My semi Feral Kitten and the House Guest

aerielee

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I have had a house guest staying for the past month and he keeps calling my semi feral kitten over to him constantly! To where I have noticed that my kitten has now reverted back to thinking he is being chased by everyone again! My kitten has become more isolated and me more annoyed! Especially when my guest attempts to call my kitten over to him when my kitten comes over to me! My guest seems to be determined to have my kitten come to him all the time! My guest a week ago made a comment when my kitten jumped up to get "pets" from me that my kitten always comes up to me and with that I replied "Cause he's my cat" and with that my guest seemed upset with this FACT. My guest seems to want to bond with my kitten and force a bond! As he is doing it as I type this message I am getting so PO'ed! Please may I get feedback on this. I am just being crazy like or what. 

Thanks
 
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shadowsrescue

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You need to have a talk with your guest about the kitten being afraid.  If you don't say anything your guest does not know that you are upset.  Tell him how hard you have worked with the kitten and that if he wants to interact with the kitten there are some guidelines you would like him to follow.
 

ondine

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You are not being crazy - just protective.  You know that cat best.  At this point, whoever your guest is, he or she is being a bit pushy.  ShadowsRescue is right -  let the guest know the cat needs boundaries and one of them is not being forced in any interaction.
 
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aerielee

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Are there any articles I can refer to so as my guest doesnt roll their eyes and act if I am just being stupid?
 

mani

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You could just show him this article.. it's not exactly right, but it does show how much work goes into taming a feral.

What is it with these people who get jealous because the cat prefers someone else!!  It isn't all about them! 
 

Shane Kent

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I have two 11 month kittens in the building I work at. My bosses, the building owners, are fine with me having the cats. The two cats were born on the property and I have been feeding them since November last year and they have been in the building for 3 months. They have been roaming around my coworkers for approx the last month and a half. Myself and one other coworker can pet and pick the cats up, my other coworker is a huge animal lover and spent time slowly working up to petting them. The two cats have a room to run to should they feel threatened, allowing them control over the situation.

With that said. My bosses whom own the building are not allowed to approach my cats. With time the cats will approach them and my bosses are fine with that. There is nothing crazy about it, it is part of socializing the cats.

You could point out to your guest that the people that own the building the cats live in are not allowed to approach them. These are sane people that own a multi million dollar company. The very same people that loaned me the money to take the cats to the vet for checkups, shots, spay and neuter. My bosses want the cats in the building because we have mouse problems in the fall and winter months. My bosses know if they screw with my cats it will set me back on the time I have spent on them. Time during my work day that they pay me for.

A photo of Rusty roaming the building.

 

Shane Kent

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P.S.

If your guest is going to be with you much longer they can help out socializing the cat just as a coworker of mine is doing. They need to be extremely patient and learn about cat behavior and body language. Can use stuff like the "slow blink" to work on trust. If you don't know what the slow blink is you can search the Internet there are articles on it. In fact you can show your guest an article on "slow blink" to demonstrate what sort of stuff it takes to gain the trust of a cat that is timid. They need to learn to approach the cat slowly, talk softly and gradually work up to petting the cat. If they feel they must bond with the cat they are going to have to learn to do it on the cat's terms and not their terms.
 
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