Cybil the cat

[maw-p]

I think my cat is possessed!!!
We got this cat a few months ago and it has only let me pet it a few select times. She just stands back and meows all the time. Well last night she was in the window sill (all night). She was meowing constantly and every now and then she would take off running back and forth across the window sill hissing and yelling like something was after her. So either I gave her a great name (Cybil), she is possessed, or we have a
in the house with a sick sense of humor.
Well regardless, if this psychotic cat doesnt calm itself soon, she will be finding another home lol. Cant take too many more sleepless nights, although I did get quite a laugh last night.

[krbshappy71]

If possible, block the window for a few nights to see if she knocks it off.

Is she spayed? If not could she be wanting out to mate with the toms?

If she isn't spayed (a vet should be able to determine this) get her spayed immediately and that should help.

Definitely block the window to stop the bad habit, about a week or so should break that cycle, she may be obsessing.

[maw-p]

Yes she has been spayed. She is about 3 years old, spayed, and never been outside.

[krbshappy71]

Can you block the window?

Weird girl, she still isn't settling in for you. She sounds nervous.

[Debbie-cat]

She might have had a traumatic experience when she was younger. Poor thing. Block the window. She needs to realize she is safe with you.

[KimZ]

I'm a kitty lover and I can tell you that the full moon will effect kitties and tonight is a full moon!

2011 Jun 15 20:14 Wed

Full Moon Link to Animal Behavior Revealed

The effect of the full moon on pets - by Kate McGee - Helium



She's not possessed =)

[Rhiamon]

My girl Bugg is spayed and sometimes does something similar. So I put the window fans in so she can't get into the open windows. I also close the patio door at night. There have been a few times that I have had to boot her out of the bedroom and just close the door and turn on some music. She eventually will settle but not before making a dozen laps around the apartment.

[shoiji]

When I first brought my kittens home they would take off in the opposite direction when ever I tried to pick them up. It took a couple of years before they decided to be "lap cats". One of them will actually let me pick her up and hold her.

Try and give it some time. Usually the more still you are the more inviting it is to the cat. In the evening sit on the floor and try giving her some cat treats one by one. I had one cat that hid all the time. When I started playing with her with a string she warmed up to me right away.

Good luck and let us know how it is going.

[craftypam]

Krbshappy;
Since you seem to know alot about dogs I have a question. I adopted a dog and he's like Dr Jeykll & Mr Hyde. When we are home he is sooo good. AND when we are not he gets into things and ruins them. I just bought a crate for him. I've never had to crate a dog and I feel bad putting him in it; . . . But its in the crate or my house. I need suggestions or any ideas to get him to behave while we are not home so I don't have to crate him. I do realize it might not happen, but I want to try.

He's 1 year old
TIA

Pam

[tracergal007]

Crafty-

That sounds like separation anxiety. My daschound mix went through that when we first got him. (He'd been through 6 homes in four months before we got him). It took me doing little things such as standing out in the yard where he could see me and then walking in. Then as he got used to that walking down to the mail box and back. Finally he got used to me going out and coming back. Now, he doesn't bother getting up from his nap to acknowledge when I leave! lol

[craftypam]

Hope I can "cure" this. He gets up everytime I get up to do anything including going to the bathroom. LOL

[akolb]

the trick to crate training is to make the pup feel like that's their room. put bedding and toys in it but not food or water. put it in the living room while you are in there but leave the door open. encourage him to go in there with toys and treats but don't force it. be consistent and he'll eventually like his crate.

[krbshappy71]

Krbshappy;
Since you seem to know alot about dogs I have a question. I adopted a dog and he's like Dr Jeykll & Mr Hyde. When we are home he is sooo good. AND when we are not he gets into things and ruins them. I just bought a crate for him. I've never had to crate a dog and I feel bad putting him in it; . . . But its in the crate or my house. I need suggestions or any ideas to get him to behave while we are not home so I don't have to crate him. I do realize it might not happen, but I want to try.

He's 1 year old
TIA

Pam

My latest dog that I crate-trained was 4 years old, its never too late to start!

Akolb, I disagree about "not food & water". All of mine are fed in their crates at breakfast and dinner time. It helps prevent feeding and gives them a sense that its their house.

So first you want to make sure its not punishment. Feed them in it at dinner time leaving the door OPEN. Put the food dish way in the back of the crate. They will pace and pace, debating going in because they'll think you're going to shut the door.

