You can make the play sessions brief in the beginning but since activity is required before the feast in a natural setting, your cat should take to it.
Good luck.
Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC
www.catbehaviorassociates.com
If you have carpeting then you can easily use puzzle feeders. If you have hardwood flooring throughout then that might get a bit loud in the wee hours of the morning. If that's the case you can make some puzzle feeders out of the cardboard insert from paper towels. Cut holes in the cardboard...
For the sock, it should be clean and dry. Don't use any fabric softener with scents. You want the only scent on it to be the facial pheromone that you'll be rubbing on it.
As for the two DSH cats and their stress level, are you going to keep them separated from the Savannah all the time? If...
Kittens have lots of energy and they are also still in the early stages of learning about their developing skills and abilities. Kittens also don't have a sense of territory yet so it's natural for your kitten to go up to the other cats and become a playful pest. She doesn't know any better and...
The fact that Plunk was gone for a long time and only recently reintroduced back into the family may be contributing to the aggression Haze is showing.
Since this is a very stressful environment for the cats and you certainly don't want to add any stress to your older kitties, I would recommend...
It may have something to do with you being more of a captive audience when you're in the bathroom and he has more freedom to come and go. I know many clients who have cats who absolutely become love muffins when the clients are either in the tub or taking care of personal business in the...
Since you have successfully turned him into an indoor cat, my suggestion would be to keep him that way. It'll be much safer. The behavior you describe is probably an OCD-type behavior that is triggered by stress. He may have experienced separation anxiety when you were gone. With cats, they...
If you can, it would be good interfere when you see things might start heading in a negative direction. The more often they associate each other with playtime and fun, the better. If it gets to the point of one cat yelling then that's extremely stressful (to both cats). So if you see them...
The sprinkler isn't a full system, it's just a motion-activated sprinkler that you position correctly in the yard. Just wanted to make sure you understood I wasn't referring to a full irrigation system.
Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC
www.catbehaviorassociates.com
Playtime is better in shorter segments. Do two or three sessions per day for just ten minutes or so. Be sure to wind the action down at the end of the game so the cat is left relaxed. Additionally, consider doing clicker training to teach the cat that good behavior will have a positive reward...
I hope it works out. I have found clicker training to work wonders when no other behavior modification helps.
Good luck.
Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC
www.catbehaviorassociates.com
Yes, but only use one sock on each cat -- don't mixed scents. That can be stressful. Also, you don't want to overwhelm Gray Baby.
Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC
www.catbehaviorassociates.com
I just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone again for welcoming me to the CatSite to answer your questions. It's obvious, as I read the posts here, how dedicated and loving you all are. It's so wonderful to see cat parents who are trying everything they can to understand their precious...
Yikes, that's a tough sleep schedule. It sounds as though you're doing the typical things I would recommend such as playing with them right before bed and then feeding them so I would suggest, at this point, you try setting out puzzle feeders that are only available in the evening. It will give...
Yes, that would probably help but once a cat has shown aggression toward a companion cat after a vet visit, I would still separate them when they come home for a brief period just to be on the safe side.
Pam Johnson-Bennett, CCBC
www.catbehaviorassociates.com
Your job change is certainly having a major impact on Hope. I understand it's not something you can change but we've got to create some elevated level of security for her.
It sounds as though you're doing so many things right and that you're very tuned into Hope's needs. What I would add is...
He's not being defiant. He's a very smart cat with a high energy level. In addition to the interactive play that you're doing I would strongly recommend increasing the environmental enrichment factor in your home. Set up puzzle feeders such as the ones by Nina Ottosson, Play-n-Treat, Stimulo, or...
Your cat may be reacting to the raw food in that it truly triggers his prey-drive or makes him exceptionally happy. What you might want to try is to conduct an interactive play session with him before meals so that it's a more natural progression (hunt and then the feast).
As for getting the...