I’m currently fostering a lovely cat called Smudge who needs some help learning to be around people. While I have experience with cats I’ve not had one in a long time, so what advice and comments would you like to share?
I currently only have that picture because since we got home she’s been hiding out in her bed and I think giving her some time to settle in is for the best (at least today!). The photo shoots start tomorrow
Of course, if you have any gadgetry or tech that’s purrfect for pets, I’d love to know about it!
My experience with people-shy cats is to let them drive the interaction, when they are ready they will come to you. And of course a little coercion never hurts, some fish or nice treats will help speed things up.
but remember:
In ancient times cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this.
A friend of mine has these, but he has two cats and one of them likes to eat all the food so it makes sense. For now Smudge is an only cat, so I’ll stick with the “analog toolset”.
I have to agree! It seems unfair, I’ve heard of people putting out a treat and then shining the pointer on it, but still, I think I’ll stick with the wand and the feather - when she’s ready for it.
Yup! Depending on a number of factors that may be with me, or not. But I’m at home all day, I talk a lot (screencasting and podcasting!), and I do like cats, so I’m a fairly ideal foster place for this little kitty. I don’t imagine she’ll be a lap cat any time soon, but the more human contact she has, and the more positive it is, the better for everyone.
If you can get near her, rub a tissue on her head between her eyes and ears on either side, then rub that tissue on door frames, chair legs, etc. at about the height of her head. That will make the area smell like a cat-friendly place.
As she’s hiding out right now I’ll leave her alone, I did manage to stroke her head for about 3 seconds earlier! And then her eats flattened back against her head. Aside from that being cute, I decided that my cat languages skills were fluent enough to understand “no thank you, I need some space”. But next time she seems willing I’ll use a tissue and do that!
Two friends just adopted a very shy kitten. What they did was confine the kitty to the kitchen for a week so that she wouldn’t hide and never be seen again and instead get accustomed to her new environment a bit at a time. Pro tip: they have actually slept in the kitchen with her around for a few days. This worked wonders, as with cats, sleeping in your presence is a mark of trust. A few days later, kitty thought “eh, if they trust me, maybe I can trust them”. She’s still very shy with strangers but cuddly with her owners now.
She’s confined in my kitchen but unfortunately I’m recovering right now too, so there’s no chance I can sleep in there with her (as I noticed when I sat on the floor earlier, ow!). That said, she did come out to explore with some encouragement and I was rewarded with some wonderful purring so I think progress is being made quickly.
Gadgetry related tips is to declutter dangling cables (if any). Some cats—like mine—gnaw dangling cables. Also be prepared for some keyboard-as-a-bed actions!
Caring tips that I know of is to make a unique sound while rubbing her. It can be mimicking mouse squeal, or tongue clicking. It’s a Pavlov’s classical conditioning that might help in the future. If you’re looking for her, just make that sound. Other easy sound is cat snack poured to bowl
Haha, yup. I know the last cat I had with my parents had superfeline hearing when it came to the sound of a tin of salmon being opened. He could be anywhere (such as in the field behind the workshop behind the house), and if you opened one he’d zoom over. I was always impressed with that!
Get a water fountain …my cats love drinking running water far more than from a dish that their food would get submersed in. I plan to get an automatic dry food dispenser next.
Initially we planned to have indoor cats only but one just needed her freedom and I have no regrets. Her anxiety issue almost disappeared after letting her roam freely. My other cat is tiny and loves to stick close to home …backyard only.
Cats HATE aluminum including Mylar balloons. Avoid leaving foil out and balloons out and floating. My tiny cat still avoids upstairs because she thinks the balloons are still patrolling.
Know that if you feed your cat snacks from your hand …they will likely harass you for snacks all the time. Had I realized this I would have found a more clever way to give my cats treats without me being the source to them.
Invest in a decent litter box and litter. Your nose and sanity will thank you endlessly
Agree with the former comment …let them drive the interaction. Some cats are very touchy feely and some basically want you to stop moving so they can lay near or one you. You’ll get to know their character soon enough.
Choose your furniture wisely. Lucky our couch and chair is weaves that don’t fray easily. Our Wicker basket though has not faired so well.
