- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #21
Right, Finally got a moment to myself 
I have made HUGE progress with squitten, the quiet training is really working for me and my son, the night before last she had a really good long shout but when she stopped and sat down I gave her treats and fuss and she looked a bit thoughtful, (should have got the video then, she was quieter last night) My son and I have made a real point of only giving her attention when shes quiet and she seems to get it. we even had a "proper" cuddle yesterday, like we used to. I have missed that SO much, life just been shouting and agro for so long. (It will never fail to amaze me how little I actually know about cats, been reading and watching stuff about them all my life but sometimes I feel I know Nothing about them at all, I wonder if they feel the same way about humans....) She still shouts but only when she wants something, which is fine, I imagine its gonna take a while to totally train her and myself, its so hard not to respond when something shouting at you. I do want her to be able to express herself, just not for 4 hour long stints. I agree shes picking up the general household atmosphere, I'm so unbelievably stressed out right now that i'm amazed i'm not having panic attacks. We are very close (although it hasn't felt so much recently) shes the only cat I've met who follows me into my dreams...
My partner, however is a different story, she shouts as soon as he comes in the room and then he shouts back then all hell breaks loose. Star still hasn't come home, although her quick release collar has been found on the outskirts of our village, theres posters and leaflets through every door so the whole village is keeping a eye out for her. this is the eighth day now so getting worried.. My fella is adamant that squittens chased her away and the look of pure hate he gave her this morning makes me think they cannot live together. I cannot expose her to that, even if it is her fault. Think I'm seeing a very nasty side to my partner that I didn't know was there. Hes already given me the "its me or your cat" ultimatum a while ago ( but wanted to retract it after two nights on the sofa. )
Squitten is a rather complex cat, she was 5 months and full of bad habbits when we met, she shouted and circled my ankle's all the time, sat on the corner of the table and would slap me when I walked past, nip and bite amy if she walked by and she peed on things, washing, bedding, my ex husbands face......(....that was a wake up call he'll never forget.)
The peeing went on till she was 4, one day she did it while Amy-Bean was on the bed near her and our normally quite and rather placid Amy went berserk at squitten, chased her all over the house and gave her a good hiding. Squitten has never peed on anything but the garden or litter tray since. Amy got through to her when I couldn't. There were definitely a few times where she translated stuff to squitten for us. Amy was a very intelligent cat.
Squittens a Top Cat that isn't being allowed to be Top Cat, my partner doesn't want her in the garden while stars out (in case squittens beating her up or chasing her away from the house, I did see squitten chase Star out the garden and up a tree a few weeks ago so hes got grounds to be worried but shes always had full run of the house and garden so being stuck indoors is driving her and everyone else nuts.
Just to confuse matters: we do have a third Cat, Little Moon, 11 months old. She is the most wonderfull, delightfull little white cat you could ever hope to meet, She was born the day our Amy-bean died and is of the same gentle mould. She was unplanned but insisted on being here. shes friends with Squitten and Star, they jointly brought her up, they taught her to hunt and play with her and we were really hoping she'd be the glue that bonded squitten and star together when they fell out last November (little moon was living here before that happened and its confused the hell outta her, Little Moon and Squitten are looking for Star now, my partner may think that squitten hates star but everytime I ask her where Star is, she goes off looking for her in all her usual sleeping spots)
Little Moon is the only cat who seems to be friend with Star (although squitten used to be) There are quite a few cats on our street (think there about 9 over ten or so houses) and Star seems to have issues with most of the cats I've seen her encounter, Little Moon is friends with them all and Gizzy-up-the-road calls by our garden every day to say hello, like he used to do with amy-bean.
Star seems to be in prime health, shes a fantastic hunter, been spayed, microchipped, up to date with all injections, vets have noticed no problem. She does bite, hiss and stratch (there are different house rules for Star, shes allowed to do all the stuff my cats are screamed at for) do wish she'd come back though....
As for my Squitten, I am a bit guilty of loving her to much and have allowed bad habits to continue but what ive seen over the last two days has given me so much hope for our future, there is no way I'm gonna let her go. I choose the Cat.
