I didn't notice

diego

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OM
G
I didn't notice that Diego had snuck back into a room I was vacuuming, I always put the cats in a different room and shut the one I'm in so they don't get frightened. I only noticed when I heard a loud crash, I quickly turned around to see a gray streak flying toward me. He clinged on to me with dear life, so I immediately turned of the vacuum and he made this horrible whining sound.

The reason I won't vacuum with a cat in the room, is coz a mate of mine stole one from a lady who's son would intentionally chase a cat around a room to the point it couldn't even move. He said that it took him several months to get the cat back to a normal unfrightened state. He also told me cats are naturally terrified of vecuums so never use one with a cat in the same room.

I was careless coz I didn't know Diego was back in the room. He is puffing so bad, I'm scared for him now..... what have I done???

I don't want him to be a frightened wee kitten, oh gosh. I'm just giving him lots of cuddles and kisses, but he's more interested in digging his claws into my back, while he wraps himself around my neck.

Oh
I'm a terrible
person. I should not even think about adopting any cats or kittens now, they will be safer as strays, if I can't even know where they are.
 

renovia

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don't worry too too much, cats are resilient creatures - especially at that young age. You just startled him. You didn't actually hurt him with the vacuum. If you treat the vacuum like it's a normal thing he'll treat it like its a normal thing. Nial's (Kai Bengals) cats ride his vacuum. Cats don't have to be scared of it.

I just vacuum away and usually the cats stay close enough to see it, but far enough away that they feel safe. They are curious.
 

rosiemac

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Don't panic!. Most cats hate the vacuum, my three do and Jacks only 11 weeks old.

I always make sure i give them scritches after i put it away, and tell them i'm sorry but the horrible monster had to come out.
 

calico2222

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Don't beat yourself up...you are NOT a terrible person. Some cats don't like vacuums but it's a part of life they have to deal with. Just like they don't like going to the vet. Most of mine will run to another room, except Harley. He likes to stalk it and try to attack the cord, so I have to keep an eye on him. As long as you gave Diego lovings and reassured him afterwards, he will be fine.
 

adymarie

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He will be fine. Once he gets all of your loving he will be better in no time (he'll probably be back to normal before you are).

Accidents like that happen. I locked my cat Pepperpot in the closet for 14 hours a few weeks ago and felt horrible. People here convinced me I shouldn't turn myself over to the humane society. She was fine really quickly and Diego will be too.
 

swampwitch

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Don't feel bad... he knows that if he comes to you the scariness stops and he gets loved up and calmed down.


Good for your friend to steal that poor kitty from the lady with the nasty son! I don't understand people sometimes. I taught a child once (in a class of 3- and 4-year-olds with language delays in a low socio-economic area) whose parents used to put him out with their dogs and watch the dogs attack and terrorize him. We took our class to a stable once to see the horses and there was a dog there. The poor kid literally climbed up me, he was trying to sit on my head while he was screaming and screaming.
 

littleraven7726

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I'm sure he'll be ok.


My Stimpy freaks out about the vacuum pretty bad. He really panics when the vacuum is in the same room as he is (I try to start in the room he's not in). It took years for him to stop freaking out about brooms. I have no idea what he went through in the 1 1/2 years with his previous owner, but it wasn't all good. When we first adopted him, I went to sweep the kitchen and he was out there and he flipped out. Ran and hid like I was going to beat him or something.
He's much better now. But it took a long time to get to this point.
 

catmomof2

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Dont worry.I have one that hates the vacuum and one who could care less.
I'm sure all will be fine
 

carolpetunia

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Originally Posted by SwampWitch

Don't feel bad... he knows that if he comes to you the scariness stops and he gets loved up and calmed down.
Yes -- isn't it remarkable that he did not hide, but came straight to you for protection! This kitty already understands that you are his friend!


Originally Posted by SwampWitch

I taught a child once (in a class of 3- and 4-year-olds with language delays in a low socio-economic area) whose parents used to put him out with their dogs and watch the dogs attack and terrorize him.
Dear god, how do we grow people like that? And why do we let them anywhere near children or animals? Please tell me they lost their parental rights...?
 
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diego

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

Yes -- isn't it remarkable that he did not hide, but came straight to you for protection! This kitty already understands that you are his friend!




Dear god, how do we grow people like that? And why do we let them anywhere near children or animals? Please tell me they lost their parental rights...?
Well there really was only one place he could have hid and that was his toilet
. I was cleaning out his bedroom. Yep he has his very own bedroom and toilet as does Neko.

Theres really no other hiding places.

Unfortunately he is a bit of a wreck, he did eventually release me from his grasp, gave me some kisses and was purring, but he is very jumpy. He hears a car start outside, you come toward him, or you pat him when he's not looking and he freaks. Actually when I walk toward him he sort of runs in a little circle then cowers. I think it must have been very traumatic for him.
 

renovia

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Originally Posted by DIEGO

Well there really was only one place he could have hid and that was his toilet
. I was cleaning out his bedroom. Yep he has his very own bedroom and toilet as does Neko.

Theres really no other hiding places.

