Cat Behavior 101

[smittywing]

My cat is baffling me again. He woke me up an hour early so I dutifully went to the fridge and put some food in his dish. Then I went to go in the other room and he pounced on my leg and bit my calf. I clapped to get his attention, told him no, and tried to walk that way again but he jumped on me again. I told him no, again, very sternly and

Comments

[pentapus]

Well. Just think, it could have been one of these doing that.

[smittywing]

Dude, I especially like the part where they tell you to get a minimum of two cougars to start. So they can eat each other instead of you.

[zee]

Ahaha! On the one hand: WANT. Giant kitty! On the other: I know I'm going to replace my floors with tile, install nothing but indoor/outdoor furniture, remove the lamps and mop up constant cat piss in my home, for a wild animal that wakes me every morning with a taste test. Those people are bats. Also, pussy-whipped. Ha! Ahahahem.

p.s. Icon ♥!

[pentapus]

This is how you end up reading random shit on the site and thinking, "Ah, servals, compared to cougars, they're nothing." (Except, actually, they have their own only slightly less severe warning article.) XD

[smittywing]

Haha, you know me so well. I'm all, "Oh noes! Did I hurt you?" Tiny brain indeed. His head is about the size of my fist. :P

[smittywing]

I do not understand why he cannot play, in his cat way, at hours other than ASS O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. Gargh. But yeah, he kinda got kicked, too. I figure it didn't hurt him much - he fell off a bookshelf onto the desk and then fell off the desk right after that, last night and didn't seem upset about it. :P

[omglawdork]

I'm with previous commenters - though I love cats dearly, they are quite stubborn (and in the case of my darling girl, not real bright). They need a pop to the head or something else to get their attention. I think he probably just wanted to play, but biting no es aceptable!

[smittywing]

He does have a bit of a biting habit. He seems to think my arm is a toy to be hugged and bunny-kicked. He's been getting thrown off the bed if he gets bitey or starts trying to dig my feet out of the covers. He's kind of a clutz anyway so at least I know I won't hurt him.

[forcryinoutloud]

Cats crave ATTENTION *g* doesn't matter which kind. So they equate negative attention, as in the whole "No!" thing or more physical attention thing, with the bad behaviour. Which means...they will do the bad behaviour more often to get said attention. Having an empty bottle with some quarters in it to shake when the cat is about to do something you don't want them to, startles them out of that mindset. The other option is ignoring them (obviously not when they're biting) so that they equate that particular activity with NO attention. Rewarding them for good behaviour and giving them attention then makes them more likely to continue that good behaviour. *g*

I read an article yesterday that said "Dogs look at you and think 'they feed me, they pet me, they play with me...They must be God! and Cats look at you and think 'They feed me, they pet me, they play with me...I must be God!" *snerk*

They're a lot smarter than people give them credit for. ;)

[smittywing]

Wow, that article is SO TRUE. :D I'll have to get something to rattle. I had a water bottle but I keep forgetting where I put it. I'll make sure we get some play time in, too. I went back to bed after he bit me and he sat in catload position and made pouty eyes the rest of the morning.

Thanks!

[forcryinoutloud]

*grins* You're welcome. ;)

[jya_bd_cp_ttgb]

Might've had a string hanging from your jammie pants he was after. I use to deal with a biter via a squirtgun, or by grabbing the back of his neck, like momma, but without the picking up part. Just grab and twitch your hand. Growl if you don't feel embarrassed. It worked on Spooky, and he was all but feral when we got him.

Good luck.

[smittywing]

OMG, your icon is awesome.

I keep misplacing my spray bottle, but keeping it by the couch is probably a safe bet. I have tried the back of his neck thing and it does work wonders - he looks totally cowed afterward. I live alone so pretty much nothing embarrasses me. ;)

Thank you!

[jya_bd_cp_ttgb]

I totally worship Dom M's Lorneverse, and in the aftermath of Doppleganger...*snickers* I don't even remember who it was made the comment, but it stuck in my head and that was the result.