The Vent and Rant Thread

[Blossom]

She understands your upset and is being affectionate so you will forgive her. Cats needs a lot of play time because all that energy will just build up and zoom! Off they go wrecking havoc.

It can have serious consequences if they do not get enough play time. They can become over stimulated and snap. If she gets adequate play time she will be less prone to the crazies which is when most stuff gets broken.

I'd make peace by lightly use two fingers to pet the top of her head otherwise she will continue to be affectionate and bug you till you get upset and push her away then she will go off pouting planning revenge and you could find a hairball in your shoe or favorite spot. Cats are highly intelligent creatures but often misunderstood due their unique nature.

[CRussel]

FWIW, Tom, the ONLY two things that cats seem to understand as threatening is hissing and water. A serious hiss will back off most cats very quickly. And there's nothing like an afternoon sitting in a comfortable chair within water-pistol shot of the XMas tree to cure several generations of cats from batting ornaments. (They appear to actually teach any new kittens that come into the house in future years to avoid the ornaments, since it was a lesson I never had to repeat in 15 years as our cat population grew from those original two to four and then six.)

[Blossom]

My oldest loves water but my youngest hates it. It varies. Maisy comes running when tried water discipline. Spray bottle, sink sprayer or water pistol and she tries to drink the spray.

Hissing I use when I want them to remember who is top cat. (me) around here. You have to be aggressive when you do it or they make just sniff you to make sure you are okay.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by CRussel

FWIW, Tom, the ONLY two things that cats seem to understand as threatening is hissing and water. A serious hiss will back off most cats very quickly. And there's nothing like an afternoon sitting in a comfortable chair within water-pistol shot of the XMas tree to cure several generations of cats from batting ornaments. (They appear to actually teach any new kittens that come into the house in future years to avoid the ornaments, since it was a lesson I never had to repeat in 15 years as our cat population grew from those original two to four and then six.)

Charlie:

No Maine Coons in the bunch, then? Yeah...just try water discipline with Coons. Mine will run TOWARD you, when you are using the sink, to get you to flick water in their faces. My male tries to get in the shower with the humans. The only thing that remotely works is using an Evian spray, toward his face. I think it's because it kinda hisses. Otherwise...he loves it, and will be naughty just to get "the water treatment."

In fact, I'm dealing with trying to find ways to dissuade him from bad behavior right now. Because he seems freaking oblivious. Yell, scruff, hiss--nothing seems to get through. He's not evil, don't get me wrong. He simply can't comprehend the notion that anyone could be mad at him.

He has a "corner" he has to go to--it's the only thing we've found that seems to make a dent; we lock him in the guest bath (has a box in it, of course) for a short period of time. HOWEVER that punishment has recently gone to the dogs, so to speak, because he cries...and then our much smaller but smart female runs on down there...and LETS HIM OUT. Bloody hell.

Hitch

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

No, see the post directly above yours. I can't even get the cat to fear my wrath. It just now jumped up on the bed beside me looking for more evil things it can do to drive me insane. As for a case for the Voyage (remember it was a brand new one), I had ordered a case and it arrived in the mail about an hour after she destroyed the Kindle. That's what made me doubly mad. It was as if the entire event was planned and timed to cause the most irritation.

The Voyage was destroyed during the cat's hunting/play behavior -- hence your responses are just part of the 'game' to the cat -- all the screaming in the world won't connect the broken reader to any sense of remorse in the cat .....

Actually cats, by and large, lack a sense of remorse ....
[except Stella cat -- who always apologizes for her boo-boos and has to have a 'snuggle & make up period' afterwards]

And ... keep a plastic wastebasket in your house -- to annihilate during your fits of rage ... much less damaging than using a door .... the plastic wastebasket under my sink is held together by duct tape now ...

When we first brought Stella home, her favorite game was to race around the house and crash land on top of the DVD storage cabinet ... and slam into the chiming clock -- which is one of my most cherished possessions ...
I remember telling my partner "She's going to break that clock sooner or later .... please stop me from killing her when it happens."

