[liljamie]

I just adopted a two year old bombay ((female)) named madison. She is a sweet cat but she is very nervous. I have had her for two months. I think she has made great progress sense we got her. She has gone from being under a bed all day ((literally)) and not eating, to coming out like a normal cat and doing her own thing around the house. My dad, still thinks that she is not normal and that she should go back to the shelter. Me and my mother are convinced that she is fine (because she is friendly with us) and we wont let him take her back just because he makes her nervous. he says that she is not friendly and that it's not fair that he takes care of her and she doesn't want to be around him.
I think madison has a thing with men, or maybe he just intimidates her, he's a big, tall guy and maybe he makes her nervouse but I don't want him to take her back to the shelter. I love her to death and she is always friendly towards me.
what can I do to make her alittle friendlier so that my sensitive dad doesn't get rejected by her lol :roll: and how can we make her not so nervous? when company comes over and goes in her kitty condo and is not to be seen ... unless it is REALLY quiet in the house

Thanx guys!
*Jamie*

 

[Jeanie]

If young children come to the house, your cat will probably hide. Children move far too fast to suit most cats. If I wanted your cat to make friends with me, I would go into the same room, close the door, dim the lights, put on soft music, talk softly to the cat, and have a bowl of really tasty food nearby. I would gradually move the food closer to me, and not expect instant results. Let the cat make the first move toward petting. Eventually, I think there will be a head butt, or a rubbing against the hand. When everyone else is out ot the house would be a great time to do this. People use this method (even more gradually and more steps) to make friends with feral cats.

I had a cat who absolutely wouldn't allow anyone to touch her-despite the fact that I got her as a kitten. One of our cats had bullied her, and she hid most of the time. This worked very well. I did it on my bed--because there were children in the house. Eventually, I put the bowl on my lap, and the only way she could eat was to sit on me. Gradually, she decided that this "petting business" was pretty great! :) Eventually, she was brave enough to face down the bully, and there was a stalemate after that. She spent her life with her human family, like the other cats.

 

[liljamie]

She's not THAT bad lol. She'll let him touch her and everything. It's just that when he calls her lots of times she'll egnore him, yet she comes running to me and my mom. And sometimes when he sits next to her she just flips up her tail and leaves lol. I think he's more insulted rather than concerned about whether she's *normal* I think that she has come a long way sense she got here and she will improve more with time. Before she was so nervous she wouldn't even come out to eat or use the little box, I mean I would think that that's pretty bad. Now shes normal (to me and my mom atleast), just independant. lol I think being the only man in the house is just getting him agrrivated :wink: he's probably thinking "oh great, another girl in the house to aggrivate me"

 

[Bean]

I don't think that's a big problem... My cat is pretty nervous around women (which is odd, cause I'm the first male owner). Nothing big, but when women are around he stays at a distance and watches them wide-eyed. They can pick him up and stuff and he does scratch but you can see in his eyes that he's at full attention in case something happens. However, when guys are over (with no women) he comes right over and smells them, and will lie behind our heads on the couch within like 5-10 minutes.

I don't think it's anything to worry about - could even be scared be something the starteled her in the past and she associates that with men. It will grow out of it but you have to give her time. And I think forcing them makes things worse I think (probably just reassures their feelings of being scared in that situation).

 

[liljamie]

thanx guys!

*Jamie*

 

[Jeanie]

I misunderstood. Often cats have their favorite people. My bully cat didn't like me at all. I was still fond of her, but never won her over, and I was the only one who gave her tastes when she begged. She'd eat her bite and take off, the little gold digger! She just loved my sons!