Sometimes when my boy Ollie is bored, he’ll attack my feet. I usually take this as a sign he needs something to do, and redirect his attention to a toy or a game or other activity. This works as intended 99% of the time.

That remaining 1% is what I’m having trouble with.

It goes like this: He gets a look about him like he’s thinking about biting me. I go to move away like I usually do, and he latches on- much harder than usual- and starts biting and kicking. I pull him off, set him down, and tell him “no” in a clear, firm voice- the one I use to keep him off the hot stove, so he can get I’m being serious.

But what happens is, he puts his ears back- like he’s angry or scared- his pupils blow out huge, and he sinks low to the ground with fur flat and his tail swishing like he’s agitated or annoyed. Then he’ll keep himself angled slightly away from me and let out a tiny, squeaking “meow”. And it sounds almost exactly like he’s crying for food.

If I turn my back to walk away, he’ll leap on and start biting the hell out of me again. If I try to pick him up, same issue.

So I’ll end up just standing there saying “no”, and he’ll stay mostly-frozen but creep slowly towards my nearest limb and make those sad little noises. If I’m quiet too long, he’ll speed up and bite me. Every time I say “no”, he shrinks back a little before making that meow and moving forwards again.

All I’ve figured out I can do is keep saying “no” and back up slowly while making eye contact, like you do with cougars, till I can close a door between us and give him time to settle down.

I’m pretty good with cats, but I have no idea what he’s trying to do here, and his body language is confusing.

The ears are giving me “fear” or “fight”, the eyes and tail are going “agitated” or “excited”, the posture is saying “apprehensive”, the slow creeping towards me feels like “hunting”, and the tone and pitch of the sound he’s answering me with is the same one he does for “persuasive/want NOW/ignoring me”.

And like I said, this isn’t frequent, and usually playing with toys or doing something interesting distracts him perfectly fine.

So… am I missing something? Am I doing something wrong? Or is he GENUINELY just absolutely desperate to wrestle with his dad? I don’t want to encourage him attacking me out of nowhere, but I don’t want to let him down if that’s part of the stimulation he needs.

What is he trying to communicate, what does he need, and how can I provide it for him without encouraging aggression?

Internet research is getting me nowhere and I’m at a bit of a loss.

If anyone has any insight, I’d appreciate an assist.

(i did go to the shelter today) the only one that the old lady told me was fit for indoors only was a 9 month old shy little cat, the one i already have is 9 years old and came from a hoarding case back then (we couldnt touch her for a month, now she cuddles on my lap) and im wondering if that could work out

she also said that female cats (which both would be) are harder to get used to each other than female and male which i found a lil ? and that it could go very badly, which made me a little more unsure, i know theres always a risk involved that they cannot get used to each other but i cant tell if that was a general warning thinking i dont know or if she though it was a higher risk

i have only ever had solo cats before (and none got this old as my current one since they were outdoors) but read about how to get two strangers used to each other (so i am prepared to do all those steps)- i am unsure though bc of the large age gap, but i also feel like my cat has been very lonely (shes not very active but otherwise healthy etc- i wasnt "allowed" two until now) and getting indoor cats here is pretty hard, and well socialized ones are the fastest to leave the shelter

Now, in April, she had pulmonary edema (fluid in her lungs) and at the clinic they stabilized her prescribed her diuretics and suggested she might have a heart condition. She recovered almost instantly and our vet suggested an appointment with a cardiologist. No murmur detected. In late May she again got the edema and got stabilized, got prescribed a higher dose of diuretics. Recovered again very fast, bloodwork perfect, a perfectly healthy cat. This month we were at the cardiologist, one of the best in the country. Aaaand... cat has no heart condition. Her heart is as healthy as it gets, with a very very minor birth defect that doesnt explain the edema. She got prescribed some heart medication to support the heart since she's a senior but the question remains - what tf is happening? Has anyone any idea what to look for/ask/do? For now she's been normal and healthy, but I just want to maybe have some ideas what to suggest next? We're gonna have an appointment soon to decide what's next but if you guys might have any insight what to check for/ask i'd be grateful ;_;

Cat picture for you as a treat

After having cats for most of my life, I feel like there needs to be some quick and solid advice for new cat owners. Not the usual stuff you see around the internet, which is important and abundant, but more practical use stuff for day to day living. So without further ado:

Touch your cats paws every day and praise them for it. Don't forcibly hold on, just make it a common place occurrence. Touching paws is not natural for them, but getting them used to it means being better able to manipulate their paws if you ever need to.

