Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat Health & Behaviour => Health & Behaviour General => Topic started by: kp76 on January 06, 2009, 20:47:20 PM

Title: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 06, 2009, 20:47:20 PM
I adopted 2 cats from a local vets about 4 weeks ago. When i brought Storm home she was a v cuddly sociable cat, i couldn't sit down without her wanting to be up on my knee but over the last week she seems to be getting more & more disgruntled. She doesn't come for a cuddle anymore, doesn't really like being stroked. There's no hissing, biting or scratching but she'll move away from me when i try to stroke her. The vet has made her wear a lampshade collar since before xmas because of a shoulder wound but over the last week i've started taking it off during the day while i'm at home & can keep an eye on her but i put it back on at night so she can't lick the wound. Do you think she's worried that everytime i pet her she thinks i'm going to put the collar on or could their be another reason for the change in in her sociability?
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: blackcat on January 06, 2009, 20:50:29 PM
Could be issues with the collar - also having the collar on for such a long period she may have grooming problems. Is she a short hair or a long hair. Longhairs with knots can be a bit tetchy if you pet the wrong spot as it pulls at their skin ...

I think I would get a bit grumpy after a while in a collar - would give her a bit of time to settle into her new abode, particularly as she has rarely seen it out of the corner of her eyes ...
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 06, 2009, 21:01:10 PM
She's sort of semi longhaired torti. I try to groom her at least once a week if not more. She didn't have the collar on when i first got her so she has had time to explore without it. She does try & hide when i put the collar back on but has never put up much of a fight. Just looks at me as if to say you evil *****.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 06, 2009, 22:54:43 PM
Are there any tricks i can use to gain her trust again?
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on January 06, 2009, 23:55:09 PM
Has she tried Whiskas Tempations?  My two would kill for these and whenever I need to gain their trust back (after capturing them to clip their claws or frontline them :evillaugh:) I give them some Whiskas Tempation from my hand and they seem to forget about the trauma!
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: clarenmax on January 07, 2009, 09:34:37 AM
Agree with Helen, bribary works most of the time  ;)  :evillaugh:

Webbox sticks go down very well with my boy, you can get them in Sainsburys and they've very meaty, devoured literally in seconds  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 07, 2009, 10:23:59 AM
Sounds like i may have to make a trip to the supermarket. The treats i have she's just turning her nose up at. She used to wolf them down but not any more.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 07, 2009, 17:38:32 PM
I'm fairly certain the reason Storm is acting so disgruntled is because of me putting the collar on each night. I didn't put it on her last night & she's been a little bit happier with me today. She's not been for a cuddle yet but she's jumped up next to me on the sofa & is not shying away from my hand when i try & stroke her. I'm off to the supermarket soon to see if i can get some of the treats you've recommended.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on January 07, 2009, 17:45:04 PM
I'm off to the supermarket soon to see if i can get some of the treats you've recommended.

Chicken & cheese temptations (aka kitty crack) is the preferred flavour - they sell them in Tesco Expresses too.  One of my cats loves stick treats (but  not nearly as much as he loves the Whiskas Temptations!) and the other one won't even sniff them let alone lick one.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: blackcat on January 07, 2009, 17:59:11 PM
Just looks at me as if to say you evil *****.

I'm afraid you are going to have to get used to that look if you are going to insist on owning a tortoiseshell cat - they are past masters at the freak look!! :rofl: :rofl:

Try to spend at least three times as much time handling her for cuddle purposes as you do for collaring purposes. But let her go if she asks ... It all takes  time and four weeks is not long, particularly with all that has gone on for a while ...
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 07, 2009, 19:05:15 PM
Lol. Your right about the freaky looks. I think she has a look of an owl about her with those yellow eyes. I got some webbox treats from Sainsburys but she's turned her nose up at those, opting for the food in her bowl instead. My other cat wolfed them down though so they won't go to waste. I very conveniently have a pet food shop across the road from me so i'll pop over there tomorrow & see if they have anything she can't resist that i can bribe her with.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on January 07, 2009, 19:19:36 PM
Trust me, chicken & cheese temptations - once you've tried them you won't be able to turn back  :evillaugh:  My boys actually seem to get visibly erm, excited  :-[ (ridge of fur up the back, fuzzy tail) when they hear me even touch the tub. 
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Kirst on January 07, 2009, 19:23:08 PM
Yep Tempations do it every time...............................as as for Thrive treats......... :Crazy:
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Millys Mum on January 07, 2009, 19:26:00 PM
Im trying to crack the secret ingredient in temptations as whatever it is it makes Gooey very sociable and i would like to bottle it and spray prospective adopters with it  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 07, 2009, 19:42:49 PM
Temptations it is then for the contrary madam.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Millys Mum on January 07, 2009, 19:51:28 PM
If she can resist them then she is made of tough stuff!
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Janeyk on January 07, 2009, 19:55:46 PM
I would say it's most definitely the collar she's avoiding, poor thing how long does she have to have it on for?
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 07, 2009, 20:16:45 PM
She's supposed to have it on until the wound is healed but she's had it off now for about 36hrs. My reasoning is if the vet couldn't pull the dead skin off the last time she was at the vets then i doubt she's gonna be able to lick it off. He had quite a go at trying to pull it off & it didn't budge.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 07, 2009, 21:34:02 PM
Yay! Some progress, i've just had a 20 min 'bonding' session with her. She was purring like a motor & upside down wanting her tummy tickled. Shes also just eaten one webbox treat but she took some convincing about that but after watching my other cat wolfed it down.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on January 07, 2009, 21:39:18 PM
Sounds promising  :) You wait til you get the chicken & cheese Whiskas temptations kitty crack.  She'll be all over you like a rash  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 07, 2009, 22:00:00 PM
 :rofl: Kitty crack i love it! I'll keep you posted once i've been to see the 'dealer'.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 10, 2009, 20:03:05 PM
Well i've braved the supermarket & got some temptations. Storms asleep just now but i shall test them out on her soon. Fingers crossed they work.
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on January 11, 2009, 00:00:58 AM
Well i've braved the supermarket & got some temptations. Storms asleep just now but i shall test them out on her soon. Fingers crossed they work.

Well? Do you still have your fingers?!
Title: Re: Please help - disgruntled cat?
Post by: kp76 on January 11, 2009, 00:07:56 AM
I only just have my fingers left. Kitty crack works! Wohoo! Altho Storm is now grumpy again cos i've had to put her collar back on again after she's started munching the wound again & lifted some of the scab off but at least she's taken the dead skin with it too that was stopping it healing quicker. Hopefully it'll not be too long before i can remove it again permanently.