My younger cat Hemi is a bit of a terrorist. She stresses the older guy Ollie to no end. She's got a bunch of little behavioral issues that I want to tackle. I mentioned in another thread that the cats aren't getting along well and I'm hoping dealing with some of her problems might help that. We had thought about another cat, but others suggested the stress on Ollie might be too much. Unfortunately we really want another pet, actually a dog, but Ollie is terrified of them, but might go for another kitty if we can deal with these behavior issues first. Want to start clicker training soon, but I've got some negative behavior that I'm not sure what to do with....
She has started getting aggressive with me lately. Most often when I'm laying in bed reading, she'll curl up by my feet, staying alert watching for Ollie of course. I'll reach down and pat her for a second and she'll bite (no blood, but hard enough that I know), or she'll bat at me with a little bit of claw (she never used to do that). I want to stop this before it gets worse. Its almost like she's trying to get her way a little too much. I don't know what to do though. How to let her know that it is bad behavior. Ignoring her (which I've done) means letting her continue to lay there, which is what she wants and doesn't really tell her that it is a bad behavior. She doesn't care about squirting with water, she doesn't like it but it has never stopped her from repeating bad actions. I've considered trying to give her a time out but I'm not sure the best place to put her. In the carrier would be bad....getting her in there is an ordeal. In the bathroom, she'll just shred the toilet paper (another behavior I'd like to stop) and the litter is in there so the other cat won't be able to go. The only other option I can think of is the tub, we've got sliding doors on it, of course if the shower was just used this isn't an option. Would this be a cruel spot for a time out (if its dry)? Do time-outs work?
Any suggestions? Its so frustrating that ignoring her won't work in this instance and I don't want to let it get out of hand. If we can stop this, then we can probably fix some of her other misbehavior.
She has started getting aggressive with me lately. Most often when I'm laying in bed reading, she'll curl up by my feet, staying alert watching for Ollie of course. I'll reach down and pat her for a second and she'll bite (no blood, but hard enough that I know), or she'll bat at me with a little bit of claw (she never used to do that). I want to stop this before it gets worse. Its almost like she's trying to get her way a little too much. I don't know what to do though. How to let her know that it is bad behavior. Ignoring her (which I've done) means letting her continue to lay there, which is what she wants and doesn't really tell her that it is a bad behavior. She doesn't care about squirting with water, she doesn't like it but it has never stopped her from repeating bad actions. I've considered trying to give her a time out but I'm not sure the best place to put her. In the carrier would be bad....getting her in there is an ordeal. In the bathroom, she'll just shred the toilet paper (another behavior I'd like to stop) and the litter is in there so the other cat won't be able to go. The only other option I can think of is the tub, we've got sliding doors on it, of course if the shower was just used this isn't an option. Would this be a cruel spot for a time out (if its dry)? Do time-outs work?
Any suggestions? Its so frustrating that ignoring her won't work in this instance and I don't want to let it get out of hand. If we can stop this, then we can probably fix some of her other misbehavior.
you mom!", often I think I've interrupted her staring at Ollie. Before if she didn't want to be petted she'd just push me away with her paw, no claws, or she'd get up and leave.
