It's a reasonable assumption.... especially revved up from catnip,mine get that way initially before they chill
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
My new cat is constantly underfoot and won't let me move an inch w/o his getting in my way
- Thread starter dianajune
- Start Date
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #62
I don't know why this posted twice.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #63
I remember the first time I gave Pumpkin some catnip. He was literally bouncing off the walls Only difference this time is I got in the way! lol
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #64
Sam acted up again today. I had to do a telehealth appointment and while I was on the phone with my provider, Sam got on the laptop and messed up the settings. I have an Acer Chromebook and somehow he turned on the Google Vox and I couldn't get it to shut up. Every time I tried to type something it would talk incessantly. I had to do a reset, which is a pita.
I was almost done with fixing that when Sam decided to park himself on my wheelchair. I thought that was ok as long as I could get back in it when I was done because I still needed to finish my cat chores and take some medicine.
He didn't get down willingly, I had to pick him up. I am very clumsy with him because Sam is a biter. I think I had one hand under his tummy and the other one under his front shoulders. I tried to do it better but he kept throwing a fit. I wasn't trying to be mean or anything like that. I was in desperate need of a trip to the bathroom and take my thyroid pill, which was already several hours overdue at that point.
After that he kept getting under foot and I had to do the rest of his dishes one at a time. There's still one more to do that I forgot.
I find that if he gets under foot like that and I can reach the bedroom, I'll lie down for a few minutes and that usually works. But I can't keep doing this. I'm getting worn out and stressed again. It feels like I'm walking on eggshells around him. None of the suggestions I got here are working.
Don't get me wrong. I love Sam to pieces but this behaviour is really getting to me. I find that my response is not adequate and as for how I picked him up off the chair, I wasn't trying to be mean. I hope he knows that. He came to me a few minutes later to let me give him kisses.
I had plans for going out today that I gave up on because it's getting late. My IBS will kick in soon.
I was almost done with fixing that when Sam decided to park himself on my wheelchair. I thought that was ok as long as I could get back in it when I was done because I still needed to finish my cat chores and take some medicine.
He didn't get down willingly, I had to pick him up. I am very clumsy with him because Sam is a biter. I think I had one hand under his tummy and the other one under his front shoulders. I tried to do it better but he kept throwing a fit. I wasn't trying to be mean or anything like that. I was in desperate need of a trip to the bathroom and take my thyroid pill, which was already several hours overdue at that point.
After that he kept getting under foot and I had to do the rest of his dishes one at a time. There's still one more to do that I forgot.
I find that if he gets under foot like that and I can reach the bedroom, I'll lie down for a few minutes and that usually works. But I can't keep doing this. I'm getting worn out and stressed again. It feels like I'm walking on eggshells around him. None of the suggestions I got here are working.
Don't get me wrong. I love Sam to pieces but this behaviour is really getting to me. I find that my response is not adequate and as for how I picked him up off the chair, I wasn't trying to be mean. I hope he knows that. He came to me a few minutes later to let me give him kisses.
I had plans for going out today that I gave up on because it's getting late. My IBS will kick in soon.
The training takes time and consistency. There's no instant fixes.
Nothing wrong with shutting him in a room for a couple of hours if he has litter and water in there.
Getting on thr laptop is pretty normal cat behaviour.
Did he get the worm medication yet? Some behavioural issues can be caused by him not feeling well also....
Nothing wrong with shutting him in a room for a couple of hours if he has litter and water in there.
Getting on thr laptop is pretty normal cat behaviour.
Did he get the worm medication yet? Some behavioural issues can be caused by him not feeling well also....
Last edited:
I agree entirely with what
Alldara
said above about training and issues that could be related to the worms.I think training has to be done in small increments when you do not need to get somewhere immediately like to the bathroom. Consistent training and trying to stay calm will help you get where you want to be with Sam.