Be prepared to try different types of dry and wet food …they’ll let you know what they like and don’t like.
Feel comfortable with having your own space. My kitty kids are a bit more needy in the mornings …perhaps because they’re just happy to have their family awake and moving around but often you may need some space to get your thinking and work down which requires even shutting them out.
Join a cat herding group. That was a joke …I figured I just needed a 10th point.
New cat is always a fun time. You both are learning and adjusting to each other. You want to play with her, she is thinking “stranger danger”. Give her some time, let her out, let her roam around. Be prepared your cat “might” pee everywhere in the beginning (depends on how well cat is trained for litter box). Just marking territory nothing to be upset about.
Offering treats is good, document and enjoy the fun!
I cannot imagine not have a cat (or three) in the house. (Actually, she’s a cat, so she’s permitting us to live in the house, not the other way around.) Our Neko is now 18, as playful as ever though slower. She’s taken to sleeping between us at night – since she figures she’s given us permission to use her bed, so why not?
Absolutely yes. Cats drink a lot, naturally, and ensuring they get enough water is good for kidney health. Always a concern as they age. This Pioneer Pet fountain is the one we use – study, quiet, and easy for the cats to use.
As mentioned above, cats will have accidents from time to time. We found that this Biokleen Bac-Out product does a fantastic job of removing odors. And this Zero product, sprayed on the litter once a day, keeps that almost odor free as well.
Oh, by the way, this is a cat thread and we all know that the Internet is made of cats, so I hereby request that you post regular pictures of your cute new friend.
That’s a guarantee! Unfortunately, I made the rookie mistake of leaving my phone in the other room earlier when she decided to explore, and then she took up residence next to the kitchen door which made getting my iPhone impossible. As such, I’ve decided to order an iPhone for every room of the house (not really, but I did definitely order an extra Eufy security camera with motion tracking so I can watch her while I podcast!).
Cats have three names. The one you give them. The one they display openly. And the one that you only learn if they decide that you are worthy enough. I would from this reminder wish that the sisters Lady Lizbeth and Princess Leeanna were here to remind me of what their third names were.
If you decide to allow the cat outside to roam, assure yourself first that you are in a region with no coyotes or owls. And with new cats, give them at least a good month to recognize that inside your house (or apartment) is their true safe place before you allow them outside to explore.
Some lessons learned from our fluffy oddball and soon to be granny (10th birthday coming up) … besides everything that was said before:
Leave something with your smell in the room you keep her in. Like a worn sweater or shirt. Not immediately near her bed or box to disturb her, but in the same room. Also maybe give her some options, like a nest of blankets and an old cardboard box. And if possible provide one place near a radiator.
I recently read that some cats like earwax and one way to approach a cat that doesn’t know and trust you (yet) is to stick a finger in your ear and then slowly reach out to her with that finger.—I know, somewhat gross. That tip was especially given for those situations where you have to approach a cat unexpectedly and unlike other toys (with valerian or catnip smell) your ears are always with you. It doesn’t work with our cat, as she already knows us and because of the covid situations we didn’t really have guests over that I could use a test subjects
Randomize when you give her food early on. If she always gets food at 7am she’ll soon start meowing for it from 5:30 on. But don’t starve her.
We made one mistake: Ours got a bit chubby so we mildly restricted her food and she started licking her thighs and belly sore. At that time she never emptied her bowl so we didn’t suspect the food, but whatever we did she didn’t stop licking her belly. We read up on it and made sure that her bowl always has some food and she immediately stopped. Apparently the lack of food stressed her heavily. Well, we accepted that she is a little chonker now, but at least a fur covered one without rashes.
Find quality food with the highest meat content. There is no way around it cats are carnivores and putting them on a “vegetarian” diet does more harm than good. To cut cost most dry food contains a lot of grains, rice and other fillers. However, it’s really tough to find a good brand these days.
There should always be fresh water. We don’t have a fountain, but change the water in her bowl at least two times a day. She gets moody when it’s not fresh and also drinks too little.
Where did she live before? Animal shelter or with someone who had other cats or none?
(not really, but I did definitely order an extra Eufy security camera with motion tracking so I can watch her while I podcast!).
