'm totally curious where I pizzed in your Wheaties that you would feel the need to attack me for no reason.

 

[GB]

Blanket statements that aren't true? Wow ~ when did I do that? False accusations aren't cool.

Cats/kittens are happier when they have friends.

But the truth is, cats and kittens need friends.

Yep looks like a blanket statement to me. And yep I can say that it is not always true as I have already pointed out a number of times above.

This has gone on long enough Callisto. I will not let this thread get derailed. Smoke King came here looking for good advice. If you would like to discuss this further feel free to PM me otherwise this needs to get back to his question and nothing else.

 

[middie]

Smoke King just give them cat time. It'll eventually become comfortable enough to venture out.

 

[snack_pack85]

Do you have any other cats? Did she have friends where she was?? Cats/kittens are happier when they have friends.

My cat had four kittens and the person that answered my ad made me feel so much better when he wanted two because he knew kittens were better in pairs. Yours could be looking for a friend especially if she had friends where she was. I can send you a kitten if you want. He's not pretty, but he's got a great personality (see my gallery) ~ kidding because that would be mean to mail a cat somewhere. But the truth is, cats and kittens need friends.

I really have to agree with GB on this one. My cat Scrump is absolutely miserable around other cats. He likes to rule the house and his territory and just does not thrive with other cats around. I also have a couple of close friends (two different friends) who have adopted ferrel cats from a pack, they both love being the only ones in the home and also don't get along with other cats. Every cat is going to be different and have a different personality.

As for getting the OP's cat to be more social, the dh and I sprayed various areas of the house with cat nip spray. The floors in the living room, our bed spread, (the dog) any where we'd like to see the cat hang out. We also have been slipping him capfulls of this stuff called Good Cat that we found at petco and we have seen a marked difference in his behavior and affection levels.

Good luck and like everyone else has said, don't give up.

 

[miniman]

Interesting. Even my vet here and in Cali and the one my DD interned for said cats are pack animals ~ look at big cat behaviour in the wild. Tigers and lions live in prides where only the ostracized live alone. It's their nature to live in groups. A lion on his own in the wild usually dies. House cats are just small lions and tigers. They need a friend to play with, fight with, and learn natural cat behaviours with.

Actually, lions are the only wild cats to live in big groups, tigers & leopards tend to be solitary, and most of the smaller wild cats are also solitary, apart from when they are mating. Even where feral cats live in colonies, they tend to have their own territories within that colony.

 

[lindatooo]

Our non-feral Maine Coon was totally unsociable for 5 years. When I quit working outside the home and started working with her...bribing her with cream (1/2 & 1/2) and getting her to tolerate being stroked before she got her treat she completely turned around - she is now very nearly a "velcro cat" and is on DH's lap as I type this. She still sprints upstairs when the door bell rings and only chooses to be around certain people. One friend of mine only has to say her name before she's in her lap loving her up like mad! She demands to be groomed at least once a day - more if she claims not to have been groomed yet and has developed a voice. She sleeps curled in the crook of DH's knees and comes to bed with us every night. Cats are individuals - the advice of patience is the best.

 

[simplicity]

My cat hates the vet's office. She recognizes the carrier when I bring it inside the house and will not allow me to catch her. The rest of the time she's calm and affectionate. When I take her to the vet, I call ahead of time, then stop at their office and pick up some tranquilizers that I add to her food.

 

[QSis]

simplicity, I take the carrier out of the closet and stand it open-side up in the living room, several days before my cat's appointment. So he gets used to it.

When it's time to go, I scoop him up (poor, trusting, unsuspecting baby) and lower his back legs in first then let him go.

(I feel guilty about betraying his trust, but I tell him it's for his own good.)

Lee

 

[GB]

The last time my wife put the cat carrier out ahead of time we came home from work and the cat was missing. We never saw him again.

 

[LadyCook61]

The last time my wife put the cat carrier out ahead of time we came home from work and the cat was missing. We never saw him again.

aww GB, sorry that you lost your cat.

 

[AllenOK]

I guess we got lucky. A little over a month ago, we had a stray cat walk up to our house, and plant herself in our garage (the door was open). She immediately started hunting and killing mice. Apparently she was pretty hungry. And, she loved attention. I'm not totally sure where she was before she came to us. I'm sure she lived outside for awhile, as she was rather skinny and had a really THICK fur coat to keep her warm. Since she's a very quick and efficient mouser, we let her stay. Now, PeppA is thinking we are going to be blessed with some kittens in about a month. Joy. More critters.

 

[simplicity]

simplicity, I take the carrier out of the closet and stand it open-side up in the living room, several days before my cat's appointment. So he gets used to it.



