Would be better with the humidifier. The air is dry. So the bowl of water is the same theory as the humidifier except it's on a tiny scale compare to the humidifier.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
meet Buggy
- Thread starter bigbadbass
- Start Date
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2017
- Messages
- 8,674
- Purraise
- 34,616
@bigbadbass do you own a smartphone? If you do you can simply upload photos from phone
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #384
A phone pic test... and yet again, absolutely darker viewing here than on my phone. I don't know why this occurs, forces me to edit contrast for every posted pic, dammit.
Been working this week, but I'll snap a couple during daylight tomorrow, provided His Highness will grant my request.
Last edited:
This is a good photo...if you are having issues try going into your phone settings and adjust from there abs then go into camera settings and adjust brightness that way too...what model phone do you have?
A phone pic test... and yet again, absolutely darker viewing here than on my phone. I don't know why this occurs, forces me to edit contrast for every posted pic, dammit.
Been working this week, but I'll snap a couple during daylight tomorrow, provided His Highness will grant my request.
Photo is pretty good and it's GOOD to see Bugs! Yeah!!! 
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2017
- Messages
- 8,674
- Purraise
- 34,616
G - He's certainly an handsome fellow, and it's pretty clear that he's comfortable now. Well done; bravo to both of you.
.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #388
Yet again, i beckon to the collective knowledge and experience from members.
Bug is doing good very quickly....he's rubbing against my legs, i'm beginning to pet him a few moments....but out of nowhere he'll bat at me and hiss. Of course, I'm lightly admonishing him with a "no hiss!"
I realize its still very soon after neuter (just 4 weeks), his hormones/testosterone still running wild, BUT.......
my questions regarding our initial petting/scratching interactions...
*what tactic (other than admonishment) should I employ to suppress little Elvis' violent eruptions?
* just wait for his chemistry to normalize?
*back off in the interim?
*continue to tactfully interact and "push" him just a little?
Obvious NEWBEE ALERT....any and all ideas welcome, I need all the insights and help I can get....
Hey, members, as usual thanks in advance!
Bug is doing good very quickly....he's rubbing against my legs, i'm beginning to pet him a few moments....but out of nowhere he'll bat at me and hiss. Of course, I'm lightly admonishing him with a "no hiss!"
I realize its still very soon after neuter (just 4 weeks), his hormones/testosterone still running wild, BUT.......
my questions regarding our initial petting/scratching interactions...
*what tactic (other than admonishment) should I employ to suppress little Elvis' violent eruptions?
* just wait for his chemistry to normalize?
*back off in the interim?
*continue to tactfully interact and "push" him just a little?
Obvious NEWBEE ALERT....any and all ideas welcome, I need all the insights and help I can get....
Hey, members, as usual thanks in advance!
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2017
- Messages
- 8,674
- Purraise
- 34,616
You're both doing great, first of all. Is The Bug looking at you when he hisses, or is he just, "hissing at the world?" Often, a raised finger and a low, "pssst," will be enough to get their attention and make them stop if they're looking in your direction.
.
.
Again that's good news that he is rubbing your legs. Let him do as long as he wants to. You can tell the degree of how comfortable he is or how much he has owned you by the pressure of his body while rubbing your legs.
As for the petting, do not over stimulate him. Pet a few strokes and stop and do it again later. And also watch where you pet him that made him hiss and bat you. Some parts of the body are off limits and you have to know where. So just experiment the different places to pet him. Example like on the head, under the chin, side of mouth in the direction of the whiskers, neck and stump of tail.
If he bat without claws is ok.
Hormones take at least 6 weeks to be totally flushed out of system.
For your questions, as mentioned above and continue to say 'NO' to hissing and batting all the way till chemistry is normalized. In other words, no change to routines.
As for the petting, do not over stimulate him. Pet a few strokes and stop and do it again later. And also watch where you pet him that made him hiss and bat you. Some parts of the body are off limits and you have to know where. So just experiment the different places to pet him. Example like on the head, under the chin, side of mouth in the direction of the whiskers, neck and stump of tail.
If he bat without claws is ok.
Hormones take at least 6 weeks to be totally flushed out of system.
For your questions, as mentioned above and continue to say 'NO' to hissing and batting all the way till chemistry is normalized. In other words, no change to routines.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #391
TY J. Yes, he's directing it at me, no doubt.
His transition is progressing at a dizzying pace. Overall, I'm quite satisfied we did the right thing by Bug. His constant, obsessive roaming was risky...doomed to hurt him eventually.
Safely allowing his "full access" to the house ongoing ..the ultimate accomplishment here.
His transition is progressing at a dizzying pace. Overall, I'm quite satisfied we did the right thing by Bug. His constant, obsessive roaming was risky...doomed to hurt him eventually.
Safely allowing his "full access" to the house ongoing ..the ultimate accomplishment here.
Schofield, the cat we had the enclosure for, does this still, after a year inside and four years in the enclosure. He loves loving but is so easily overstimulated, it drives him batty. I realized two things, Letting him do all the work is better. I will put out a fist and he head buts until he's done.