Don't shut the door until about 3 days or so of teaching them to go in there for dinner/breakfast/treats.

Lots of blankets and hide treats in their blankets, they will learn to wander in there to see if there are any goodies. Don't shut the door. (meanwhile to save your house, just shut them in a bathroom, first you want to establish the crate is safe not lock-down)

Then a few days later start shutting the door when they eat. Open the door immediately after they finish eating and LOTS of praise. Each time they finish eating, leave the door shut a bit longer. Shush any whining. Then open the door, lots of praise, etc.

I personally use a command each time of "kennel up" and I used this command before they actually had the door closed. Every time I was going to put their food in their crate I said, "kennel up". Now when I say it they all run in there.

Will the dog whine and fuss sometimes when you are trying to leave the house and they see you getting ready? Yes. but that's ok. They are safe, they may even bark a bit when you first walk out the door, but like a child being left at daycare they should stop soon afterwards.

Start with quick trips to the store, work up to longer periods of time.

Oh and eventually you don't have to put the food dish in the way-back of the crate, that's just to lure them into it when its new. Eventually they should pop in there immediately because they want fed. You can keep the bowl at the front.

Don't free-feed food in their crates, don't free-feed water in their crates. They'll have to go potty, that's not fair to them. Feed and water on a schedule, or during these hot days I give mine ice cubes.

Mine go in their crates for naps, I leave the crate doors open at all times when I'm home so they can wander in there.

I crate mine for short times for the following activities: taking a bath, weeding front yard, cleaning the garage.

If I can't supervise, they are crated. My two-bit opinion is that its safer for them to not have the opportunity to get into trouble. I wouldn't leave a 2 year old unattended in the house and then yell at it for getting into the medicine cabinet, so I don't let my dogs have the opportunity either. One can only puppy-proof so much!

Hugs to you, destructive dogs are not fun. Even with exercise I have a very destructive Golden.

[craftypam]

Krbs;

How old are each of your dogs and are they all still crated? I have had 4 other dogs and never crated any of them. I got them all as puppies except one that was 2. This one is 1 and I did not have a crate when I got him. I had a dr appt and locked him in my bathroom; thinking I had gotten everything out and I left a robe on the back of my door. He got ahold of the belt and chewed it in pcs. He also scratched the back of the door and the mirror was slobbered on up and down the back of the door. Nothing too serious; (this time) except I really liked that robe. LOL.

[krbshappy71]

Baby (Lhasa) is 10, raised her as a puppy, she was a "bathroom dog with baby gate" for years until I bought crates later. One time when she had run of the house she had gotten into the trash (it was under the kitchen sink) and eaten garbage, later she was found under the bed unconscious, she had had a seizure. I decided at that point that no dog would have run of the house, it scared me pretty bad.

Shep (Sheltie) is 8, raised him as a puppy, he was a "bathroom dog with baby gate" with Baby until I bought crates later.

Josie (golden) is 5, raised her as a puppy, she turned out to be very destructive and could get out of any baby-gated area so that's when I bought crates. I could write a novel on the things she destroyed, in fact I think I have a thread in Pets section about it, ha! She is still destructive with things in her crate such as any blankets, toys, etc. She's just a crazy chewing dog.

Arlo (golden) is guessed at 4, he's a rescue, severe separation anxiety. Doesn't chew stuff but panics and tries to hide under things such as the sofa, dining room table, chairs, upturns the house basically if you leave him uncrated, poor thing. I found him behind the entertainment center once, terrified and tangled in cords. Weird.

Daisy (bloodhound) is guessed at 4, she's a rescue, gets up on kitchen counters and started chewing sofa cushions. Granted, she had never been in a house before so I expected her to have some bad behaviors. (she was chained in a yard her whole life and about 20 lbs underweight.)

I turned my spare bedroom into a "dog room", I have all their crates in the room, then I select who gets "free play" time in the remaining space of the room. Its completely dog proof and I feel better being able to give free play space. Daisy and Josie don't always get along so they are the only two that cannot have free play together, everyone else gets rotated out. Those two get rotated with the other dogs that they do get along with. it works really well!

Arlo does still panic when in the dog room, he will go behind the crates and the wall if there is a storm, but so far has only done that when there's a storm. So I still give him free play time too.