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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

1154.0. "same cat, new house" by IRT::HABER () Tue Mar 01 1988 18:35

Hi,  I've been a listener of this notes file for a few months, but now
I have a problem that I need help with.

I have 2 Siamese cats, Gemini (the mother), and Brutus (her son), They are 10 &
9 respectively.  I got married in November and moved into a new house in the
beginning of February.  The cats have been living in my parents house (where
I lived until Nov.) for most of their lives.  I took them to me new home Friday
night (feb 26).  Gemini adjusted well to the new surroundings.  Brutus on the
other hand is not doing so well.  He hides all day, and when you coax him out
of his hiding place, which is usually under my blanket, he will slink around
the house and run back to where he was hiding if he hears the slightest noise.
At night on the other hand, say about 2am, he will walk around the house
meowing, opening whatever door he can, going onto the dressers to see what he
can knock off, and wake my husband & myself up.  This behavior will last
until 4:30, 5:00 in the morning.  I only have to wake up at 6am.  During
the wee hours when he is roaming and reeking havoc, he will come to me when
I call him, lay with me for about 5 minutes purring away, then leave and
start all over again.  Last night I had to lock the cats in the basement.
Brutus was never like this at my parents house, and I do not want to have
to bring him back there.  I hope someone has a good suggestion on what I
can do to calm him.

Karen Haber
(owned by Gemini & Brutus)
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1154.1Time...and Treats!SKIVT::P_MARGOLISPaula BethTue Mar 01 1988 19:0216
    Time my dear...Time.  When I first took my new kitty home...the
    one I got from this notesfile...she'd hide under the dining
    room chairs all day...
    
    I know she'd come out when I was gone, because she made on my 
    carpeting upstairs a few times.
    
    Well, it's a week later, and things are "back to normal";  no 
    more slithering...no more accidents.
    
    When you take a cat away from its old environment, it needs
    time to adjust.  Some cats just take more time than others.  Have
    patience, and plenty of bribes around (Pounce Treats).
    
    P.S  The dining room chairs still make a great hiding place!
    
1154.2Curiousity Ceasens with FamiliaritySKIVT::P_MARGOLISPaula BethTue Mar 01 1988 19:103
   Actually, my first cat, like Brutus, portrayed this "opening behavior".
    
   Just curiousity.  This too ceased in time.
1154.3Familiarity, ditto!SALEM::ARNOLDTue Mar 01 1988 19:2215
    Between our move from CA to NH, we lived for 7 months with my folks
    in MA.  We started the cats out in small areas (upstairs, for example)
    before allowing them run of the house.  When we moved to NH, my
    folks kept them for 2 days (undoubtably on tuna!) until our place
    was somewhat settled.  The furniture still must have retained some
    of their scents, etc. because this transition was fairly smooth.
    Familiarity is the key here....anything you had at your parents'
    house that has moved with you?  Even clothing (bathrobes always
    seem to work) that they've rubbed on - suckled on, etc. seem to
    bring back that secure feeling.  I would also recommend that your
    husband interact with them - they may not recognize his scents.
    
    Best Wishes,
    
    Denise
1154.4The brat cat...AIMHI::LLEBLANCWed Mar 02 1988 13:0015
    My cat Alex is doing the same thing....and we've lived in our house
    for about a year now.  At about 4:00 in the morning (consistantly) he
    is jumping on my dresser and knocking everything off, walking all
    over me, licking my face, trying to knock the picture off the wall,
    knocking the phone off the hook, anything that will get me up. 
    
    I have a hunch that he is just bored with being cooped up in the
    house because it is so cold out that he wants attention.  This behavior
    just started about a month ago and it's very annoying when I don't
    have to be up until 6:00 AM.  I pick him up and put him outside
    (which he hates) and if it's to cold, I will put him in the basement.
     I don't want to give him his breakfast because I don't want to
    get him in the habit of waking me up for his meal.  
    
    Any suggestions???
1154.5CIRCUS::KOLLINGKaren, Sweetie, Holly; in Calif.Wed Mar 02 1988 16:3812
    Re: .4
    
    Can you play with him a lot in the evenings, and tucker him out?
    
    My first cat Pussycat used to try to get me up by knocking things
    off the dresser;  after awhile it occurred to my giant brain that
    I was reinforcing this behavior by getting up to rescue things,
    so for several days I pretended I didn't care and let stuff fall
    while I stayed in bed;  he gave up.
    

    
1154.6getting betterIRT::HABERWed Mar 02 1988 18:399
    Thanks all for the responses.  Both cats are familiar with my husband
    for a while now.  My husband does whatever he can to get the cats
    to go to him, he even bought a can of treats that he alone can give
    to the cats.  One thing that helped keep the noise is that I opend
    the closet door so Brutus couldn't.   But, he howled as loud as
    ever.
    
    Thanks again
    Karen
1154.7time and patience ...CHEFS::GOUGHThu Mar 03 1988 11:2318
    The first time Oliver moved house, he hid in the spare bed for a
    fortnight.  I literally had to drag him out to feed him.  Then he
    went outside and hid under a shed down the road.  This lasted for
    three weeks, with me collecting him every evening, and carrying him home
    for his supper.  He then decided to act normally (or as normally
    as he ever acts!).  My other two cats settled down in about a couple
    of hours.
    
    The second time Oliver moved house, he hid under the wardrobe for
    half an hour - as Ollie is a very LARGE cat, and the wardrobe is
    very close to the ground, this needed to be seen to be believed!
    After half an hour something seemed to click in his brain - probably
    that supper doesn't arrive in a two inch gap under a wardrobe -
    he came out, and has been OK ever since.
    
    So there is hope!
    
    Helen.