Cats trusting their "owners".

Since my experience with raising cats, I believe that there is a way to determine how much they trust you, or how much they can be trusting

I have found that by playing with or caressing their paws when they are laying down, tells much about this factor of their personality. Amy allows me to caress or inspect her paws without any protest, or quickly withdrawing them. However, some of the others will not allow much fondling with their paws, and these are the same ones who are not that affectionate.:cool:

What do you all think of this personality "test", can anyone also verify this?


.............wayne

Maybe I've just been lucky Wayne, but every cat I've known has been a "people" cat (at least towards me) and I've always given them paw massages - they seem to love it :D

My three will accept a paw massage - on their terms!!! If I attempt it when their not in the mood - WOW, FORGET IT!!!!!

Lynne

Prema is a bit touchy about her paws. To explain it I have to give a little background so I hope I won't bore anyone.

She was born with slightly deformed back paws. Two toes (one on each) are much shorter and the others and not as straight because of this her nails can get incarnated quite easily. Before I adopted her she was hit by and got gangrene on her front leg which lead to her own body expelling some of the bone, now her paw is attached at her elbow joint at a slight angle. I don't know how much feeling she has in this paw.

Anyway, NOONE is allowed to touch her paws. Most of the times we end going to the vet to cut her nails (who never charges me for it - she is very well behaved there she is so scared that she stays still and shaking like a leaf almost glued to me). She is not very pleased when I tough her back paws but I'm the only one she trusts enough to touch her front one. Very often, when she lays on me she will rest her injured paw in my hand purring. She lets me kiss it and caress me but if anyone tries to touch it all hell breaks loose.

So I suppose there is some truth in what you observed Wayne.

I really do think, that in most cases, it hasn't a thing to do with the owner, but instead totally with the cat. My two current cats are basically secure with me. They let me do anything to them, including brushing their little teeth. It took some time to build up the trust though. I do believe that some cats come to you pre-programmed, if you will, and will never allow you to do anything to them. My last Aby would never, never open her mouth. So pilling was out of the question. These two Abys don't mind it at all. I think personalities come in all shapes and forms in cats just like people! I would like to believe that I can control my cats, but I suspect they really control me!!!!:)

Wayne 0214 : As I read your post I startd touching
the paws of all my cats,I never thought on that
before,and the results are as follows:
Iuri:Didn't bother,but he's a sweet guy,he loves everydody and every body likes him.He has never enough petting
Koxka:Stand for a little while,then withdrawing the paw and started liking my hand,the top on showing love in cats language.We both are very close to each other,she was my only cat for a year
or so and got a lot of routine together.
Paloo:Taken by suprise let me touch their paws
jus a little.Hi's quite indepent,although socible
with the others,specially in playing.
Ginjol:The newest one in the houshold,one year,is a stormy fluffy boy and only like to be peted when
is asleep.Funny ting!

I think cats have their own personalities,but also
that we can interfere interacting with them.

My boyfriend had told me that his cat,a big femalle(passed away)was very fond on having theirs paws massaged.
I hoppe it will helps a little in your "test".

KOXKA

Welcome to Pet Talk Koxka. I have three male cats and have never really tried to massage their paws before either. I just tried it and all three seemed to enjoy it. They are all quite affectionate towards me and trusting too. It took Sunny some time to become totally trusting but he seems to be now.:D

I can't say that I ever tried massaging their paws till I read this post, but we have played "This little kitten" since they came to my house...

This little kitten ate chicken,
This little kitten ate tuna surprise,
This little kitten ate salmon patties,
This little kitten ate Mommy's burrito **darn it**,
This little kitten ate Beef Wellington
*** or whatever springs to mind when fondling cat tootsies. Sometimes it's challenging to come up with totally different foods for each tootsie. Fallback: this little kitten ate a Tyronisaurus Rex (sp?) and ate him all up one nibble at a time. Sometimes elephants or whales are substituted on days when my imagination needs help...

Welcome to Pet Talk Koxka. I have three male cats and have never really tried to massage their paws before either. I just tried it and all three seemed to enjoy it. They are all quite affectionate towards me and trusting too. It took Sunny some time to become totally trusting but he seems to be now.:D [/QUOTE]


CRAZYABOUTKATZ,THANK YOU FOR WELLCOMING ME:)
SINCE I DISCOVERED PET,CAT,DOG OF THE DAY I NEVER
MISS IT!!!!IS MY FIRTS DUTY EVERY MORNING,WHILE TAKING COFFE,IS TO CHECK OUT THE PETS OF THE DAY.AS A PET LOVER SINCE MY TENDER AGE,I'M INJOYING THIS SITE A LOT AND BECOMING AN ADDICTED
TO IT.

I HOPE I WILL HEAR MORE ABOUT YOU,

KOXKA[file:///C:/00000000/Paloo005.gif]



HUMAN OF KOXKA,IURI,PALOO,GINJOL AND 2 FERALS :D :D

With us it depends on what mood Casper and Kitty are... If they feel a bit under the weather, we can't touch them anywhere! But if they have a good day, paw massage is fine! :)

I have always kissed all of my kitties paws. Sugar - (18 R/B) loved it. Patches - (16 R/B) let me do it but then swatted me on my cheek with no claws extended. Magic - (13 1/2 R/B) let me do anything to him.

Now Rascal lives up to his name. You have to approach him when he is really kicked back and relaxed. But he gives me a look worth a thousand words. What in the devil are you doing lady?

http://bestsmileys.com/welcome/ACC35.GIF koxka


All 3 of mine dont mind as long as their in the mood. Once in a while Milo (the rebel) doesnt like it.... but she will let you... I've thought about this as I want to do the soft paws for them.... and how hard would it be....

I have three cats, my female cat is very scared of people, so I cannot do alot things with her. She gets mad when I am bugging her and doesn't really like her paws touch. My oldest male, Joey he is soo mid mannered and gentle. I can do anything with him and he does like his paws touch, he doesn't mind at all. Then there is Toby, he doen't really like his paws touch because he is declawed and has a broken foot so he very touchy about have his paws and feet touch.

Seeing as this thread had come to the top again I must admit to something:

Our Siamese Kisi (RB) used to adore having a manicure!! Honestly - she would lie between my lap and arm and then I could reach with the spare hand (still with this?!!) I would file her claws with an emery board and she would purr like crazy. I was allowed to do anything to her paws - even removing split claws. Oh yes back paws as well!
And she would even allow me to pick her nose!!!! I know - gross!!
But she had the cleanest nose and prettiest claws around!!!
Hubby Don takes the greatest delight in telling this to people who AREN'T PET PEOPLE - how can they understand?

Confession over!
Lynne

My last Aby, Mandy, deceased a couple of years ago, liked, I mean, loved having her ear cleaned with swabs. She would run to have it down. Go figure. She had an incredible amount of ear wax production each day, so it became a ritual. She would actually come and sit on my lap and wait. She also loved being brushed and combed. In the summer I would take her outside on a blanket, wet her down with a wash cloth then brush and comb her. She would fall asleep while I was doing it. She would let me put her in any position I wanted to do the grooming. BUT she hated taking any kind of pill or having her mouth opened. It was rather odd that she died from cancer of the tongue. She had a mass on her tongue that was not able to be operated on, so I had her put to sleep because she was unable to eat or drink on her own. I used an eye dropper to give her water until the final scheduled day. She was a sweetheart for sure. I miss her so. OK, OK, I need to get over it, I know. Her name was Katmandu, aka Mandy girl.

Now I have two new Abys and they are a handfull. They too love to be groomed but also will open their mouths.