New cat

[Jim Gleason]

I couldn't stop myself. A stray cat was living in the alley between my house and the neighbor. It was crying outside my window for three days. I went out and grabbed it.

Wasn't thinking. Short sleeves. But I endured.

He turned out great. Within the first day I could pick her up with no problem.

She is less than a year old. I named her "Kitty Face"

Two major problems,

1 - She enjoys knocking things over just for the fun of doing so.

My big box fan is biggest target. She doesn't seem to figure it out. The other day she climbs up it. It gets top heavy. Both go crashing to the floor. She didn't land on her feet. The fan followed her. Missed by a quarter inch. It scared her and she ran out of the room at high speed. Didn't return for hours. I was hoping she would remember that and stop climbing the fan. Still knocks over the fan. Most the time it's a head butt.

I have caught her climbing a few times. I missed the one when it fell.

I fear if the fan landed on her it could cause damage to the cat.

I can't fasten the fan. I looked on the net and found a homemade cat repellent. Didn't work. Bought one at the store, same outcome.

2 - I'm sitting at my desk. She sneaks in and climbs up my back, clew extended. Quite painful. Then sits on my shoulder for a second then jump on the desk.

I never had a cat that bites. lately she has been waking me up by biting my toes. Drew blood once.

.

[Karen]

Interesting - and congrats on the new challenging family member! Hmm, some cats have a higher learning curve about physics than others.

[Jim Gleason]

I would guess under a year.

It's driving me nuts. It has a one track mind. It wants to do something and no matter how many times I stop her she keeps going back to it over and over until I lock her out of the room.

I went out and bought her all sorts of cat toys. But, only one she likes. The rest just lie there. It's a big carrot. About 12 inches long 21/2 inch at the top down to a point. In the middle of the night I can hear her tumbling around with it for hours. It only lasts 3 or 4 days. The last day it's covered with duct tape. I just buy her a new one.

My biggest problem she doesn't understand the word, "NO"

One day I'm telling her how pretty she is and she bit me. Couldn't handle the compliment. But I have always had that problem.

All black cat.

The landlord doesn't know I have the cat.

[phesina]

Dear Jim, thank you and bless you for rescuing this precious kitty.

She clearly has some adjustment issues to work out. Very likely this is the first indoor home with a human that she has ever experienced. She's probably quite scared.

Can you keep her in a room that will be "her" room for the time being, with her food and water and litterbox and bedding and toys? You come in to take care of the food and water and litter, and sometimes visit with her, speaking to her softly, maybe sitting for a while, just being a gentle presence.

Best wishes, and please keep us posted! Thank you and blessings to you both.


Pat and Sparkler

[Jim Gleason]

Right now it's sleeping in the bath tub. Seems to like the bath tub. Dark and quiet.

And boy she can leap with such precision. So far her farthest jump is 7 feet.

I have to admit, she uses the cat box without a problem. I'm the problem. I am sometimes slow at cleaning it out. She reminds me with a load on the floor nearby. I'm now trying to keep on top of that.

Picky eater. Dry food is out. Can food is in but not the solid type. Has to be the ones in gravy.

Another story that doesn't belong here. I charge the drug dealers that hang out on my porch 2 cans of cat food a day. They won't leave no matter what I say or do. So I thought I might as well get something out of it.

My biggest problem is knocking things over. It's gotten to the point I don't pick it up. I just let it lie there. Once it is knocked over she leaves it alone. If I put it back she knocks it over.

Biting is the other problem. I never had a cat that bites. It's not anger biting. It's playful biting.

It's been 20 years or so since I had a cat. I'm more a dog person.

[phesina]

Dear Jim, it sounds like you and she have got the food and water under control. That's an important first step! As for the litter, perhaps you could keep a small bin or wastebasket or such, lined with a plastic bag, close to the box. And then, every time you go by and see something new in the box, scoop it out into the bin. When the bin gets full, take the full bag out to get rid of and replace it with a new one. That way, stuff doesn't build up so much in the box that she doesn't want to use it. That's what I've always done with my cats.

You are doing a great job! Please be patient with Kitty Face and yourself. This is a huge change for you both, which will take time and space and care to work out. Be gentle with her, talk to her, and when you can, approach her and pick her up and pet her and talk to her more.

And again, thank you and bless you so very much for bringing this dear, precious, frightened cat home! And please keep us posted.

from Pat and Sparkler

[Jim Gleason]

I'm up now because she bit my foot.

One thing I meant to include in my last post. I tried to edit but it wouldn't allow.

Something I never seen before. When eating she sometimes dips her paw into the food and eats it off her paw.

[Jim Gleason]

You are doing a great job!

I need all the encouragement I can get.

It's 10am and she has bitten me once, Knocked over the fan, knocked over my coffee twice. All on purpose


Someone here suggested a Childs squirt gun. However, I'm worried it would be too frightening. I flicked water off my fingers and she went into a complete panic. But, maybe that's what it will take.

I don't want her afraid of the shooter (me). I want her to be afraid of the shot when she does something.

I was thinking this morning. When she bit my foot. I must wiggle my toes while I sleep. I guess I should be thankful I don't wiggle my nose.

.

