Category: Animal House
I happen to have one who's coming up on a year old now. He's definitely my furry little child, though he's no longer so little. In fact when I tell people how young he is they generally get surprised. He's an affectionate, fluffy orange beast. In fact if his fur were much darker it'd be the same color as my hair. I know because the vet at the clinic where we found him described him to me.
I do have some questions though. I wonder if there are any totally blind folks out there who keep cats and what little triks they find most effective at keeping kitty out of places and things he's not supposed to be getting into. I probably can't do much about his makin biscuits on my quilt when I'm trying to go to sleep and I hope he'll outgrow or at least cut back on the pouncing anytime I move my feet. I've considered getting a spray bottle to use when I catch him on my entertainment center but some of the other things are a little tricky, like the clawing on the furniture. This last is especially frustrating because he has all kinds of little toys for just that purpose, a cat tree not the least. And while he does use these he won't limit his clawing exclusively to them. I've heard of people using double-sided tape to deter that sort of behavior. Maybe I'll try that with Max...
I've never had much luck with getting a cat to stop doing what they want to do. Mine has his front feet declawed so he can't really do any damage to furniture even though he still goes through the motions of clawing at it. I know some people think declawing even just the front feet is cruel, but I wouldn't be able to deal with a cat otherwise. I understand not having an outdoor cat declawed, but when they are indoors all the time they can destroy all your furniture.
My current cat is going on five years old. He used to like to pounce on my feet whenever I would move them under the covers, but he has gotten past that phase. I have had cats most of my life and noticed they all seem to go through phases in terms of what they like to play with, how affectionate they are, etc.
I agree with Becky on getting a cat to do what you want them to do. I once heard it said that "No means yes, and yes means yes." One thing that I've read about that sounds like it might work is to put some change in a soda can. When you hear the cat where you don't want him to be, throw the can in that dirrection. The goal is not to hit the cat, but to distract him. Good luck.
Lou
I'm afraid I'm one of those who thinks declawing is asking for trouble. You never know what's going to happen. Even a supposedly indoor cat could get out of the house at any time. And if that cat has no front claws he has no real way of defending himself if he gets into a fight or even to get away from an attacker. Those front claws are the cat's primary defense and their means of climbing up a tree or something if they run. So I couldn't in good conscience have Max declawed on the off chance that he did get out.
Agree with the last post about declawing. Our last cat was declawed when we got her. She knew no fear, and would wait by the door to get out. Ourguy we have now has his claws, was a bully when we first got him, but is really a scaredy cat by nature. Advent was two almost when we got him, and if I believed in declawing, I don't that I'd have the heart to do it at that age.
Lou
Here's another question I've always had. I've always heard that people can get to the point where they ca guess fairly accurately what their cat wants by the sound of his meow, but I've been trying for years. I mea you can tell when a cat's sared or in pain but beyond that I'm usually stumped. Max is definitely a talker, especially after I've been away from home for a day. Because the live only five minutes away I often spend a night at my folks' place and leave Max with enough water and food to last him while I'm gone (in fact he usually has a little bit left). But whe I get home he spends a part of that day wandering aroud the apartment meowing at me like he was either telling me what happened while I was gone or yelling kitty cusswords at me. So I'm curious if other people interpret kitty's little noises differently.
I've heard it said that cats in the wild don't meow or vocalize much, and that they do it for our benefit. OUr current cat, Advent, almost sounds like he's saying "Barack" when he wants his food. I wonder if he's a democrat? When he's really happy, his purr almost goes into a coo. If you remember Star Trek and the Trouble with Tribbles, he almost sounds like a tribble.
Lou
hahahaha! Lou your cat sounds awesome. Yeah I have a cat too. Jamila, hear her meow on my AP. It sounds like breakfast to me, but could be anything. It's generally when she wants food, so is general purpose to her I guess. Also she'll meow outside the bathroom if her tray needs doing. As for getting her to do what I want her to do, and stop what I don't want her to do, ... lol, yeah, right. They own us, not the other way around. Wouldn't swap her for the world though.