Lee

I can understand why this may help getting her there and will try it Thanks. Once we get to the vet's office she turns into psycho-kitty. She will hiss, spit, bite and claw anyone or anything in sight. They keep her swaddled in a towel to control her, even with the tranquilizers. The vet's explanation is, "Well, some cats are like that." Having said this, she remains a sweetheart at home.

 

[Toots]

I have to sneak the cat carrier out on my cat too. If Walter sees the carrier, he goes under the bed so fast. I put him in the bathroom and put some food down. then I get the carrier, turn it on its side (longways) grab him and put him in it before he even knows what hit him. He does a very pathetic yowling/outraged meow until we get to the vet's office.
I keep the carrier in the basement and I never let him see it. He hisses at it if he sees it.

 

[LadyCook61]

For skittish cats , you can try Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets , it is non alcoholic natural liquid. It is used to calm down pets. You can either put some in their drinking water, or put behind their ears. It might help calm down a cat who has to go in the carrier.

 

[kitchenelf]

smoke king...your cat just may take awhile to warm up to people. There's nothing wrong with that. Quietly sit on the floor and see if the cat comes around you at all. Nothing is required from you, not even trying to pet the cat. Just be there. Treats are a good idea as you are sitting there too.

My theory on taking a cat to the vet? Just put it in the carrier, go, come back home, let the cat out...the end.

 

[JoeV]

We have had two Labrador Retrievers and three cats over the years, and I found tthe cats to be much like unruly teenagers. They warm up to you when they feel like it, and pretty much ignore you the rest of the time. They were all DW's cats and she had no problem dealing with this arrogant behavior, much like our #2 child's behavior (daughter is now 27 and on her own, and is still like the cats were). IMO cats are for people who don't mind being loved by creatures on the creature's schedule. For my nickel I'll take a well-trained dog any day of the week. They love you unconditionally and are always there to be a good companion 24/7, if that's what you're looking for. Plus, once trained, they don't climb all over the counters, shed 11 months out of the year so it's everywhere in the house and on every surface (real nice when company sits in a chair wearing dark pants), or leave bombs of hair from their stomach right where you walk in the middle of the night.

Aside from those small things, a cat can be a great pet... if it decides to like you.

 

[babetoo]

I do not agree with this. Sure some want and need friends, but others want and need to be away from all other animals. Just like people, each cat and their needs are different.

i agree gb. thomas doesn't want friends. he thinks i am his buddy and that is fine with me. when u have more than one sometimes they bond and leave the human out of the equation. stingy me. lol

 

[PanchoHambre]

I had a friend who rescued a stray cat but could not keep it. She shipped it across the country to her parents. This cat hid in the apt for months. They never saw it it came out to eat and do its buniness when they left... one day it emerged... happily and has been "thier" cat ever since. Cats are strage and take thier own time about things.

I have always been a "dog person" too. My cat was a kitten who followed my brother home. My brother moved on but the cat stayed. I never wanted a cat I just ended up with one but sometimes I think she is my best pet. My dogs are BAD! The cat is always a bit of a mystery but really sweet. Your cat will find its place in your home give it time and also dont expect it to be what it is not.

 

[Bilby]

I have ended up with a dozen cats in my house, including four kittens of about three months. Things are ... interesting at the moment. Time and love are the only remedies.

One of my cats was with me for two years but would bolt at the first loud noise and may or may not come home. Once it went missing for eight weeks and then just showed up late one night at my door crying and carrying on like I had abonded it somewhere! On one of these bolting occasions, I saw where he went and was able coax him down from the tree before he jumped the fence and since then, he has been with me - almost constantly. He gets very upset if I don't spend sufficient time with him (by his definition) and will spray to get my attention!! GRRR!!!

Every cat/kitten is different and all will respond to different things. These four kittens I have now, all raised the same way and yet one is really shy and one is really gregarious, with the other two in between. How I treat Kenyan is vastly different now to how I treat Rosie cos they will interpret my actions/reactions differently.

If there are other animal smells in the house, try and give the kitten somewhere where it will feel secure - it's own little space. It may also be missing its mother if it has only just been removed. Mine are still feeding believe it or not!

Good luck.

 

[smoke king]

Wow-I was out of pocket for a few days....

"Bella" seems to be warming to us, slowly but surely. She still seems to prefer the middle of the night, but she ventures out a little earlier now. We do have another cat, 11 years, and he wants nothing to do with the new kitten-at this point anyway.

I really appreciate everyones input on this, and I don't think there are really any "wrong" answers. Just like us, they have their little quirks too.

Patience seems to be the answer, and fortunately, I have lots of that. Thanks again everyone.