Who let the cat in?

Dear Fisher,

My name is Kya and I was recently adopted from the Humane Society. I lived there for my whole entire life! I am still unsure about these characters. My question is, what is the deal with cats (no offense Fisher)? My family has a cat that just runs away and hisses at me whenever I chase him. I’m just playing. Are all cats like that?

Kya

Dear Kya,

Congratulations on your new family! And yes, I mean the cat, too. If you all work together on this, you and the cat can become friends – or at least learn to tolerate each other.

Your humans will need to supervise and look for common ground where you both feel comfortable. This will probably mean there are going to be a few command words, like “stop”, “sit”, “stay”. Cats can learn these, too. Each of you should get a lot of attention - equal attention.

Dogs are pack animals and born to chase their prey. They also tend to “pack” with the family, and might think the cat doesn’t belong in the fold. Not so. The cat, on the other hand, was probably just fine, thank you very much, and is pretty confused as to why you’ve suddenly shown up.

The cat is likely scared and uncertain about your intentions. He should never be put in a situation where he is trapped in an area with you. It is a good idea for both of you to have separate eating and play areas, too, so you aren’t always together. The cat should be able to play and chase his own toys without you jumping in; you should be able to wag your tail and play with your toys without the cat copping an attitude.

It may take some time for you to get to know each other. Once you get over the game of who’s smarter, who’s the cutest, etc. then you will realize you have a wonderful new friend.

Your friend,
Fisher

as published in tbt* Tampa Bay