Alldara
said above about training and issues that could be related to the worms.I think training has to be done in small increments when you do not need to get somewhere immediately like to the bathroom. Consistent training and trying to stay calm will help you get where you want to be with Sam.- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #67
I do try to stay calm....I hope no one thinks that I'm scolding him or anything because I am not. I have IBS and when it kicks in, I must get to the bathroom as soon as possible. I've been having flare ups for the past couple of days that were so bad I had to lie down to get my tummy to calm down. The pain can be severe at times, esp. if I don't get to the bathroom straight away.
Re. the worm medication, I do not have any yet and can't get him to the vet until the 19th. I asked them if they could get us in sooner under the circumstances and was told no. Sam and I were playing this morning and he doesn't act sick. He's got a good appetite and is drinking good.
Re. the worm medication, I do not have any yet and can't get him to the vet until the 19th. I asked them if they could get us in sooner under the circumstances and was told no. Sam and I were playing this morning and he doesn't act sick. He's got a good appetite and is drinking good.
D
dianajune
I am certainly not suggesting you are scolding or yelling at Sam, only that they pick up on our anxiety and stress. I also understand IBS as my mom had it terribly. Stress greatly greatly affects IBS and it made her very anxious.That is why if you can do small increments in training when you are feeling ok and both you and Sam are calm, it would be better then when you have an urgent need to get say to the bathroom. I know you can do this but it will take time.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #69
I've been reading through some of the other messages in the cat health forum and I feel bad. There are kitties that are worse off than my little guy. I just feel overwhelmed and am trying to take good care of him.
I could try an over the counter worm medication but would prefer his vet administer it. I wish I could get him in sooner.
Sorry that I'm such a pita. There are other things going on in my life that I haven't brought up here...things that have been going on since before Pumpkin died including a rotten neighbor. I want to move again. If I can get back to my hometown north of here near my family (and Sam's vet) I think we'll both be happier. The random noises in this building bothers Sam.
One of my neighbors down the hall vacuumed this morning and it scared Sam. Busy traffic does too. The country will be better for both of us.
He's currently napping in front of our TV.
Sam did let me hold him briefly this morning, so that's good!
D
dianajune
Please don't feel bad, it is just a process with any cat. Unfortunately, none of us are there so we can only try to help and support you from a distance. Sam is adorable but he is early in the process in adapting to you and his new home. You have some successes with Sam and you should be proud of that.
Yes, we just found our boys to be acting more restless and "off". They played normally and as is often with worms, ate with abundance.
Of course with stress high your IBS will act out. We know you are venting here. We are just concerned for you both!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #72
At the moment Sam is blocking my way to the bedroom. I can't get him to let me through no matter what. I am exhausted. I wish I could get him to listen to me but for now, he's calling all the shots and he refuses to let me get to bed. I don't understand why it's so hard to do something as simple as getting a good night's rest. I could cry.
Are you afraid of Sam or afraid of hurting Sam with the wheelchair?Don't really know how to respond because I'd say just lean forward and guide him away with your hands unless you are in fear of getting swatted or can you tap him with the chair - most any cat will get out of the way if a wheelchair ,rollator or cart is over head,it's electric -right?Can you control the speed enough to tap him
You Saud nothing anyone suggested works for you- so he won't chase something you throw ,doesn't want treats.....I'd not want to tell you to get a broom to sweep him out of your way because it's not what I'd do but I've seen it many times with folks with mobility issues( cannot bend,kneel,squat or are in a chair)-their pets don't seem afraid,they are just used to it- they see the broom and move
Last edited:
I was going to suggest a childs broom. It's smaller so easier to control from your chair and different from the regular broom so he associates it with getting out of the way. Also use a unique word when shooing him. For example when I'm taking mine out for a walk, I use "harness" to let them know. I use "out" and "walk" in general conversation so didn't use those for their outings.
That's right- always use a " word" consistently for a command association - Diane said nothing works but nothing does work in a week,it takes weeks,sometimes months to train properly to respond to voice commands
All of my cats respond to all the basics Obedience commands,they're not prodigy cats - it took much time and consistency
I like the little toy broom suggestion something thats only for that specific use- to gently guide him away- not to fear brooms but to associate " move " with getting out of the way.....
