Dear Fisher,

I have wonderful humans who my sister and I live with. We have been living with them for 1 year. Before our current owners, we lived with a family that had to get rid of us because they were moving to a new place that wouldn’t allow cats. They give us lots of loving and we are happy we found each other. My owners are huge fans of your column and they suggested I contact you. My sister and I are very happy now and love our home, but I am such a curious cat that sometimes when my owners open the front door I run out. I usually get scared and come back inside quickly. My owners try to control it and watch me as they open the door but sometimes I escape. My owners are worried that one time I might get out and not come back due to my curiosity. Fisher what would you recommend to keep me safe and inside?

Puppy

P.S. My previous owner had a three year old they allowed to name me. My current owners didn’t want to change my name.

Dear Puppy,

After some hesitation, I decided to cite the old adage, “curiosity killed the cat.” That is a little harsh, I know, but it is an old adage for a reason. I am concerned that one day your people will not see you slip out. They may unwittingly close the door behind you, and there you are in a whole new dimension. The world out there is not always safe or friendly to scared little cats.

You really have two options here. Plan A: mind your manners and not scare your humans by running outside. Plan B is that if you continue this errant behavior, you must have a back-up in case you end up outside on the wrong side of a closed door.

Now, Plan B is extremely tricky and depends on how fast you run out the door. Is it fast enough to smuggle out treats, water bowl, and a fuzzy blanket? These are absolute necessities to keep you safe while you wait for the door to re-open. If they do not know you slipped out, you need to be prepared.

Some ideas for your people to try:
1.Hang a rope of bells on the door knob so it makes a clatter when opening the door.
2.Put cat in another room with door slightly ajar, then rush out the front door.
3.If cat greets you at the door when you get home, do not acknowledge cat until you are well into the house. A treat will reinforce this new practice. Reverse when leaving.
4.Create wicked door – see the video.

Many do not know cats can be trained, but we all know it. Help them think they trained you.

Your friend,
Fisher

Dear Fisher,

I am Bella and my house mate is named Dante. Dante is an 18 lb gigantic sweet retard. I am a 9lb aggressive Tortie. We have been good friends for five years, but then I had a serious bout of redirected aggression the week before Thanksgiving and our people are very upset. I turned a scary situation around on Dante and now I’m the one afraid of him. He loves me but if I do anything to act out at him again, he will happily finish it.

Our humans have separated us and are slowly reintroducing us to each other. All is going slow, but well, and they think we will be OK together before they leave for Valentine’s weekend, but I can tell they are still scared to death to leave us alone. We do have a cat sitter coming in but our people don’t want us to get hurt if we backslide while they are gone. What should we do?

Bella

Dear Bella,

I have to surmise that your little bout of redirected aggression was an outright catastrophe (no pun intended). Your people are going to great lengths to keep such a display from happening again and they obviously want Dante and you to resolve your issues as soon as possible. I cannot help but wonder if injuries affected egos only or if bloodshed was involved. Either way, you must now help your humans regain their confidence in you.

The one thing to know about redirected aggression is that there is an underlying cause. Sometimes it is the result of just being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The “scary situation” caused your adrenalin pump to turn on and you acted out. The concern is not so much what you did, but what caused you to do it. Paying attention to the original underlying source and working to change it, will help solve the problem.
Some suggestions for your people to prepare for Valentine’s weekend:

1. Desensitizing your fear of Dante by leaving the two of you alone in the house for varying periods of time. If the house is intact and there are no injuries, reward with treat or new toy.
2. Give individual attention to each in the presence of the other. Then give pets to both at the same time.
3. If cats are not “getting it”, put both in time out, possibly through mealtime. If cats rush to food bowls in unison without confrontation, problem is close to solved.
4. If confrontation takes precedence over late lunch, contact pet sitter and extend getaway weekend.

I highly recommend your people take a look at Pet Wave. And for you two, remember Valentine’s is a celebration of love and friendship. Go ahead. Give peace a chance.

Your friend,
Fisher

Dear Fisher,

I have a small problem. I am a cat who likes to steal my mom’s shoes and bath mat. I will chew on them and then drag them to my food dish. Sometimes I will go months without stealing them and one day I just got to get that shoe or bath mat. When I do steal a shoe or bath mat my mother gets very mad at me. Help – what can I do to stop this?

Sid

Dear Sid.

You have quite a problem and I admit, one of the most interesting I have heard. I must disclose to my readers that we had a few more notes back and forth because my first thought was, how big are you? Then in a follow-up to that, I asked if your mother wears tiny shoes. To my surprise, you are a wee 4 to 6 pound cat, and no, your mother does not wear tiny shoes, and the bath mat is 12” by 32” with rubber backing! That, my friend is a fine example of what focus and intention can do for one small kitty.

People are often not aware that cats are very strong when they have a mission. The key here is determining the nature of your mission. Cats are by nature, hunter gatherers. Even when spayed, a cat may have fierce maternal instincts. Add to these the fact that cats really do know the value of their possessions. Yours are #1, your mother, represented by her shoes and bathmat. Your food dish, of course, is your #2 most treasured possession,.

If we look at each of the above, we can explore possible solutions:

1.Hunter/gatherer: Your mother could place little treats in odd places around the house, requiring much of your waking time to seek and destroy.
2.Maternal instinct: Shoes and bathmat could be replaced with small cuddly toys for nurturing.
3.Prized possessions: Move food dish into bathroom with shoes and bathmat – a shrine, if you will, saving your strength and her angst.

Two other possibilities are separation anxiety or boredom. Please visit Our Happy Cat Our Happy Cat to discover many great ideas for your entertainment.

In all my research, I found it is not uncommon for cats to haul around socks. Dirty socks are preferred. Some cats will choose all types of undergarments, and some have been known to clear out entire laundry baskets. This leads me to the conclusion that you, Sid, are definitely an over-achiever. Your mother may just want to appreciate that.

Your friend,
Fisher

Dear Fisher,

Oh what I’ve been through. I found myself in a new home when my people couldn’t take care of me ‘cuz they were having trouble taking care of themselves. They found me a new home with a loving woman. I thought I would be queen, but I’m in trouble again. Two cats are already here and I’ve had to plot and plan to be charge.

I started life on the street and I know how to fight for myself. The other two cats are not happy with my feisty ways. Now everybody is mad at me. I might have to find another home because I don’t know how to get along. It’s been several months and things aren’t getting any better. I just don’t like other cats. What can I do?

Dear Mary,

I am happy you keep meeting up with loving people, and my first reaction is to keep trying until you get it right. Several months is long enough for all of you to adjust, and if you cats are unable to live in peace, a new home is a good option.

If all attempts to socialize you fail, there is a good chance that you are an alpha cat. An alpha cat exhibits the following:

1. territorial, taking command of toys, bed, food
2. extreme aggression toward others
3. uninterested in becoming part of the community
4. unwilling to accept and kind of training

My friends at Perfect Paws write, “Because the cat is not a pack animal, there is no inherent need or desire for the cat to comply with anyone’s wishes but its own.” They have a lot of good information.

I suspect that you, Mary, are trainable but are more interested in being Only Cat in Charge. We are now back to square one. If you really tried to get along, or if you really do not want to get along, a new home is a good idea. It is best if you are the only cat. Should there be a dog, just remember they are usually bigger and really like it if the cat shows some respect. Overall, though, it is best if you are an only pet.

This is a no blame, no shame situation. It is a positive move for all concerned. Sometimes cats just do not get along no matter what. I have complete faith the loving woman will find a good home for you. May you happily reign forever.

Your friend,
Fisher