Strange Cat Behaviour

[starlette01350]

Last year, my family and I found a stray cat and her two kittens at my grandmother's house. One kitten was particularly resistant to being rescued and it took awhile to catch him. I basically ended up sitting a few feet away from his food dish, then very slowly moving my hand closer to him. A few times I just pet him briefly, so he wouldn't get frealed out. After a few attempts I was able to scoop him up and into a secure area in the house. He was a little skittish and liked to hide, so we kept him in one room until we could take him to the shelter. If you have any other pets, you might want to keep them separate until you get the new kitty tested. I hope this helps a bit, although it might be hard to sit out in the cold, lol.

If you do decide to put a blanket outside like misskitty suggested, you want want to use something that smells like you so she gets used to your scent. Good luck!

[PhoneGrrrl]

can you cat lovers give advice on how to get a stray kitten to come inside?

julitta, you may want to try your local humane society or cat rescue to see if you can borrow a cat trap. My sister was involved with a capture-spay/neuter-release program in San Francisco, and they had these cool traps for cats. You basically put food in this large carrier type thing and the door shuts on them somehow. The traps don't hurt the cat either.

Other than that--pretty much what everyone else suggested...food and give it a little shelter/blanket/etc. Or, you can get as lucky as me and have a kitten get trapped in your wall (see upthread) and have to bust it out by cutting holes in your lovely walls. (They're nearly 100% back to normal now, thanks to caulk, gorilla glue, and some replacement wallboard.)

[JAFO'S PRINCESS]

Everybody has given you all the right advice already. My momand I used to be a foster home for a pet rescue agency and all you have to do is earn their trust. Let them get your smell and feed them. Sit or crouch (you look smaller and are less intimidating) and talk to them in a quiet, high pitched tone. Move slowly and be patient. Soon you will have a friend for life. Good luck!

[julitta]

thank you all!! my husband is on his way to buy a cat bed right now. we are going to put a blanket that we use on the couch in it. if that doesn't work, we are going to see if we can get our hands on one of those cat traps. i'll keep you informed. we don't have any pets yet. ruby will be our first.(if she'll have us)have a great weekend!

[CCL]

I hope it works out, julitta! Then you can have yourself a nice Christmas kitty.

[misskitty]

Keep us "posted" Julitta. If Ruby chooses to adopt You, you'll have a purrrfect Christmas!

[misskitty]

I read this in Cat Fancy and found it really interesting...so I thought I'd share a bit of the article:

...Scientists at the Fauna Communications Research Institute in North Carolina conducted tests to measure the vibrational frequency of purrs in both domestic and wild cats. Surprisingly, they found that all of the purrs analyzed registered consistently at a sound wave frequency between 25 and 150 hertz, a range known in the human medical industry to improve bone density and promote health and healing in muscle and skin.

Because purring exists in different species of cats and has lasted through hundreds of generations of cats, scientists believe that it is most likely an important survival mechanism. Studies have shown that bones and muscles need stimulation to remain healthy, but a cat fully rests two-thirds of every day. It is possible that the vibrations produced when a cat purrs act as a low-energy mechanism to stimulate muscles and bones during this time. It is also possible that when an injured cat purrs, it is helping itself heal.

Whatever the manner or reason for the cat's purr, it is part of the package deal when you own a cat. So why not curl up with your little "purr" ball the next time you feel achy or sore? It can't hurt, and it may help more than you know....

I love my kitties even more now!

[dagwood]

This morning I was laying on my side curled up in a ball sleeping when I feel a tugging at my sleeve. My cat had climbed up ontop of me and was chewing on the end of my sleeve. Guess he just wanted me to wake up and give him attention.

[starlette01350]

I read this in Cat Fancy and found it really interesting...so I thought I'd share a bit of the article:

...Scientists at the Fauna Communications Research Institute in North Carolina conducted tests to measure the vibrational frequency of purrs in both domestic and wild cats. Surprisingly, they found that all of the purrs analyzed registered consistently at a sound wave frequency between 25 and 150 hertz, a range known in the human medical industry to improve bone density and promote health and healing in muscle and skin.

Because purring exists in different species of cats and has lasted through hundreds of generations of cats, scientists believe that it is most likely an important survival mechanism. Studies have shown that bones and muscles need stimulation to remain healthy, but a cat fully rests two-thirds of every day. It is possible that the vibrations produced when a cat purrs act as a low-energy mechanism to stimulate muscles and bones during this time. It is also possible that when an injured cat purrs, it is helping itself heal.

Whatever the manner or reason for the cat's purr, it is part of the package deal when you own a cat. So why not curl up with your little "purr" ball the next time you feel achy or sore? It can't hurt, and it may help more than you know....

I love my kitties even more now!

That's a very cool property. I was reading a novel, Oryx and Crake a week ago and they mentioned this, but I wasn't sure if it was actually true or not. Very interesting how things like that work. Thanks for the interesting read, Misskitty.

[Gutmutter]

Fascinating, misskitty! My cat likes to lie on top of me when I'm in bed and purrs to beat the band. I've always enjoyed it and now will encourage it even more. Did Ruby every adopt julitta?