[melysion]

Ridleys a lovely cat, extremely outgoing and very affectionate and playful. But he is SOO noisy. Meows constantly. Tried feeding him (he has a enormous appetite - got another catpig on my hands I can tell you!), loving him, playing with him but he often still meows when doing these activities.

Its cute for the most part but sometimes it really gets a bit much. He constantly craves attention. I learned recently that he spent three months living in a garden (no shelter) and just being fed prior to going to his foster home. His previous owner was a lodger and due to the houseowner wanting to try for a baby poor Ridley-puss wasnt welcome in the house anymore. Might this have had an effect? He also 'flinches' sometimes at sudden movements and I'm beginning to wonder if he has been hit for 'bad behaviour' in the past.

Any thoughts much appreciated!!!

 

[Beth_Laubenthal]

Some cats are just very loving and noisey. I have a semi-feral who is extremely clingy and likes to meow and chirp a lot. She meows and chirps at my husband, at me and my other two cats. Some cats are just more vocal than others. Yes, it can be annoying, but it is just a part of their personality. Just embrace the fact that your cat has a lot to share with you.

Flinching-he might have been hit. Just move slowly around him for the time being. No negative reinforcement. Any behavioral issues should be dealt with redirection and postive reinforcement. Eventually, he will forget about his past and his behavior may fade. Don't react to his flinching. It would only reinforce it.

 

[cooncatbob]

My Meme would flinch and run off if I picked up the broom which made me wonder if she'd been swatted with a broom in her unknown past.
They can't tell us what happened to them in the past, we can only guess and try to reassure them that they won't be abused ever again.
With Meme even when she lived at my office she didn't have her own space so she escape into the warehouse until I finally took her home.
I praised her all the time, she was a very good kitty and just glowed when praised, she would also climb into my lap and press her head against my chest, this was the sign that she wanted a hug, she just purred with joy when hugged.
I find the power of praise and love will help these abused kitties over come their unfortunate past.
We just need to be patient and gentle with them.

 

[MowMow]

MowMOw is my talker. He is always talking and chirping to me when he's playing or being pet or.... thinking.... he just talks.

I have to admit it used to bug the heck out of me, but now we hold 'conversations' and it doesn't bother me at all. I'll talk to him and he'll chatter back at me.

It may well have something to do with being dumped outside. It probably feels nice to be loved and appreciated after feeling less than so for a long time.

There are few things MowMow was afraid of when I got him. Never of me or my movements but if I pulled out a can of compressed air he FREAKED OUT and hid. Not just a scooting off because he doesn't like the noise, he got a look of pure terror and hid and had to be coaxed out. He still leaves the room if I use it but sits at a reasonable distance ready to run and comes back as soon as I put it in the drawer.

I'm sure with time he'll calm down and be less skittish. Once he's sure he's safe.

 

[katlover13]

My Charlie is a talker. Unless he is sleeping he usually has something to say about almost everything. It's only a problem when he decides he has to tell us at about 4 am that he hasn't been given any food for days and days. (Yeah right!)

Scottie is my flincher. He was found abandoned at about 2 weeks old and has lived with us since then. (He's about 5 now) I am quite sure he has never been hit for any reason in his whole life. I think some cats are just that way. Several of my cats are scared to death of plastic trash bags. They run whenever I shake one out to put in the wastebasket.

 

[CJinCA]

My Squeek has something to say about everything, and sometimes whines when she wants to play, or when she has found her catnip banana which seems to migrate around this house.

as to flinching, my kitties do that either when they're startled, or when i try to pet them but they're too interested in something else and don't want to be bothered.

 

[Milky's Mammy]

as to flinching, my kitties do that either when they're startled, or when i try to pet them but they're too interested in something else and don't want to be bothered.

I've had Milky for 4 months now and we got him when he was 5 months old. He's a flincher too. I always thought that there was something bothering him or that he wasn't settled properly into our home, but actually he is. He's a really good little boy, acts very lovingly towards us generally and is naughty other times. I thought we were startling him too when we want to hold him or pet him but perhaps you're right. Maybe he really is just too interested in something else and doesn't want us to bother him. Or maybe we cuddle him too much... is there such thing as too much?? :love2

 

[BotanyBlack]

my Flincher was Paws. I know he had never been mistreated, but I also know he had some type of vision issue. Paws tended to startle easy if anything came into his peripheral vision. and He didn't have as well developed night vision as you would expect a cat to have.