Luna And Lisi Update!

[PaulinPilsen]

Hello everyone,

I wanted to give an update! A few months ago, I adopted 2 female spayed cats. Lisi is from anti cruelty and Luna is from animal control. I had a scare with Luna because she did not eat for a full week after her spay and adoption. Fortunately, she started eating and everything was okay. The next point of concern on whether these two cats would get along! They do. But after a few months there are real differences in personality.

Lisi is an angel. She has bonded with us. She checks in with us. Looks to us for play. Listens to us (most of the time). We have a yard, and respects the boundaries and stays within them. She seems to be a very content kitty.

Luna is a little demon. She seems to get into trouble all the time. She is more distant with us. Mind you, she is still friendly and looks to us for attention, and we give it. Luna, however, does not seem to care “as much” as Lisi about our attention. This cat has no problem breaking rules. For example, our patio garden: Lisi stays in the confines. She learned very quickly about these boundaries. Luna will hop over the fence and we have to chase her.

We have bought a cage for Luna to put her in when she breaks this rule. But I’m concerned that Luna is not bonding with us like Lisi is bonding with us. Any ideas?

Paul.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Cats are just like humans, their personalities will vary. So, Luna may never be as affectionate as Lisi. As long as the two of them are buddies, you'll just have to settle for more love from Luna than from Lisi.

Some cats 'mature' faster than others too, so it is still possible as Luna ages she will become more affectionate - so, don't rule it out.

And, other than the escaping the yard issue, whatever behavior you think warrants correction, you should instill a consistent discipline plan for Luna. The plan, of course, would depend on what behavior you are interested in correcting. I am not sure about whether or not the cage as a discipline for escaping the yard will work. It might be better to catch her tell her a firm 'no' and then put her inside.

I will be honest with you though, it is possible you could see Lisi mimic Luna in terms of 'bad behavior', especially when it comes to escaping the yard. So, watch out for that. And, I would be worried since Luna is more 'independent', that her bouts of getting out of the yard - and, outrunning you in the long haul - could get more and more frequent. Are you in a position to build or buy a catio in your backyard? If so, you might want to consider doing so. It would keep Luna in the confines of the catio, and certainly ensure Lisi doesn't follow in Luna's footsteps in terms of trying to get out of the yard.

You could see if there are any 'tactics' in this TCS article that you could try with Luna to see if you could get her to become more affectionate.

14 Cat Experts Reveal: How To Get A Cat To Like Me

 

[susanm9006]

Stopping Luna from escaping your patio may be difficult. Some cats are just adventurous and want to see the rest of the world. The safest thing for both girls would be to build them an enclosure, aka catio, for them to enjoy the fresh air and your back yard while still staying safe. This also protects them from predators or other cats who might come into your yard.

 

[Kflowers]

Some cats try to do whatever is put before them. This is, actually, how all creatures including people learn. The fence is a challenge not a boundary. As FeebysOwner one will teach the other to accept challenges, to grow, to experiment. This is normal. It isn't what you want, but it is normal. Ask your mother about your childhood and how you learned to do things before the schools got you.

For safety's sake and the lives of your cats, please consider susanm9006 's advice.