So, I have a cat situation. Not my cat. It's a cat I know. Cat I have access to. If there's any cat people out there. Maybe you could explain to me what is going on.
I met this cat when he got adopted, at just a few weeks old. He got taken in by a family with two 7 and 8yo kids, for them to play with, and they made sure cat has everything. The house is full of cat trees, cat beds and cat toys, he gets wet food every day. He's an indoor cat. And he's a black cat.
When we first met, the cat was adorably cuddly, came to me meowing for pets, fell asleep purring in my lap. I would reliably be there two times a week, and every time I would greet the cat politely, extend my arm with my fingers curled so the cat could sniff it and verify who I was. If the cat seemed playful I would spend a lot of time playing with him, usually with toys on a string. When we weren't playing or cuddling, the cat would follow me and watch carefully what I was doing. He was always in the same room aa me, sometimes following me around even when the kids were home.
Few months into this, the cat started acting agressive if I tried to pet him; he would try to scratch me, and showed his teeth a little. He never actually hurt me, but since attempts at scratching and biting were consistent, I figured the cat no longer wants to cuddle, and I stopped pestering him, not wanting to irritate. I assumed kids cuddle him lots and maybe chase him a bit and he might be tired of it. So I only greeted him and gave him a tiniest pet on the head every time I saw him, then left him alone.
And then one time as I was going on about my business, the cat hissed at me. I was confused, I wasn't even interacting with it, and I haven't done anything new or different than usual. Approaching the cat only evoked more hisses. I worried that something bad might have happened and traumatized the cat, so I asked a family member about it, and they said no, the cat is great, he doesn't hiss at anyone else.
There were a few times where me and the cat just existed peacefully but more and more, the cat would start hissing unprompted. I tried yelling 'Hey!', asking 'What is your problem', hissing back, advancing on the cat so it would know I'm displeased. But the cat only got more mad each time and hissed more. He wasn't scared of me by any means; even in the middle of hissing, if I extended my hand he would politely sniff it and not try to fight me unless I made an attempt at petting. But most time I didn't, I didn't wanna bother him. He would follow me from room to room just to hiss at me.
Then I noticed something interesting. If a family member walked into the room, the hissing would stop. I bothered the cat a bit to get another hiss, and the woman in the room with me was excited and surprised, saying this never happened, she thought it was the funniest thing.
Next time the cat hissed at me the moment he saw me, so I closed the door of the room I was in, to spare myself the hiss festival. Later on when the multiple family members were there, the cat was allowed back in and this time he was being adorably polite, leaning to me and cuddling into my hand.
I was scandalized. The cat knew it was impolite to hiss at me all day and only did it in private. As soon as other people were there he would be preformatively nice and cute. He knew the family members wouldn't like him hissing so he didn't do it in front of them!
I don't understand what's going on, the cat knows I'm not a dangerous stranger, he's seen me interact with everyone, knows me since the age of 3 weeks, knows I'm very gentle and respectful of his boundaries. Does he just have a lot of agression because he's an indoor cat and nobody else to take it out on? Am I being maltreated by a cat? Or did the cat just randomly decide he hates me?
I'm not trying to change the cat, I can handle being hissed at. But I would like to understand what is going on.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
My cats have problems. The little one (maggot) had problems with food attacking anyone and anything to try and get it. And the calico (Char) has attachment issues.
Why do boy cats just always have bathroom problems. Growing up I had girl cats and they literally both never had bathroom issues, they were far moodier and a little bit mean, but they were chill af.
Now I have all boy cats (3 of em), and every year at least ONE of them has a bathroom issue, like either they randomly get a UTI (he got into a dry food and gorged himself and then didn’t drink enough water), one of them has chronic constipation issues that we’ve now been treating for 2 years (he will literally decide to not go to the bathroom if we piss him off), and then the dreaded “idiopathic feline cystitis” aka the vet says ‘its not a UTI or a Blockage and nothing else is showing up 🤷’ and then they don’t even give you antibiotics or any other medicine for the kitty and just send you on your way with a ‘he’s probably just feeaked out by something new!’ (apparently having a new plant in the house is ‘stress inducing’).
I love my kitties tho, they are very sweet. Just very expensive 😭
Also writing this because I had to wake up at 6 am and go to the vet.
How do I convice a cat to come back inside? She ran out while the dog was standing in the doorway. Now Willow, the cat, is just hiding under the porch or curling up on the deck chairs. I try to pick her up and she runs off. I shake her food bowl and she sits at the other end of the deck to stare at me. Its dark and cold and she still refuses to come back inside! I'm losing my mind and I am so tired.
Ok, so I'm having some kitty troubles and I'm seeking advice.