[Knock on wood -- it's still chiming]

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by Hitch

Charlie:

No Maine Coons in the bunch, then? Yeah...just try water discipline with Coons. Mine will run TOWARD you, when you are using the sink, to get you to flick water in their faces. My male tries to get in the shower with the humans. The only thing that remotely works is using an Evian spray, toward his face. I think it's because it kinda hisses. Otherwise...he loves it, and will be naughty just to get "the water treatment."

In fact, I'm dealing with trying to find ways to dissuade him from bad behavior right now. Because he seems freaking oblivious. Yell, scruff, hiss--nothing seems to get through. He's not evil, don't get me wrong. He simply can't comprehend the notion that anyone could be mad at him.

He has a "corner" he has to go to--it's the only thing we've found that seems to make a dent; we lock him in the guest bath (has a box in it, of course) for a short period of time. HOWEVER that punishment has recently gone to the dogs, so to speak, because he cries...and then our much smaller but smart female runs on down there...and LETS HIM OUT. Bloody hell.

Hitch

I trained Stella using those cans of compressed air you use to clean keyboards ... she loves playing with water ... but hates getting a blast of air on her face ...
Now all I have to do to defuse a situation is show her the can ...

[I had tried 'time out' periods with Sammie cat when she was younger - shutting her up alone in a bathroom with a litter box -- she just took naps and I frequently would forget all about her ... until I had to use the john]

[Blossom]

Ick. Can air is dangerous. It's can cause frostbite and should not be inhaled. It's not really air. It's a chemical as you know if you hold it wrong the chemical can spilled out when spraying and which is why you have to hold it a certain way. I now use gloves when handling because I have sprayed my hand accidentally which did not feel good.

[Dazrin]

For cats getting on counters, desks, etc., scotch tape sticky side up can be a pretty good deterrent if you can locate it around where they normally jump onto the counter. They really hate having things stuck to their paws. Scotch tape won't injure them at all so it should be safe and relatively easy to get out of their fur.

[Blossom]

Unless they eat it then you got an expensive vet bill. Aluminum foil works great to keep cats off of things. They hate the sound so they avoid it.

[Hitch]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Unless they eat it then you got an expensive vet bill. Aluminum foil works great to keep cats off of things. They hate the sound so they avoid it.

Mine chase foil things all over the house. Foil balls, ribbon balls...they aren't remotely afraid of foil. You pull out the foil to do something in the kitchen, and they're right with you. It's like they transport themselves telepathically. So, nope, not afraid of foil. Or water. Or strangers.

Weird cats, Coons.

Hitch

[Blossom]

I was just woken up to my youngest hacking up a hairball on my arm. I have no way to launder anything other then by hand. So my sheets are now soiled. This week hasn't started off well.

[WT Sharpe]

I love these hints. Next time she ticks me off I'll try hissing. It makes sense to speak to them in their own language. She thinks my Incredible Hulk display is cute. It only fascinates her. I'll stay away from canned air, though I've never seen a cat yet who likes it when someone blows in their face.

[Rumpelteazer]

Reading this I'm happy that Lexie is easily disciplined; lower, deepen and slightly raise your voice and say "No, Lexie" and she gets it.

Nikita was a bit more stubborn and we did have various spray bottles around the house, she didn't learn it quickly, but eventually sloshing around water in the bottle would send her running away. Although she did run away swearing, we always suspected she had some Siamese blood in her because of the way she looked and her tendency to talk.

[wodin]

When Kitty Girl was young and she wanted to help me compute, I would pick her up and give her a good hug, just until she started to try to get away, then I'd let her go and she'd head for the bedroom. That usually lasted for a good half hour or so, but now that she's getting a bit elderly, not so much. I wonder if she might be getting a bit of kitty Alzheimer's.

[badgoodDeb]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

No, see the post directly above yours. I can't even get the cat to fear my wrath. It just now jumped up on the bed beside me looking for more evil things it can do to drive me insane. As for a case for the Voyage (remember it was a brand new one), I had ordered a case and it arrived in the mail about an hour after she destroyed the Kindle. That's what made me doubly mad. It was as if the entire event was planned and timed to cause the most irritation.

If the broken Voyage was that new, does your credit card have a warrantee on purchases? For the first month, or something? The ads used to talk about "that broken vase that was a gift for XYZ".