My cat is getting too smart for me

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bobblespin - 04 Jul 2006 01:18 GMT

Last week I suspected that Sonny did a butt scoot to get my attention.
This morning, he confirmed it. Now his little butt is just fine - his anal
glands were checked again last week and he's been checked for worms - but
now and then, he'll have a bit of "stuff "on it and will do a butt scoot.
We immediately pick him up and take him to the bathroom to wash him off,
although the carpet usually did the trick, and then give him a treat for
being so good while being washed in such a humiliating way.

Well, Sonny has recently figured out that when he does that, we get up off
the chair/couch and he gets attention (as if he didn't get enough). This
morning I was at the computer and he was rubbing his best friend, the
fridge door. I wasn't biting, he'd just had a good breakfast. He came
over and chirped at me, I chirped back and rubbed his tummy with my foot.
For 15 minutes he kept trying to lead me to the kitchen. After a while a
little light went on in his head and he did a scoot right in front of me
and rushed off in the direction of the kitchen, then looked back to see if
I was following. Little devil. I wonder how many times he's fooled me.

Bobble

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Karen - 04 Jul 2006 01:25 GMT

> Last week I suspected that Sonny did a butt scoot to get my attention.
> This morning, he confirmed it. Now his little butt is just fine - his
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> Bobble

This made me laugh out loud!! He's smart, but not quite smart enough to
realize he has to follow through by not rushing to the kitchen!

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Cheryl - 04 Jul 2006 01:56 GMT

> Last week I suspected that Sonny did a butt scoot to get my
> attention. This morning, he confirmed it. Now his little butt
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> Bobble

LOL! Shamrock does the butt scoot now and then. Ick. He doesn't
have loose stools, and he doesn't have worms, and his anal sacs are
always normal when he sees TED, and she checked him only a couple
of weeks ago. I think that one day he discovered that the carpet
can clean him quicker and easier than he can do it himself after a
particularly nasty dump. I really can't blame him for that, but it
means constant look-outs for skid marks.

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Cheryl

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jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net - 05 Jul 2006 08:06 GMT

> Well, Sonny has recently figured out that when he does that, we get up off
> the chair/couch and he gets attention (as if he didn't get enough). This
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> and rushed off in the direction of the kitchen, then looked back to see if
> I was following. Little devil. I wonder how many times he's fooled me.

How did he learn that scooting gets him extra food? Unless he *wants* a
butt wash. :)

Joyce

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bobblespin - 05 Jul 2006 13:51 GMT

> How did he learn that scooting gets him extra food? Unless he *wants*
> a butt wash. :)
>
> Joyce

He figured out that every time we see him do a scoot we get up, go to him,
he gets attention and a treat after the wash. (The wash is done with lots
of sweet talk, praise and warm water, so it's not that unpleasant.) We
have to watch what we do with this little guy - he puts two and two
together really fast.

Bobble

-----------------
Sonny's web page http://web.ncf.ca/ai151/index2.html

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Monique Y. Mudama - 05 Jul 2006 17:43 GMT

> He figured out that every time we see him do a scoot we get up, go
> to him, he gets attention and a treat after the wash. (The wash is
> done with lots of sweet talk, praise and warm water, so it's not
> that unpleasant.) We have to watch what we do with this little guy
> - he puts two and two together really fast.

If I hadn't been so tired last night, Oscar would have been cracking
me up. Talk about clever.

I brought her home without an e collar because she wasn't messing with
her paw at the clinic. Well, once she started feeling at home in the
bedroom, things changed ... but she never went straight for the paw in
question. Instead:

Yawn, stretch, hey, mom, aren't you tired yet? (Attempted distraction
technique)

The "I'm just grooming myself of all this icky vet stuff" approach,
which slowly wends its way toward the itchy paw ... very effective
because she does have some gunk in her fur she won't let me wash off,
so I feel bad for her.

Several different ways of changing position so that either her body is
obstructing a clear view or her injured paw is right next to the
healthy paw, to make me think she's just grooming her healthy paw.

So around 1am we went back to the vet's for the collar. Her own damn
fault, as I told her, but she wasn't impressed. She either likes this
collar a lot better (it's transparent and seemingly a bit lighter), or
she's getting used to the collars. I won't claim she's functional --
she still hides and won't eat without a lot of encouragement -- but at
least she isn't backing up all the time.

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monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

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Christina Websell - 05 Jul 2006 19:44 GMT

> Last week I suspected that Sonny did a butt scoot to get my attention.
> This morning, he confirmed it. Now his little butt is just fine - his
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> and rushed off in the direction of the kitchen, then looked back to see if
> I was following. Little devil. I wonder how many times he's fooled me.

Lots of times, I suspect. Now you have to learn how to ignore a butt scoot
if he is using it to get attention rather than having a genuine klingon.
If attention-seeking behaviour is rewarded (by getting attention) cats, dogs
and children will continue to do it.
Once it's established that this is just asb, and not a genuine need at the
time (a genuine need will not usually be repeated time and time again) the
behaviour needs to be ignored. Clear up the skidmarks another time if you
suspect it is asb. Even an hour later is ok, but not at once as this is
what an asb cat, dog, child is aiming for. Immediate attention NOW. Deny
it and it will go away in a few weeks as there is no reward.

Tweed

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bobblespin - 05 Jul 2006 22:10 GMT

> Lots of times, I suspect. Now you have to learn how to ignore a butt
> scoot if he is using it to get attention rather than having a genuine
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Tweed

Yep, he did it again this afternoon, right next to the kitchen, and we
ignored it. Poor guy, I wonder what he'll try next when he sees this no
longer works.

Bobble

-----------------
Sonny's web page http://web.ncf.ca/ai151/index2.html

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Adrian A - 05 Jul 2006 22:38 GMT

>> Lots of times, I suspect. Now you have to learn how to ignore a
>> butt scoot if he is using it to get attention rather than having a
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> ignored it. Poor guy, I wonder what he'll try next when he sees this
> no longer works.

I'm sure he'll think of something. ;-)

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Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart.
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Christina Websell - 06 Jul 2006 22:26 GMT

>> Lots of times, I suspect. Now you have to learn how to ignore a butt
>> scoot if he is using it to get attention rather than having a genuine
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
> ignored it. Poor guy, I wonder what he'll try next when he sees this no
> longer works.

It will take him a while to realise it no longer works for attention and
even longer to decide what else to do. Take this respite time to think
about
why he might be doing it.

Tweed

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