These were my strategies to make Leanne love me and come out of the closet:
Kitties also love to hide in dark places. The cat gym should have at least one enclosed area for her to hide in. Dangling or spinning toys will also engage her attention. Felines also love to hang out on high shelves or on top of the fridge so they can survey their territory. A tall platform for her to sit or lay on is a definite plus!
At the shelter, we look at many different ways to help cats shed excess weight. One approach is the diet, where we moderate portion sizes and scale back on fattier meals, opting instead for leaner meals where our budget can flex.
I first fell in love with Birman cats ten years ago when I went to an acquaintances' house to see her new cat, a gorgeous pure-bred Birman male named Darshan. Darshan sat regally on top of a very high cat tree that looked like it was made for a king, alongside another beautiful Birman female.
When I adopted Leanne, she was two, and now at six, she's a fully socialized member of my household who loves my dog, Beardog, greets people who come by, and loves to sit on my lap and sleep with me at night. It took me many months to help coax her out of her shell, and she continued hiding for a long time. But now she has all the wonderful traits of Birman cats. They are gentle cats that generally like people and other animals, they are strong and healthy with few genetic problems, and they are charming and highly social.
I bribed her with toys and play time - I found that if I brought her toys at the end of the day, she was willing to play with me (this was amazing because she absolutely refused to interact with anyone at the sanctuary). Every day when I arrived home from work, I would bring her some new interactive toy and sit on the floor with her for about an hour as she jumped around like any normal kitten who loves to play.
How I Won the Heart of my Unsocialized Birman Cat
If you don't want her scratching your belongings, you need to provide her with a scratching post. Most cat furniture has uprights made of wood or cardboard tubes that are wrapped with sisal rope. Sisal rope is great for a kitty to scratch on, as it gives her the resistance she needs to stretch her muscles and sharpen her claws.
Cats, as with other pets, can face malnutrition due to mistreatment or simple ignorance. Many pet parents like to indulge their animal with extra portions or the food we people find tasty. Unfortunately, these behaviors do more harm to the animal than good.
Catnip makes cats happy - Catnip is to cats like chocolate is to humans. It makes their brains feel good and seems to provoke a positive response in felines. Buying toys with catnip, providing catnip plants, or fresh dried catnip, is a great way to show your unsocialized cat you have lots to offer and are a great provider.
Whereas the cat furniture of our grandmother's day may have been more "retro" than we care to embrace, today's models are designed to complement the d©cor of your living room or bedroom than ever before.
Kitties also love to hide in dark places. The cat gym should have at least one enclosed area for her to hide in. Dangling or spinning toys will also engage her attention. Felines also love to hang out on high shelves or on top of the fridge so they can survey their territory. A tall platform for her to sit or lay on is a definite plus!
At the shelter, we look at many different ways to help cats shed excess weight. One approach is the diet, where we moderate portion sizes and scale back on fattier meals, opting instead for leaner meals where our budget can flex.
I first fell in love with Birman cats ten years ago when I went to an acquaintances' house to see her new cat, a gorgeous pure-bred Birman male named Darshan. Darshan sat regally on top of a very high cat tree that looked like it was made for a king, alongside another beautiful Birman female.
When I adopted Leanne, she was two, and now at six, she's a fully socialized member of my household who loves my dog, Beardog, greets people who come by, and loves to sit on my lap and sleep with me at night. It took me many months to help coax her out of her shell, and she continued hiding for a long time. But now she has all the wonderful traits of Birman cats. They are gentle cats that generally like people and other animals, they are strong and healthy with few genetic problems, and they are charming and highly social.
I bribed her with toys and play time - I found that if I brought her toys at the end of the day, she was willing to play with me (this was amazing because she absolutely refused to interact with anyone at the sanctuary). Every day when I arrived home from work, I would bring her some new interactive toy and sit on the floor with her for about an hour as she jumped around like any normal kitten who loves to play.
How I Won the Heart of my Unsocialized Birman Cat
If you don't want her scratching your belongings, you need to provide her with a scratching post. Most cat furniture has uprights made of wood or cardboard tubes that are wrapped with sisal rope. Sisal rope is great for a kitty to scratch on, as it gives her the resistance she needs to stretch her muscles and sharpen her claws.
Cats, as with other pets, can face malnutrition due to mistreatment or simple ignorance. Many pet parents like to indulge their animal with extra portions or the food we people find tasty. Unfortunately, these behaviors do more harm to the animal than good.
Catnip makes cats happy - Catnip is to cats like chocolate is to humans. It makes their brains feel good and seems to provoke a positive response in felines. Buying toys with catnip, providing catnip plants, or fresh dried catnip, is a great way to show your unsocialized cat you have lots to offer and are a great provider.
Whereas the cat furniture of our grandmother's day may have been more "retro" than we care to embrace, today's models are designed to complement the d©cor of your living room or bedroom than ever before.
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