Socializing my cats

Hi, I just joined this newsgroup. I have 2 cats, they are 8 months old. If
anyone comes over they hide under my bed and won't come out. And if they
happen to come out for a sec and see my company the one will run away, the
other will growl and hiss... what is the best way to socialize my cat?
Also, we just purchased a dog and the cats have spent the last 24 hours
quivering in their spots afraid to go anywhere near the dog (3 months old).
And the same one if the dog gets too close will hiss... so how should I
handle this? Also, what is the best way to stop my cat from hissing, I
don't want this to become a habit for her. Oh yeah, they are all females if
that makes a difference. Thanks

Geoff

in article , Laura R. at
wrote on 5/2/04 10:35 AM:

circa Sun, 02 May 2004 15:29:05 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Geoff ) said,

Hi, I just joined this newsgroup. I have 2 cats, they are 8 months old. If
anyone comes over they hide under my bed and won't come out. And if they
happen to come out for a sec and see my company the one will run away, the
other will growl and hiss... what is the best way to socialize my cat?

Either have more people over more often, or live with having
chickens**t cats. I went with the latter approach, myself. :-)

Also, we just purchased a dog and the cats have spent the last 24 hours
quivering in their spots afraid to go anywhere near the dog (3 months old).
And the same one if the dog gets too close will hiss... so how should I
handle this? Also, what is the best way to stop my cat from hissing, I
don't want this to become a habit for her. Oh yeah, they are all females if
that makes a difference. Thanks

Time. Let her hiss. It's normal, and it's instinctive, and you're
never going to "stop" a cat from hissing to express feeling
threatened. Let her do it. Eventually, she'll get used to the dog. Or
she won't, and she'll continue to hiss at the dog. Either way, that's
just the way cats are. :-)

Laura

Even our biggest hissers eventually got over hissing at the dogs. I also
suggest establishing a very solid "routine". The cats are not going to get
confident if new things continue to be thrown at them. I also agree that the
way they will get used to visitors is by having lots of visitors. Depending
on if your visitors are amenable to helping you "train" them, you could also
have friend over who will sit on the floor with you. This is always more non
threatening and the cats will usually get curious enough to come out. If the
visits are pleasant and without ruckus, I bet they will get better about it.

Karen

in article , Laura R. at
wrote on 5/2/04 10:35 AM:

circa Sun, 02 May 2004 15:29:05 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Geoff ) said,

Hi, I just joined this newsgroup. I have 2 cats, they are 8 months old. If
anyone comes over they hide under my bed and won't come out. And if they
happen to come out for a sec and see my company the one will run away, the
other will growl and hiss... what is the best way to socialize my cat?

Either have more people over more often, or live with having
chickens**t cats. I went with the latter approach, myself. :-)

Also, we just purchased a dog and the cats have spent the last 24 hours
quivering in their spots afraid to go anywhere near the dog (3 months old).
And the same one if the dog gets too close will hiss... so how should I
handle this? Also, what is the best way to stop my cat from hissing, I
don't want this to become a habit for her. Oh yeah, they are all females if
that makes a difference. Thanks

Time. Let her hiss. It's normal, and it's instinctive, and you're
never going to "stop" a cat from hissing to express feeling
threatened. Let her do it. Eventually, she'll get used to the dog. Or
she won't, and she'll continue to hiss at the dog. Either way, that's
just the way cats are. :-)

Laura

Even our biggest hissers eventually got over hissing at the dogs. I also
suggest establishing a very solid "routine". The cats are not going to get
confident if new things continue to be thrown at them. I also agree that the
way they will get used to visitors is by having lots of visitors. Depending
on if your visitors are amenable to helping you "train" them, you could also
have friend over who will sit on the floor with you. This is always more non
threatening and the cats will usually get curious enough to come out. If the
visits are pleasant and without ruckus, I bet they will get better about it.

Karen

Time. Let her hiss. It's normal, and it's instinctive, and you're
never going to "stop" a cat from hissing to express feeling
threatened. Let her do it. Eventually, she'll get used to the dog. Or
she won't, and she'll continue to hiss at the dog. Either way, that's
just the way cats are. :-)

Laura

Even our biggest hissers eventually got over hissing at the dogs. I also
suggest establishing a very solid "routine". The cats are not going to get
confident if new things continue to be thrown at them. I also agree that
the
way they will get used to visitors is by having lots of visitors.
Depending
on if your visitors are amenable to helping you "train" them, you could
also
have friend over who will sit on the floor with you. This is always more
non
threatening and the cats will usually get curious enough to come out. If
the
visits are pleasant and without ruckus, I bet they will get better about
it.

