Pets pics

[Arvenski]

We've got a young cat too, probably not quite a year old. We got him last fall. We call him Monster Cat sometimes, because he can get into or onto all kinds of places, and run around the house at warp speed. He also went through a phase where he regularly stole people's combs and drain plugs from the bathroom sinks; and another phase where he'd wake us up in the middle of the night by knocking the alarm clock off the dresser and sending it crashing onto the floor, and then playing with the loose parts. Still, like your kitty, when he's not doing that, he's really nice. Hopefully your cat will mellow and become less destructive as she grows up; ours seems calmer already than he was before Christmas. I'm sure some people will say that cats can be trained, but from my experience, I wouldn't hold out much hope. This guy is our third cat, and telling him "No" when he gets into something he shouldn't and yelling at him when the play-fighting with his sister gets too rough is about the extent of the training we're giving him, or that we've given to the others. We don't have much (besides the carpets) that they could damage or destroy, and it seems to me that generally a cat's gonna do what a cat's gonna do. You best option may be to find ways to prevent her damaging things, and hope her choice of particular target is just a phase and that she'll soon find something more interesting to get into.

One new post.

 

[Cpt. Nemo]

What have you tried so far? Do you keep her inside only or does she roam?

I'm normally at college most of the time, so it's usually just my mother with the cat, except when I'm home on a break or holiday whatever. Since I'm not there, that means only my mom can try training her, and she has a day job in the city, so there really isn't much time for watching her furry ass all day, unfortunately. When my mom goes to work, sometimes she leaves the cat outside, sometimes she stays in, the cat has learned it's her choice to make in the morning. When my mom is home, any disturbances of the peace are met with yelling and a spray bottle when they happen.

So far, the main problems are scratching **** we don't want her to and walking all over my mother at some random late at night hour. Damages include:

-Shredding the sides of my late father's collection of vinyl albums -most recent favorite thing to ruin
-Scratching the walls. Not the curtains, not pictures, literally just the walls. -also new
-Scratching the back door, her preferred entry and exit. -ongoing
-Destroying the weather liner thing at said door -ditto
-Scratching up my mom's bedroom door when it's shut -stopped when my mom gave up trying to keep the cat out of her room at night
-Pulling up the carpet in front of said door -ditto
-Damaging a fancy antique wall clock my granddad gave to my mother -accidental, just wanted to climb it
-Waking my mom up at random times during the night -ongoing
-Scratching up said mother's face in the middle of the night -ongoing

So far, my mother has been very tempted to kill her. Ignoring her hasn't worked, putting her outside isn't effective because she enjoys being out just as well as inside, yelling or saying no just gets her attention for a few moments, and spraying her seems to have merely taught her to fear the spray bottle, as one might expect.

Thus far, the only thing that she seems willing to scratch that we're ok with is firewood, but my mom doesn't want to keep that inside for fear of bugs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My mom has taken to preventing further damage to the album covers by putting the ottoman against the low shelf they're kept on, but that's about the only thing we can prevent.

 

[Moose!]

There's pheromone spray that we used to get our cat to stop scratching furniture - it worked pretty well. She slips up sometimes, but we haven't sprayed the furniture in a long while so it's our fault.

 

[Cpt. Nemo]

We also have a pheromone spray, but the vet merely uses it as a way to make sure she's super mellow for shots or what have you. Supposedly it's the pheromone that smells like cat momness, and it has a very relaxing effect. If we sprayed stuff down, she'd avoid scratching it? Or is it a different pheromone?

 

[Bromden]

Yelling at cats is counterproductive, the only result you will get from it is that the cat will learn to hate the yelling person. Cats have to be asked nicely to do or not to do something, that has the best results for me.

edit: Cat's are protective of their bellies, so if they don't let you rub it, it can mean that they don't trust you fully yet. That can be changed with some effort.

 

[Moose!]

We also have a pheromone spray, but the vet merely uses it as a way to make sure she's super mellow for shots or what have you. Supposedly it's the pheromone that smells like cat momness, and it has a very relaxing effect. If we sprayed stuff down, she'd avoid scratching it? Or is it a different pheromone?

I think it's the same thing - we've used the same bottle of pheromones to calm her down for travel and to spray the furniture.

 

[Cpt. Nemo]

Ok, we'll try that out.

edit: Cat's are protective of their bellies, so if they don't let you rub it, it can mean that they don't trust you fully yet. That can be changed with some effort.

Well, I was going to say it isn't worth it, but here she is cuddling next to me and letting me rub her belly while she purrs, so mission accomplished I guess. 

Seems she just has to be in the mood for it.

 

[Lord Brutus]

I found this little creature wandering outside my condo yesterday.  He cried and cried and wanted to come in.  Do you think it would be all right if I kept him if I promise to have him neutered?

