November 19, 2007

• I think you're on the right track, but it sounds like the squirtgun isn't going to cut it. In order to convince your cat that I AM NOT PREY, you'll have to find some way to actually terrify him. Considering the circumstances, I recommend pulling out the big guns, and picking up a hand-held air horn from a sporting goods store. Terrifying to the whole family, I know, but I have a friend who used it ONCE at her dog, and now all she has to do is pick up the can. (Or ANY can, actually.)
• When Mr. Whiskers does that, it's usually a sign that he wants attention. A little petting usually wards him off. Maurice has scratching posts and toys and stuff, doesn't he? Of course, Mr. W. is older and more sedate than young Maurice, and he has a bum leg, so the ankle-maulings themselves probably aren't as sharp and slicey as the ones Mrs. Tea is getting. I know it's probably not an option, but having another cat for him to play with would keep him busy!
• He wants to roughhouse. Sounds like this kitty needs a good 1/2 hour to an hour of chasing and wrestling every day. If Mrs. SMT isn't willing, you might need to give it a try. It would be better if Mrs. SMT could do it, because it'll wear him out while at the same time showing him that she has the upper hand. Of course, another young male to play with would be ideal. Is kitty neutered yet? If he's not, that might help too.
• What Koko and TUM said - he wants to play. Oven mitts are good for roughhousing - he can fight back without injuring anyone. Or you could try redirecting the play - get him to fetch or something like that.
• Interesting idea, mechagrue. I might have to contemplate such a tactic as a last-attempt measure. TUM, I'm certain Maurice does want some extra attention (he just can't get enough of me every morning!). He does have some toys, and a scratching pad (that he never once scratched). I even spoiled the little guy the other night, making sure to play with him more-than-plenty (over an hour straight). The problem is that he has seemed to single out my wife. Getting another cat is completely out of the question at this point. Living in a two-bedroom apartment in NYC with two kids and one cat is already bordering on overcrowded. The little guy is neutered.
• Does Mama carry tuna in her pocket? If so, she may want to stop.
• 14 hole Docs ??
• He's playing like he would another member of his litter. It's possible he was weaned or moved from his litter earlier than normal, and he still is looking for littermates to play with. He's not being mean at all, but playing with Mrs. SMT the exact way he would with another kitty. I third (fourth, fifth?) the idea of tiring him out. Keep trying with the toys until you find one he loves. Also, I've found that the best way to get a kitty to stop pouncing is to do the exact opposite of what you've been doing. Ignore him. I know it'll be hard, but the aggressive behavior such as water or air horns will only make him think you're play-fighting back. If Mrs. SMT just keeps on walking, he'll get bored with the whole thing much more quickly.
• Gently advising against wrestling with him (even with oven mitts). Kitty needs to learn that people are not to be wrestled with. Maybe your wife could carry a cat-sized stuffed animal, and direct Maurice's attentions away from her feet and towards the stuffed animal? +5 for rubbing the stuffed animal with catnip first.
• Having two cats as opposed to one really isn't any more work, my parents recently got 2 kittens fromt he animal shelter a few months after the family cat passed at age 19. The only problem here might be Maurice accepting the new kitty. If this seems unlikely, I second the airhorn concept, though perhaps something a little less shocking? If you have neighbors close thay aren't likely to appreciate it.
• Here's a new angle: enjoy the attention, and wear slippers around the house. Or if she cannot enjoy the attention, then the slippers are still a good idea: she can (carefully) tread on pussy's toes when he attacks, until he realises that it hurts a bit to attack that kind of mouse, and stops.
• Alternatively: one of these may help Just kidding!
• Gawrsh, that was funny.
• But to be more useful: is it possible that Mrs SMT makes cat-attracting noises when she ambulates? Is she perhaps dragging her feet with a sh-sh-sh noise with noisy slippers? That may well be attracting kitty's attention. A squirtgun in a holster would help, as would sudden loud noises, such as a handclap. Maybe spraying Mrs SMT's slippers with Feliway would be useful?
• Good god, man. Life clearly spells out its answers. Dump the wench, and find one that the cat likes.
• I agree with Mechagrue. DO NOT rough-house anymore by hand, with or without oven mitts. Some katz just have a very strong 'kill' instinct, and you're liable to have him sneak attack you with fang and claw one fine day without the mitts. OUCH. Is Mrs. SMT using the "squirt" as opposed to the "spray" setting? Set your bottle to "squirt" and hit Mr. ThinksHe'sATiger Cat in the head and chest area with the water, and keep squirting him a couple times as he zooms off. If that doesn't impress him, get a soda can, fill it with a few small pebbles or some pennies, tape over the hole, and make a shaker. When Mr. THAT Kat pounces the first time, have her shout (perhaps something obscene?)in the deepest voice she can muster, and throw the can down NEXT to the cat. Have her be pretty assertive with him for a week or so, until he almost but not quite wants to be elsewhere when she comes into the room. You don't want him to run from her, but you do want him to have a good deal of respect for her. When he learns to stand off and keep his distance, then Mrs. SMT can start making up to him, and SHE gets to define the relationship. Lots of wearing out with laser, feather toy, or a strip of plain ol' leather on a string until he's tired, and then lots of pets, as long as he's good. If she can gain his respect as Head Lioness, life will be good in the Tea house once more. Most animals are easily molded into good behavior starting at the first introduction, and using strong methods of discipline or hitting is counterproductive. Others just need a strong voice and a training device like a shake can or squirt bottle. Then there are some animals that need a good whack to get their attention. Usually not a cat, but some dogs, and certainly some horses. As long as you're paying for the grits, NO animal should hurt a member of your household. About the time Mr. THAT Kat claws deep enough to produce a case of cellulitis (cat scratch fever) that won't respond to antibiotics, you've got a serious problem. Common sense says to look to the mom of the species for how to discipline your critters. Mom cats DON'T let their kittens claw on them, and they don't play with them when they're being little shits, either. They slap them, HARD if need be, and then after give them licks to say, "Love you, but don't be such a shit." If Junior still attempts to claw, they'll smack 'em back with claws extended. They nip it in the bud, and the kitten learns its social skills earlier, rather than later. A mama dog doesn't let her puppies nip and scratch--she'll nip back HARD rather than put up with it. The same thing with a mare and foal. Mom reaches over and takes off some hair if junior is a turd. I've even seen mares kick their foals--they use the hock joint rather than the hoof, but it still hurts, and kiddo learns respect. Problems occur and are harder to eradicate, take more time and/or stronger methods the longer the undesirable behavior goes on. With a strong-willed animal, you can pick and pick and pick at them without change. Sometimes that behavior on your part just serves to piss them off, and they start seriously biting.
