Vino, Mega Brat
badwilson
baby. As you all know, Vino is an indoor only cat. We are very
careful to keep it that way because here in Thailand, people don't
drive very carefully and there are tons of stray cats and dogs with
various diseases.
Anyway, Vino always tries to sneak out the door, but we are very
careful and he rarely makes it. Usually his attempts to get out are
only half-hearted since he knows it will get him nowhere anyway.
Well. Yesterday he managed to sneak through the crack as I was
bringing in a flat of club soda. He ran to the lawn and started
munching on grass. I thought, oh well, that's not that bad, the poor
baby just wants to munch on some grass, he only has 5 plants inside to
munch on, he probably just wants some plant variety, I'll just stay
out here with him for a while. Dennis came out too and the two of us
stayed out with Vino for almost 1/2 hour while he munched grass and
sniffed the yard. Then Dennis had to go and I was getting too sweaty
being out in the heat, so I gathered up Vino and headed back in.
Well. The problems started immediately. Yowling by the front door.
Yowling by the french doors in the living room. Pacing by the doors.
Scratching on the screens. More yowling....
At one point I was on the computer and heard a real racket coming from
the kitchen. Vino was up on his back legs and was pounding on the
screen door with his front legs. Aaargh. I went back to the
computer. The racket started again, but suddenly ended. I went to
the kitchen to check what was going on and Vino had actually managed
to pound open the screen door and was on the lawn munching grass!
I grabbed him and took him back in right away and made sure the screen
door was fastened securely. I went back to the computer. The
pounding started again, accompanied by yowling. I grabbed the spray
bottle and squirted him, he ran for cover under the dining room table
and licked himself. As soon as my butt re-connected with the computer
chair however, he was back at it at the screen door.
The following 2 hours consisted of Vino raising a racket and me
sprinting to squirt him. After a while he didn't even bother to run
more than 3 feet away! I had it up to here!!! I locked him in the
bathroom, with no success, since he just continued his racket from in
there!
Finally Dennis came home and I told him that *his cat* needed some
discipline and was *never* going outside again if that's how he's
going to behave afterwards! So Dennis put Vino on the coffee table in
front of him and had a little talk with him "up close" (Steven King
Rose Madder reference, but obviously only a talk!) Of course, after
that Vino stopped his behaviour immediately and proceeded to be his
sweetest, most angelic self.
Now Dennis thinks I've lost it and is ganging up with the cat against
me! But I know better because as soon as Dennis left this morning,
Vino got out of bed and went straight to the kitchen to resume his
racket-raising...
--
Britta
Check out recent pictures of Vino at:
http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on Vino and "friends" album
Check Vino's website (older pictures) at:
http://www.members.home.net/badwilson/catpage.html
Byron & Christine Burel
valuable piece of furniture?
Christine (who's been there, done that with other kitties in the past).
"badwilson" <badw...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3c58b636....@news-east.newscene.com...
jXwXeXr...@sonic.net
> Now Dennis thinks I've lost it and is ganging up with the cat against
> me! But I know better because as soon as Dennis left this morning,
> Vino got out of bed and went straight to the kitchen to resume his
> racket-raising...
Tape it! Then play it for Dennis.
Vino sounds a lot like Smudge. Maybe you could put a harness and leash
on him and let him hang out in the yard? That's the "compromise" I "worked
out" with Smudge. :)
Joyce
fr0glet
> Yowling by the front door.
> Yowling by the french doors in the living room. Pacing by the doors.
> Scratching on the screens. More yowling....
> At one point I was on the computer and heard a real racket coming from
> the kitchen. Vino was up on his back legs and was pounding on the
> screen door with his front legs. Aaargh. I went back to the
> computer. The racket started again, but suddenly ended. I went to
> the kitchen to check what was going on and Vino had actually managed
> to pound open the screen door and was on the lawn munching grass!
> I grabbed him and took him back in right away and made sure the screen
> door was fastened securely. I went back to the computer. The
> pounding started again, accompanied by yowling. I grabbed the spray
> bottle and squirted him, he ran for cover under the dining room table
> and licked himself. As soon as my butt re-connected with the computer
> chair however, he was back at it at the screen door.
> The following 2 hours consisted of Vino raising a racket and me
> sprinting to squirt him. After a while he didn't even bother to run
> more than 3 feet away! I had it up to here!!! I locked him in the
> bathroom, with no success, since he just continued his racket from in
> there!
I definately recommend instead of ignoring the behavior, sitting at your
computer, and punishing in hopes of changing behavior, that you try to spend
some quality time indoors with the cat.
Perhaps some playing with toys, catnip therapy, vigorous petting and loving,
holding in lap, etc.
You know you can buy cat grass at just about any pet store? It's so good for
them. You're fighting instinct.
Kill them with kindness :)
fr0glet
badwilson
<fr0...@fr0glet.hates.spammers.org> wrote:
>
>Perhaps some playing with toys, catnip therapy, vigorous petting and loving,
>holding in lap, etc.
>
>You know you can buy cat grass at just about any pet store? It's so good for
>them. You're fighting instinct.
>
>Kill them with kindness :)
>
>fr0glet
>
I stay home all day, my husband doesn't excactly work a lot so he's
home about 4 to 5 days a week. We *worship* the cat, he gets cuddled,
played with constantly. He's got furry mice that we throw and he
fetches. He's got balloons, crinkly balls, catnip pillows...
Have I already mentioned that he has 5 plants inside that he munches?
Anyway, he's not usually like this. Only when he manages to get out.
Then this goes on for a week or so until he forgets about going
outside. I would take him outside for a while on the leash (or even
not on the leash but closely supervised) each day, but it is never
enough. He would always want out more. I just figure he must be a
happier cat when he's not always yowling and the way to stop him from
yowling is not to let him out...ever. That's what I'm beginning to
figure out anyway.
Before this happened yesterday, he was perfectly content to play with
his toys and with us. Today, he's a miserable, whining, unhappy
camper. I just hope he gets over it and I'll be sure to learn from
this and won't let him out again. Actually, I know he will because
this happened a few months ago with the same results. Aaargh, I just
wish I'd learned!
polonca12000
take you seriously. Hissing at Soncek really scares him, but it's also the
only thing that works.
--
Polonca & Soncek
badwilson <badw...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:3c58b636....@news-east.newscene.com...
<snip> Finally Dennis came home and I told him that *his cat* needed some
badwilson
<polonc...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I'm so sorry, Britta. Maybe you can copy Dennis' behaviour and Vino will
>take you seriously. Hissing at Soncek really scares him, but it's also the
>only thing that works.
>--
>Polonca & Soncek
>
Nope, Dennis' behaviour doesn't work anymore either. Dennis has seen
the little devil in action now and believes me!
We're trying to distract Vino with toys, imaginary lizards, tons of
hugs and scritches, but he's not to be dissuaded. All he can think of
is OUT! We can no longer use the screen door in the kitchen because
of the racket it makes and also because Vino can sometimes open it.
But it's the morning of the 3rd day now and I *think* (hope it's not
just wishful thinking) that the fervor is beginning to wane a bit.
Keeping my fingers crossed...