26
votes
Will kittens of a feral mom "suddenly become feral" if they are allowed outside?
I have almost no kitten experience, but Alley Cat Allies is the leading advocacy group in feral care. They say in the beginning of their Socialized Cat Guide:
Kittens who do not have any contact ...
- 19.9k
23
votes
How can we encourage our kitten to come up to us, if we're unable to get down on the floor with her?
First of all, get lots of cat furniture. Cats normally like perching up high, so if you give it places it can go to be higher off the ground, it will probably gravitate to them. You can make them even ...
- 15.5k
14
votes
Accepted
How can I keep my cat from being scared any time he sees or hears a person?
Here are some suggestions that may help:
When he runs, don't pursue him. Your pursuit reinforces his behaviour.
Don't disturb him when he's hiding.
Put a cardboard box or something else he can hide ...
- 7,502
14
votes
Husband stepped on the cat's head, and now she hates him
Please don't get offended, but reading your description I think that your husband's actions and attitude towards the cat are bordering animal abuse and reek of aggressive frustration. I think the best ...
- 125
13
votes
Husband stepped on the cat's head, and now she hates him
I don't know enough about cats to give an answer to how and if the relationship between the cat and husband can be repaired. But one thing got me to react:
Every time he gives her a bath now her ...
- 239
11
votes
What is a recommended amount of human contact necessary to socialize kittens?
E.B. Karsh did a study on the effects of human contact on kitten behaviour published in 1983. Some essential, and interesting, learnings from that include:
Kittens handled only 15 minutes a day from ...
- 20.3k
11
votes
How can we encourage our kitten to come up to us, if we're unable to get down on the floor with her?
You mention you not being able to crawl, but are you able to just sit or lie on the floor, maybe propped up by a pillow? One way to convince a cat you're not a threat is to be in its space and then ...
- 4,078
10
votes
Accepted
How do I stop my dog from barking at random strangers
First, I disagree with the training method that the website you found provided. I have barking issues with my current dog, and when talking to the trainer about it, the following was suggested (I have ...
- 1,018
9
votes
How can I keep my cat from being scared any time he sees or hears a person?
I like the answer above. But part of it is missing the point which is the cat's fear of strangers.
You need to begin making strangers a positive association.
You can do this by having the stranger ...
- 221
9
votes
Integrating a small kitten with an older cat
First, I'd suggest taking a look at the answers to these questions:
How can I encourage my kitten to leave my adult cat alone?
Can't tell if cats are playing with or hunting each other
My older ...
- 7,457
9
votes
Husband stepped on the cat's head, and now she hates him
Ana, I'm going to make a bold statement, but cats do not have "night terrors".
If you've seen her going into a spasm, shaking uncontrollably and peeing and/or pooing herself, then your cat is almost ...
- 322
8
votes
Will kittens of a feral mom "suddenly become feral" if they are allowed outside?
TL;DR
[S]he insists on keeping them locked in her garage of late because kittens can "suddenly become feral" if allowed outside.
Your neighbor is technically wrong, but possibly doing the right ...
- 1,103
8
votes
Is it good to keep one of a cat's kittens instead of rehoming them all?
If you can re-home all kittens, this is typically best. In nature, the mother cat naturally weans the kittens, teaching them how to hunt and bringing them half-alive prey to chase and kill. She ...
- 2,864
8
votes
Accepted
Is it normal that my cat licks my clothes?
Yes, it's normal -- or as normal as cats ever get; they're quirky beasts.
Petting a cat is grooming behavior; he's grooming you in return. It's a friendly gesture... and/or a hint that he wants ...
- 10.1k
8
votes
Husband stepped on the cat's head, and now she hates him
There is plenty of evidence that animals are not only intelligent, they also have emotions relating to our own. Your cat is terrified of your husband, who (I need to say) almost killed her.
Of course ...
- 1,559
8
votes
Advice on my abused rescue cat
I have personal experiences with abused dogs and stolen cats who returned very ill and potentially abused.
Will she remember her former life?
Yes, definitely. People and animals remember traumatic ...
Elmy♦
- 29.1k
8
votes
Accepted
How cruel is it to make your cat listen to other cats?
So this question got me thinking a lot. I have tried several times to find a reliable research paper on the topic but no success yet.
In my opinion there are a few layers to this question.
Stress for ...
- 2,592
7
votes
What is a good way to spend quality time with my housemate's dog while looking after it?
It depends on the dog. For a corgi the best thing you can do is run around back and forth like an idiot with it. Labrador retrievers like to retrieve stuff.
For active breeds like those two, I would ...
- 281
7
votes
Do ants mourn their dead?
This is an interesting question, and more complicated than you might think. Ants (at least some species of them) move the bodies of their dead comrades to a rubbish pile away from the mound. I think ...
- 7,502
7
votes
Accepted
Will untrained dogs hurt a human if he/she smells like a cat?
In short: no. The whole cats vs. dogs thing is full of tropes and assumptions. This has nothing to do with smells though.
The behavior of cats contradicts what normal socialized dogs expect. For ...
- 5,280
7
votes
How to befriend 14 week old kitten?
I just had the same problems. This is totally normal, he misses his mother and probably his siblings, too. I also couldn't sleep well for a week because of the crying. Now, after 2 weeks, my kitten is ...
- 419
7
votes
Accepted
How can I deter my cat's unwelcome guest from coming inside?
I think there are a few things you can try:
If Taby seems docile (sounds like it is), consider taking it to a local vet or shelter to scan the cat and see if Taby is microchipped. If Taby has a ...
- 2,388
7
votes
How can I recover my cat and boyfriends relationship
How can I recover my cat and boyfriends relationship
You can't, only the boyfriend and the cat can work this out.
If your boyfriend wants to fix it he should read this related post How can I fix ...
- 29.2k
7
votes
Accepted
Will getting another cat change my cat's behavior?
No-one can tell the future, but I honestly think your cat will be happier on his own.
Male cats aren't very social. If he isn't neutered, he'll probably always view the other cat as an intruder to his ...
Elmy♦
- 29.1k
6
votes
Accepted
How to make a kitten friendly with new kittens?
To cut my backstory short: we adopted two feral cats in April. They're incredibly shy. In October, we adopted another feral cat (we took him in from the street). The third cat is the most extraverted ...
- 5,585
6
votes
taking care of newborn cats
I"m going to try to answer your questions in reverse order because my answer will probably make more sense that way.
How hard is taking care of first day born kitten?
It's hard. It's a pain in ...
- 322
6
votes
New Cat Meows Constantly
Have you tried talking to him when he meows? He may just want some sort of vocal interaction with you. Some cats enjoy having "conversations" with their humans, and a short conversation will satisfy ...
- 7,502
6
votes
Accepted
How long to settle who's alpha?
Cats don't really have pack hierarchy like dogs. One cat might be really confident or aggressive, and the other timid, such that the one cat takes over everything, but that's just a natural result of ...
- 15.5k
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