Saturday, March 29, 2014

Why am I clawing visitors?

Dear George,
 My name is Golab and I’m a rescue. I was adopted from a shelter by this wonderful family, my new human parents.  I don’t know how old I am but I can’t be too old as I still remember the abuse I suffered before I was rescued. All is too fresh in my memory. 
I love my humans and they love me. I’m happy and at peace as you can see in the photo attached. I’m treated like royalty. I take pride in my humans and my home.  But, I have an issue; for whatever reasons I claw everybody else visiting my humans.
I know my humans are worried and perhaps upset. I don’t know how to tell them that I’m afraid of other people, I don’t trust other people and each time they have company I panic that the company will take them away from me and I’ll be abandoned and abused again. I’m not possessive or jealous, I’m just scared.
George, the problem is that they will have family from overseas visiting soon and they are thinking of renting a flat just for me so they will come daily to visit me and spend time together. This is very generous of them but I don’t want to live in a flat for three months. George, this is a very serious matter and I need your expertise.
Firstly, why do you think I act like this….clawing everybody visiting them?
Secondly, what should I do? Is there anything I can do or they can do so?
How can we all live in peace (visitors included)?
In distress
Golab

Dear Golab,
Some of us are one-human cats. We love our human pets, but we don't love or even much like any other human. Well, it's natural, isn't it? Those of us who were in animal shelters have often seen the worst side of human nature - humans throwing things at us, humans shouting, and sometimes cats have even been tortured in the microwave by sick human beings. Feral humans can be vile,much more evil than any animals.
I expect it took you time to learn to trust again. Now you do trust your new human pets, which is wonderful. I am sure that they have responded to your growing confidence and love.
Now it is time for them to look after you. Renting a special flat for you isn't exactly what you want. You'd prefer if they rented the flat for these visiting humans! However, that might not happen. Perhaps they would think of a cattery - not much fun for you, but if you have been in a rescue shelter you probably at least know the score.
If none of this happens, find a safe area in your home - under your humans' bed, on a high cupboard in the spare room, in a box cut to make a hidey hole or perhaps on a bookshelf somewhere. Settle in there. If you can, purrsuade your humans to keep the visitors away from your space. Maybe they could even give you a room of your own for a bit with your own litter tray, food and water, and a familiar bed. A Feliway diffuser would help too.
Tell them to tell the visitors to ignore you. If they are staying a long time, you may feel confident enough to come out and take a look at them. 
Yours
George


19 comments:

  1. You are right on with your advice pal. Hope something works out for this little kitty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I had exactly same problem Golab! I still have it but only once in a while. My human was very worried and upset ...but eventually got used to it :-)
    I came from a shelter too.
    Hugs
    Vegas

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like the idea of a spare room in your house better than renting a flat as you might think you have been abandoned again.
    And, with your humans supervision, you can spend some time in the same room with their visitors.
    I wish humans be less social, don't you? :-)
    Diego

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dear Golab, you look lovely!
    Please tell your humans to try Rescue Remedy - a Bach Flower essence and homeopathic remedy for anxiety, stress relieve, etc.
    Two drops on your ears will do the work. Being a homeopathic remedy they can use it as often as needed with no side effects.
    Don't touch the dropper with your fur, paws or their hands though.
    Two drops on your ear and they can gently rub it in. Feliway is good too. They can use a feliway diffuser and Rescue Remedy on your ears. Sooner the better as they want to see if you are less stressed and can tolerate their visitors :-)
    Love
    Fluffy

    ReplyDelete
  5. Maybe they can engage you in more "play time" especially in the evenings? Also, they may encourage their visitors to not pay too much attention to you at the beginning but if you are approach them ...encourage them to talk and play with you?
    If they react to your attacks with fear...that will scare you even more.
    Tom

    ReplyDelete
  6. Golab, you are beautiful!
    Hope your humans will find a solution.
    Frederico

    ReplyDelete
  7. Do they "clip" the tip of your nails? This is what I call a "cat's manicure" and makes you less frightening for visitors. Also less "scratch" signatures on furniture:-)
    But, NEVER DECLAW A CAT -that's mutilation.
    Minnie

    ReplyDelete
  8. CAT VictoriaMarch 30, 2014

    Golab! You look very Royal to me. We must be related!
    Yes, Your Highness....you deserve your own room and staff (to serve you...even if you shred them to pieces) :-)
    CAT Victoria

    ReplyDelete
  9. Yup, I was born feral and it took me FOREVER to let anyone but my own two personal peeps to see me. Even in the safety of my own home! It's gotta be on YOUR schedule and not theirs. That's just the way it has to be.

    Purrs,
    Nissy

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Help for cats whose humans show behaviour problems.

This blog is devoted to the study of human behaviour. We cats, who live with this sometimes unpredictable and always feeble minded species, can benefit from seeing their behaviour in its proper scientific context. The study of feline dilemmas, training problems, and difficulties with humans, can only benefit all of us. All of us train our humans - to buy the right food, for instance, but many of us do not have knowledge of how to improve our training methods. The human species is obviously not as intelligent as the cat, but nevertheless can learn quite a lot - if properly managed. Topics of interest include the use of claw and order, purring as a human reward, rubbing your human up the right way, when to bite, spraying as a method of making our wishes known, ignoring the human, human harassment, human inattention and sheer human stupidity. I welcome your questions. Photos can be sent via my secretary's website, www.celiahaddon.com This blog has been chosen as one of the top 50 feline blogs by Online VetTechprogramms.org