I look like I've been through a war. Right now I have scratches on both legs, both arms, and my face. Today was a good day. I haven't gotten scratched or bitten yet and it's around 8:00 PM. Yesterday was a nightmare.
His name is Mikey. I first saw Mikey in a cage at Petsmart. He was practically standing on his head whistling Dixie to get attention. It was love at first site. I knew he was going to be a handful, but I've had cats all my life and was confident that I could handle this little guy. At the time he was three or four months old and I was told he had been bottle fed and his litter mates had died. They said he had been alone and was used to playing by himself.
The first morning Mikey jumped on the bed and started biting and scratching my arms. (An awful way to wake up.) We quickly discovered that we couldn't pet him. If we moved our hand towards him he bit and scratched. Instinctively I knew he wasn't being mean. He loved being with us and followed me all day from room to room like a dog. I knew he just didn't know how to act. He also never purred. I realized I'd have to work on calming him and decided to speak softly and pet him when he slept or ate. Those were the only times he wouldn't turn and bite and/or scratch. When he jumped and attacked I walked away. If he followed and continued biting and scratching I gave him a time out. We have a large cage in the kitchen and I'd put him in there until he calmed down. It seemed to work like a charm. In two days he was a changed cat. He started to purr and enjoy the attention. I patted myself on the back. I even called myself the Cat Whisperer. My family joked about how I must have gotten a new cat.
We went back to Petsmart and got another kitten so Mikey would have a companion. Mikey and Murphy get along very well. You would think they were litter mates. Once in a while Mikey gets a little too rough, but Murphy is no shrinking violet. She lets him know when he's gone too far. In the last few weeks they've started grooming each other once in a while. They don't curl up and sleep together, but they do seem to enjoy each other's company.
Everything was fine for a while, but in the last few weeks Mikey has gotten too darn rough again and I'm usually the one that pays the price. It's strange because he's very devoted to me. As I type this he's sleeping next to me. If I leave the room he'll cry and follow me. Yesterday he was so wild. I was holding him and he turned on a dime and scratched my face.
I just can't help but think that there must be a better way to handle this cat. I felt like crying yesterday. What am I doing wrong? I actually feel sorry for him. He often lies in a ball and sucks his back leg. I'm sure that's because of his past history. He kind of reminds me of the socially misfit kid on the playground who wants the other kids to like him, so he runs over and gives them an enthusiastic hug, knocks them down, and then wonders why they're crying.
Don't worry...Mikey will have a home with us for life. However, one of our family members might need a blood transfusion someday if we can't reverse this behavior. We also have two older cats, but Mikey knows better than to mess with them. We have a dog, but he doesn't bother her too much either. (We also have a feral cat that lives in our backyard, but that's another long story.) Sorry this is so long. I read the suggestions at the top of this thread and today I just gave him short pets. I'm starting to think I might have been holding and petting him for too long in my attempt to calm him. Today I didn't even wait until he seemed annoyed...I just petted him for a few seconds and left. Anyway, I'm open to any and all additional suggestions. I'd also like to know what you think about putting him in the cage. I don't like doing it, but sometimes it's the only way to stop him. Thanks for your help.
His name is Mikey. I first saw Mikey in a cage at Petsmart. He was practically standing on his head whistling Dixie to get attention. It was love at first site. I knew he was going to be a handful, but I've had cats all my life and was confident that I could handle this little guy. At the time he was three or four months old and I was told he had been bottle fed and his litter mates had died. They said he had been alone and was used to playing by himself.
The first morning Mikey jumped on the bed and started biting and scratching my arms. (An awful way to wake up.) We quickly discovered that we couldn't pet him. If we moved our hand towards him he bit and scratched. Instinctively I knew he wasn't being mean. He loved being with us and followed me all day from room to room like a dog. I knew he just didn't know how to act. He also never purred. I realized I'd have to work on calming him and decided to speak softly and pet him when he slept or ate. Those were the only times he wouldn't turn and bite and/or scratch. When he jumped and attacked I walked away. If he followed and continued biting and scratching I gave him a time out. We have a large cage in the kitchen and I'd put him in there until he calmed down. It seemed to work like a charm. In two days he was a changed cat. He started to purr and enjoy the attention. I patted myself on the back. I even called myself the Cat Whisperer. My family joked about how I must have gotten a new cat.
We went back to Petsmart and got another kitten so Mikey would have a companion. Mikey and Murphy get along very well. You would think they were litter mates. Once in a while Mikey gets a little too rough, but Murphy is no shrinking violet. She lets him know when he's gone too far. In the last few weeks they've started grooming each other once in a while. They don't curl up and sleep together, but they do seem to enjoy each other's company.
Everything was fine for a while, but in the last few weeks Mikey has gotten too darn rough again and I'm usually the one that pays the price. It's strange because he's very devoted to me. As I type this he's sleeping next to me. If I leave the room he'll cry and follow me. Yesterday he was so wild. I was holding him and he turned on a dime and scratched my face.
I just can't help but think that there must be a better way to handle this cat. I felt like crying yesterday. What am I doing wrong? I actually feel sorry for him. He often lies in a ball and sucks his back leg. I'm sure that's because of his past history. He kind of reminds me of the socially misfit kid on the playground who wants the other kids to like him, so he runs over and gives them an enthusiastic hug, knocks them down, and then wonders why they're crying.
Don't worry...Mikey will have a home with us for life. However, one of our family members might need a blood transfusion someday if we can't reverse this behavior. We also have two older cats, but Mikey knows better than to mess with them. We have a dog, but he doesn't bother her too much either. (We also have a feral cat that lives in our backyard, but that's another long story.) Sorry this is so long. I read the suggestions at the top of this thread and today I just gave him short pets. I'm starting to think I might have been holding and petting him for too long in my attempt to calm him. Today I didn't even wait until he seemed annoyed...I just petted him for a few seconds and left. Anyway, I'm open to any and all additional suggestions. I'd also like to know what you think about putting him in the cage. I don't like doing it, but sometimes it's the only way to stop him. Thanks for your help.