If he looks like he wants more, I will offer the fist again. But he basically does all the work. On occasion, I can scratch his head but I've learned his signal when he wants that.
Which brings me to the second thing - learn his body language. A flashing tail, a look in the eye and my fist is withdrawn. He also hates to have his flank rubbed - an old injury, I suspect. If he turns to walk away from me and my hand is on or near his flank, he'll bat. I've learned to withdrawn it before that happens.
A sharp "no!" usually stops him but he does gets confused, like he's not quite sure why I'm upset. He has a harder time understand me than I do him but I've worked at it harder, I think!
I suspect another chair will help. Schofield loves to just sit on my lap or across my arms on the desk while I type. Just a small bit of physical contact seems enough for him.
Also, make sure the humidifier doesn't hiss. That would be startling, as I learned once the hard way. A humidifier holds a lot of water, especially when two cats attack it and spill said water all over the place!
If he looks like he wants more, I will offer the fist again. But he basically does all the work. On occasion, I can scratch his head but I've learned his signal when he wants that.
Which brings me to the second thing - learn his body language. A flashing tail, a look in the eye and my fist is withdrawn. He also hates to have his flank rubbed - an old injury, I suspect. If he turns to walk away from me and my hand is on or near his flank, he'll bat. I've learned to withdrawn it before that happens.
A sharp "no!" usually stops him but he does gets confused, like he's not quite sure why I'm upset. He has a harder time understand me than I do him but I've worked at it harder, I think!
I suspect another chair will help. Schofield loves to just sit on my lap or across my arms on the desk while I type. Just a small bit of physical contact seems enough for him.
Also, make sure the humidifier doesn't hiss. That would be startling, as I learned once the hard way. A humidifier holds a lot of water, especially when two cats attack it and spill said water all over the place!
Gorgeous photo looks very professional especially with the red background makes his black coat really stand out.
So good of you to open your heart to this beautiful boy.
So good of you to open your heart to this beautiful boy.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #394
Ondine-
I know you know your stuff, but I'm not about to put up with his uncontrolled outbursts long term without attempting some behavior modification or SOMETHING. I'm hoping it will subside when his hormone thing normalizes.
Agreed, though, I do need learn to "read him" better.
The little Bugger thinks he's Elvis. Ain't happenin'...not without a fight (not to worry...just a figure of speech)
I know you know your stuff, but I'm not about to put up with his uncontrolled outbursts long term without attempting some behavior modification or SOMETHING. I'm hoping it will subside when his hormone thing normalizes.
Agreed, though, I do need learn to "read him" better.
The little Bugger thinks he's Elvis. Ain't happenin'...not without a fight (not to worry...just a figure of speech)
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2017
- Messages
- 8,674
- Purraise
- 34,616
How "close" have you managed to get to The Bug, face to face? Have you rubbed noses with him, or invited him to scent-mark your face or hand yet - or is that still on the horizon?
.
.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #396
No way face to face, as long as he's spontaneously batting *I can't trust HIM* I'm not looking to have my eyeballs scratched out.
As I'm sitting on the floor, he circles around me, rubbing against my back, arms. legs, etc., again I reach out to pet...out of nowhere he hisses and bats. It can't be predicted.
If I'm standing, he circles around and rubs against my legs.
Granted, I've been working daily, more time will need to be invested, of course we're just getting started the last couple of days.
As I'm sitting on the floor, he circles around me, rubbing against my back, arms. legs, etc., again I reach out to pet...out of nowhere he hisses and bats. It can't be predicted.
If I'm standing, he circles around and rubs against my legs.
Granted, I've been working daily, more time will need to be invested, of course we're just getting started the last couple of days.
- Joined
- Feb 6, 2017
- Messages
- 8,674
- Purraise
- 34,616
Thanks. They seldom actually hit the eye - it's just usually the cheek or the nose.
Just keep keepin' on - just like the managers of all the fighters who ever faced Marciano said in the past: "hang in there kid; you're wearin' him down; just a few more rounds."
.
Instead of another chair for bug, if the vantage point overlooks outside, in front of a window with a view, why not place a cat tree in that spot. They love to be able to get up high and be able to watch the out of doors.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #399
His unprovoked hissy fits (hissing, and batting) have actually minimized already. Likely reaction from being sternly told "NO HISS".
Little ELVIS is expected to conform to MY STANDARDS...not the other way round....as I stated I'll not tolerate ANY violent behavior.
We're making good progress, meanwhile still awaiting hormone reduction. Brought indoors Jan 9, neutered on Jan.16...he's almost there.
Hopefully, he'll be a good boy and play ball....the quicker I can FULLY trust him, the quicker he'll gain "free roam".
Little ELVIS is expected to conform to MY STANDARDS...not the other way round....as I stated I'll not tolerate ANY violent behavior.
We're making good progress, meanwhile still awaiting hormone reduction. Brought indoors Jan 9, neutered on Jan.16...he's almost there.
Hopefully, he'll be a good boy and play ball....the quicker I can FULLY trust him, the quicker he'll gain "free roam".
Bravo! 
Looks like he's getting it and hope it goes smoothly from here.
Looks like he's getting it and hope it goes smoothly from here.
