Vince and I were talking about whether we’re staying or going when he retires. I was telling him that I have to figure out how I’m going to get Cat to the new location IF we move. Vince said “Cat is NOT going!” I said “Oh, yes she is!” Settled. She’s going with us. The problem is . . I can pet her so long as it’s her idea and on her terms. I have never really picked her up. I have zero idea how I get her in a crate to move her. I have no idea how I would get her out to let her go to the bathroom, or how I would open the crate to put in fresh food and water.
I have a lot of work ahead of me. It’s taken well over two years for me to be able to pet her so who knows how long it will take to get her to where I can pick her up and who knows if I can ever get her in a crate! I think if I could get to where I could pick her up, then I could throw a quilt (or two or three) over her and pick her up and get her in a crate.
I’m committed to figuring it out. Every day for the past few days, I’ve been picking her up . . just a little. I’ll pet her a little, then put my hand under her front (just behind her front legs) and pick her up front half up off the ground but leave her back legs on the ground. She doesn’t seem to even notice . . so long as I’m petting her.
Cat Waiting For Me
Look at her sitting on the corner of the house waiting for me. Every morning she sits in the exact same spot waiting for me to get done with the chickens. She knows my routine and she knows the chickens get let out and then she gets fed and gets her morning loving.
We really have to think about whether it would be best to take her. I would never just leave her here unattended but if we sell the house before we leave and the owners want to keep her, she might be better off left in her familiar surroundings if we’re sure they would take good care of her. Or, maybe we can just stay here til Cat’s time is up and then we can leave. I would never go off and leave her without new caretakers but I wouldn’t want to take her to an unfamiliar area and have her not adjust and . . well . . I don’t know what happens when cats don’t adjust. I wish I knew how old she is because if she’s a young cat, we probably are not staying til she’s no longer with us.
Goodness . . how did we get to the point that our future is controlled by one feral cat? Boots will come with us. Rita will come with us. Chickens? Probably not.
The good news for the critters is that we probably have several years .. maybe longer before we have to make these decisions but I have really come to like Cat. She has been such a challenge. She was one hissing cat just a year or so ago and now, she doesn’t hesitate to hiss when she deems it necessary but it’s sometimes over a month between hisses.
I don’t think Boots has ever hissed at me, but Boots is one special kitty. As we’ve looked at houses recently, one thing I’ve been looking for is a place I can put a litter box. I do not like those things but chances are, he will be inside in our next house. Not sure how he or I will deal with that . . but we’ll figure it out. He’s so independent and I do not like cats in the kitchen or on the table. I guess if I can tame Cat, I can surely teach Boots to stay off the table. Right??
Joyce says
There are several methods to teach a cat not to get on certain things. You just have to find the thing that works for your cat. My parents’ cat was good about staying off counters unless something irresistible was left unattended. My mom went to answer the door once while in the middle of making tuna salad…when she came back to it, someone had helped herself…I expected an explosion about the darn cat, but she kind of grinned, shrugged and said, “I’m not all that crazy about tuna anyway.”
Karen Sutton says
A spray bottle with water works wonderfully for keeping cats away from where you don’t want them.
Pat in Nebraska says
One thing we do is that when we’re totally serious about something we “Hssst!” and that really gets their attention. Consistency is important too, for both cats and dogs. Since they’re faster than me, I clap my hands sharply once when they’re doing something I don’t want them to do. Again consistency is important for them to get the message. If you use a water bottle and it’s not working very well you might add a little white vinegar to the water.
lacefaerie says
Or citrus essential oil. Cats hate citrus. I finally broke my kitten from peeing behind my recliner by putting cotton pads soaked with lemon or lime essential oil (on plastic lids to protect the flooring) and refreshing it every few days.
Kathleen Rountree says
If you can, get her used to going in a crate or kennel to eat…leave the door OPEN ….. she won’t feel a problem. then if you ever need to catch her, you just shut the door. Its good no matter what to be able to corral her, like if she got hurt or something. Don’t worry, you’ll figure out the rest of the story when it is the right time !
Rebecca in SoCal says
The way you’re working on accustoming Cat to being picked up is good; easy does it! However, you talk about moving her and I’m dubious. There are stories about how to adapt an indoor cat to a new home, but I have no idea how you would keep a feral cat in the area until she’s accustomed to it. Having read stories about cats walking hundreds of miles to get “home,” I worry that that’s what Cat might do!
Melissa Raddetz says
If you buy a house with an attached garage and an interior door that leads to the garage you can install a small cat door and put the litter box in the garage. You can even have Boots food and water in the garage on a counter, table etc.
Nelle Coursey says
have a storage room on the side of our dining room and we put a pet door in it It was not hard for the cats to figure out what the door was for and we put the litter box in the storage room so it would not bother us. Our cats were always inside cats.If you catch the cat jumping on the counter or the table, put something like aluminum foil up there it will make a noise and the cat will learn it is not supposed to be there. Also there are citrus sprays you can get at Pet-Smart to spray where you don’t want the cat to go.
Susan says
You’ve done an amazing job with Cat … or he with you, whichever. =) If you have several more years, chances are good you can make more alterations. You really have a lovely life right where you are – not perfect, but pretty close. I know, I didn’t forget the grasshoppers! But even with those, stickers, the occasional snake, still pretty good.
Jean says
Check out ScatMat for if you ever needed to train a cat to keep off a kitchen counter etc. We had an indoor only cat who would try to escape outside. We put a ScatMat in front of the door and the cat very quickly stopped trying to escape. They are mats using batteries that will give a mild electrical shock to a cat walking on them. A person would not want to walk barefoot on them but I’ve done it and it was not much of a shock. Walking across the mat in slippers or shoes was no problem. One thing that quickly became apparent is that our cats could tell if the mat was turned on or off. They are apparently more sensitive than humans to electrical currents or whatever it is that the mats give off. The training was quick and it was not long before the mat was not needed.
Sharon says
Judy, Good luck with Cat if and when you have to move. We lived at our place for thirty-eight years. We got Charlie when he was three. He was eleven last year. He absolutely loved to go outside and explore about five acres around the house. We thought we wouldn’t be able to move until after he died. After the winter of 2016 to 2017, we had to move partly because of health reasons. We were so worried about Charlie adapting to our new home. We love that cat so much. Our new place is a tenth the size of our old one – less than six acres compared to nearly sixty. We checked out a lot of boarding places, and finally selected one near our old place. When moving day came, we took him and Tabby to the Kitty Inn for a week until we got more or less settled. After we picked them up, we kept them in the new-to-us house for a couple of days. Then we went outside with him a few times a day for the next couple of days. We were delighted that he adapted so well. He loves to go outside at his new home. Sure, it might be a little small for him, and some days he does go to the neighbor’s, but they know him and won’t shoot him. Except for one time, he comes when we call him, so we can put him in the house before we go somewhere. Our cats are part of the family. Like you said about Cat, they do know where their food comes from, so that might help if you have to move. Again, good luck.
Julie Sanders says
When I moved out of my parents house umpteen years ago I took my cat with me to a house 8 miles away. Within a day or two the cat had escaped. Nine months later it showed up at my parents house looking pretty tattered and much thinner. Needless to say, that cat was allowed to stay right where it was. If they don’t want to be where you take them they will try to find a way back.
Judy Laquidara says
I cannot believe it took 9 months. That’s so sad. OK . . we’ll have to stay here til Cat is gone. 🙂