My Sampson...
I'll start us off by introducing Sampson.
He's a handsome brute,mischievous, rambunctious and extremely sensitive.
I've just recently learnedsomething about him that may help you with a 'trouble' animal.
About 3 years ago I was able to rescue a little kitten who had been abused.
He was only about 6 weeks old when I took him home and just the most adorable,loving, curious little kitten I'd ever seen.
He and I connected right away.
To make a long story shorter, Sampson eventually learned that he couldbully Lilo, (the kitten).
Lilo wasn't used to being around an aggressive cat, sohe'd run like his hair was on fire any time Sampson would look at him...
Sampsonof course took Lilo's running as a challenge and thus produced the BULLY inSampson.
It was not a pretty scene.
Of course I was so angry with Sampson thatI'd be running and screaming trying to capture Sampson, while he was runningafter Lilo...
and poor little Lilo probably thought the whole house was afterhim...
It was nothing but a fiasco! This went on for 3 years!...
Lilo sees Sampson, Sampson sees Lilo and thefur flies...
Not to mention my temper.
It just angered me to no end to seeSampson scaring that precious little kitten.
Well, just recently I took Sampson in to the vet because he had begun tohave severe diarrhea issues, and I noticed that he was licking his hair off onhis belly...
So off to the vet we went.
They examined him, and found his stoolwas loaded with bacteria.
They were amazed at the 'health' of the cat andcouldn't believe he hadn't become dehydrated.
She gave me some pills for killingthe bacteria and some paste that I could feed him to help strengthen hisbowels.
Ok...
if you have cats...
you KNOW what happened next...
Picture this in acartoon form...
a cloud of dust and popping out of the cloud you could see anarm and a leg of me and a cat...
Yes, it was not a picnic.
I quickly realizedthat I was playing a losing battle to get Sampson to cooperate.
It wasstressing him out so badly, that he started to run from me and hide under thebed every time he'd see me coming! Now how am I supposed to care for a cat thatwon't come near me? Then I got to thinking about what the Vet told me...
She had asked me how things were at the house...
I, of course, freely toldher this same story.
She also asked me how he was in thunderstorms...
I've gotto tell you, at the first sight of rain, Sampson, this big bad bully, can befound sitting on my desk so he can see my face.
He walks right next to me if Imove and is just simply totally frightened of rain and thunder.
When I'm awayfrom home and a storm comes, I picture Sampson and how he's probably coweringunder the bed, right next to Lilo! Then she began to tell me that I might take some time to love on Sampson abit.
Show him how much I love the little rascal and maybe, put Lilo in a roomand let Sampson rule at night...
just reverse everything I had been doing.
Ithought to myself for a moment and shrugged her advice off due to the fact thatI was not about to hurt Lilo to give Sampson more confidence...
But at the pointof not being able to get medication down Sampson's throat, I really took a lookat how I treated Sampson.
So here's what I did.
I didn't reverse rolls between Sampson and Lilo, however I made a decisionnot to ever yell or chase Sampson again.
When he was misbehaving, I'd go to him,gently, lovingly and whisper sweetness to him.
I'd pet him and love on him andpick him up and take him to his favorite window seat to help him calm down.
Ikept my voice in control, my temper in my back pocket and guess what?Within 3 weeks, his stools were back to normal and the hair he had beenlicking off was growing back.
He still remains very protective of me, butwithout raising my voice, getting angry or losing my cool, we've managed to getmy Sampson back.
He's now a more loving cat tome, jumping when I come homeinstead of running away from me.
Rubbing my legs and actually wanting attention.
It's been three long years dealing with this cat, and I'm so glad to havehim as my buddy once again.
Pets...
be sensitive to how you treat them.
Benice.
In the long run you'll have happier, healthier pets.
Just what the doctorordered!
I'll start us off by introducing Sampson.
He's a handsome brute,mischievous, rambunctious and extremely sensitive.
I've just recently learnedsomething about him that may help you with a 'trouble' animal.
About 3 years ago I was able to rescue a little kitten who had been abused.
He was only about 6 weeks old when I took him home and just the most adorable,loving, curious little kitten I'd ever seen.
He and I connected right away.
To make a long story shorter, Sampson eventually learned that he couldbully Lilo, (the kitten).
Lilo wasn't used to being around an aggressive cat, sohe'd run like his hair was on fire any time Sampson would look at him...
Sampsonof course took Lilo's running as a challenge and thus produced the BULLY inSampson.
It was not a pretty scene.
Of course I was so angry with Sampson thatI'd be running and screaming trying to capture Sampson, while he was runningafter Lilo...
and poor little Lilo probably thought the whole house was afterhim...
It was nothing but a fiasco! This went on for 3 years!...
Lilo sees Sampson, Sampson sees Lilo and thefur flies...
Not to mention my temper.
It just angered me to no end to seeSampson scaring that precious little kitten.
Well, just recently I took Sampson in to the vet because he had begun tohave severe diarrhea issues, and I noticed that he was licking his hair off onhis belly...
So off to the vet we went.
They examined him, and found his stoolwas loaded with bacteria.
They were amazed at the 'health' of the cat andcouldn't believe he hadn't become dehydrated.
She gave me some pills for killingthe bacteria and some paste that I could feed him to help strengthen hisbowels.
Ok...
if you have cats...
you KNOW what happened next...
Picture this in acartoon form...
a cloud of dust and popping out of the cloud you could see anarm and a leg of me and a cat...
Yes, it was not a picnic.
I quickly realizedthat I was playing a losing battle to get Sampson to cooperate.
It wasstressing him out so badly, that he started to run from me and hide under thebed every time he'd see me coming! Now how am I supposed to care for a cat thatwon't come near me? Then I got to thinking about what the Vet told me...
She had asked me how things were at the house...
I, of course, freely toldher this same story.
She also asked me how he was in thunderstorms...
I've gotto tell you, at the first sight of rain, Sampson, this big bad bully, can befound sitting on my desk so he can see my face.
He walks right next to me if Imove and is just simply totally frightened of rain and thunder.
When I'm awayfrom home and a storm comes, I picture Sampson and how he's probably coweringunder the bed, right next to Lilo! Then she began to tell me that I might take some time to love on Sampson abit.
Show him how much I love the little rascal and maybe, put Lilo in a roomand let Sampson rule at night...
just reverse everything I had been doing.
Ithought to myself for a moment and shrugged her advice off due to the fact thatI was not about to hurt Lilo to give Sampson more confidence...
But at the pointof not being able to get medication down Sampson's throat, I really took a lookat how I treated Sampson.
So here's what I did.
I didn't reverse rolls between Sampson and Lilo, however I made a decisionnot to ever yell or chase Sampson again.
When he was misbehaving, I'd go to him,gently, lovingly and whisper sweetness to him.
I'd pet him and love on him andpick him up and take him to his favorite window seat to help him calm down.
Ikept my voice in control, my temper in my back pocket and guess what?Within 3 weeks, his stools were back to normal and the hair he had beenlicking off was growing back.
He still remains very protective of me, butwithout raising my voice, getting angry or losing my cool, we've managed to getmy Sampson back.
He's now a more loving cat tome, jumping when I come homeinstead of running away from me.
Rubbing my legs and actually wanting attention.
It's been three long years dealing with this cat, and I'm so glad to havehim as my buddy once again.
Pets...
be sensitive to how you treat them.
Benice.
In the long run you'll have happier, healthier pets.
Just what the doctorordered!
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