My new cat hates us!

[okuda]

Originally Posted by Larke

A harness with a collar around his neck alone is dangerous for a cat and I wish they wouldn't sell them, but one with that one plus another (attached along the back and with a little leash hook) that goes around in back of his front legs is the 'right' one for walkies. And I don't think the cat thinks about humiliation at all - lots of us use them here (I've done it for a LOT of cats over a LOT of years) and once they get used to them (a couple of days of 10-30 min. wearings indoors sans leash helps) they'll be fine - just expect that he'll walk you, stand around a lot sniffing things, and maybe only eventually 'walk' consistently!

Re harness' I agree. Plus the H harness is very hard to slip, so if something makes them jump outside (Bound to happen the first few times outside) when they flip out, they are not going to escape...

My boys will walk out side,(Or walk me) but as soon as their paws touch the smoothness of the corridors leading to the flat, they flop down and play dead lol.

I dunno if it's cause of the feel of it on their paws, or if they are just pooped from their chasing ants and tree climbing, but it ends up with Mum carrying them up 4 flights of stairs!!

 

[coaster]

Originally Posted by Okuda

Mostly cause the cats have no clue where it comes from!!) A spray bottle

Only the very first time you use it, IF they don't see you use it. After that, they know very well where it comes from and will run as soon as they see you pick it up.

 

[okuda]

bwahaha! Guess I better get my stealth costume out and hide behind the sofa

 

[hissy]

His affectionate nature is because he wanted to be rescued out of the cage. This is common with cage-bound animals. Once he got into your home and got overwhelmed by all the smells and sounds his guard came up and he feels he has to protect himself.

Originally Posted by stuaerto

Hi All,

Thanks for your help so far. As always, Rupert came and sat on us when we went to bed, for what seemed like hours - he certainly came and went as the night went on and sounded so happy (purring) and loved the attention he was getting. He came to wake us when it was breakfast time! I feel that this is important as we have some sort of a bond but I can't get him to be so nice when we aren't in bed!

I made an effort to play with him this morning after breakfast - his new favourite toy is a dressing gown belt - and he seemed a bit happier when we went to him. I'll do the same when we get home.

I'm going to try and discourage him from biting by making it clear he is causing pain, not by punishing. When he jumps on the kitchen worktop, I'll pick him up and put him down, and tell him no, instead of swatting for him.

Instead of picking him up which he clearly hates, keep a jar of felt mice on the counter and when he is up there, open the jar, pull out a mouse and toss it on the floor where he can see it. Throw it at an angle because they can't see directly in front of them. When he jumps down, give him one meaty treat and tell him he is good.

Try hissing instead, instead of pulling away from the bite, lean your hand into it, this will startle the cat to drop you from his teeth. I am glad you aren't swatting him anymore, that just causes more problems.

Finally, letting him out - I will still be letting him out, as I feel quite strongly that cat's are independent outdoor animals, as stated on another post above. Maybe the culture and environments are different in the US to the UK. Either way, I'm going to keep him in another week to try and get a stronger bond going with him, and am considering getting a leash. Isn't there a possibility that cats will just find this humiliating though?

Don't think for one minute that this cat is capable of human emotion, they react, they don't think about what they do, reason it out or feel humilitated. Do not let him out without him being neutered first.

The other thing that I forgot to mention is that Rupert did escape last saturday night, and after a little bit of gentle chasing, I managed to catch him - he was so interested in the flower beds and other cats (there must be at least six in our street) that I grabbed him after five minutes. He allowed me to carry him in no problem.

You were lucky, he could have been gone in an instant. Look into cat-proof fencing if you want to let him outside, it is much safer.

Again, thanks for all your advice, and any further advice is much appreciated! I am pleasantly surprised already by the prompt answers - this is not a cliquey forum like so many are!

 

[stuaerto]

Hi All,

Things seem a touch better already - he seems a bit more cheerful and a bit less wary. Its obvious we weren't getting it quite right and I hope we haven't made any long-term changes to him.

Thanks for all your help.