problem with my new kitten

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furby - 17 Jun 2005 20:08 GMT

Just got this kitten a few days ago and it has learned a kind of
annoying little behaviour. While I am asleep it likes to cuddle up just
beneath my chin and sleep. Very cute. BUT, when it wakes up and decides
it wants to play, it starts to stick it's face into mine and then claw
at my face (Playfully, not being mean in any way). Needless to say,
this is somewhat annoying to me. I don't mind it sleping on my chest,
but I just wonder what this behaviour is. Is it actually just trying to
play or is my cat trying to tell me something else?

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Ted Davis - 17 Jun 2005 21:23 GMT

>Just got this kitten a few days ago and it has learned a kind of
>annoying little behaviour. While I am asleep it likes to cuddle up just
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>but I just wonder what this behaviour is. Is it actually just trying to
>play or is my cat trying to tell me something else?

If the 'clawing' is actually more pushing wlternately with the paws,
it is called 'kneading' and is considered a sign of affection.
However, one's face is not the place - legs, arms, and belly are much
better. You could try moving the kitten and give it a lot of petting
in the new location and none in the old.

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T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu)
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mlbriggs - 17 Jun 2005 22:34 GMT

>>Just got this kitten a few days ago and it has learned a kind of annoying
>>little behaviour. While I am asleep it likes to cuddle up just beneath my
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> try moving the kitten and give it a lot of petting in the new location and
> none in the old.

If you were to get another kitten they could play with each other and then
you would not be its sole object of affection. Remember, you are now
this kittens mother, sibling, playmate, etc. It has no one but you. MLB

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furby - 18 Jun 2005 02:51 GMT

That's what it is like. This cat apparently likes me so much that it is
willing to permanently disfigure me! :-) I love my little parrot cat
anyway (I call him that as a joke - he likes to perch on my shoulder
and tickle me in the ear - just like he is doing now).

On another note - I have to give it a vial of medicine every day - this
is obviously not something that he likes to do. I've tried mixing it
with chicken broth, but he's too smart for me to fool him that way. It
makes me feel really crappy to hold him down - is there a better way?

> >Just got this kitten a few days ago and it has learned a kind of
> >annoying little behaviour. While I am asleep it likes to cuddle up just
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D."
> somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected.

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Ted Davis - 18 Jun 2005 16:34 GMT

>That's what it is like. This cat apparently likes me so much that it is
>willing to permanently disfigure me! :-) I love my little parrot cat
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
>with chicken broth, but he's too smart for me to fool him that way. It
>makes me feel really crappy to hold him down - is there a better way?

Most cats will take pills that are crushed up into powder and mixed
with a tablespoon of chunk lite human grade tuna - I used to soften
the pill in the tuna water (most cats don't like oil) and crush it
with a spoon until I found a pill crusher at a pharmacy. Some liquids
can also be mixed with tuna with good results, but there are some
medicines that taste so bad that the taste can't be covered up.

Recent studies show that forcing pills down cat throats is not very
effective and often results in the pill being stuck - at least for a
while - in the cat's esophagus.

There are animal pharmacies that compound special tasty formulas for
animals.

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T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu)

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furby - 20 Jun 2005 19:35 GMT

I have to give him his medicine using a eye dropper sort of thing...
The Humane Society said that putting it in his food won't work. I hate
having to hold onto him, since it makes me feel like the biggest
monster in history. At least it seems to be helping - when I got him,
he was coughing and breathing really hard. Now he's running from one
end of the aprtment to the other and not coughing at all.

One weird thing though - I bought him some toys shaped like mice. I try
to get him to play with them and he just looks at them like they are
some sort of strange freaks, backs away and starts meowing like crazy.
Anyone else here ever had a cat that acted scared of a mouse toy?

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Karen M. - 21 Jun 2005 21:50 GMT

> I have to give him his medicine using a eye dropper sort of thing...
> The Humane Society said that putting it in his food won't work. I hate
> having to hold onto him, since it makes me feel like the biggest
> monster in history. At least it seems to be helping - when I got him,
> he was coughing and breathing really hard. Now he's running from one
> end of the aprtment to the other and not coughing at all.

All little kids squirm and hate medication. It's for his own good.

> One weird thing though - I bought him some toys shaped like mice. I try
> to get him to play with them and he just looks at them like they are
> some sort of strange freaks, backs away and starts meowing like crazy.
> Anyone else here ever had a cat that acted scared of a mouse toy?

He's a baby, doesn't know what a mouse is. Hold one up by the tail and
dangle it over his head. Tie a string to the tail and make it scamper
across the floor. Hold by the body and dangle the tail. He'll get the
idea.

HTH
--Karen M.

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furby - 18 Jun 2005 02:53 GMT

Just thought I'd mention that this is my first cat, so you'll probably
be hearing more from me as time goes by. Normally I'm a "Dog" person,
but this little guy needed to be saved from the ASPCA and I couldn't
say no to him.

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pepsi@myhome.com - 19 Jun 2005 18:05 GMT

>Just thought I'd mention that this is my first cat, so you'll probably
>be hearing more from me as time goes by. Normally I'm a "Dog" person,
>but this little guy needed to be saved from the ASPCA and I couldn't
>say no to him.

Same with me. I never had a cat until my Freddy came along.
The first time I had to give him pills, I tried to force the first one
down his throat like I'd do for a dog. It worked, but it wasn't easy.
The second pill, I had in my hand and he must have thought it was a
treat and he just ate it. Much easier for both of us. (I think I
just got lucky)

pepsi

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pepsi@myhome.com - 19 Jun 2005 17:57 GMT

It probably sees your eye lids flutter (when you're in REM sleep) and
thinks that's a good play object. Or he's just trying to wake you up.
Mine likes to put his mouth to my ear so I can hear him purr.

pepsi

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