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