Shocking Cats!

Literally. I didn't know where to put this but I've been having this problem for at least a week now. I'm not sure if its the weather or what but everytime I go to pet one of my girls, I shock them. I hear this zap or see the blue arch between my finger and thier nose or ear. I feel really bad about it. I don't want to hurt them, but at the same time, they love attention and want me to pet them. Just now, I gave Tyran a nasty shock to the nose. She didn't know why mommy had just done that. I'm almost afraid they will stop wanting me to pet them because of all the shocks.

Static electricity build up does that... your carpet + shoes/clothes can cause build up of the static, try touching a wall or door or floor with your hand before you pat your fur-family..

Ooo, I can't stand it when that happens! Wet a hairbrush slightly, shake the excess water out and run it through your girls' hair. It should eliminate the shocking factor.

Originally Posted by DawnofSierra

Wet a hairbrush slightly, shake the excess water out and run it through your girls' hair. It should eliminate the shocking factor.

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Excellent suggestion!!! I didn't think of that one lol I normally brush/wash Lone and Spaz by wetting my hands and stroking them.. (in addition to their normal slicker brushes) and then rub my hands together to collect the fur in clumps, easier to put into the bin that way... excellent to remove fur from clothing too....

I use old used dryer sheets (bounce) and wipe Shami a couple times when he gets real staticky, static go bye bye.

My cats are older, and have figured out that mom isn't out to zap them . Usually, it happens when they come up and sniff noses with us- first it irritated them, but now we just look at each other like "Ooch!" and they try it again .

Are you using a household humidifier???

My indoor kitties don't seem to really care, they even shock each other from time to time. I learned the hard way, don't accidently shock a semi feral, I ended up with a claw stuck in my wrist a few days ago and a confused cat trying to pull it loose. ouch!

I have found that if i'm shocking them, that it's usually because my hands are dry. Using hand lotion and letting it absorb before petting them fixes the problem. But i live in humid Florida and live right next to a pond so it never gets super dry like it does in places where you have to run the heat all the time, so i'm not sure how well it work elsewhere.

We have a humidifier but we don't really use it. My room stays pretty dry, much to my dislike (because I have a snake who has to have a more humid enviroment). Would using it help?

I also use a damp brush and run a humidifier to help, but they still get zapped (by me and each other) occasionally

Originally Posted by Soka

We have a humidifier but we don't really use it. My room stays pretty dry, much to my dislike (because I have a snake who has to have a more humid enviroment). Would using it help?

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I've been running my humidifier since our heat went on for the winter, and it really doesn't help that much. Ginger and Ferris both seem to take it personally when I pat them and they get shocked. Poor kitties!

Well, I have a couple of suggestions.. I second the humidifier option. That's probably going to be your biggest help, although that's all going to depend on how big your house is compared to how big your humidifier is. You may also consider putting a huge pot of water on the stove and letting it steam away. Way back when I was a kid, that's what we did in addition to the humidifier.. and just kept it full. I don't recall having static issues at that point in my life.

I've considered using dryer sheets myself, but was worried that it might not be healthy for my kitties. I never did look into their active ingredients, but them my kitties are fairly used to it. It doesn't even phase them 99% of the time.

If you want to try putting something on their fur.. you might try a very mild solution of water with a teeny bit of hair conditioner in it.. perhaps like a baby brand.. and ph balanced. We used to do that with our older dog, and it helped some. I've never tried it on the cats.

Best of luck, and keep me posted! I could use some anti-static in my house too.. I think I'm going to go put a pot of water on now.

~Heather

Just a caution with regard to keeping a big pot of boiling water open on the stove: Don't leave it unattended, and make certain that your cats are safe AWAY from it!

Hehe, sorry, I forgot to mention that... I don't leave anything on when I leave the floor for any length of time. The kitten hasn't figured out she's vulnerable yet.

Thanks for mentioning!

This is a great thread. I never knew aobut the wetting your hands trick before pettng them!