Can Feline Behavior be Modified?

[bobbie sue]

I am new to this forum.  About 2 l/2 months ago my son went for a walk when a car pulled up near him and someone opened the door to let a cat out.  He called to the cat and she immediately responded and came over to him.   Long story short... we took her in.  The next day we took her to the veterinarian who thought she was under a year.  His assumption was that she lived on the street and was fed by someone (since she is unafraid of us humans) and perhaps when a home was sold, the new owner or whomever fed her previously did not want her around the neighborhood so she was driven elsewhere.   She was malnourished, thin and very dirty and had sustained a wound on her hip... the vet thought it was a bite.  He treated the bite and placed an e-collar on her.  She healed and eventually her anemia dissipated with lots of good wholesome food and our tender, loving care.  We had her spayed and she has been with us ever since.

Since she was running wild outside and had no discipline, we have been having problems at our meal time.   While we strongly believe she had been roaming the streets for all her life... approximately 8 or 9 months she displays some wild behavior which is causing difficulty for us at breakfast, lunch and dinnertime. While she constantly is a drama queen and wants to be in the midst of all action and I cannot fault her for that, she is disruptive at dinner time when I am cooking and then when we sit down to dinner. She is jumping on the kitchen chairs constantly and as many times as I take her off, she immediately returns and it takes all my patience to distract her which is nearly impossible. It is not because she is hungry because I make sure she is well fed and still has food in her bowl so I am at a complete loss to know how to handle this situation which occurs routinely.

Needless to say it is very unsettling and I just do not know what to do to alter her behavior at our meal time. I do try to admonish her in a strong voice but she is one tough little cookie and doesn't respond. I need some advice on what would be the best course of action to modify her actions. I do understand that she was "untamed" as she roamed the streets and her actions do reflect this. She is highly intelligent, curious and really does love hanging out with us all the time but all we want is to eat in peace and have some quiet time. I don't want to confine to the bedroom with the door closed and she climbs all over everything and this can pose a dangerous problem when unsupervised. Believe it or not... recently we saw her climb on everything to reach the top of the door (and we have high ceilings in our apartment) and then to our amazement I witness her on the ledge of the door which is a scant 1 3/4" wide. Imagine::::: her standing on only that amount of space like a tight rope walker since she is the most agile feline with her super long legs and athletic body.

Does anyone have any idea on how to go about modifying her behavior at our mealtime so we can just eat without constant interruption and chaos ensuing???

I am sure glad I found this forum and want to thank you in advance for all replies.  

 

[chloe92us]

I think the simple solution would be to get her a little cat tree or perch of her own for the kitchen, slightly away from the table but placed where she can see everything and feel in the middle of it all.  It doesn't have to be a super tall cat tree, but one that is around 36-48" would probably be good enough.  Easy fix!  Although cat trees aren't pretty to look at, if it solves the problem, it would be so worth it.

Cats do their own thing and you can't really change their mind.  But you do have to give them something that is a better alternative to what they're doing now.  For example, I have these wing chairs in my formal living room that one of my cats decided he wanted to scratch.  Well, that wasn't ok to me, so I bought another little scratcher and placed it right next to the chair.  Problem solved!  He wanted to scratch THERE, and I would not be able to change that, so I had to give him another option.

 

[mollyblue]

Sounds to me like she want to help you with the preparations.  And yes, cats can be like very helpful little 2 years olds!  I agree with the adding a cat tree or a perch... but when a cat wants in the middle of something, its gonna get in the middle of something.  Do you have a cat carrier?  I would suggest that if the cat tree doesn't work...put down one time, if the kitty jumps back up, into the cat carrier until meal time is over.  you can leave her in the room with you if she is quiet and that way you can still talk to her, and she can still watch you.  If she gets loud, you can cover the carrier or remove the carrier from the room. 

 

[bobbie sue]

Thank you for your comments.  The first thing I did last night was to place crumpled aluminum foil atop the kitchen chairs to discourage her from sitting there.  At first she went on one and then jumped immediately on the table (fortunately though I hadn't yet placed plates and utensils on) and then when I shouted "no !" she quickly jumped off and then didn't attempt it again on the chairs.  I fed here just a few minutes prior to our sitting down to dinner and lo and behold... she went into the dining room (which I converted to an office with computer, printer, etc., etc.) and she sat upon the computer chair and remained there for the entire time we ate.  ahhhhhh..... what a peaceful pleasure that was !!!!  I ordered a clicker which I will pick up from the Amazon locker today since I have read on the net that it is possible to train a cat with positive reinforcement and offering a reward when she does something positive like listening to you.

