How do you suggest training or disciplining a former feral?

beckiboo

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 7, 2005
Messages
7,382
Purraise
4
Location
Illinois, USA
So as my feral babies tame, I wonder about how to advise the adoptive parents to train or discipline them. With my cats, they have been tame since birth, so if you get aggravated at finding them on the table with their face in dinner, you can just be exasperated and say, "Garfield, for pity's sake! That was dinner!" Or when he jumps on my lap as I eat, I shoo him off and tell him to leave me alone. I blow in his face if he gets too close to my food. I even hiss sometimes.

When he is really persistant I hold my hand up and say, "Garfield, NO!" I guess I am just saying that I am never concerned about frightening my cats when they are disciplined, or have their behavior corrected. I don't ever want my feral babies to be frightened by a human behavior meant to chastise them.

Like tonight, dd caught little Blue when she was sleeping on her bed. She brought her out, and was petting her. I gave Blue a scrap of chicken off my plate. Then a few minutes later, Blue was trying to eat off dd's plate. DD has great instincts for a 10 y/o, and simply held her hand over Blue's head so she could not get to the plate. Then she did share a little scrap with Blue.

If that had been one of the other cats, dd would have been much firmer. I have also warned the kids about chastising the other cats when the babies are watching, so they don't get scared of our behavior.

Anyhow, for those of you with tamed scaredy cats-how do you handle this???
 
Top