Rachel says she is worn out by our behaviour. We are driving her crazy.
All because we run and hide whenever anyone comes near. Rachel says we should know by now that she has to come through the kitchen many times a day, and that she isn't going to touch us, let alone do anything awful to us.
She doesn't understand why we scoot under the kitchen table every time, and look at her with big scared eyes.
We don't know either. We just do it. Every time.
She thinks it's all Hamish's fault. She says he transmits his fearfulness to me, and that if I was on my own I'd be a lap cat by now. She notices that I will rub against her legs when she's cooking, and says that the way to my heart is through my stomach.
I'm not sure what she means, though. The way to my stomach is through my mouth, that's what I know.
She worries most about Hamish; she hates the thought that he lives his life feeling scared. I've lived with Rachel for almost a year, and Hamish came before Christmas, and he's worse than me - he's still frightened of everything, except the dog and us cats.
Rachel says she's at her wits' end. She needs a psychologist, we think.
I did that with a cat who absolutely terrorized my other three; I went to a vet who specialized in cat behavior, that is. Even though Smokey (dearly departed five years ago) was neutered and neutered at a very young age, he kept mounting the other three as a way to establish his alpha position. It created quite a bit of chaos in the household until we got to the right prescription of behavior modification and drug therapy (Depo Provera shots). He turned into a very sweet and people-oriented cat (still alpha, but not torturing the other three) until I had to put him to sleep at the age of 12 due to uncontrollable diabetes.
ReplyDeleteJust a suggestion for Hamish.
Virgil (I mean Gus) stays away from us almost completely, not from fear but just his personality. That's the amazing thing about cats they have such distinct and unique personalities. Oliver's like a golden retriever and Bleet a very weird, big fat scaredy cat until he gets to know someone - then he's fine.
ReplyDeleteWe're sorry that you're worried about Hamish (and Scooter). It's my experience also that boy cats become more affectionate as they age ?!?
Just for you, I have visited the cat blog!!
ReplyDeleteWould it help to have Mrs D have everywhere perculated with Feliway? Makes cats mellow!
ReplyDeleteLottie says: Mrs D says she is almost bankrupted with Feliway, posh cat kibble, super-duper cat litter, toys, catnip, and those little treats to lure Millie in at night! She says she would like to us give something in return, and not just bodily products either.....
ReplyDeleteYou two sound ever so slightly ungrateful, you know. Time to start repaying Rachel!
ReplyDeleteThe human says she understands your frustration, Mrs. Danvers. She says she's had "spooky" kitties before (and we have one now, too) who act like they've never seen the humans before. But, she says, patience will out (whatever that means). I, myself, have never been shy, so can't offer any advice to young Hamish. The human also said (after seeing one of the previous comments) that depo provera should be avoided as it can cause diabetes in cats. The Feliway may just work. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteLottie says that Rachel would never medicate a cat who wasn't sick and really in need of it, and that she doesn't really think that the Feliway makes any difference either. She will wait and hope that 'patience will out' and just remind herself to be glad that she has two such decorative lodgers in the house, despite their eating her out of house and home....
ReplyDeleteEscuse mi...
ReplyDeleteI yam theenkeen' Rcahel mos' carry treeds een the parckets. Cronchy treeds, you know...smelly, deeleecious treeds, como Wheeskas. Cads weell corm oud frarm ondhair table when they associate parckets + yooman = treads...
Escuse mi:
Ess Meess Rachel porhaps weareen' shoes whad make thompeen' noise?
I hade shoes whad maghe thompeen' noise.