screamincheetah

I've had cats my whole life, but it wasn't until I got the two I have now a little over a year ago that I really worked at understanding them. They are amazing cats. I agree with what many people have already said. People think cats are independent and take care of themselves so they leave them alone for the most part. If that's how you treat a cat, then yeah they're not going to respond to you the every-so-often you pay attention to them, and they may act out because of boredom. Cats like routine....makes them feel comfortable and in control. They need stimulation though. I got two at the same time so that they could keep each other company, entertained, and excercised. On top of that I hold them, pet them, play with them and talk to them very regularly. The more you talk to them the more they learn what your tones are, and that you are communicating with them. You will see them respond more to you the more you respond to them. Also, cats don't scratch to be asses, they scratch because it's instinct, and it's marking territory. If you give them a couple of good scratching posts in popular areas of the house, then they will use them and feel like they belong and won't tear your stuff up.

For training purposes, the squirt bottle is great. A couple of tips though. Don't yell when you squirt them, and if possible don't show them you're doing it. Stupidly enough, the cats don't always realize where the water's coming from. They just know that when they do that one activity they get wet and they don't like it. If they know it's you, and you're yelling at them, then they sometimes will withdraw from you and also act out more to get back at you. Once you lose a cat's trust or respect, good luck getting it back. Another product is called the TattleTell. It's a motion sensing little box. Set it on furniture, or in plants, and when the cat moves it in any way, it sets off a loud, high pitched beep that they really don't like. My male cat has learned to open the doors in my house, so to train him not to open certain doors I tied this device around the handle. Leave it on for a week or so, then leave it on but turned off. Finally take it off and typically the problem is solved.

As for feeding, growing up we let the cats free graze which is typical. With these cats after a couple of vomitting instances from eating too fast, and noticing the bellies growing quickly, I went to twice a day feedings no ifs, ands, or buts. Again, they like routine and after trying a while to feed them when I felt like it, I gave up and feed them on their schedule which is 6 and 6 (or as close to it as I can). This does a couple of things. One, it makes the cats need you and respond to you more, because your their feeder. If there's a big bowl of food out all the time, they really don't think they need you. It's a healthier set up for them too. In the wild their bodies are set up to eat, get very hungry, then eat. It's programmed into them. Also, I can control the amount they eat better which keeps their weight in line. Also, never give human food. I don't even give treats. People think they're being nice and the cats will like them more. In reality, it's just something else to eat, and you train them to beg.

Last thought....if you or anyone you know wants to get a cat avoid the kitten idea. I thought I wanted kittens too, but I stumbled onto this amazing not-for-profit no kill shelter group and went to a foster mother's house. She had 6 young cats for adoption. 5 were a few months or more old, and only one was a true 8 week old kitten. I ended up leaving with two six month olds. Lots of reasons for this. Most of all, they're through the tear everything, get into everything stage. They've also developed their personalities, have been around more people and other cats, and because of all of this are typically better adjusted. Also, you take cats that a lot of people are overlooking just becauase they're not the tiny kittens. Shelters have a terrible time getting rid of the bigger cats, so you do the world a better service. Please adopt and save the life of a kitten. It's makes owning a pet ten times more rewarding.

Okay, there's my book. I didn't mean to ramble on so much. I just love animals and especially cats, so if I can share knowledge or help someone understand them better that makes me feel good.