Food with better nutrition means your cat will eat less of it, shit less, as see the vet less. Paying the upfront cost of better food will save you money in the long term. It also makes their coat really shiny.

Dogs are bred for personality traits and looks. Cats were never bred to that same extreme even within official breeds. Every cat has a unique personality that you will have to learn and adapt to.

What a cat learns as a kitten will affect their behavior for life and trying to unteach them habits learned as a kitten is an uphill battle.

If you don't want a cat doing something, you have to make sure the cat understands why. Otherwise, the cat will only learn to not do the thing while you're looking. Let the cat sniff a hot stove eye. Make sure they understand why you told them not to make a blind jump onto the stove.

We all know cats need to scratch horizontally and vertically, but getting a cat to scratch what you buy them is a different issue. Make sure you have heavy scratchers that can take them using their whole weight or they will use the couch or bed as the only available options. Place scratchers where they want to scratch. Praise them every time they use a scratcher rather than anything they shouldn't. Cats defy punishment and preen over praise.

Teach your cat a trick. Anything that comes naturally to them, even if it's just sniffing your finger. Get them into a habit of doing an action and being praised for it without a treat involved. This will help translate over to other things you tell the cat to do.

Praise all good behavior as often as possible. Cats want lots of attention, they just don't always want it in physical ways. If you don't provide positive attention, negative will do. May as well double up attention with reinforcing good behavior.

All cats are unique, but assume all cats are easily overstimulated until proven otherwise and act accordingly.

Cats understand the differences between toys and live prey. They understand that they are playing and/or practicing hunting skills. They can also be taught/learn to differentiate real and fake in a variety of things. This is important. It's hard to outsmart your cat with basic tricks. You have to step up your game.

Regularly watch cat videos with the volume up. Get them used to the sounds of other cats meowing, purring, hissing, screaming, and so on. Let them see and understand that it's cat on a TV that is blocked from access and not real. It will desensitize them to cat antics, making them less reactive to other cats in the home having those same emotions. Keep an eye on your cat during this process. Make sure to stop the video if they get too overstimulated and try again later.

Displaced aggression! If your cat is blocked from attacking one thing, they will attack another thing. If you rile your cat up by overstimulating them with pets, get into a boxing match, and then walk away, that cat will then attack the next available thing until they feel better, be that another cat, another animal, another person, your foot, furniture, and so on.

Cats are social, they're just weird about it sometimes. Staring at you, sleeping in the same room as you, following you to the bathroom, and sniffing what you're holding are all successful social interactions in their minds. Facilitate this as much as you can. By inviting them to have these social interactions, it makes them feel loved and bonded to you.

It doesnt cost a lot so I might just buy it and try but if anyone has takes do share

(Irtokarvanpoistaja = loose hair remover)

Our Hellraiser, Fenrir: Diabetic Cat

One of my friends, @felix-winged-kitsune-derg, asked me for advice on diabetic cats.

Hearing that your cat has diabetes feels like the ground is slipping out from under you, but I want to promise you right off the bat that it is not a death sentence, nor is it as terrifying as it feels in those first few frantic days.

When my cat Fenrir was first diagnosed, the sheer volume of information felt overwhelming, and the thought of giving injections and checking blood sugar sounded like a full-time medical job I was completely unqualified for. The truth is that once you establish a solid daily routine, feline diabetes becomes entirely manageable, and many cats go on to live long, vibrant, comfortable lives.

In fact, with early and aggressive dietary intervention combined with proper insulin therapy, cats have a unique ability among domestic animals to actually go into diabetic remission. The key to navigating this journey successfully comes down to education, consistency, a complete dietary overhaul, home monitoring, and working in close partnership with a supportive veterinarian.

Just tonight I used the salt&baking soda method and poured it on the affected carpet floorings overnight (will vacuum later in the morning) cuz I read online that this kills the skin and dehydrates adult fleas and babies (but if this method also doesn't work, I'll update this post lol. FYI, I am also very well aware that salt is toxic to cats so I've already informed my parents and siblings to not let her inside the affected hotspot rooms cuz of that) Still, any forms of 100% working legit methods would be appreciated. Again, I do know vacuuming everyday is the key solution here but it also won't hurt to use various methods at the same time to ensure a solid solution to this mess