How to say sorry?

euterpe

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I think this belongs in this section, I never know where to put threads!

I've found lately that Libby has gotten under foot a lot. She's almost 4 months now so she's still kinda small and i'm as careful as I can be not to hurt her. If we're walking and she runs into us or our foot touches her as she goes past I don't worry about it too much.

However, lately she's been stealthier and stealthier moving around the house. She has a bell on her collar (which was put there so that we would know where she is and wouldn't trip on her), but sometimes she manages to move without making a sound.

The other night I was playing with her and she got startled, she ran straight into my hand (bashed her face pretty hard) and over my hand (nice deep scratches fo me!) and ran off. Then last night I was walking away from my computer chair and kicked her without even realising she was there and she ran again. She also has a habit of sneaking up on me when i'm washing up and that sometimes leads to me nudging her with my foot inadvertantly.

My point is, how do I make sure she knows it was just an accident? I don't want her to think i'm trying to hurt her. I've heard you should pick them up and make a fuss of them each time but she really doesn't like being picked up and petted much.

Will she realise that it's just an accident or is there some way I can make sure she knows that i'm not doing it on purpose?
 

yosemite

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I don't know what to tell you other than what you yourself posted about picking them up.

I guess most cats get under our feet occasionally since I've had my share of stepping on little paws and walking into them as they run past and almost trip me.


I usually just pick them up and massage their paws and whisper sweet nothings in their ears and apologize profusely.
 

miss mew

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Originally Posted by Yosemite

I usually just pick them up and massage their paws and whisper sweet nothings in their ears and apologize profusely.
That's what I do too
 

angelkitty

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I do the same thing.. I pick her up and give kisses and hugs, and extra loving!! I also say sorry... they just look at me,, and love the rubs behind the ears... I always feel bad, so I give a little extra wet food at night too (not to much) just a tad..


Heather
 

jenny82

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Cats are pretty smart...maybe they can see in your eyes and behavior that you are sorry.
 
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euterpe

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I hope so!

As I said, I do the whole picking up, making a fuss of thing but she's really not a cat who likes that stuff... well, she's a kitten. She wants to be off and running around all the time! I don't think there's one time yet that she's let us hold her without a fuss or pet her withouth curving her spine down to escape our hands and then running off.

I don't want her to think 'Oh great, first she kicked me and now she's smothering me, this is awful!' lol


I guess i'll just have to keep my fingers crossed that she knows that I didn't mean to hurt her.
 

momto3cats

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I don't pick them up when that happens, as they run away and look scared when I accidentally hurt them. I don't want to scare the poor thing any more, so I just crouch down and say "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, are you ok?" - that kind of thing. Then they will come up to me and let me pet and give treats.
 

abigail

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Originally Posted by Euterpe

I hope so!

well, she's a kitten. She wants to be off and running around all the time!
mine was always on the go when i stepped on her by mistake... so this is what I did. I made sure we had eye contact and I used a very sweet and higher pitch than normal voice and apologized calmed and sweetly and used her name frequently. even if she didn't get the words she got the tone and everything was ok. Cats can tell anger from an error and if she keeps getting underfoot then she isn't afraid of you or avoiding you.
 

ollyextra05

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If I had a nickel for everytime Emma or Oliver were underfoot I'd be a millionaire!
I usually just fuss over them and say "Oooohhh, baby meowmy's so sorry!" and they're over it pretty quickly!
 
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