Re-Calibrating Vinny
(or how to adjust your cat to being indoors from being an outdoor cat-carouser)
- first thing we did really really fast was neuter him; be responsible cat parents and neuter or spay your cat, and get them seen by a vet as soon as possible to get their shots and checked over ... please!
- we used a pheromone spray, Natures Miracle, to help him settle and calm his agitation - pretty much sprayed it about every 5 metres around the house on the walls and against the cupboards at his level
- bought him a 3 tier cat tree (he loved climbing trees) and placed it at a prime vantage point looking out onto the garden to give him an "indoor/outdoor" feel. It was a big hit. Also put it in the living room where we all spend a lot of time, not in a remote area. He "helped" build it, and just somehow knew he was going to love the crap out of it, right from when the box arrived. I have pictures.
- catnip when he got the yowls to escape and called out for the help of his peoples ... and especially when he would not shut the heck up
- toys. lots of toys. We spent a lot on toys and his freaking favourite toy is an ear bud. Go figure. I suggest not spending a lot until you figure out what your cat will prefer as his main squeeze toy
- built a fort from boxes. We had fun, he had the best time watching and directing the project and flipping zero interest in the thing when we were done. Apparently it works for some cats. We tried.
- establish the new cats area early, what I mean is that we shut our bedroom door in the day, that is not his chillax place for when we are not there, so it's a BIG deal that we let him in and it gives him something else to think about other than obsessing on getting out, but rather get in The Bedroom Supadupa Prize Jackpot
I have no words for this cuteness
Walkies time. Vinny and a new stray we adopted (we need help). Her name is Felicity. She is complicated and has issues with just about everything and everyone.
- we made his most restless time to get out around the time we fed him, until he got used to being indoors; now we have a feed hopper that takes the pain away from him associating us with food = bliss
"You are under my hypnotic power of love and will obey me at all times"
- lots of love and extra attention ... and as we are both allergic to cats (we've both been tested) this shows our crazy love and how we have been implanted/infected with the fierce feline force obsession to have cats, gods help us
If I think of anything else I'll update this post, but this is what I can remember. It's mostly about getting to know the cat and being smarter than them, ultimately. Which will never happen, btw - or just maybe.
When they are not controlling your mind, that is.
Vincent Van Gogh