I have a cat problem.....
We have two cats. The older cat is your typical cat and other than the normal "cat issues" she is fine. The younger cat is three years old. We found her in one of our trees 2 years ago and took her in after a dramatic rescue involving a bucket truck..... She had some normal kitten behavior issues at first, but nothing we couldn't handle. They are both 100% indoor cats and neither has even accidentally gotten out. They have both had their annual vet visit and neither has any problems. The younger cat is the "alpha cat" if there is such a thing.
We have noticed a new pattern in the younger cat's behavior that is beginning to be a real problem. We started to notice it about 3-4 months ago. When we are home and active, she will hang out in the area the people are and do things she knows she is not supposed to, preferably right in front of us. She is clearly trying to get our attention. She has always done this when her food bowl is empty, but lately it is every time she is awake and we are home.
This cat has never been affectionate. She bites if you pet her, she HATES to be picked up, and has never once voluntarily sat on a lap. We get out the oven mitts and neosporin before attempting to clip her claws. She will play if you engage her, but only for a minute or two before losing interest. She has a nightly fight with a neighbor cat through the window that makes our blood run cold.
Her "tricks" are damaging. She will chew up any sort of paper, including books, photos, mail, PAYCHECKS and MONEY, scratch furniture, knock over cups/glasses, eat plants, get on surfaces she knows she is not allowed to, push objects off surfaces, knock food, pens, keys out of your hand, dig in plants, etc..... There is no evidence that she engages in any of the annoying behavior when we are not around. Most of it is pretty obvious.
This looks like a classic cry for attention but any attempt to then engage her is met with complete disdain if not violence. The only thing this cat really has going for her is that she *is* gentle and tolerant of dd whereas the other cat tries to avoid dd whenever possible. Dd has always been very gentle with animals anyway, but the younger cat does not even try to scratch and bite dd like she does the rest of us. Dd LOVES her.
She has TONS of toys that we rotate frequently even though they are mostly ignored. She has access to a sun porch and many windows with lots of wildlife to watch. She had free access to food, water, and litter box. She gets catnip on a regular basis. She does not like treats and will only eat the one type of food we buy (fancy, free-range, organic chicken stuff....). She does not like any sort of people food except to bat it out of a hand or off a surface. She has several different types of scratching posts all over the house. She does not try to escape out doors. She appears very healthy and muscular, although a bit fat, with a soft, shiny coat.
Any advice or ideas?
We have two cats. The older cat is your typical cat and other than the normal "cat issues" she is fine. The younger cat is three years old. We found her in one of our trees 2 years ago and took her in after a dramatic rescue involving a bucket truck..... She had some normal kitten behavior issues at first, but nothing we couldn't handle. They are both 100% indoor cats and neither has even accidentally gotten out. They have both had their annual vet visit and neither has any problems. The younger cat is the "alpha cat" if there is such a thing.
We have noticed a new pattern in the younger cat's behavior that is beginning to be a real problem. We started to notice it about 3-4 months ago. When we are home and active, she will hang out in the area the people are and do things she knows she is not supposed to, preferably right in front of us. She is clearly trying to get our attention. She has always done this when her food bowl is empty, but lately it is every time she is awake and we are home.
This cat has never been affectionate. She bites if you pet her, she HATES to be picked up, and has never once voluntarily sat on a lap. We get out the oven mitts and neosporin before attempting to clip her claws. She will play if you engage her, but only for a minute or two before losing interest. She has a nightly fight with a neighbor cat through the window that makes our blood run cold.
Her "tricks" are damaging. She will chew up any sort of paper, including books, photos, mail, PAYCHECKS and MONEY, scratch furniture, knock over cups/glasses, eat plants, get on surfaces she knows she is not allowed to, push objects off surfaces, knock food, pens, keys out of your hand, dig in plants, etc..... There is no evidence that she engages in any of the annoying behavior when we are not around. Most of it is pretty obvious.
This looks like a classic cry for attention but any attempt to then engage her is met with complete disdain if not violence. The only thing this cat really has going for her is that she *is* gentle and tolerant of dd whereas the other cat tries to avoid dd whenever possible. Dd has always been very gentle with animals anyway, but the younger cat does not even try to scratch and bite dd like she does the rest of us. Dd LOVES her.
She has TONS of toys that we rotate frequently even though they are mostly ignored. She has access to a sun porch and many windows with lots of wildlife to watch. She had free access to food, water, and litter box. She gets catnip on a regular basis. She does not like treats and will only eat the one type of food we buy (fancy, free-range, organic chicken stuff....). She does not like any sort of people food except to bat it out of a hand or off a surface. She has several different types of scratching posts all over the house. She does not try to escape out doors. She appears very healthy and muscular, although a bit fat, with a soft, shiny coat.
Any advice or ideas?