The difficulty I am presently experiencing is that although she has taken to both my husband and I (I feed her throughout the day but my husband feeds her in the morning since I sleep late).... she doesn't seem to take to my son for some unknown reason. She even becomes hostile and lashes out at him also at times when he attempts interaction with her and he has been nothing but kind and gentle with her.   This troubles me a great deal since if anything happens to myself or my husband, he will be in charge of her.  He feeds her snacks at times but this doesn't seem to help either.  I suggested that he feed her rather than I do when he is home and nearby so hopefully, this will work.  My son is great with animals and loves cats.  Years ago when we had two female cats at the same time, there was one who chose him as her special person... following him anywhere in the apartment and wanting to always be with him and to be petted and loved by him more than anyone else.  

Now I would appreciate some suggestions as to what would work with this difficulty other than him feeding her whenever he can.

Wishing all a pleasant and peaceful day.

 

[bobbie sue]

Oh... one more thing I neglected to mention;  I have already ordered the Ceva Feliway starter kit and refill so I would like to see some change and hopefully I will witness that.... would be wonderful !

 

[betsygee]

Having your son feed her is a good idea.  He could play with her, too.  Do you have a wand toy?  That way they can play but he wouldn't be getting close enough for her to swipe at him.

 

[bobbie sue]

Having your son feed her is a good idea.  He could play with her, too.  Do you have a wand toy?  That way they can play but he wouldn't be getting close enough for her to swipe at him.

Your cat is beautiful!  Speaking about a perch in our kitchen.... we have a huge window there with a very wide ledge.  A few days after she took up residency, I fashioned a pillow the length of the ledge with an ultra-cushiony insert and little by little I got her accustomed to sitting up there.  A young but fairly large tree was installed right in front of that window so curious Penny could look out.  She doesn't go there in the evening, however, and I have even moved a long little table right near our table so she could sit there while we eat.  She didn't wish to do that.  At any rate, the crumpled-up aluminum foil seemed to do the trick last night and since I fed her right before we sat down to eat, she was satiated and took a nap.  Oh how I hope this will work tonight and every night thereafter.

Yes.. I have a wand toy and it's a good idea of yours that use that to play with her until he warms up to him. He will both feed her when it is convenient for him as well as play with the wand toy.   Since she was part-feral... it is interesting to see that when we have used that in the past with her... she actually grabs the birdie thing at the end and runs away with it.... pole and all !   She treats it as 'real prey' and it is really comical to see her do that.  We are sure she must have at some point tasted a bird or too....  maybe not but does she ever want that bird!  

I expect the Feliway I ordered from Amazon to arrive soon and hopefully this will help to ease her coldness toward my son.  He wants Penny to like him and respond in a positive and loving way.  

I'll continue posting with this ongoing saga;  she has been with us for 2 l/2 months.

I sure appreciate everyone's help with these issues.

 

[mollyblue]

I would recommend he try playing with her using wand toys or laser lights.  See if he can distract her from being mean by giving her a better target to expend energy.  Sounds like she is already getting fed quite a lot so food might not be a real big motivation for her, and she might just see him as a threat since there are so many humans... IDK.  Someone else will have a better answer I am sure!

 

[bobbie sue]

Cute cat MollyBlue!  Yes, my son will begin playing with her using a wand as well as feeding her and I will take a back seat for now where that is concerned.  

I see your cat is posed near a tree with a leash on?  When did you begin taking her out for walks? How does she behave when she is out and about with you?   I have never seen anyone with a cat on a leash before but then again.... this is New York City and it's anything but rural here... save for some parks.

 

[mollyblue]

The cat in my Avatar is Alex... she passed away a couple years ago from CRF at the age of 18 or so.  We did not begin leash training her until she was at least 12.  As a kitten, we had a house and she could be indoor/outdoor at will.  Then, when I lost my house, she was forced to be an indoor kitty, and she missed the outdoors very much so leash training was her best option.  It didn't go over so well at first because I knew nothing about leash training so we only made half hearted attempts.  Then, when my mom got put in a nursing home and I had to start making frequent road trips, and Alex was in poor health and couldn't be left alone, she became Ms. Travel Kitty.  As a kiiten she hated car rides... in her adult years, she grew to love our road trips.  She would just perch on up there in the window and check it all out and she became very good on a leash during those trips, just walking along like a trooper.

