Thursday, July 28, 2011

Cat Problems



Yes,  I did it.  We are now the proud owners of three cats.  Just six months ago, I told everyone I was never going to get another cat.  I am 52 years old and I want less responsibility.

Six years ago, Alyssa adopted an abandoned kitten in Jackson, Mississippi.  He, Gilroy, got mean because he was left alone all day, so she asked if she could bring him to live with us.  Ken said, "Yes" and he was an okay cat.  He comforted me a lot through the pain I had with my neck.  I would wake up and he would be asleep on my lap.

Several months ago,  I decided we should get another cat.  Gilroy seemed lonely and he bites you if you pet him for very long.  I thought he needed a friend and it would make him happier. 

So Cassi found Rascal and we adopted him...The BEST cat I have ever owned.  Soft, beautiful, gentle, and cuddly.  You can do anything to him and he won't bite.  One problem...Gilroy can't stand him.  He hisses at him all the time and wants nothing to do with him.

Rascal was lonely.  He needed a friend, so I asked Ken if I could get a friend for him.  I am fairly impulsive, so once I decide to do something, I do it.  I found this little black kitten yesterday.  Rascal was elated.  (My family thinks she's ugly and I should have waited to find a cuter one, but she seems very sweet.)  

Rascal and the new kitten have been playing non stop and cuddling with each other ever since.  Gilroy now hates them both...He won't even go in the little garage to eat because the two little kittens are in there.  This is a good thing since he could lose some weight.  I have never been able to put him on a diet, because he bites your feet if he wants food (NOT a good habit). 

So now I have three cats...I have no idea what I was thinking.  Hopefully, Gilroy will start liking the other two.  I am writing this post for my family.  They think I am crazy, but I do have my reasoning...I love Rascal.  It was all for him!  Is that bad?  Can you make a mean cat nice?

P.S. Does anyone know a good Bible verse about cats?

Other interesting posts ~
Is Drinking Alcohol A Sin?
What If He Died?

Kelly's Korner
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Posted by Always Learning at 2:51 PM
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Lisa's avatar

Lisa · 703 weeks ago

I am a volunteer adoption counselor at the humane society where I live and I've learned a lot about cats and cat interactions...maybe I can help a bit? I don't know how you introduced your cats, but that can have a lot to do with how they get along. If they are food motivated, give them treats near each other so they can associate the smell of each other with good things. Are they all fixed? That makes a difference in their behavior as well. If they get into a tiff, don't jump in right away--unless they're doing damage, let them figure things out on their own. Otherwise, with you jumping in you're teaching them to be scared or that it's a good way to get your attention.

Also, it sounds like your first cat gets overstimulated easily--that's why he bites after you pet him for too long. (However, cats give love bites sometimes--nips that are like kisses. Is this what he's doing or are they major bites?) There's nothing you can really do to fix the problem entirely, but you can stop petting him right before he gets to that point--leave him wanting more. That will help increase the amount of time he'll be happy to let you pet him. It comes from not being socialized well as a kitten.

What are the ages of the three cats? If Gilroy is older, he can just be annoyed by the new kitten and the kitten energy.

The problem with Gilroy nipping at your feet if you don't feed him when he wants it is definitely a problem. You can get a "cat remote control" that emits a high pitched noise that humans can't hear and cats don't like and press the button on it whenever he does something bad--that could help. You can also try spraying canned air (not at him, but in the vicinity--the sound scares them). The big thing with cats is that you don't want to be the one disciplining them or else they'll associate the problem with YOU, not with what they are doing.

Anyway, I've gone on and on...I hope this helps! If you have other questions, please feel free to shoot me an e-mail! I love working with animals and there's so much inaccurate info online that it's great to hear it from the horse's mouth (so to speak!).
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alyssa · 703 weeks ago

We have two cats, one 12, the other 4. When we brought our new kitten home, our older cat was NOT happy. She's never really been a "nice" cat, but she really hates the other one. Now, our new cat LOVES the older one, and pesters her to no end, which may be why she still doesn't like the other after 4 years. I recently read an article written by a vet that dealt with this very subject and he said that cats are very territorial, and the older cats get and the more established they are in their environment, the less acceptable they are to new cats. This definitely was our experience. Our older cat did become nicer once we moved into a larger house. I don't know if it was the extra space or just a whole new territory for her, but she has become much more enjoyable. She still hates the other cat, though!
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Amiee · 703 weeks ago

Sorry, I only have one cat, so no advice on how to get cats to like each other. My cat will sometimes nip a little when you have petted her for, what she deems, too long. She HATES our dog, but is sweet. Not very cuddly though, and a bit anti-social. Oh well. We love her anyway :)

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