| Many people think their cat's behaviors are | | | | surprised in the litter box. Say your cat's name in |
| because the cat was abused or neglected. I want | | | | a conversational tone and the cat will eventually |
| to clear this up for you. Abused cats are rare. | | | | not run away and perhaps allow a stroke. In the |
| Most cats are just wary of strangers. Bad | | | | case of the litter box, just say the cat's name, |
| behavior is usually because they were never | | | | but never try to cuddle a cat in the litter box. If |
| taught correctly or played with aggressively. So, | | | | you can provide a privacy screen, the cat may |
| how can you identify an abused or neglected cat? | | | | stay in the room.These cats need socialization. |
| Let's look at what cat abuse and neglect look like | | | | They need to learn to live with others outside of |
| and then we can talk about the cat's | | | | a cage. They need gentle discipline and may not |
| responses:Cat Abuse can be intentional or | | | | know the meaning of the word "no." They will |
| unintentional. Usually, unintentional abuse is called | | | | love feeding time but be afraid if you need to |
| "neglect" and is addressed by humane societies all | | | | walk near their food bowls, and run from the |
| over the world. There are actually three levels of | | | | food. Give them time, move slowly and talk |
| abuse. Neglect, Over-Discipline (over use of | | | | gently in their vicinity. They need to learn what |
| discipline tools) and Intentional Abuse. This article | | | | people are about in a good way.Once your cat |
| addresses the Neglect, which is the most benign | | | | has learned to trust you a little bit, enough to not |
| form of abuse.Description of Neglect - | | | | run away when you enter a room or even starts |
| Neglect means not addressing the animal's | | | | to come to you, then you can begin to bond with |
| primary needs for survival - water, food, shelter, | | | | your cat. A tickler wand is your best friend for |
| rest and hygienic elimination. Then there is the | | | | this. Gently shake the wand so that the end |
| more severe type, where a cat is forced to live | | | | twitches. Your cat will be interested, but may only |
| in filth, confined to a cage all the time, or denied | | | | watch at first. If your cat goes for it, excellent! |
| companionship with people or other animals. Many | | | | When your cat gets hold of the business end of |
| times, this can be caused by not spaying or | | | | the wand, allow your cat to feel the success by |
| neutering your pet. Unwanted kittens, or too | | | | keeping the wand steady for a few moments. |
| many cats, is the primary cause for almost all of | | | | When the cat lets go, you can start to twitch it |
| this type of abuse. Sometimes, a person is too ill | | | | again. The cat will play with you in this manner for |
| or has allergies. Maybe a person is trying to keep | | | | quite a while. When the cat tires, put the wand up |
| a cat in an environment that makes it impossible | | | | out of the way so that your cat is forced to play |
| to properly care for a cat.I remember many | | | | with you, not just the wand. If your cat grabs |
| years ago, seeing a homeless man walking down | | | | the wand in it's mouth and tries to run away with |
| the street with his belongings in a shopping cart. | | | | it, offer resistance and don't let go of the wand. |
| Homeless people were harder to find then, so he | | | | Some cats want to take the wand and hide it |
| stood out. He was pushing the cart with one hand | | | | under a couch or in a corner so they can worry |
| and had a carrier with a cat in it, in the other. I | | | | over it for a while. Don't allow this - the cat needs |
| felt sorry for both, but being a child, I didn't know | | | | to play with you, not just the wand. After about |
| what to do. The cat was experiencing neglect, but | | | | ten days of playing with the wand, you will see |
| felt much love. The man, I'm sure, didn't know he | | | | your cat become more accepting of its new |
| was doing harm to the cat. He just knew that he | | | | circumstances. Your cat should assimilate into the |
| couldn't let his beloved cat go into a shelter - at | | | | household well. There may be people it does not |
| that time all the shelters I knew of were | | | | accept, and those persons can also play with the |
| kill-shelters. | | | | cat to promote bonding.Under no circumstances |
| | | | should you perpetuate the abuse or neglect! Any |
| An older cat (over a year) has little chance of | | | | discipline needs to be done gently and with care. A |
| coming out of a kill shelter. Most people want a | | | | squirt bottle, long a favorite tool for discipline, |
| kitten. The grown cats are often given no more | | | | should only be used in the beginning stages of |
| than 2 weeks to find a home and then euthanized. | | | | training, while the cat is learning the word "no." |
| This heartbreaking situation often occurs when | | | | After that, you should not need it. Redirection is |
| people lose their homes, develop allergies or find | | | | your best training technique. When your cat gets |
| that they just don't want to deal with the | | | | into or expresses interest in something that you |
| discipline and behavior problems that developed in | | | | don't want to see it getting involved with, redirect |
| the cat. The single biggest reason people give up | | | | it's attention to something that it is allowed to be |
| a cat is inappropriate elimination. Next, come | | | | involved with or have.Some of these cats can be |
| allergies, followed by death of the cat's owner. | | | | clicker trained, but the bond with the person |
| Some cats are surrendered because the person | | | | needs to be present, first. Concentrated training |
| moves and is unable to find pet-friendly | | | | to condition the cat to the clicker will be needed. |
| accommodations.I understood the man's feelings | | | | Some cats may be so skittish that even the best |
| of love and concern for his feline companion. I | | | | treats will not condition the cat to the clicker. If |
| also understood that the cat couldn't live in that | | | | your cat runs from the clicker after a week of |
| carrier for long. There was no safe place for | | | | conditioning, do not continue. Your cat will never |
| them. No homeless shelter would take a man with | | | | be comfortable with the unexpected noise it |
| a cat. In this case, I think the abuse is | | | | makes. You are better clapping your hands and |