We currently have 4 cats.  Two are leash trained, and one is semi leash trained... the semi leash trained is Theo.  We have had him since birth and his momma was an abandoned - turned feral calico who adopted us when she was pregnant and starving, and his daddy is I believe a true feral.  Theo inherited the feral gene.  He likes to pet you, but doesn't care much for people touching him except once in a while.  If its his idea, he will flop over just out of arms reach and beg to have his tummy scratched... if you can do it without touching him.  LOL, he is a goofball and scardy cat.  He is bonded with my ragdoll who is fully leashed trained and will practically fetch it for you if that's what it takes to go outside, so Theo always wants to go with her.  But outside, he is terrified of every noise, every shadow... The first time we took him out on a leash he slipped out of it... I am so lucky he didn't just take off, but its one of the few times he actually wanted me to pick him up.  He just froze, one paw in the air looking at me as if to say Hey Human, that Thing fell off you better fix it! He is still a youngster though so maybe he will get better with time. 

Tatitna is my ragdoll and the most leash trained cat you would ever hope to see - usually we let her lead, but if you need to redirect her, its pretty easy and she is mostly content to go where you want to walk. We got her when she was 9 months old and started leash training around a year old.  For a year, she would even climb trees on her leash and I would be standing there holding her like a kite.  People would ask me, Oh, did you lose your kitty?  or Oh, did she get stuck?  but she would come down when she was ready, and of course the leash only let her climb so high.  Spolied little thing will meow when shes ready to come down and she will back down only far enough to get her butt touching your hand and then she lets go.  These days I take her off leash to let her climb trees.  She comes when you whistle and its just easier on both of us.  I could probably walk her without a leash all together, but we live in an apartment and there are always unexpected noises and movement and you never know when a dog or a child might spook her so we play it safe.  Tati is the most social as far as being okay with people wanting to come up and pet her and she absolutely adores going to PetCo and PetSmart with us.  She does okay in the car, but likes getting there the best. 

Snowy, aka Puffy Cat is also leash trained.  Snowy was rescued from the lake where she was more dead than alive when the Shelter got her.  She has a lot of chronic health issues, and she is deaf.  When we walk Snowy we have to plan on at least 15 minutes of her sniffing the entrance to the building before she is ready to go anywhere.  Once she starts walking, she get to exploring pretty well, but we have to keep a close eye on her because at odd times she will get a whiff of something or a movement in the corner of her eye can cause her to flip out... and when I say flip out, I literally mean she will start doing flips, screaming at the top of her lungs, fur flying everywhere... full on panic attack. She doesn't really care for strangers to approach her and she has very sensitive skin, when you pet her, you can literally feel her skin crawl.  I think its because she had mange so bad when she was rescued... anyway.. when its nice and quiet and the sun is shining, she loves taking a stroll down the sidewalk (kind of funny, but she doesn't like to get in the grass too much  Fleas are attracted to white, and she is all white!)    She does great in the stroller and in the car.  She is crate trained. 

Sorry for such long response, thought I would give you a couple ideas of how cats do on a leash.  Really depends on the cat and what you want to do with them on the leash.  I think it is helpful to have cats crate trained, leash trained and car trained as it reduces stress on the occasions when you have to do something with them whether it be take them to the vet or on a road trip with you rather than boarding, but its not for everyone.  Cats on a leash are for the most part a lot different than Dogs on a leash.  Dogs go to great lengths to please their people and are usually much more energetic about exploring out doors.  Cats expect their humans to wait on them and they like to explore at a leisurely pace.

If you do decide to leash train, or see how it goes, I recommend just leaving the leash/harness out for a week or so... using it to play with your kitty and to let your kitty start getting their scent on it.  Think about how you would feel if someone you only sort of trusted started putting something around your neck, how you would react.  Your first thoughts would be, WHAT IS THAT THING and just letting the cat get familiar with it will go along way.  When you first put the harness on, plan on your cat playing dead... if they are used to a collar, I suppose that helps... our cats never wear collars so it was just totally OH KNOW, I CANT MOVE, I THINK I AM DYING... leave them alone until they get up and walk on their own.  They may walk like they are drunk for the first few steps, or they may instinctively try to outrun or throw it off.  This will be short lived.  Let them make peace with it and see for themselves that it is okay, and then take it off.  The next time that you put it on, when you add the leash, there is just something about seeing that string going up behind them that scares them and it may take a couple of walk for them to get completely used to seeing it following them so closely.  OR, if they are really independent, they may resent the restraint it imposes.  But even Puffy cat, who  hates being restrained is comforted by it now.  She will look up at me every now and then when we are walking and and her eyes say it all... "Thats right Human, you better not let go" . 

We rushed through it and did all the steps in one day will all our cats... so you can do it without taking months.  really just depends on you and your cat.  Theoretically, its better to do it in stages. 