In October I brought Ginga, a stray cat I'd been feeding for two years, into my household. I already have one cat. I gave the new cat a separate room, litter box, etc and set about following Jackson Galaxy's rules for introducing two cats. I also gave Ginga time in the house alone with Wiley, my original cat, time in her room to mix scents.
They've been introduced and living together openly for months now. I've even allowed Ginga free roam of the house while I'm at work.
In the last week, however, she has peed on my bed three times. I've called the vet to make an appointment to check for health issues. I suspect that this has more to do with her relationship with my other cat. They haven't been friends by any means, more like roommates. Wiley will sometimes chase her and I will move him to prevent that. But I'm not sure how to move forward to keep all kitties happy and my bed safe.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality✓ Free Actions
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
So, I’ve got a bit of a rant to make about how to better your friendship with your pet cat. I’m gonna outline some of the obvious stuff first before moving on to My Opinion™, which means I’m not an expert but probably better than the average layman when it comes to dispensing experiential wisdom.
Here we go~!
As a cat owner myself, I’ve sought out a ton of anecdotal advice as well as expert advice on the raising and treatment of pet cats. Some advice I’ve had to ignore, while others made life so much easier for me and my cat. Along the way, I subconsciously developed a set of standards for my interaction with my cat, which I feel like might benefit cat owners across the board, new or experienced.
Also, please be aware that this is MY take on this subject. Not all cats are the same. Nonetheless, accept the challenge of getting to you know your cat better by remembering these important rules:
(That said, I’m gonna address cats as ‘her’ because ‘it’ tends to create distance by dehumanizing or Othering others, not just your cat).
1. You can judge a (hu)man by the way he treats the help, children, and animals.
How well do you treat service people? How do you treat your children? Or better yet, how do you treat other people in general? Think about that, and then apply it to your cat. You may be guilty of treating your cat like shit, despite good intentions. Ignorance is your enemy here. So, here are some tips on how to respect your cat:
2. Cats aren’t dogs. Stop expecting her to behave like one.
3. Cats aren’t humans. Stop projecting. Cats have cat needs.
4. Wash their feed and water bowls frequently. Just because your cat is willing to eat off the floor doesn’t mean they should tolerate a filthy dish. Doing so will keep your cat free of bacterial infections, gut problems, and disease. If the bowl has a pink or blue rime in it, WASH IT with SOAP. If it’s got a nice green or black colony stain, pitch the bowl if it’s plastic, WASH WITH SOAP if it’s glass or metal. Wash OFTEN.
Same goes for food! Don’t leave food rotting in the bowl. Pitch it when it gets horrid, clean the dish, serve fresh. Also, don’t starve your cat just because she doesn’t like the food you bought for her. Don’t punish your cat like that. Would you do that to a child or a friend? No? Then don’t do it to your cat.
5. If your cat is sitting on your lap or is being carried in your arms, do not suddenly drop or dump your cat onto the floor. I see this all the goddamn time and it drives me nuts. How would you like it if you were suddenly shoved off the couch? Or if someone picks you up and then just drops you without warning? Just because cats usually land on their feet doesn’t mean they should. Heavy landings can stress joints or cause joint and muscle injury, especially if your cat is heavy-set or elderly.
6. Pet your cat nicely. I always see people petting their cats like they would a dog, that is, with a heavy slap on the back of the head followed by a hard stroke along the spine. How would you like it if someone just slammed a hand onto your head and then tried to push you down to the floor? Yeah. Pet her nicely. Stop being rough with your cat. (The exception is playtime, coz then your cat is expecting it.) She’ll probably just keep avoiding you if you pet her like a maniac.
7. Stop punishing your cat after the fact. Unless she is rebuked the very second she does a Bad, your cat will not understand why you’re punishing her. Cats don’t make that connection. It makes you look inconsistent and unpredictable, and she will not trust you as easily. Example: My mother, who is not a cat person, tried to punish my cat for scratching her. This meant ignoring my cat for days. My cat did not know why she was being ignored, and just spent most of the time hiding. My mother was convinced that my cat was sulking because she felt guilty, and that ignoring her would be effective in getting my cat to understand what she had done wrong. I had to explain to my mother that cats don’t operate like that; cats are not like children. Also: stop projecting onto your cat.
8. LISTEN to your cat. The only reason cats meow is to communicate with humans. Cats have evolved especially to sound like babies in order to get our attention.* Mothers will meow to kittens and kittens will mew in return, but when a cat is making noises at you, it wants your attention. Also, pay attention to the tone of meow she makes.She may be expressing displeasure (which will be followed up by a scratch or a bite!), fear, or she may be alerting you to something (like a fire, or if something in the current environment changes abruptly). If your cat gives you a warning noise, then abstain from whatever you’re doing. Do this, and your cat will make a better habit of warning you before she strikes. Cats that strike without talking have usually skipped the warning because they fully expect to be ignored.