Karen


My friends come over quite often however even with my parents over and we
are very quite they hide under the bed and will not move for the duration,
they arn't curious enough I guess.

Time. Let her hiss. It's normal, and it's instinctive, and you're
never going to "stop" a cat from hissing to express feeling
threatened. Let her do it. Eventually, she'll get used to the dog. Or
she won't, and she'll continue to hiss at the dog. Either way, that's
just the way cats are. :-)

Laura

Even our biggest hissers eventually got over hissing at the dogs. I also
suggest establishing a very solid "routine". The cats are not going to get
confident if new things continue to be thrown at them. I also agree that
the
way they will get used to visitors is by having lots of visitors.
Depending
on if your visitors are amenable to helping you "train" them, you could
also
have friend over who will sit on the floor with you. This is always more
non
threatening and the cats will usually get curious enough to come out. If
the
visits are pleasant and without ruckus, I bet they will get better about
it.

Karen


My friends come over quite often however even with my parents over and we
are very quite they hide under the bed and will not move for the duration,
they arn't curious enough I guess.

On Sun, 02 May 2004 15:29:05 +0000, Geoff wrote:

Hi, I just joined this newsgroup. I have 2 cats, they are 8 months old. If
anyone comes over they hide under my bed and won't come out.

Well, cats is cats.

We had two cats who just weren't social AT ALL unless they really got to
know you, and our two girls right now just love anybody who comes in.
Lina doesn't mind being picked up, Zel can't stand it (yet crawls under
the blankets at night to snuggle with my wife or myself - or both).

So I'm going to pretty much echo Laura R's comment. They gotta get used
to the people, or you gotta get used to the quirks. Hopefully they'll
come around.

--
Dennis Carr - | I may be out of my mind,
http://www.dennis.furtopia.org | But I have more fun that way.
------------------------------------+-------------------------------

On Sun, 02 May 2004 15:29:05 +0000, Geoff wrote:

Hi, I just joined this newsgroup. I have 2 cats, they are 8 months old. If
anyone comes over they hide under my bed and won't come out.

Well, cats is cats.

We had two cats who just weren't social AT ALL unless they really got to
know you, and our two girls right now just love anybody who comes in.
Lina doesn't mind being picked up, Zel can't stand it (yet crawls under
the blankets at night to snuggle with my wife or myself - or both).

So I'm going to pretty much echo Laura R's comment. They gotta get used
to the people, or you gotta get used to the quirks. Hopefully they'll
come around.

--
Dennis Carr - | I may be out of my mind,
http://www.dennis.furtopia.org | But I have more fun that way.
------------------------------------+-------------------------------

"Laura R." wrote in message
...
circa Sun, 02 May 2004 15:29:05 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Geoff ) said,

Either have more people over more often, or live with having chickens**t
cats. I went with the latter approach, myself. :-)

That would be my best advice too. We rarely have company, and then rarely
more than one or two people for a quiet dinner, so my girls flee if they
hear the doorbell and hide under things if they hear a strange voice.
Gnarly, on the other hand, would go up to anyone and just stand and stare at
them. She rarely hid, even though we lived alone together. My explanation
for that is that she was a really, really dumb cat. Dumbest I have ever
seen, bless her heart. And she did not love me more than everyone else--she
disliked everyone equally and did not like to be petted. But she would stand
and stare.

"Laura R." wrote in message
...
circa Sun, 02 May 2004 15:29:05 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav,
Geoff ) said,

Either have more people over more often, or live with having chickens**t
cats. I went with the latter approach, myself. :-)

That would be my best advice too. We rarely have company, and then rarely
more than one or two people for a quiet dinner, so my girls flee if they
hear the doorbell and hide under things if they hear a strange voice.
Gnarly, on the other hand, would go up to anyone and just stand and stare at
them. She rarely hid, even though we lived alone together. My explanation
for that is that she was a really, really dumb cat. Dumbest I have ever
seen, bless her heart. And she did not love me more than everyone else--she
disliked everyone equally and did not like to be petted. But she would stand
and stare.

"Laura R." wrote

Er, "an" equal opportunity hater, that is.
--

Gotcha. :') You know, when I waxed lovey over Gnarly, about the only thing I
could gush about was "She has the softest fur in the whole world." I mean, I
couldn't say "Oh, look at my sweet, smart, lovey little Gnarly." Of course
she was pretty. And she did have a pulse. That was enough for me for 18
years. I'll just leave the nature of the men I dated to your imagination.
LOL!