 

[bobbie sue]

 

I just read your fascinating story of leash-training your cats and enjoyed it.   It was very interesting hearing about each of your fur-babies too.  You were fortunate to have had Alex for those 18 years and I admire the way you tried to accommodate his needs. I can well understand the challenge of dealing with a cat who has multiple health issues and it takes much love and devotion to do that.  Many years ago we adopted 2 female kittens from a shelter and they were about 8 - 10 weeks old at the time.  At about six months of age, one who was part maine coon developed epilepsy and was placed on medication once a day, then later went on to develop cardiomyopathy and also became a mass cell tumor survivor.  Fortunately one day while dispensing her daily tablet I somehow palpated her abdomen and discovered the lump.  I was so fortunate to have found this early on since her surgery saved her life and she went on to live many years until she passed away at age 20 (10 years ago).  Our other cat passed away at age 16.  To this day (I think of them both (Mallomar and Midnight) and it brings great joy at the thought we were so fortunate to have adopted them but sadness since I so wish we could have them again today.  At times I tear up just at the thought.

At any rate, we now have Penny and it was lucky for her she was let out of a car when my son was nearby and followed him into the vestibule of our apartment building.  It is quite a new experience to have a semi-feral cat as I doubt she will ever be a "lap cat" or want to be held close.  Each cat is uniquely different, of course, and her experience since coming into the world has not been a sheltering one, that's for sure.  We only have her for 2 l/2 months so we are being patient. Since she has boundless energy and loves to climb on the many stacks of things I have in my bedroom, I understand completely how it is.  

I had the distinct feeling at first and for a long time that she missed the greater Outdoors and possibly all the cats she must have hung with but slowly... little by little she is adapting to her new environment and has put on a good amount of weight and is healthy compared to when my son first found her... her ears all gooky with sticky dirt, a terrible bite on her hip - all which the vet attended to the next day.  We did have a very frightening experience though when we had her spayed, one which I will never forget. While I expected her to be kind of "out of it" due to the anesthesia (since our two female cats were spayed) I knew immediately something was amiss;  she seemed to have lost her way around here and didn't eat for nearly 3 days.  We were distraught when we realized that somehow she was blinded!

When this continued for two days (we were hoping it was somehow temporary) we took her back to the vet and saw his partner since the one who had performed the surgery was out of town and he gave me this weird preample about there always being some risk to anesthesia.  He asked us to wait in the other room while he examined her only to exit a little while later saying he had given her fluids and that when he shone a light in her eyes her retinas behaved naturally.  Even a blind person can differentiate light from dark and he was trying to convince us she was OK when she clearly was not.  Needless to say we were besides ourselves.  I no longer trusted this veterinary facility and left.

We gave it some more time and it took nearly 2 weeks before... little by little, Penny regained her full sight and could climb and run around again.  Were we ever thankful !!!!   During that period of temporary blindness, she would just sit on the couch.. with that e-collar on to prevent her from pulling at the dissolvable stitches and look absolutely miserable and depressed.  It was the most heart-breaking sight.  While I had complained about her racing through the apartment at breakneck speed and sometimes knocking over things (since this is what she must have done as a semi-feral) when she first got here.. here I was hoping that it would all return again.  Strange about that though..... how something which once we considered so annoying could now be viewed as a blessing if it returned.  

I was curious and interested in hearing about leash-training but living here in Brooklyn, NY where it is heavily congested I feel this would not be a good situation were we to do that with Penny.  No doubt she would probably love that arrangement if we lived in a more suburban environment but not presently.  There are too many perils here I feel.  

Again, I really enjoyed hearing about your cats and thanks for sharing your experiences.  

Have a pleasant and peaceful day.

 

[mollyblue]

Thank you for sharing your stories about your cats, past and present.  We still miss Alex, none of the 4 will ever take her place - but they each bring something special to our lives.  Buttercup, the semiferal is actually the most affectionate cat we have, but she is a calico, and they have their own attitudes.  She bullies my Puffy cat and so she is often on my bad side, but we love them all. 

Puffy had to go under anesthesia for dental work and poor thing... couldn't eat for 12 hours prior to surgery.  Post surgery she did not let her food bowl out of sight for 3 days.  When we picked her up at the vet they said they thought she was having flash backs to her days on the lam because she would be growling and hissing at them and then when they would start petting her she would melt like butter.  I wish sometimes, for even 5 minutes a day, our cats could speak English. 

yeah, if you think it is not right, or maybe not the right time, to take Penny outdoors, you are probably right.  But maybe in time you will reach that point.  We have a cat stroller and they all love that.  Even Tati, who is my explorer, will hop right in when we pull it out.  But if you can get Penny content with inside, that might be best to leave it there.  The cats, like dogs, will beg to be taken for a walks if they take to it and sometimes you just don't want to do it.  Well anyway, good luck with Penny, I hope she starts playing nicer with your son soon.