My little calico, Emily, leans toward the shy end of the "confidence" spectrum. In her loving home environment she is a secure and fairly confident kitty, but her natural temperment falls in the "(b)" range of the answers in my quiz, Kitty Personality Quiz: Confidence (posted Sunday, Feb 1, 2009). It can be a challenge to connect with Emily, and has taken much patience and trial-and-error, for Emily has distinct preferences for how to, and how not to, interact.
Learn her preferences
For example, I've learned over time that Emily is not a lap cat, nor does she prefer to be held. My little girl likes to be very firmly stroked down the back, sometimes in a jagged, back-and-forth motion. She also loves having her face stroked, nose to ears. It's taken me a lot of time and unfruitful tries to figure out the kind of "cuddling" she prefers.
Take advantage of down-time
If your kitty is cuddle-resistant, approach her when she is asleep or resting. Lightly brush her whiskers to let her know that you are there, then gently stroke her neck, her back--explore what keeps her relaxing vs. what distrupts her restful mood. Cuddling with sleeping cats might not feel like much connection, but for an animal so finely-tuned for survival, allowing contact while sleeping--well, that's trust, and goes a long way toward bonding.
Play!
Another effective way to draw out a bashful cat and help him become comfortable with you is to entice him with play. Dangling a toy object of prey from a string and dragging it in jerks along the floor is nearly irresistable to even a shy kitty. Over time, bring the toy "prey" closer to you so that kitty becomes used to being near you, or even jumping on your lap to reach the object that is just out of reach! If your kitty is especially shy, look in the other direction while you tempt her with a dangling cat toy.
There are those cats who are either feral or traumatized, and thus may not become more comfortable with you via the means described above. The options available in that situation are beyond my scope, but many helpful experts have websites, books and even consulting services for just such difficult circumstances.
Learn her preferences
For example, I've learned over time that Emily is not a lap cat, nor does she prefer to be held. My little girl likes to be very firmly stroked down the back, sometimes in a jagged, back-and-forth motion. She also loves having her face stroked, nose to ears. It's taken me a lot of time and unfruitful tries to figure out the kind of "cuddling" she prefers.
Take advantage of down-time
If your kitty is cuddle-resistant, approach her when she is asleep or resting. Lightly brush her whiskers to let her know that you are there, then gently stroke her neck, her back--explore what keeps her relaxing vs. what distrupts her restful mood. Cuddling with sleeping cats might not feel like much connection, but for an animal so finely-tuned for survival, allowing contact while sleeping--well, that's trust, and goes a long way toward bonding.
Play!
Another effective way to draw out a bashful cat and help him become comfortable with you is to entice him with play. Dangling a toy object of prey from a string and dragging it in jerks along the floor is nearly irresistable to even a shy kitty. Over time, bring the toy "prey" closer to you so that kitty becomes used to being near you, or even jumping on your lap to reach the object that is just out of reach! If your kitty is especially shy, look in the other direction while you tempt her with a dangling cat toy.
There are those cats who are either feral or traumatized, and thus may not become more comfortable with you via the means described above. The options available in that situation are beyond my scope, but many helpful experts have websites, books and even consulting services for just such difficult circumstances.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment