Re: Pet Cat

We've had 3 cats and too many dogs to count (11?? Geez...) and we've never been able to train the cats. They do what they want, when they want. The only thing we were able to deter was furniture scratching by getting them scratching posts, toys, etc. One of our cats was determined to be outdoor/indoor even though we wanted to keep her inside. That did not work and eventually we just gave in and we were all happier for it. But for the most part they are very low maintenance and VERY clean. We did have one cat (born to a cat we already had) who was the runt of the litter and was sick all his VERY long life (despite his many illnesses, he lived about 20 years!)... he had seizures, neurological issues, hip dysplasia and a host of other ailments... he was NOT a clean cat. He needed to constantly be bathed and brushed as he was incapable of doing it himself. Now, obviously your cat is healthy, but down the line... who knows? Bottom line, don't keep this cat to get rid of it after a a few months or a year of resenting it and breaking your kid's heart. Either do it now or learn to live with the cat.

Message edited 9/21/2018 8:43:00 AM.

Re: Pet Cat

Re: Pet Cat

Re: Pet Cat

Wait really? Give the cat back after a few weeks? I’m sorry, but this advice really irks me. It’s bad for the cat. She needs more time to understand the cat. Some cats take a lot of bonding time to do.

I had a really difficult kitten (male; different from the one below) to deal with for about a year. He would just pee on my ex and I (I think he hated the ex, but that is besides the point) in the middle of the night. The poor kitty was so scared of males. Now he is amazing around males and strangers, but it took a year or two. I trained him well, and it worked.

My other two cats can be kind of difficult. The female (of the other two) doesn’t quite like to be told what to do. However, I use snaps to get her to do stuff and she does it. She can go out on the balcony to lay in the sunshine, but when it’s time to come in, I snap my finger and say inside and she goes inside. I give her a nice pet while she scratches on the scratching post. She doesn’t like treats, but she likes lots of pets.

The other one (male) is good, so I don’t need to keep up with him too much. He knows when to ask for something he wants and he can show me. He’s bad at the vet, but that’s another story.

Re: Pet Cat

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Re: Pet Cat

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Re: Pet Cat

Your cat will need a variety of toys otherwise she will get bored.
Get a kitty condo that she can climb on - that will help her with her climbing needs when you won't allow her on the furniture. Cats like to climb.
If possible, get a bench seat or a cushion for the window so she can look out. Mine really enjoys it, especially when the sun is shining.
Get something comfortable and covered, like a pet bed, so she can "hide" and feel safe.
Keep her litter box and food/water in separate rooms. Cats are finicky about this, and TBH, would you want to eat in your bathroom ?
Start brushing her, getting her used to touch and being groomed. Her nails will need to be clipped on a regular basis too.

Some cats can be trained to a certain extent. Most are strong willed and will do what they want.
My girl understands a lot of words, and will "answer" back if we talk with her. We tell her when we are leaving the house that we will be back later. Found out that this keeps her calm. If we don't she is agitated and will get in to mischief.
She understands basic commands, like lay down or come here or leave it.
She understands shaking the water sprayer. It's a warning, if she keeps up with something, she will get wet.

She has lots of toys we keep in a basket so she has easy access to them. At almost 14, she still plays with her favorites, will fetch a toy if we throw it.

Mine eats paper, so ever tissue box is upside down, toilet paper is on the shelf, and I never leave loose papers where she can get them.
Doors in my house cannot be closed, I can't remember the last time I took a shower without the cat laying on the bathmat. She is so attached to me.
She has a habit of scratching at our bedroom door at night, so we just put a pillow up against it.

She is my child. She has hyperthyroidism, and is on meds twice a day. So good and patient when I have to give her the meds, we have our routine and rarely stray from it.
She sleeps with me, alternating laying between DH and me and just on my side. She'll butt up against one one of us, almost like making sure we are there.

I love animals, and I will be truly heartbroken when my Bella leaves me. I've know her since she was a kitten, and have been her "mom" since she was 7.

Re: Pet Cat

Re: Pet Cat

Posted by Adri

Posted by nycbuslady

Posted by klingklang77

Posted by Pomegranate5

Posted by klingklang77

Wait really? Give the cat back after a few weeks? I’m sorry, but this advice really irks me. It’s bad for the cat. She needs more time to understand the cat. Some cats take a lot of bonding time to do.

I had a really difficult kitten (male; different from the one below) to deal with for about a year. He would just pee on my ex and I (I think he hated the ex, but that is besides the point) in the middle of the night. The poor kitty was so scared of males. Now he is amazing around males and strangers, but it took a year or two. I trained him well, and it worked.

My other two cats can be kind of difficult. The female (of the other two) doesn’t quite like to be told what to do. However, I use snaps to get her to do stuff and she does it. She can go out on the balcony to lay in the sunshine, but when it’s time to come in, I snap my finger and say inside and she goes inside. I give her a nice pet while she scratches on the scratching post. She doesn’t like treats, but she likes lots of pets.

The other one (male) is good, so I don’t need to keep up with him too much. He knows when to ask for something he wants and he can show me. He’s bad at the vet, but that’s another story.

Yeah but the OP is talking about installing new doors to confine the cat to a small part of the home. She doesn't seem to be looking for advice on how to adjust to the cat or bond with the cat. That's why people are saying it's not fair to the cat if you're not even going to try.

I get what you are saying. I do think the OP will try. The cat seems to be very scared. I think she needs to be patient.

There is a disease that can come out when cats are young (FIP, but it begins from coronavisus, which doesn’t always develop into FIP). It can come out under stress. It’s a fatal disease. I had a kitten that died from it. He was stressed because he moved to a new house and that made it come out. Moving the cat would be a bad move at the time. Confining it is also a bad move, but the cat has only been there 2 weeks.

Yes, it's only been two weeks and it's an adjustment period for all of us. Plus, we're never home. I leave at 6:10 AM and get home at 5:15 or 5:30 PM. My husband and daughter leave at 7:45 AM, so they have more time in the morning.
But still, none of us has gotten time to get used to anything. My husband and daughter are fine. It's mostly me that has the issue. But I'm going to keep an open mind and work on it.

That's the best you can do, to have an open mind... For your DD and in the long term for yourself. Not my only experience, but someone I know got a cat because of her DH. She didn't like cats, and at the beginning she said she wasn't going to like their cat, etc. 3 months later I asked her for their cat and she was in love with him. They know how to get to your heart. Give your cat a chance. The first time mine purred at me, he had me on his paws