On Lou's soda can idea, I've read on a website or two that shaking the can when he's doing something he shouldn't may also work. I usually find just walking toward mine, or putting my hand down to her means she'll run away. Although this is liable to turn into a "Let's see how many times I can piss dad off" game, so perhaps not the ideal suggestion. Whatever you try though, good luck, and have fun.
I can't interpret Smokey's meows. Sometimes he doesn't meow when he should. For example, he loves to run into a closet or any door that I open. He can be stuck in there for hours and he just waits patiently for someone to open the door and let him out. At other times he walks around meowing as if he is trying to tell me something, but I never figure out what he wants. When he wants me to stop whatever I'm doing and play with him, his favorite thing to do is knock over the waste basket in the kitchen. Eventually I get tired of picking it up and either play with him or put the waste gbasket in the half bath and close the door.
Becky, I'm laughing as I write this. Advent used to dumpster dive for food in the kitchen trash. We had to buy a trash can that sat lower to the ground, and was larger around. The lower center of fravity made it harder and actually impossible for him to knock it over. I ask you, who owns who in our house?
Lou
I don't have any cats now, though I want one very much. Oh well, someday, when I have money...
Anyway, I used to have a cat. I think everyone else here is right, getting a cat to do, or not to do, things is nearly impossible. I've heard of the loud noises idea, and the water bottle, but that's about it. I'm like Becky, and would get a cat at least front declawed. I don't necessarily like it, but it does save furniture and other items. I've handled that by adopting cats who are already declawed. That way, I don't have to feel bad for doing it, but I get the benefit of it. LOL.
As to interpreting meows, usually I've tried to do that in the context of what else the cat is doing. If he's over by his food bowls while meowing, usually that's obvious. Sometimes Shadow used to put his paws on my legs and meow, which I took to mean, "Pet me, now." But, like others have said, most of the time you can't interpret them.
I have a kitty as well, her name is Kitty. She understands the word no and will stop when I say no. She listens verry well. I don't know why she does, like I also don't know why some kids don't listen to their parts. I guess I just got lucky and got a good kitty that understand and does what i say. Except when I ay come in and its ten at night and she wants to play untill ten thirty. But she cause come in with in an hour after I call her. I I hvas learned to call her in an hour early so she comes in hen I want her to.
Lou, Smokey isn't dumpster diving. He never seems to go through the trash after knocking it over. It's simply a ploy to get me off the computer and to pay attention to him.
Talking about meows, just a little bit ago Smokey let out a long plaintiff meow with several syllables that sounded as if he had just lost his best friend. He has recently had fresh food put in his bowl, and I had just finished brushing him and then playing with him, so I have no idea what his problem was. But he sure sounded pathetic. LOL
He wanted to sound pitiful so you would pick him up and love him some more.
Lou
Agreed, Lou. Cats can sound incredibly pitiful when they want to.
Yeah, but he hates being picked up and held. He loved it until he was a little more than a year old but now squirms to get away almost immediately. Of course, if he chooses to jump up on my lap that's fine, but if I want him on my lap or want to hold him, forget it. LOL
That's most cats. Attention on their terms, not yours. LOL.
I guess i'm lucky in that regard. Max might not particularly enjoy being picked up but he's generally very patient. Ten again maybe he does enjoy it. He can be quite the licker sometimes and picking him up means he has access to the neckand face. I figure next month he'll be a year old and come July I'll have had him a year. His nickname is Motor, for reasons which I'm sure everyone here can guess without much trouble. He's certainly got one.
There's nothing better than the sound of a cat's purr. It's such a relaxing noise. Shadow and Emma used to lay on the pillows next to me and purr. Or, in Emma's case, she'd lay on my chest and do that.
Yeah it's a beautiful sound.
I've only known a few cats who purred as loudly as mine does now. One was my mom's cat Ugly (there really is a story behind the name), and then my sister's cat Wedge, who at last count weighed almost 24 pounds. She had a pretty good motor in her.