Spoiler

 

[Cpt. Nemo]

Sorry Brutus. You've got the old age, but you don't quite have enough money to be my sugar daddy.

 

[Calamity]

Sorry Brutus. You've got the old age, but you don't quite have enough money to be my sugar daddy.

He's got an ice dragon though.

Relevant to thread. 

 

[kurczak]

Spoiler: feline sins

I'm normally at college most of the time, so it's usually just my mother with the cat, except when I'm home on a break or holiday whatever. Since I'm not there, that means only my mom can try training her, and she has a day job in the city, so there really isn't much time for watching her furry ass all day, unfortunately. When my mom goes to work, sometimes she leaves the cat outside, sometimes she stays in, the cat has learned it's her choice to make in the morning. When my mom is home, any disturbances of the peace are met with yelling and a spray bottle when they happen.

So far, the main problems are scratching **** we don't want her to and walking all over my mother at some random late at night hour. Damages include:

-Shredding the sides of my late father's collection of vinyl albums -most recent favorite thing to ruin
-Scratching the walls. Not the curtains, not pictures, literally just the walls. -also new
-Scratching the back door, her preferred entry and exit. -ongoing
-Destroying the weather liner thing at said door -ditto
-Scratching up my mom's bedroom door when it's shut -stopped when my mom gave up trying to keep the cat out of her room at night
-Pulling up the carpet in front of said door -ditto
-Damaging a fancy antique wall clock my granddad gave to my mother -accidental, just wanted to climb it
-Waking my mom up at random times during the night -ongoing
-Scratching up said mother's face in the middle of the night -ongoing

So far, my mother has been very tempted to kill her. Ignoring her hasn't worked, putting her outside isn't effective because she enjoys being out just as well as inside, yelling or saying no just gets her attention for a few moments, and spraying her seems to have merely taught her to fear the spray bottle, as one might expect.

Thus far, the only thing that she seems willing to scratch that we're ok with is firewood, but my mom doesn't want to keep that inside for fear of bugs. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ My mom has taken to preventing further damage to the album covers by putting the ottoman against the low shelf they're kept on, but that's about the only thing we can prevent.

Hm, yeah consistency is essential and if you can't be there...As you may know, cats almost universally hate citruses, so leaving fresh peels or peeled slices, or rubbing the forbidden surface with a citrus juice may work. Whole unpeeled fruit doesn't usually do much or anything, really. The catch is that they hate them, because they are toxic for them (in large amounts), so verify that Sandra is a normal cat in that regard and not one of the very rare exceptions that just suicidally start eating them, before you leave her alone with them. Of course, the repellent effect only lasts as long as it's fresh.

Other smells that tend to repel them are vinegar, rosemary, thyme, mint, tea tree oil or mustard. Again because they are generally toxic for them, so again make sure she really does hate them before you go to town on them. You can even make a mix and see what happens. But at any rate always apply on objects you want her to avoid, never rub it on her or spray her with them as a "punishment", because the grooming instinct will override the aversion and she will just end up eating them and poisoning herself. I would avoid buying any concentrated oils and such with those scents, because even a small amount she might accidentally eat could make her really sick or worse.

I found this little creature wandering outside my condo yesterday.  He cried and cried and wanted to come in.  Do you think it would be all right if I kept him if I promise to have him neutered?

Spoiler

I hear he bans the hand that feeds him.

 

[Cpt. Nemo]

Alright, we'll try spraying stuff with vinegar, citrus and the pheromone, see what works.

 

[Count Delinard]

spraying stuff with vinegar, citrus and the pheromone, see what works.

Jesus Christ man... cats suck..

I miss my dogs 

 

[kurczak]

I respect the grieving process, but you're treading a dangerous path.

 

[Moose!]

Whole unpeeled fruit doesn't usually do much or anything, really.

Spoiler: Au contraire

 

[Count Delinard]

Spoiler: Au contraire

I respect the grieving process, but you're treading a dangerous path.

But Kurczak just look at that paragraph I quoted! Cats sound like  a hassle and in exchange you get an animal that is not devoted to you enough like a dog is.. just personal opinion 

 

[Areze]

>cats not devoted

>mine headbutt1 and nose boop1, purr, and cuddle constantly



1: This is a genuine sign of affection from cats.

 

[Bromden]

Mine idolizes me and spends most of his time within a metre of me.

 

[Count Delinard]

I guess I never saw a cat be that devoted to any cat owner I ever knew, probably bad owners. Fair enough

 

[Areze]

Likely. It seems common for folks to not understand a thing about feline body language, which is both bad and bizarre, as cats rely on their body language far more than dogs do.