I have made HUGE progress with squitten, the quiet training is really working for me and my son, the night before last she had a really good long shout but when she stopped and sat down I gave her treats and fuss and she looked a bit thoughtful, (should have got the video then, she was quieter last night) My son and I have made a real point of only giving her attention when shes quiet and she seems to get it. we even had a "proper" cuddle yesterday, like we used to. I have missed that SO much, life just been shouting and agro for so long. (It will never fail to amaze me how little I actually know about cats, been reading and watching stuff about them all my life but sometimes I feel I know Nothing about them at all, I wonder if they feel the same way about humans....) She still shouts but only when she wants something, which is fine, I imagine its gonna take a while to totally train her and myself, its so hard not to respond when something shouting at you. I do want her to be able to express herself, just not for 4 hour long stints. I agree shes picking up the general household atmosphere, I'm so unbelievably stressed out right now that i'm amazed i'm not having panic attacks. We are very close (although it hasn't felt so much recently) shes the only cat I've met who follows me into my dreams...My partner, however is a different story, she shouts as soon as he comes in the room and then he shouts back then all hell breaks loose. Star still hasn't come home, although her quick release collar has been found on the outskirts of our village, theres posters and leaflets through every door so the whole village is keeping a eye out for her. this is the eighth day now so getting worried.. My fella is adamant that squittens chased her away and the look of pure hate he gave her this morning makes me think they cannot live together. I cannot expose her to that, even if it is her fault. Think I'm seeing a very nasty side to my partner that I didn't know was there. Hes already given me the "its me or your cat" ultimatum a while ago ( but wanted to retract it after two nights on the sofa. )
Squitten is a rather complex cat, she was 5 months and full of bad habbits when we met, she shouted and circled my ankle's all the time, sat on the corner of the table and would slap me when I walked past, nip and bite amy if she walked by and she peed on things, washing, bedding, my ex husbands face......(....that was a wake up call he'll never forget.)
The peeing went on till she was 4, one day she did it while Amy-Bean was on the bed near her and our normally quite and rather placid Amy went berserk at squitten, chased her all over the house and gave her a good hiding. Squitten has never peed on anything but the garden or litter tray since. Amy got through to her when I couldn't. There were definitely a few times where she translated stuff to squitten for us. Amy was a very intelligent cat.
Squittens a Top Cat that isn't being allowed to be Top Cat, my partner doesn't want her in the garden while stars out (in case squittens beating her up or chasing her away from the house, I did see squitten chase Star out the garden and up a tree a few weeks ago so hes got grounds to be worried but shes always had full run of the house and garden so being stuck indoors is driving her and everyone else nuts.
Just to confuse matters: we do have a third Cat, Little Moon, 11 months old. She is the most wonderfull, delightfull little white cat you could ever hope to meet, She was born the day our Amy-bean died and is of the same gentle mould. She was unplanned but insisted on being here. shes friends with Squitten and Star, they jointly brought her up, they taught her to hunt and play with her and we were really hoping she'd be the glue that bonded squitten and star together when they fell out last November (little moon was living here before that happened and its confused the hell outta her, Little Moon and Squitten are looking for Star now, my partner may think that squitten hates star but everytime I ask her where Star is, she goes off looking for her in all her usual sleeping spots)
Little Moon is the only cat who seems to be friend with Star (although squitten used to be) There are quite a few cats on our street (think there about 9 over ten or so houses) and Star seems to have issues with most of the cats I've seen her encounter, Little Moon is friends with them all and Gizzy-up-the-road calls by our garden every day to say hello, like he used to do with amy-bean.
Star seems to be in prime health, shes a fantastic hunter, been spayed, microchipped, up to date with all injections, vets have noticed no problem. She does bite, hiss and stratch (there are different house rules for Star, shes allowed to do all the stuff my cats are screamed at for) do wish she'd come back though....
As for my Squitten, I am a bit guilty of loving her to much and have allowed bad habits to continue but what ive seen over the last two days has given me so much hope for our future, there is no way I'm gonna let her go. I choose the Cat.