It can be a bit challenging to do many things from a wheelchair so here's one more thing-- I'd like to see Sam learn " up" and ride with Diane like my own cats did when I was using a wheelchair..
All of my cats respond to all the basics Obedience commands,they're not prodigy cats - it took much time and consistency
I like the little toy broom suggestion something thats only for that specific use- to gently guide him away- not to fear brooms but to associate " move " with getting out of the way.....
It can be a bit challenging to do many things from a wheelchair so here's one more thing-- I'd like to see Sam learn " up" and ride with Diane like my own cats did when I was using a wheelchair..
As
Kwik
stated above one word commands used consistently are very effective. When I used a motorized wheelchair at 13 years old it was 'up' 'down' 'away'
As said here an object be it a small broom , fly swatter, magazine that you tap Sam gently with a say ' move'.or tap his butt with your hand and say ' move'. Any of these will work with repeated and consistent use.
My cat when I said up jumped up in the chair and rode with me.
It takes time.
Kwik
stated above one word commands used consistently are very effective. When I used a motorized wheelchair at 13 years old it was 'up' 'down' 'away'As said here an object be it a small broom , fly swatter, magazine that you tap Sam gently with a say ' move'.or tap his butt with your hand and say ' move'. Any of these will work with repeated and consistent use.
My cat when I said up jumped up in the chair and rode with me.
It takes time.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #77
I'm not afraid of Sam. I'm afraid of our having a collision. If he got caught between my wheelchair and something else it would break my heart. He's still getting used to the layout of our apartment and the various sounds in this building and in the town nearby. Loud traffic bothers him. A grandchild of one of our neighbors acted up yesterday and screamed down the hallway. I was in the community room playing bingo and one of my friends here said that grandchild (teenager, btw) ran down the first floor hallway past our apartment. So I am positive that Sam heard the commotion and got freaked out by it. I feel bad that I wasn't home at t he time.
We had maintenance here to replace a light fixture this morning and Sam was scared of him too. I think I said in another post that at times it feels like I'm walking on eggshells around him, not knowing how he will react to certain things. He's been known to move unpredictably and we've had close calls with this chair. I'm also finding that as time goes on, he's starting to act like a runner like his big brother Pumpkin. That scares me because I don't want Sam to get out.
Last night was pretty bad. I've been sleep deprived again and am in pain because of an injury I got last week lifting heavy bags of wash. I will be going to a physical therapy wheelchair evaluation tomorrow (something my insurance requires before they will pay for a new chair) . I'm hoping they can look at my arm even though I'm going for another reason. I think that Sam can sense that I am not feeling well. He's staying closer to me than usual - that might explain his being clingy. He walked on me in bed before I got up this morning and let me pick him up a few times today.
This is good because I am trying to figure out how to get him in that carrier before taking him to the vet on Thursday.
Maybe this isn't the right place for me to vent. I know I did this at times when Pumpkin was alive, only because I was scared for him as his health got worse. I want Sam to understand that I love him. Maybe I'm clingy too because I"m a helicopter Mommy. I am sorry to vent like this and hope that I didn't upset anyone. I am just plain exhausted and in much pain.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #78
Sounds like a good idea but I'm concerned he might think I'll whack him with it. He was horribly neglected before the shelter got him. I suspect that he was physically abused too.
Hope they can help you out at rhe appointment!
I think it's a fine place to vent. Like I mentioned before, we are just worried about you both and maybe not completely understanding.
Sometimes you're saying you're afraid of him scratching or biting you so then we worry you're afraid of him.
And then you're saying nothing is helping so we are just reassuring you that it takes time and nothing we suggest will fix itself in just a couple weeks. Certainly not until llyou know how much of the behaviour is him not feeling well (which he won't be, on account of the worms. Cats are good at masking being unwell. )
He'll learn. He can't learn what he doesn't experience. Ghost was afraid even if someone raised a voice in excitement. Hid from sounds of children playing outside. Now, not so much but still nervous sometimes. I've had him a year now.