| unintentional - neglect, by description. However, I | | | | saying "no" to stop bad behaviors than trying to |
| think the heart of both the cat and the man were | | | | clicker train for positive behaviors.These cats will |
| in the right place, just that the situation was | | | | be extremely grateful for good treatment. One |
| unfortunate.In news reports, we sometimes hear | | | | expression of that love, biting, may not be |
| of breeding farms where cats are bred to the | | | | acceptable - especially if the cat bites hard and |
| point of exhaustion and kept in sub-optimal | | | | uses the canine teeth. Push your hand or finger |
| conditions. We hear of people who just keep | | | | into the mouth instead of pulling out so that the |
| bringing home strays until they are over-run and | | | | cat will not be able to bite down and cause you |
| can no longer take care of them, and the cats | | | | injury. You can push in hard enough to cause the |
| become a neighborhood problem. All of these | | | | gag reflex, but never harder. Never cause the cat |
| situations can produce neglect.Now, let's turn to | | | | injury in response to an injury to your person. |
| the cat's response to neglect. How does a cat | | | | Hitting is never acceptable - but raising a flat hand |
| respond? Why does it do that? By understanding | | | | so that the eyebrow whiskers can feel it is |
| the specific situation and response, we can | | | | acceptable.If you must pick up your cat, as in |
| address the resulting problem behaviors with love, | | | | putting the cat in the carrier or removing it to |
| patience and training.Effects of Neglect | | | | another room, pay attention to the cat's body. Be |
| A cat left in a cage with other animals nearby is | | | | sure to pick the cat up by the ribs and the hind |
| often skittish and afraid of people. It expects | | | | legs at the same time to minimize stress to the |
| food and a clean litter box on occasion, but | | | | cat. If the body is stiff, don't hold the cat to your |
| cuddles and attention may make it uncomfortable. | | | | chest. Allow the cat to struggle, but stay out of |
| These cats often have no privacy issues in the | | | | the way of the claws. When you place the cat |
| cage, but once free, they are very private about | | | | down (don't let it jump), stroke its back if you |
| their litter habits. If the cat was kept in a small | | | | can. Talk to the cat. It will stop a few paces |
| carrier, it may soil itself, or hold back elimination | | | | away and look at you. The cat may come to you |
| until it is very uncomfortable. It may be | | | | for a scratch if offered. Always talk softly and |
| dehydrated and need medical attention. The cat | | | | lovingly to your cat.In Closing - |
| will be overweight from lack of activity. It may be | | | | With all these admonitions and dos and don'ts, |
| apathetic when play is offered, not knowing what | | | | you may think that a neglected cat is too much |
| is expected. Electric lights may be something that | | | | trouble. Not that much, really. They take some |
| set off a fear response in the cat because it | | | | time getting used to people, but once they trust |
| means that people are coming. In other cases, | | | | you and know you have their best interests at |
| darkness may be scary at first. Once the cat's | | | | heart, these cats will come to love you very |
| eyes adjust to the light level, it will be all right, but | | | | much. The early stages with a neglected cat are |
| when the lights are turned off or on, the cat may | | | | the most critical. After that, you may find a |
| cry or hiss. In the case of a cat kept in the dark | | | | loving, caring, demanding cat. Demanding because |
| except when people are coming, it may be fearful | | | | it may never want to be separated from you. |
| the entire time the lights are on, while also | | | | Demanding because whatever it was denied |
| expecting food, water and a clean litter box to be | | | | before it will crave from you. Moreover, you will |
| provided.What Can We Do to Help These Cats? | | | | be loved, very deeply. It will care about you in its |
| These cats don't do well with handling. The less | | | | fashion. If your are down or blue, possibly sick, |
| you try to pet, hold or cuddle these cats at first, | | | | the cat will worry over you and try to find a way |
| the better. Let the cat come to you. It will, given | | | | to comfort you. These cats are very responsive |
| time. Be sure to care for it's creature comforts - | | | | to their people. Hypersensitive is a good |
| food, water, bed, clean litter box - but don't | | | | description. Empathic is another good description |
| expect a cuddly cat for a while. That will come | | | | of their behavior. Some cats even approach a |
| when the cat feels that it can trust you. It may | | | | symbiotic relationship with their people.Give love |
| be afraid of the sound of your feet on the floor. | | | | and patience, and love and patience will be |
| It may run when you come into a room. As time | | | | returned. Give concern and care and those are |
| goes on, the cat will stay and just watch you. | | | | returned. A neglected cat is one of the best pets |
| Another time, you may be able to approach and | | | | for a single, older person. The cat will be tuned to |
| offer a scratch behind the ear. Eventually, you will | | | | that person in short order. It will give love and |
| be able to give a full cuddle. Do not try to pick | | | | affection to ease the loneliness and loss these |
| the cat up, but you can pet it and the cat won't | | | | people sometimes experience. When the person is |
| run away or feel assaulted. When the cat | | | | ill, the cat will understand and be there to |
| responds with a purr, an offer of a cheek or an | | | | comfort, while allowing the person to care for him |
| ear, or you can stroke the spine and the cat isn't | | | | or herself.Morgen Marshall, a cat whisperer, invites |
| trying to run away, then you have a cat that is | | | | you into her world of cats. She created a website |
| only cautious of you. Continue until the cat comes | | | | dedicated to making the relationship between cats |
| for cuddles, which may already be happening. Still | | | | and people harmonious and healthy. For the Love |
| do not try to pick the cat up. If it wants your lap, | | | | of Cats is a place for people who love cats to |
| it will come. This cat may still run from you if | | | | find answers from someone they can trust. |
| discovered in a windowsill, on a dresser or | | | | |