Animal Psychology

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Have 3 cats, 1 from kitten, 2 abandoned on us 4 years ago. The ex-kitten trusts us implicitly, no problem. One of the abandoned ones (the Einstein of the 3) used to bite and scratch but is now a reformed character. The other never did scratch or bite but is untrusting and very wary (is quite assertive with other cats). 

It's not a huge problem except it's difficult to administer medication to the 3rd cat e.g. spot on anti-flea stuff.

Anyone suggest means of gaining the wary one's trust? Unfortunately I guess at 12 he's likely to be set in his ways.

 

[The Mechanic]

There are only two questions:  Barbie or Tandouri

[TimO]

Interesting question, although aside from spoiling him rotten, so he may learn to come to you for munches and petting, I'm not sure what will help.

As you say, at 12 he's probably not going to change much.  I'm curious to know what others say though.

I've had Talisker from about one (Blue Cross Vet estimate), and luckily he's always been pretty relaxed and calm.

[Kim]

It's a cat, so bribery is the only method likely to be truly effective.

Smearing some butter on a leg to give them something nice to lick at (and then important grooming to do) can be a useful distraction for that sort of thing, but I think you're right about being set in his ways.  I've known plenty of perfectly happy and otherwise friendly adult rescue cats who never got over their aversion to, eg. having their tail touched, or whatever.

[Kathy]

I would go for bribery and small amounts of petting increased over time (rewarded with kitty milk or treaties). Our elderly cat (~10ish) used to detest being picked up to the level that she would scratch and urinate if you tried. She is however very fond of ear-tickles and sitting on laps, so lots of gradual picking-up-whilst-ear-tickling for increasing durations rewarded with a treat afterwards mean that she will now be picked up reasonably calmly as long as we do it in a certain way.

[fred the great]

Cats rarely trust anything or anybody.

We sometimes have real battles, just to take the temperature, dress wounds or give injections but to obtain a blood sample is always very difficult. Cats are very very strong when they want to be and fight

By contrast dogs are so easy.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Oh well, maybe 2 out of 3 is pretty good then!

[Rhys W]

My sister had a rescue kitten, very playful when young but when he was older he didn't know when to stop and it would always end with deep bite and claw wounds (usually on me when I visited - I never learn). He also got into fights with other cats and came home with chunks of ear missing, fur matted with blood etc.

In the last couple of years of his life he had completely changed - much more mellow, almost all the aggression had gone. My theory is that the arrival of my niece made him realise that we wasn't the centre of attention in the house anymore!

[ian]

Medicating a cat is always a bit like drop-kicking a nuclear bomb. Best to keep them calm and cats - like large defence contractors - react best to bribery. Their favoured currency is tuna fish.

Our ex-cat was one one we found in a storage cupboard and wouldn't go near anyone other than myself and my wife. We had friends who were of the belief that we had an imaginary cat, so elusive was she.

Now have two rescue cats. Fortunately neither bites and scratches (one doesn't have teeth, but she does have fearsome claws of doom). They do seem to have some prescience when it comes to the application of any medication and if I hold them tight, they both wriggle like eels. And one makes the most pitiful miaows. Usually I just sneak up on them now and dab them on the back of the neck before they know it. One benefit with animals that spend most of their time asleep.

So, I'd advise dressing like a ninja vampire and waiting until you see the back of the neck exposed. And then strike.