[tatsxxx11]

Oh boy! That toe and foot biting sure can be painful, but it does sound as though it's typical kitten behavior...on overload, as well the jumping on your back, Jim. Kittens are famous for the love of the climb...up pant legs, backs, up curtains and blinds. I think the terrific advice in the articles below are applicable toward both behaviors. For now I would suggest wearing shoes in inside the house! And as Pat has said, time outs in a closed room with plenty of toys (you'll have to search for that one special one that wins her attention, maybe one she can swat at, something that moves like those battery operated mice), food and water, litter box a good idea. And a scratching post provides energy re-direction as well. Some have toys attached to springs they can swat at and play with so maybe consider getting one of those! Here are a couple of great articles!





Featured snippet from the web

Kittens Need to Bite Something
The reason kittens bite us is simple: they're natural predators and they want to practice their attack on a moving object. In fact, kittens are biologically wired to attack an object that moves, so it's important to teach them how to play with toys--not fingers or feet--from a young age...
http://www.kittenlady.org/biting#:~:...20young%20age.

From the Humane Society
https://www.humanesociety.org/resour...-how-play-nice

[Karen]

Definitely go with the squirt gun. We have a few round the house, and the kittens never became afraid of us, but know the noise the squirt gun makes! Kermit has even had success pointing his finger and making the noise whe he couldn't find an actual squirt gun!

[tatsxxx11]

Not a fan of squirt bottles at all, never have been, and the use of them has long been deemed inappropriate. It's not correction. It's punishment. And cats, being the incredibly smart creatures that they are, soon learn how to get around the use of one, if not coming to mistrust the owner.

So what happens when you use a spray bottle, or other method of punishment that comes from you?

• Your cat starts to associate the unpleasant experience with you, and not necessarily his actions with the punishment (as you intended).
• Your cat will begin to do the undesired “thing” when you’re not around.
• Your cat will begin to fear and distrust you.
• Your cat’s stress levels may increase, which can result in more of the behavior you are trying to correct, or result in a new undesirable behavior.

https://www.felinebehaviorsolutions....istrust%20you.

https://catingtonpost.com/jackson-ga...line-your-cat/

Audio
https://catbehaviorassociates.com/th...e-controversy/

[Jim Gleason]

She's in the bathtub now.

Going to the store today, squirt gun and bandaids.

As for toys I got around 20 laying around - string balls, mouse on a string, squeaky toys. The one she likes is the carrot. However, the stores are sold out. Only lasts around 4 days.

Different story,

Had a dog named Darth. Great dog.

However, he was a sure dog was a chewer. All wooden legs to a pencil point.

This was when I was working. He was alone for 8 hours. He was bored. I then started dropping him off at my mothers. I have my mother name all my pets. That way I can make her feel guilty, "Mom, you can't say no. After all you named him." The dog started on her furniture. Her home was much bigger and set up differently than mine. We gated him in the kitchen. Nothing to chew when my mother was out. It just happened this way. I am talking to Darth as if he understood me. I'm come home to pick up Darth and he is gated in the kitchen. I say to Darth, "You have to stop chewing everything in site or I will have to bring you back to the shelter.". Then I decided to go to the store. I was gone for 20 minutes. I come back and because he had nothing to chew he decided it would be fun to pull the floor tile off the kitchen floor. I was so damn mad I tossed him in the car and brought him back to the shelter. That was a Friday. I felt so bad over the weekend that Monday morning I went to the shelter and readopted him. Had a sign on his gate reason it was returned: Chews furniture.

The shelter reminded me that they were not a hotel. That I couldn't bring the dog back everytime I get mad.

I had him to the vet and I asked the vet if he had any ideas. He recommended bringing the dog to dog obedience school. I thought I would give it a try. Darth and I went for 5 weeks. Darth did well. He was following the rules (with limits. What I found was Darth didn't need training, I did.

One of my mother's friends suggested a cage (crate). At the time my thinking it was wrong to put a pet in a cage. Never considered it. But, what else could I do. I got an oversize cage. Little did I know. His previous owner must have trained him for a cage. He loved it. I'd say, "Darth go to bed." and off he would go. If he was bored you would find him in the cage. I bought one for my place I never had to shut the door. I'd say, "Go to bed" and I went to bed.

Within a year he grew out of the chewing stage. The cage went away.

People always wondered why my kitchen chairs were at different heights. I would cut the pencil points off.

That was the only problem I had with Darth.

--

I'm not very good at the training part. I get to frustrated quickly.

[phesina]

I agree with Sandra. NO squirt gun. Being squirted will just make her more frightened and hostile and less trustful.

[Karen]

Never had a problem with our cats and squirt gun, honestly, it may vary cat to cat. And we only use it sparingly, combined with voice command. All the older cats (over 6 months being "older" in our house currently, will instantly respond to "Marigold*, get down!" *Insert offender's name of course. And yes, they all know their names.

[phesina]

This is a terrified cat just rescued from the streets and God-only-knows-what history. She's in a totally strange, frightening place she can't escape from. She has likely never been confined in a human home or been a pet before, and she doesn't know Jim or have any reason to trust him. She needs to get used to him first as the source of food and water and clean litter and comfy bedding, and of safety and peace. At this point, being squirted would just be one more scary thing about him and one more reason to fear him and distrust him.

Jim, do you have a room in your home that could be "her" room to be kept in for the time being? That way she won't suddenly surprise you with bites! You go in to take care of the food and water and litter. You talk softly to her, and maybe sometimes visit for a bit, sitting quietly, talking or reading to her.

Thank you again for taking in this precious kitty and giving her shelter and safety! Bless you.

{{{{{HUGS}}}}} and ~~~~PURRRS~~~~ and from Pat and Sparkler