Unfortunately he is a bit of a wreck, he did eventually release me from his grasp, gave me some kisses and was purring, but he is very jumpy. He hears a car start outside, you come toward him, or you pat him when he's not looking and he freaks. Actually when I walk toward him he sort of runs in a little circle then cowers. I think it must have been very traumatic for him.
don't worry REALLY, Diego is a RB. My RB is EXACTLY the same way. You'd think he'd been traumatized earlier in life. He is extremely jumpy and some days are just better than others. He can't stand people coming over - and that is a quality in the breed.
 

MoochNNoodles

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Originally Posted by Renovia

don't worry REALLY, Diego is a RB. My RB is EXACTLY the same way. You'd think he'd been traumatized earlier in life. He is extremely jumpy and some days are just better than others. He can't stand people coming over - and that is a quality in the breed.
Noodles is jumpy like that too. (Maybe she does have some of that breed in her somewhere!) She has to sniff you before you can pet her or she'll freak out.

My two dont care for the vacuum, usually when I take it out I just tell the girls to go to their bathroom and Mooch will. Noodles sometimes follows, sometimes she'll go in the bathtub or somewhere else to hide. When they were kittens I'd kind of guide them in there before vacuuming so they know it is their 'safe place.'
 

aussie_dog

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Oh, I know that guilty feeling! Usually when I vaccuum, all the cats scatter and hide, but once a couple of months ago, I was vaccuuming my old room (was moving everything downstairs and had to vaccuum up kitty litter on the floor). Buffy and Willow were gone out of the room before I turned on the vacuum, but poor Molly wasn't aware what I was about to do. Since she was sitting on the window at the other end of the room, I thought she'd be okay, but nope, when I turned on the vacuum, she spooked. I guess she felt threatened being in a room with the vacuum, so she really really really wanted OUT! She summoned all the courage in herself and walked towards me and the vacuum (blocking the doorway). But nope, she lost her courage and raced back to the window. But she just couldn't take it anymore, she so summoned her courage again, began racing towards me, and I looked up just as she took a flying leap. She latched her body onto my head, then used her back legs to kick off and land in the hallway. She managed to dig one of her nails just centimetres away from my right eye (still has a pink scar, lol) and I proudly showed off the cut to anyone who would listen ("Look how close to disaster I got! Wow!"). But I felt bad that little timid, gentle Molly was driven towards such uncharacteristic desperation, so I felt the cuts I got (several places on my scalp, two just in front of my ear, some on my back, some on my shoulders and arm, etc.) were cuts I completely deserved.
 

green bunny

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Originally Posted by Renovia

don't worry too too much, cats are resilient creatures - especially at that young age. You just startled him. You didn't actually hurt him with the vacuum. If you treat the vacuum like it's a normal thing he'll treat it like its a normal thing. Nial's (Kai Bengals) cats ride his vacuum. Cats don't have to be scared of it.

I just vacuum away and usually the cats stay close enough to see it, but far enough away that they feel safe. They are curious.
Maybe your (and Nial's) cats are special. I vacuum every night with a handheld DirtDevil (with doesn't make nearly as much noise as the regular upright I have) when I scoop out the litterboxes. I use it to get the stray pieces of litter that my cats bring out. Neither of them like it and always try to keep a "safe" distance away, watching it and me warily. It they have to pass it (while it's on) to get to my bedroom or to the living room, et al, they both shoot past it. Sometimes Loki will get close to it, but when it gets near him (since he won't listen to me when I tell him that I'll be getting closer with it) he runs away, freaked out. Considering I use it every night I thought they'd have gotten used to it by now. Nope!

Tricia
 

noludoru

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Don't beat yourself up too much. Cats can get used to vacuums, just like anything else.

My three are afraid of it, but will stick in the sae room and let it get up to a foot or two close to them before getting up and stalking off. I was kittysitting a kitty who wasn't afraid of it at all, and let me (in play) vacuum his tail! We had a blast together, ruffling his fur, him pouncing on the hose. Not all cas are afraid at first, and those that are can get used to it.
 

reesespbc

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Don't worry. As long as you're not intentionally chasing him around with the vacuum he'll be fine. Reeses hates the vacuum and the dust buster and she hides wherever she can to get away from it, but she is fine once we're done. Like Renovia said, they're very Resilient.
 

katachtig

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He is probably doing better now. Much has learned to ignore the beast. She just strolls out of the room. Carly will find a place where she can watch it but escape. Poor Lucy, runs to find the other person in the house and just sits really close to him/her.

As long as you don't intentionally terrorize them (and I doubt you would), they adapt. Just make sure that they have escape routes and turn off the vacuum to let them escape.
 
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diego

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Thank you all for your positive remarks.
Everyone is just so kind and wonderful on this site

At the moment Diego is pretty much back to his old self, but he is very jumpy now. He used to be a little jumpy but now, any small noise makes him jump.
He loves shoulder rides now, if I bend down to give him a kiss, he jumps up on my shoulder to kiss me back and to go with me. Yesterday I don't know if something startled him or he was just playing, but he went up inside my shirt and was there for about 1/2 an hour.
 
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