• In my opinion, it's more cruel to continually keep 'pecking' at an animal for undesirable behavior than to give them one swift hard whack that settles it. Just ask yourself, what would Mom Kat do? Failing that, at least get Mr. THAT Kat some of those rubber claw sheaths so Mrs. Tea doesn't have scarred ankles. (snickers at RtD's answer)
• Ralph the Dog may be onto something there, my first cat didn't like the Ex one bit. Misdirected predator aggression is not so cute when they're older than 16 weeks.. This is what the ASPCA suggest, and here's the FABulous Feline Advisory Bureau's page on young cat behaviour. The general themes are that punishment doesn't help, avoid rough play, and redirection is beneficial. And then there's the Indoor Cat Initiative, not a behaviour site, but just a thigh-slappingly good place for cat people to visit..
• And I second BH's SoftPaws
• > some of those rubber claw sheaths Do these fall off every few months as the cat's claws grow longer?
• Hi everyone, I'm a dog person so I'm a little nervous here *ahem* . . uhhm lessee how do you people say . . . So I don't know if the obvious is in the right ball park but . . . rolled up newspaper? i.e.: *sproing!* *thwack!* Fini ? Maybe not. As I say, I don't speak the language, I just thought it was worth mentioning for the sake of discussion.
• it's not unusual for that sort of behavior in cats that have grown up without a litter. they naturally play aggressively, but have not had learned when it's too much. i rescued an abandoned young cat and ended up getting another cat around the same age just so our ankles and legs could heal. no problems since. nothing teaches a cat that they've gone too far like another cat's claws and teeth.
• I'd just add that if you decide to "thwack" your cat, be very careful. It's hard for a human to estimate how hard a slap would feel to a 5-pound cat. Imagine how hard you'd hit a newborn baby. I'm personally of the camp that hitting a cat will only make it mean, but if you must, please be careful.
• Loud scary noises are usually better than hitting. "FUCK OFF, CAT!!!" at the top of your lungs might do the trick.
• I think we're going to get some new toys for naughty boy, Maurice. Mrs. SMT has become increasingly nervous around him, and only feels completely comfortable when I am at home. Last night, I held Maurice and let Mrs. SMT give him some brief, but good loving - a chance for her to overcome some of her fear, and Maurice to know that she can be affectionate too. I'm not one to hit animals - - so I would prefer to take an alternative route before delivering a hefty whack to get the message through. Thanks all for the suggestions, I think the answer is in the mix there somewhere. Thanks for the advice, Ralph.
• Somehow reading Koko's post made me want to open the door and yell, "FUCK OFF, CAT!" just for the sheer joy of it. Cat hadn't done anything, so just stayed flopped in the rocker. And laughed. Evil monster.
• Ooh - OMG - I'm so excited! I've never done one of these before, someone always beats me to it! Monkeyfilter: Love you, but don't be such a shit. (Did I do it right?)
• Hah! My cat used to do this to my mom, all the time, when we first got him. Let's say from the time he was about a year old to the time he was about two years old. (He's 12+ now and very sweet and mellow.) We had other cats at the time, btw... he did it anyway. Your cat will grow out of it. Don't hit him. Do play with him. Clip his claws if you like, but that basically turns needles into razors (claw sheaths might be the better choice). Make sure he has lots of toys. It'll be OK. Mrs SMT doesn't need to be afraid: he's just a little cat, he's not going to hurt her that badly. The nips and scritches are annoying, not "scary." It might help if she can put that in perspective... she does not need to be afraid, and will feel better if she can talk herself down from any fear. The next pet I got after my nippy cat, seven years later, was a Sheltie. She's a herding dog. Guess what they do? They're inveterate ankle-nippers (it's one of the ways they intimidate sheep). Two pets in a row, attacking ankles. The dog's nips hurt a bit & she was trained out of it by A) rounding on her whenever she follows too closely (she seems to like to try to grab sandal straps) and B) kicking up our heels as we walk so she doesn't follow too closely (she's never been kicked in the face from this, and in case, we don't kick too forcefully).
• Well done, mechagrue!!* You have to encourage the little buggers first attempts. *pffft! Amateur. *seethes with jealousy she didn't find it first
• But what about: Monkeyfilter: Loud scary noises are usually better than hitting. (Nope, still not as good as Mechagrue's. *sob*! It was my first one too....)
• Let the cat do what the fuck it wants. That's my advice.
• Oh, hissing helps sometimes, too.
• Mrs. SMT has been doing good, and I'm impressed with her effort to tackle her fears head-on. She managed to distract Maurice today with little balls of aluminum foil - - he ended up keeping himself busy playing with them - - attack thwarted.
• Wonderful, SMT. Thwak arted. There, there, Minx, practice makes perfect. Head on over to the snarkfest youtube post. Garenteeeed live action there, folks.