Hi all,
I've had my cat Misty for a couple of years. We first got her when she about 6 months old from a pet shop (not my idea; I wanted to get a rescue animal but my parents at the time thought that a rescue cat would come with behavioral problems. Lol that we got a cat from a pet shop that is a bit of a problem in that area!)
For about the first week we had her, there was no biting or scratching. She was incredible active, but not at all badly behaved. I'm not sure if it had any bearing on the situation, but after she had some operations done at the vet (she needed to be spayed and she had a hernia), she seemed to get more bitey and use her claws.
As a note, she is an indoor cat. She also has cat flu, and I have wondered if that might make her more impatient and likely to lash out if we do things she doesn't like?
For the last few years, she has continued to be relatively problematic in terms of behaviour. It has neither gotten better nor worse
Much of the time she is quite sweet and loving. For example, in the morning when we need to leave for work/uni, she gets very cuddly, and in the evening she is often very docile and happy. She enjoys belly rubs and likes to sit on laps sometimes, and often seems to prefer it when she is in the same room with a human, even if it just sitting a couple of metres a way,staring at them
. So I assume she doesn't hate out company.
But at certain points, she is also quite bitey/scratchey. I'm unsure if it is her being aggressive or if she just so energetic and playful she gets wild.
Sometimes she will lash out at us for seemingly no reason. E.g. just in the last hour I was sitting on the couch and she sat behind me, seemingly calm until she swatted my head. It wasn't serious, but we do all feel a little jumpy around her because she seems to like to go for us. It's not super serious, although her claws do come out.
Often she will sprint at us and tap our leg and run away, which, when the claws have stayed in seems to indicate she is just a very playful and energetic cat? She does seem quite impatient though; she gets snappy quite quickly. She also seems to really dislike being picked up (unless it's late at night in winter and I'm wearing my fluffy dressing gown; then she wants to sleep in my arms, haha
) but while I try not to pick her up too much sometimes I have to, e.g. to move her to another room, to get her into her vet box when she needs to go to the vet) and she really doesn't like it at all.
Sometimes I think she would be much happier if she had another cat to play with, but that's not really financially possible right now, and of course I wouldn't feel right adopting another cat that would likely be infected with the cat flu.
Any thoughts/opinions? I'm going to try to increase the play time I spend with her, because I think she is an absolute bundle of energy. As I mentioned, she is quite loving much of the time, but seems to get so snappy so easily.
Or any specific toys anyone recommends for very active play time that doesn't risk my hands getting scratched up?
Thank you
I've had my cat Misty for a couple of years. We first got her when she about 6 months old from a pet shop (not my idea; I wanted to get a rescue animal but my parents at the time thought that a rescue cat would come with behavioral problems. Lol that we got a cat from a pet shop that is a bit of a problem in that area!)
For about the first week we had her, there was no biting or scratching. She was incredible active, but not at all badly behaved. I'm not sure if it had any bearing on the situation, but after she had some operations done at the vet (she needed to be spayed and she had a hernia), she seemed to get more bitey and use her claws.
As a note, she is an indoor cat. She also has cat flu, and I have wondered if that might make her more impatient and likely to lash out if we do things she doesn't like?
For the last few years, she has continued to be relatively problematic in terms of behaviour. It has neither gotten better nor worse
Much of the time she is quite sweet and loving. For example, in the morning when we need to leave for work/uni, she gets very cuddly, and in the evening she is often very docile and happy. She enjoys belly rubs and likes to sit on laps sometimes, and often seems to prefer it when she is in the same room with a human, even if it just sitting a couple of metres a way,staring at them
. So I assume she doesn't hate out company.But at certain points, she is also quite bitey/scratchey. I'm unsure if it is her being aggressive or if she just so energetic and playful she gets wild.
Sometimes she will lash out at us for seemingly no reason. E.g. just in the last hour I was sitting on the couch and she sat behind me, seemingly calm until she swatted my head. It wasn't serious, but we do all feel a little jumpy around her because she seems to like to go for us. It's not super serious, although her claws do come out.
Often she will sprint at us and tap our leg and run away, which, when the claws have stayed in seems to indicate she is just a very playful and energetic cat? She does seem quite impatient though; she gets snappy quite quickly. She also seems to really dislike being picked up (unless it's late at night in winter and I'm wearing my fluffy dressing gown; then she wants to sleep in my arms, haha
) but while I try not to pick her up too much sometimes I have to, e.g. to move her to another room, to get her into her vet box when she needs to go to the vet) and she really doesn't like it at all.Sometimes I think she would be much happier if she had another cat to play with, but that's not really financially possible right now, and of course I wouldn't feel right adopting another cat that would likely be infected with the cat flu.
Any thoughts/opinions? I'm going to try to increase the play time I spend with her, because I think she is an absolute bundle of energy. As I mentioned, she is quite loving much of the time, but seems to get so snappy so easily.
Or any specific toys anyone recommends for very active play time that doesn't risk my hands getting scratched up?
Thank you
