Posted on 03/17/2017 12:23:59 PM PDT by Kaslin
RUSH: I’ll tell you, I look battle-scarred here today. I had the most unpleasant experience at home today. You know, I have my little cat, my little Abyssinian named Allie. I got Allie a little while, about six months after my previous beloved cat passed away, Punkin.
They have two completely different personalities. Whereas Punkin from one year of age was like an old lady, slow moving, totally affectionate, wherever I went the cat was there. This cat Allie is the most independent, like I thought all cats were, doesn’t give a rat’s rear end except when she wants to eat or something. She’s a lovable cat, don’t misunderstand.
But I made a mistake with this cat when she was a kitten because the place I live has many danger points for a kitten like second story balconies to jump or fall off of, nooks and crannies to get lost in. For the first, I don’t know, nine months or year the only place the cat got to go was my library where I could keep an eye on her. And it’s a big enough room as it is, and it has an upstairs and a balcony, had to close that off. I closed off the staircase so that nobody could get up there, including the cat.
Well, this meant that at the end of the night when it was time to go to bed I had to catch the cat and take her up with me. She didn’t like it and she began to hide and to hiss and to basically threaten me when I tried to pick her up because she didn’t want to be captured. But I had to do it, and this went on for nine months. And I’m afraid I have forever scarred this cat into thinking that whenever I approach, she’s gonna be captured and sent back to the zoo or something.
Well, today she had to go to the vet, the annual checkup and to get the claws clipped. I did not remove the claws this time like we did with the previous cat because I thought that was a little bit too much, plus there are dogs running around so the cat needs some defense mechanisms. They’re giant dogs. They’re sheepdogs. So it was time today, and yesterday we could not get her into the travel cage. She just ran away from the staff attempting to — she would hide in places they couldn’t get her.
So I get this note yesterday, “Look, we’ve tried for two hours, but we’re gonna need your help tomorrow,” meaning today. I said, “Aw, no. You mean I’m the one that has to catch her and end up being hated?”
So we devised a plan. The cat every morning, when I’m in the shower, goes to a window sill in my closet and waits for me. I come out of the shower, get dressed, and then go scratch her butt and pet her. So I said, “What I’m gonna do, I’m gonna go in there and I’m gonna grab her and you run in with that cage.” We left the cage in a room overnight so she could get accustomed to it. Well, all of that went according to plan until she saw the cage. And I have got cat scratches all over my hands. That cat was hissing, the mouth was wide open, her eyes, her pupils were wide open.
I said, “This cat’s either traumatized or mad, or maybe both, at me!” So we get her in that cage. She jumped out, I mean, lickety-split. We found her after another 10 minutes, get her back in the cage, and the guy had forgotten to zip up the end and she darted out the edge of it. It took three times, three traumatized cat experiences. And, I don’t know, it’s not cruelty, because we had to take the cat to the vet to make sure she gets her annual shots, checkup and all this.
But I had Band-Aids and styptic pencils all over my hands for 20 minutes after this. I’ve never seen the cat so mad and I’m just convinced it was that first year. (interruption) Well, it’s getting worse. I mean, this is the first time this happened. Last year when we put her in the cage, I mean, she objected, but there weren’t any claws and fangs and hisses. If I would have thought about it, I would have put on a hazmat suit or some such thing.
Anyway, got her to the vet, got the claws trimmed, got the shots, she’s back home now. But man, oh, man, I’ve never seen such a traumatized pet. And this cat is treated with the greatest affection and nobody is ever mean. I’m convinced that I made the cat paranoid in that first year.
We had pretty good success with wrapping our cat snugly in a towel, cuddling her a bit, then putting her in the carrier.
Last time I took my 14 year old cat to the vet-about 2 years ago- she lunged and hissed and was so mean to the vet that they had to gas her to give her shots. She hasn’t been back. Cats are really funny.
I had a cat like that. For the sake of both of us, I took her to the vet, explained the situation, and asked that they find her a new home. Which the wonderful pet loving nurse did. They say that she is well loved and well adjusted to her new digs. I was much relieved.
He needs to spend months picking her up and holding her until she stops feeling threatened.
Good luck.
lol...cats, what can you do, they’re just weird
THere are vets who make house calls. Sounds like Allie needs one for next year.
Cats. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t live without ‘em.
Last time we took our cat in, we had to use the dog crate. She just would not let herself be inserted into the cat crate (similar experience to Rush's)
Skin it and make tacos out of it...
No Rush, you didn’t do anything to cause the situation. She’s just high strung with her brains screwed in backwards cat, with an aversion to control other than her own control of, or in any given situation. Your cat is a Democrat.
Tell Rush, somebody please, that you can buy cat pheromone spray that calms them down entirely. Spray it into the carrier a couple of minutes before putting the cat in. No fighting, no scratching. Even leave the sprayed cage out all night with the door open, kittie might walk in. Available in pet stores and Amazon:
Comes in a plug-in diffuser too, but I get a little woozy from it so don’t like it. My vet swears by it.
I had a very loving cat that would act like this if pissed off.
The only way to get her in the carrier was to put the opening up, get her head in and drop her. Instinct would make her catch her fall, and I would close the door while she did it.
I miss that grumpy, loving old lady
Put the cat in the carrier. Leave for about five minutes. Let the cat out, give her treats and tell her what a good cat she is. Do the same thing again another day and this time take the carrier into another room.
The cat is not stupid. Every time she is put in the carrier she is taken somewhere and it is no fun at all.
So make sure the cat does not associate the carrier with bad things.
I have a car I got from the shelter..it’s been 2 months and she is just now being friendly..but I can identify with what he is talking about.
What’s wrong with a little kitty xanax?
well you're half right.
not even remotely funny dude.
Seems Rush is a little retarded when it comes to cats.
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