9. CLEAN THE GODDAMN LITTERBOX. If the smell is offensive to you, imagine what it’s like for your cat, who has a much more sensitive nose than you do. Not only that, but would you use a toilet full of mounds of crap that hasn’t been cleaned, ever? When your cat stops using her litterbox because it’s full, absolutely do not punish her for peeing on the carpet. This is YOUR fault. Clean the damn box.
Advanced Level:
10. Imagine things from your cat’s perspective. You are a soft, small creature in a giant’s world. Everything is bigger than you: trees, cars, dogs, and especially humans. And most of the time, dumbass humans are not paying attention to anything. All you have are your teeny claws and a bacterial bite to defend yourself with. None of these things will save you if a human suddenly decides to grab you or if you get hit by a car. So, if your cat seems tense or easily startled, understand that she’s a small cat in a human’s world.
That said, if you accidentally frighten your cat, you CAN go and find her and pet her gently until she’s not so scared anymore. Many people just shrug and leave their cat alone, and assume that she’ll just get over it. That’s not the case -- your cat CAN experience trauma even from domestic events (like turning on the vacuum cleaner or because the washer makes a loud noise), but her paranoia can be abated if you seek her out and reassure her that you’re not mad at her, and that the scary thing is gone now. When you do this, be gentle. Approach from an angle where she can see you, or make a little noise to let her know you’re nearby.
Also try to understand when your cat is suffering. Is she ill? Is she cold? Overheating? Is she sore, or in pain? Cats hide when they’re feeling under the weather, so if she’s suddenly not present or as playful, and if her tail is down, then take her to the vet asap. Don’t let things escalate. If it was your own kid who suddenly came down sick, wouldn’t you take it to see a doctor straight away?
Your cat is a thinking, feeling being just like you. Show her some respect. Be the person your cat deserves.
Super Advanced Level:
Consider the life of your cat. All she’s ever known prior to meeting you was probably her own mother, or if she was rescued or separated too young, then she only knows that she gets passed around, and nobody talks to her. But when you finally come into the picture, either when she’s still a kitten or as a rescue much later on, YOU become her universe. Her entire day revolves around you: Getting up in the morning, breakfast, disappearing off to work for the day, coming home, dinner, then going to bed. Now, imagine: if every single one of your interactions with your cat is a positive one -- for example, petting and greeting and offering treats, or talking to her making eye contact, etc -- then that’s all your cat will know. And having your cat know only joy when she’s with you is something you want for her, right? If you’re always mean to her, or when you shove her away or ignore her, then she’ll think you’re weird and unpredictable and a little scary, and not very nice to be with at all. You’re all she has in life -- so please, make your cat’s life a happy one.
Epilogue:
If you want to develop a close bond with your cat, just spend time with her. Sit down with her, rub her belly (if she lets you, lol), pet her and talk to her, play with her, find out what she likes. Find out what her meow tones are, observe her body language, see what she looks like when she’s hungry or bored or playful or tetchy. Watch that tail, watch those ears. Feel bad about never making time for your cat? Don’t get another cat because you think she’s lonely. She wants to be with YOU, not some other cat.
Does your cat talk to you a lot? Good, because it means you’re communicating. That’s what friends do. Don’t treat your cat like you would a stranger. YOU are her entire world. Don’t be a shitty world to your cat.
Bonus: The Tail Code
Tail up -- happy
Tail down -- sad, in pain, scared, angry
Tail tucked -- insecure, nervous
Tail in a question mark -- playful, curious
Tail at medium, neither high or low -- meh, bored.
Tail puffed -- frightened, agitated, startled. Also accompanied by fur raising on end, arched back, ears back, hissing. May also walk sideways on her toes, looks super weird.
Tail down and switching from side to side, ‘whipping’ -- pissy. May strike or bite.
Tail up and wagging, ‘swishing’ -- very happy, content, focused.
Tail up and trembling -- super excited.
Tail wrapped around another cat, or your arm -- friendly, like an arm around the shoulder.
One of the cats has pissed in/sprayed on my side of the bed and I can't do shit about it until my SO leave a for work at 4:30.
Mean while I feel disgusting bc while its not wet, meaning it was done sometime earlier today, it still reeks.
Probably gonna go shower and sleep on the couch.
Sucks for the cats bc its cold as shit out and they're not allowed in the house anymore bc its gotten to be a weekly/ twice weekly occurrence
The male is going to be nuetered soon and the female is going to be checked for any internal issues, though I think she just hates other cats and is marking her territory.
And I hate to even consider it but if worse comes to worse ill have to rehome them.
The male isn't even ours to begin with, its my father in laws
