Well - one of my nick names is "cat", right? But there's only one problem - I'm scared of cat's! It happened when i was little, i got a pet cat named Rocko (it was a girl). She was cute - but she was a simease cat, and she scratched you ALOT. We finally got ride of her, and i still have scares all over my legs and one small one even on my face. I really think cats r cute and i would like to beable to be comfortable around it. i wish there was a way to get over my stupid fear. Any tips or pointers for me???
2007-05-15 08:35:42 · 17 answers · asked by Tina 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
Shame on your Mom and Dad for not waiting until you were older to get you a pet, or taking more time to find you a pet more suitable for a small child. Kittens are very delicate and can actually be handled to death by children who just don't understand how delicate they are, and a lot of kittens/cats will scratch like the dickens before that happens. I have been horrified by parents who told me the story of how they got their small children a kitten but it mysteriously died about a week later, and they could not tell me if their children mishandled it be cause they did not supervise their children with the kitten! I asked, "Did you ever hear your children say "Gimme! It's mine!" while handling the kitten?" Mommy looked very guilty and very horrified herself as realization crossed her face and she nodded in the affirmative.
She didn't think of the kitten in terms of a small living creature with soft insides. And of course neither did her children. And sometimes a kitten is just too terrified and in pain to do anything at all, like a little ragdoll. Kind of like the humans who were torn apart by dinosaurs in "Jurassic Park."
Just as an aside...it would not have taken several tugs for those two Rexes to rip a human in half, not even close. Yeah, I know, gross.
I agree that you should volunteer at a shelter or a rescue organization, but narrow down your scope to "socializing" kittens so that you are just dealing with the babies, who generally won't hurt you. Just make sure you are supervised by an experienced shelter or rescue personnel in case the kitten happens to do something that startles you and you need to hand it over...try as hard as you can to be patient and brave, though, just remember that they are only animals and they will sense your fear and be affected by it, although kittens will be a whole lot less reactive than an adult cat.
It's good that you want to overcome your fear, but please be very very careful, respect your own level of fear along with the unknown of an animal's mind and behavior. And good luck.
2007-05-15 09:30:02 · answer #1 · answered by Smiling Cougar 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
try going to a shelter and visit with some low key kitties; if you tell them the deal, they can pick out a personality to match you. you can get a cat declawed; you can do either front claws, or front and back; however most vets discourage the declawing of front and back, since then the cat has no protection at all if they were to get outside. they really are loving companions, and im sorry that happened!! all siamese are not so vicious; my mom has one and it is the most loving gentle lap cats ever; we also have one and she is just a chicken... very shy, but she will curl up in your lap for a nap and just purr... so sorry you had an awful experience!! good luck getting over your fear though!
2007-05-15 08:45:06 · answer #2 · answered by Sarah M 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Volunteer at a humane society or pet shelter. That way you will be surrounded by cats, and will become acclimated to having them around you. You will also be surrounded by professionals so if you have questions, you can ask.
The cats will be in cages for most of the time, so you won't have to handle them, but you will be around them.
Your attention will be drawn to the human visitors looking to adopt a pet, so your fears will be dissipated by this interaction. You won't have a chance to become too anxious since you will not be one on one with the cats for too long.
Finally, by volunteering at a pet shelter, you will be helping a needy cause while you are tackling your own fear.
2007-05-15 08:38:41 · answer #3 · answered by Teresa H 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Dear Cat,
i have a cat on my own and i know how they are but if you are nice to them and feed them when needed they won't scratch. The best thing to do is buy a cat that is not Siamese and get really close to it. Good luck, i hope u and your new cat get along. If u need any more cat help I will be more than happy to help u.
2007-05-15 08:46:09 · answer #4 · answered by papir 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do you have any friends or family that has a cat? Go visit them a bit to be around the cat. Go to the pet store or a shelter to be around them. The more you interact the more you'll be less scared of them. Good Luck!
2007-05-15 08:43:21 · answer #5 · answered by mageta8 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Please do realize that Siamese are known to be temperamental cats, and not all of them are as temperamental as the one you had, especially if they're mixes.
Your best bet? Do something where you can be around baby kittens, and after a while, step up to adult cats.
For instance, go to a shelter, and become a "kitten cuddler", if they will allow it. Basically, you'll be volunteering to play with and spend time with the little kittens, so they can be well-socialized. You'd be getting over your fear, AND helping the kittens learn to love people, so they won't turn out like your Siamese (which, honestly, sounds like it wasn't socialized very well, before you got it).
2007-05-15 08:43:21 · answer #6 · answered by rustyredstar 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I know someone else like you and they are in their 80's and still afraid. I suggest you be around a friend's cat and see how you do. Just take it easy and see how you react with the cat. Or you can go to your local shelter and ask to see the cats and see how you do around so many. Good Luck and hope you get over your fear. Cats are such wonderful creatures. Hate to see you miss out on their love just because of one cat.
2007-05-15 08:39:29 · answer #7 · answered by Sharon S 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm sorry for your bad experience as a child. Please, contact a vet office in your area, and ask if you could be a volunteer to help with the cats. Also, before you do that, please read up on caring for cats, learning their personalities, etc. TLC and respect for all animals helps. If you have a friend who would be willing to help you overcome your fear of cats, that owns a cat, getting used to being around it a little bit of time each time you visit would also help. I wish you the best. Take care.
2007-05-15 08:46:29 · answer #8 · answered by SAK 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think the first step in dealing with fears is to take them head on. Be around cats more (the ones that are not very aggressive). Once you see that they are not all out to get you, you'll start feeling more comfortable.
2007-05-15 10:16:53 · answer #9 · answered by Lenka 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some people have their cats declawed but im not sure if they do that anymore. There are "caps" you can use to cover up their claws to prevent the scratching and the ruining of furniture. That might help. Cats in general are very mischevious and playful. Just remember they're not out "to get" you:P
Yeah and volunteer at an animal shelter or something to get use to them.
2007-05-15 08:40:15 · answer #10 · answered by Cat 2 · 1⤊ 2⤋