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[red_wolf]

CATS!!!!

I've started volunteering at the animal shelter.  I work with cats.  I give them attention, so they'll feel loved and be more adoptable.  Nadia....  Tell me everything you know about cats.  OR  point me to a handy website.  I feel so "clunky" when I'm trying to handle them or pet them.

Comments

[pacific12th]

awwwwww! this is so cute!!!

some kitties are love bugs so you can just pet away and they don't care.

some don't like their heads being touched so if they kind of move their head away, try petting them on the back.

most cats hate having their belly rubbed and will latch onto your hand with their claws if you try it!

i've known of many cats that hate having their tail touched so really it's best to go with top of head and back.

most cats LOVE string, and anything on a string, but a laser pointer is by far the best cat toy available. some cats are really meowy, some are not, don't let it scare you. if they hiss at you though, it means you should probably back off.

i've known a lot of kitties to "love bite" meaning they'll nuzzle you and then put their teeth on your hand. it doesn't hurt, but don't let that scare you. unless they're hissing, growling or running away, most cats are just playing if they try to attack you.

you can either hold them like a baby [which only some cats like], otherwise the safest way is by putting one hand under the front paws and then holding their lower back in your other hand...that way they don't squirm around too much and are supported so they feel safe.

the most important thing to remember is that they aren't really that big, and usually all of the carrying on is just a show, so don't be scared of them! the only real thing you could do to hurt them would be to really step on one reeeeally hard, which i doubt youd try to do. otherwise, they'll probably try to jump out of your hands, and it will be fine.
most of them time you have to actually try to hurt a cat, so don't worry about being clunky with them.

good luck and try to get photos!

[red_wolf]

Thank yo so much for all of your sage cat advice, Nadia. I've been meaning to write back to you about this. We have a laser pointer here at home that we play with our cat, Echo, and he absolutely goes crazy chasing that tiny point of light around. I don't think they'll let me take it into the shelter because of worries about blinding the cats with it by accident (which I wouldn't, but you know, liability issues.).

I wish you could visit with these cats because I think you would love them and want to take them home. My favorites are Gus and Sierra who have been there the longest and who are the oldest. Gus is ten and Sierra is eight. They both love it when I take them out of their cat condos and play with them in the visiting space. Neither one was shy around me, and started purring almost instantly. Gus is all black with a few gray tufts here and there, and Sierra is this intense mixture of browns, black, and white all over. I have photos and will get them posted as soon as I can!