I'm looking after a friend's cat for a while - staying at their house - and... to say she's a little terror is to put it mildly. She's been well-behaved at least this morning and afternoon as she was probably a bit subdued that her owners had gone away and left her with me. Now she's starting to wake up though. I know from experience that it won't be long before she's launching herself at me and trying to bite or scratch me (I've looked after her before for them).
Now, this is my dilemma... if she was my cat she'd never get away with it as I'm a little strict with my cats - they can do what they like so long as it doesn't involve biting, scratching, or fighting. For the most part they laze around, attack their toys, come for cuddles or sit in sunbeams. But since she's not my cat and has done this ever since they had her as a kitten (she's an adult now), I'd feel odd about disciplining her and laying down the same 'ground rules' as my cats have.
What would you guys do in this situation?
(And right as I say that, she starts trying to scratch at my camera case... "Oi!", a glare and a sulk off onto a chair...)
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Personally I think if you are looking after the cat it's just fair that you discipline her to some extent so you can co-exist with her.
Saying that - we had house/catsitters staying for a few times at our house and I would probably be annoyed if they tried to totally change the cats' behaviour just because it's 'their way'. But if it was something that I had let them get away with, but is clearly out of line, then I think I would understand why they had to apply their rules.
Saying that - we had house/catsitters staying for a few times at our house and I would probably be annoyed if they tried to totally change the cats' behaviour just because it's 'their way'. But if it was something that I had let them get away with, but is clearly out of line, then I think I would understand why they had to apply their rules.
Thank you for that, it did really help on the occasions when she got silly.
To a certain degree they allow her to get away with things like biting and scratching - things that my cats were brought up to know never to do - because it's just "what she does". The last time I looked after her she was a complete nightmare and it was a horrific week: she wrapped all four legs around my thigh and tried to bite it, she leapfrogged off my head while I was on the floor, she even tried flinging herself off the chair and biting me - unfortunately she ricocheted off my arm and when I stood up this look of "oh yeah, she's bigger than me!" crossed her face and she ran off... I was dreading looking after her again.
But this time she mostly managed to behave herself. (Of course, what worries me is when I told her owners that, they were surprised...!) Every time she got silly I decided I'd treat her like a child instead, so when she tried to bite or scratch me I told her off and then I ignored her. She's take herself off and sulk and then eventually come for a tentative cuddle. The oddest thing is that would never work with my cats who, like most cats, take being ignored as an indication they can carry on with whatever they're doing... The one time I did have to smack her (not hard, she's only small and I don't like smacking cats) was when she was jumping on the paper and wouldn't leave it; when I smacked her, she tried to smack me back! So we had more ignoring, and she sulked... and then she tried to sneak into my lap.
As I say, I was surprised in the end at how well we got along - much better than last time. It's just hard to remember to not be afraid to discipline a cat who acts like that...
She did bite her owners when they came back though. Apparently this meant that they were home...
*sighs*
To a certain degree they allow her to get away with things like biting and scratching - things that my cats were brought up to know never to do - because it's just "what she does". The last time I looked after her she was a complete nightmare and it was a horrific week: she wrapped all four legs around my thigh and tried to bite it, she leapfrogged off my head while I was on the floor, she even tried flinging herself off the chair and biting me - unfortunately she ricocheted off my arm and when I stood up this look of "oh yeah, she's bigger than me!" crossed her face and she ran off... I was dreading looking after her again.
But this time she mostly managed to behave herself. (Of course, what worries me is when I told her owners that, they were surprised...!) Every time she got silly I decided I'd treat her like a child instead, so when she tried to bite or scratch me I told her off and then I ignored her. She's take herself off and sulk and then eventually come for a tentative cuddle. The oddest thing is that would never work with my cats who, like most cats, take being ignored as an indication they can carry on with whatever they're doing... The one time I did have to smack her (not hard, she's only small and I don't like smacking cats) was when she was jumping on the paper and wouldn't leave it; when I smacked her, she tried to smack me back! So we had more ignoring, and she sulked... and then she tried to sneak into my lap.
As I say, I was surprised in the end at how well we got along - much better than last time. It's just hard to remember to not be afraid to discipline a cat who acts like that...
She did bite her owners when they came back though. Apparently this meant that they were home...
*sighs*
Oh my the cat sounds like a total nightmare! I'm surprised you agreed to cat sit again 
I wouldn't let him get away with it at all, I wouldn't accept being up by a cat, it's just not on! I don't think you should worry about what the owners think about you telling him off any and anyway you aren't going to have effect on his character, he is what he is!
I wouldn't let him get away with it at all, I wouldn't accept being up by a cat, it's just not on! I don't think you should worry about what the owners think about you telling him off any and anyway you aren't going to have effect on his character, he is what he is!
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