At my house, my dad and I have a grand total of 3 cats. Each cute and individual and we couldn't live without them. The oldest and the middle one are very affectionate and love it when we give them "the brush". The youngest, however, is not so affectionate. She's about 2 and a half years old now and she runs away whenever any of us come near her. The only time she seems to be affectionate is when we feed her breakfast or dinner. Any other time when she's sitting alone in the middle of the living room and we come near her to try and pet her, she runs away. If we bribe her with food, she gets suspicious and doesn't come near the food until we leave the food and are a good 20 feet away. She sometimes sits in the middle of the living room right before everyone goes to bed and meows loudly (a tradition our middle cat used to do for attention) but when we go to her, she, as usual, runs away. What should I do?
2007-02-07 04:10:40 · 10 answers · asked by Rebecca 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
It may be the case that this youngest cat in your household beleives that you, your dad (in fact all of you) already BELONG to the other two cats and is afraid to "tresspass" on the other older cats' property (hee hee hee). This is what I suggest:
1. Entice kitty #3 to the bathroom with food, whatever. Go in with him and close the door Sit down somewhere near him and read a book. Observe if he comes to you to be petted. If he does, then good, pet him gently while speaking to him softly. If not, don't push him by grabbing him. Just let him realize that being near you isn't a great deal (of trouble). Sit there in the bathroom 10 - 15 mins. Do this several days in a row.
2. When kitty is a little less anxious n the bathroom with you, gently pick him up, set him in your lao and groom him with a brush.
3. After a week or so, allow one of the older cats into the bathroom with you and pick up cat#3 and groom him in the sight of the other cat - speaking softly and matter of factly all the time. Do it breifly. Then set him down and pick up the other cat and groom him too in the sight of cat#3. At the end of the session, pet BOTH of them briefly at the same time. Let them out at the same time. Do this ritual interchanging the 2 older cats. After a few weeks, I think you'll find that cat#3 will have calmed down.
2.
2007-02-07 04:47:49 · answer #1 · answered by Phoebhart 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your kitty doesn't hate you. Cats have a variety of personalities like people. No matter how much you try to socialize a cat, even as a kitten, if the personality trait for cuddling isn't there, it probably won't ever be or you won't see it til she's older. You're giving her a good, safe home and if you don't mind her not being as affectionate as the other two, just give her the space and let her be her. My own kitty doesn't like anyone touching her but she'll follow me from room to room. The random meowing...a lot of cats do that and we'll never know the reason.
2007-02-07 12:22:40 · answer #2 · answered by Michaela 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Eh she's probally being a cat. Some cats don't want you to go to them, they'll come to you. Or she's really independent. Have you tried ignoring her? By ignoring I mean not looking at her, doing what you're doing, like reading a magazine in the same room as her. Sometimes a cat will get curious, walk over to you and jump on you for attention. She also could be using the run away as a game, you come near her and she runs away and hides. She'll probally warm up to you later.
2007-02-07 13:05:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If it is important to handle her regularly, do it while she IS being affectionate at feeding time. Otherwise just let her be her own person. I have a cat like this that only wants attention when he feels like a pet Otherwise he acts as if we are going to grab him and torture him if we get too near. He is very happy the way he is, and has a right to his opinion of me. Luckily I have quite enough animals to keep me busy so I'm not lonely because of his cattitude.
2007-02-07 12:17:43 · answer #4 · answered by Robin D 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
What kind of cat is she? Some breeds of cats are just not people-loving. Something could have happened that spooked her, also. My family has a cat who loved to be held and petted when he was a kitten, and something happened that spooked him, and he now hides when there are a lot of people around.
2007-02-07 12:19:01 · answer #5 · answered by SassySours 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My kitty used to be like that. Pick her up often, if you can catch her. I kept holding my kitty whether she liked it or not. and now she is very lovable all the time. Make sure when you pick her up, to scratch her where kitties like to be scratched. She should come around after a few weeks.
2007-02-07 12:21:46 · answer #6 · answered by Rayne 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Talk things over, she'll come around. Perhaps she feels you're emotionaly unavailable?
2007-02-07 12:18:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Has your cat been fixed? Cause if not then that is the problem
2007-02-07 12:14:37 · answer #8 · answered by allyalexmch 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
curiosity killed the cat... do soemthing to attract her/his attention, soemthing new and don't push her into going near her, respect her distance until she wants to go near you.
2007-02-07 12:27:38 · answer #9 · answered by taylor s 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gimme a dozen
2007-02-07 12:14:37 · answer #10 · answered by Underwater 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