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View Full Version : Animal experts, please help me figure out what's wrong with my cat.



jojo2324
11-22-2003, 12:44 AM
I have had it up to HERE with this animal. I love him, yes, but some days...

Here's the situation. I just made myself two pieces of raisin toast. Yes, I know it's after midnight, but I'm always hungry and I'm trying to fill the time until DH gets home from work.

Niko is one of three cats we have. They are all outdoor cats, and I had just let him in before I put the bread in the toaster. He was eating in the kitchen when the toaster popped and he jumped about 73 feet in the air. Not only did he completely spaz out and tear into the living room, he managed to knock over the two bowls of food AND spill all of the water in their dish.

I am typing this now instead of dealing with the growing-gloppier-by-the-second mess adhering to my kitchen floor.

Thing is, I could understand if this was the first time it had happened. The toaster spooked him, easy enough. But it's NOT. He's done this before. And always with the same end result. And at different times. Obviously, we don't use the toaster much at night. This was a one-time occurrence. But the other times this has happened it was during the day, with people and noise around.

Other things about Niko. He will beg and meow at my feet and NOT leave me alone. This is normally accompanied by him doing this really weird tail shake thing. He looks like somebody whose bladder is about to burst and he can't hold it one second more. I finally figured out a few years ago that he wants me to watch him eat. So I have to walk over with him to the food bowls and stand over him while he eats. After a minute, I can walk away and he's fine. But then he'll eat normally too. (Very obvious given the size of his rear. I honestly think his butt alone is heavier than Gannon.)

Also, he will sit at the door and meow to be let out. And then we'll open the door for him, and he'll do this in and out thing. Or he'll just stand there with his body all tense. Same thing coming in. Half the time we end up just shutting the door and he stays where he is, or we lose our patience and nudge him with our foot. (This usually results in him spazzing out again and tearing off into the house.)

Finally, he is the beta male. We have another male cat who is VERY dominant. But is this typical behavior? We have tried really hard to cuddle with him (we've had him for about 3 years now) and be affectionate, but he won't come when called and shies away from us. I should have realized something wasn't right when I was able to catch him (he was feral) by putting some food in a cage and he walked right into it.

Okay, I know this is long. DH just walked in and laughed at the scene in the kitchen and asked, "You or Niko?" I would almost be insulted if I wasn't so clumsy these days.

Rachels
11-22-2003, 11:36 AM
LOL! Can't help you, but you gave me a giggle. Our cat Miles does that vibrating tail thing, too. His approach to life seems to be petmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetme
petmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetme
petmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetme
petmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetmepetme
petmepetmepetme.

It becomes a tad tiresome. And we also have Jasper, who wasn't given pain meds after she was spayed (!!!) and who now thinks that any person she hasn't seen before is going to give her a hysterectomy.

They make kitty homeopathics, but I haven't tried them. I love cats.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

deborah_r
11-23-2003, 12:35 AM
Our cat that was neutered late (after 1 year old) doe shte tail shaking thing - I think he's trying to mark you or something. My Baki does this when he's irritated, like if a give him a little spank for doing something naughty (just a tap on the butt, don't call the animal cruelty people on me)

The only other thought I came up with about Niko is, does he maybe not see well? So that noises would startle him easily, then he knocks stuff over because he is going fast and can't feel his way around like usual. Just a thought, probably not right.

3 is a tough number for cats I think. My oldest now was the middle cat, and he used to be kind of grouchy and unaffectionate, then he totally changed when the older cat died. My youngest was a silly brat then and a silly brat now so no change in him! But he's my baby (or was, before Kai!)

KMommie
11-23-2003, 01:05 AM
Niko sounds like a sensitive kitty! I'm laughing because my neurotic Holly is very similar! She's a rescued kitty, found in the dumpster when she was a day or two old, lived in a kitty condo until we adopted her when she was 6 months old.

My Holly will freak out, just like Niko, whenever we take out a plastic grocery bag. EVERY time, we take out a bag, we hear her paws scraping the floor trying to get away as fast as she can. She's knocked over her "waterfall" dish more than once... what a MESS! She had ONE bad experience as a kitten with a bag (she got her head stuck in one and was tearing around the house, trying to get out), ever since then she's been skittish with the bags. Is it possible that something similar happened to Niko? Something freak him out when the toaster went off and now he associates the toaster with the "bad thing"?

As for the tail shaking thing, that does sound like marking and the watch him while he eats thing... could Niko be using you when he's feeling insecure? Are the other cats around? Or it could be like my aunt who had a cat who did that too. She finally figured out that the cat needed to know that she was up and around so he could go out (he didn't use a litter box) after he ate or soon after.

Holly meows now to get outside. She's an indoor cat, but has had a few adventures outdoors. It's more to get our attention than anything else. Although, she tries to escape whenever my MIL comes over. LOL! I swear she must be picking up on my vibes!

Niko is a rescued feral, so he probably has a lot of trust issues, that will take time for him to work out. It sounds like he's lucky to be in a loving home! Sorry, I don't have any answers for you, but I do feel for you and Niko!

Jeannie
mommy to Kiki 4/18/03