Close Call and Advice

[jkuras]

Hi, this morning I got a real scare.  My Sushi figured out how to push the screen open from the latch.  Had I not awakened (the window is above my head in the bedroom) I would have not caught him going out the window and he would have fell to his death.  I was mortified.  

He has strong play drives in the morning and if I don't play with him right away, he seems to run around the apartment looking to do things he normally doesn't do.  In the 3 months I have had him, his health has sky rocketed, he filled out, has bursts of lightening energy now, and wants to play all through the day but especially in the morning and before I go to bed.

I tied the handles together so he cannot open the screen anymore, the other screens do not have handles.  However, he has become obsessed with wanting to claw the screens - My only option right now is to keep the blinds just opened but they are locked together, not giving him access to the screens but he has light and plenty of air.  I cannot give him direct access to any window screen anymore.

Does anyone else have this problem?  I felt badly as most of the time, he lays on the window sill, on the pad I put there and just watches the birds and people passing by, we are on the second floor.  Any suggestions about deterring his obsession with want to sharpen his claws on the screens?  I bought him 4 scratch pads, 2 are made into small couches that he can lie down on.  So it is not a lack of alternatives.

Joyce

 

[whatsonemore]

As soon as he starts scratching the screen, pick him up and take him to the scratcher to use instead.  You can rake your fingernails or whatever across it to make the scratchy sound that entices them to do the same.  When he does, pet him and love him to show him that's a good behavior.  Redirection and positive reinforcement.

My cats are inside/outside, but I know when they get in their moods where they just go around looking for trouble (something or someone to attack, play with, etc.) we usually just have a really strenuous play session and they get it out of their system pretty quickly.  If your cat is young and thriving, he's going to have plenty of energy he's going to need to expend.  Does he have toys to play with to help? 

 

[jkuras]

Hi, I play with him  throughout the day  - His play drive now is strong since he is healthy and put on some real weight.  They don't know how old he is, but he may be around 1 years old.  He was found on the street, so it is hard to tell.

He gets annoyed if I don't play with him all the time and then starts to look for trouble.  He scratches on his posts but wants the screens as well.

He will only play with me.  He won't touch toys or anything on his own.  He plays hide and seek with me and runs through his tunnels and jumps up and attacks me or grabs my ankles and then hides.  I laugh so hard.  

I am going to try an action toy that rolls to see if that interests him.  He is changing since I have had him.  3 months ago, he did not play or eat that much.  Now, he eats as if he is starving and then is like lightening when I play with him.  Of course, I would rather see him happy and well fed and getting into trouble than the way he was when he was found.

Do some cats refuse to play with toys?

Joyce

 

[di and bob]

Some cats are not as interested, especially those that have access to live prey. I keep half of my cat's toys in a baggie filled with cat nip to refresh them. Then switch them out every week or so. Cats seem to get very interested when there is catnip involved. As for the screens, he most likely likes the way it feels to his claws, plus it gets attention from you when he claws them. Some cats thrive on getting attention, I have one that hangs like a bat from the top of the screen door and then drops and runs like mad when I come to scold, I think he thinks of it as a game.  Thank goodness you caught your boy before he got out, that teaches us about the dangers we don't think of. Thanks! 

 

[whatsonemore]

I've had new cats show up that don't seem to be interested in toys at all at first.  My best luck has been with toys that roll.  I have vinyl and hardwood floors, so I use marbles, ping pong balls, tennis balls that bounce or roll or in the case of the tennis ball, that they can grab ahold of with their front paws and kick with their back.  I've used cat nip sprays and the leaf shreds/powder stuff with them on their little cloth mouses and for the most part, they couldn't care less.  They prefer things that roll.

Also, never underestimate the power of two cats.  lol  They can hang out together and play and really, two isn't much different than one, as long as they are both healthy and get along.