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#1
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Cat vs Human
I consider Gizmo to be fairly well domesticated, that was until last night.
We were watching TV together (yes, she watches TV then talks to me in the ads) when she wanted to play, so I started tickling her.....all was good for a while until she bit me and started swiping me and hissing. I hadn't been doing anything to her I wouldn't normally do, things she always loves......for some reason she chucked a spastic last night then ignored me for an hour (sat in front of the heater, facing it, not looking at me, not even purring)......so, I kept watching TV and alas, she came back and started sucking up again and things were OK for the rest of the night. She even let us sleep in this morning (just as well as it is Saturday). It just reminded me that our furry feline friends really are animals and will defend themselves if necessary. Either that or she had a case of PMT (hmmmm.....shes desexed.....maybe not) We are still friends this morning so I think I am worthy of her attention now!!! Angela (and the savage Gizmo) |
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Angela,
Undoubtedly I'll be castigated for mentioning this, but I have some thoughts about animals/pets attacking their masters. Except for my encounter with Miss Kitty (our former feral), which I provoked--and handled stupidly--I've never been bitten by an animal, although friends and family members sometimes have by the same critters I've been around. A really super dog and I once attended obedience school and the question came up regarding what to do about a dog growling or becoming menacing. The trainer said the thing to do was strike them sharply, under their chin, and slam their mouth shut. Likely it would cause them to bite their tongue, but the snap would also cause a jar to their brain, thus changing any particular thought they might have at the moment. A few weeks later, he was behaving badly--as though he'd do as he darn well pleased (this was a 130 pound German Shepard) and retreated under the kitchen table from me. As I was reaching in for his chain collar, he got as far as the beginning of a growl. Since my hand was so close to his chin, I instantly slammed his mouth shut, which also drove his head into the underside of the table, causing all the tableware to rattle and clatter. It was quite a racket and must have made a lasting impression on him. He never offered to get nasty and mean with me or any other member of the family...ever again, in all the time he was with us. The times I've been around other animals which have become menacing, I've worked with that key thought the trainer mentioned of *changing their minds* by doing something to break the pattern of what was unfolding. Once it was acting as though I was completely indifferent to the animal's presence, once I chased a dog away, and another time--my scariest encounter--I was confronted by a dog, on a pitch dark night. I couldn't see the dog, which sounded large, and he was very menacing, blocking my path. In that case, all I could do was give the universal "No!" command, followed by "go home" and some other authoritarian verbal orders. Whatever it was worked and he vanished back into the night. The thing of it is, you, us, we people, are at the top of the food chain and the big creatures in charge. We're the bosses and, while it's nice and fun to kid around about *them* being our masters or our equals, it just isn't so, nor can it be. I don't know what was going on in your pet's mind, but would offer that she apparently believes she can discipline you, in her way, for whatever infraction you committed. If she thinks that, it's dangerous and dumb, my friend. In the same situation you had, where your cat bit you, I would have instantly slapped her and knocked her to the floor. I wouldn't have hit her hard enough to hurt her, but I would have *changed her mind* and left her with the knowledge that I had a physical power, and ability to use it, far greater than she had ever imagined. The message would have been, we can be nice, or, if you insist on being nasty, you have no idea what you're in for. The better choice, kitty, is to be nice to the boss. Anyway, that's my thinking on the matter and I'm sure somebody will tell me how I'm wrong ;-) Cheers, Jack "Angela Ryan" wrote in message ... I consider Gizmo to be fairly well domesticated, that was until last night. We were watching TV together (yes, she watches TV then talks to me in the ads) when she wanted to play, so I started tickling her.....all was good for a while until she bit me and started swiping me and hissing. I hadn't been doing anything to her I wouldn't normally do, things she always loves......for some reason she chucked a spastic last night then ignored me for an hour (sat in front of the heater, facing it, not looking at me, not even purring)......so, I kept watching TV and alas, she came back and started sucking up again and things were OK for the rest of the night. She even let us sleep in this morning (just as well as it is Saturday). It just reminded me that our furry feline friends really are animals and will defend themselves if necessary. Either that or she had a case of PMT (hmmmm.....shes desexed.....maybe not) We are still friends this morning so I think I am worthy of her attention now!!! Angela (and the savage Gizmo) |
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On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:06:05 +1000, "Angela Ryan"
wrote: I consider Gizmo to be fairly well domesticated, that was until last night. We were watching TV together (yes, she watches TV then talks to me in the ads) when she wanted to play, so I started tickling her.....all was good for a while until she bit me and started swiping me and hissing. I hadn't been doing anything to her I wouldn't normally do, things she always loves......for some reason she chucked a spastic last night then ignored me for an hour (sat in front of the heater, facing it, not looking at me, not even purring)......so, I kept watching TV and alas, she came back and started sucking up again and things were OK for the rest of the night. She even let us sleep in this morning (just as well as it is Saturday). It just reminded me that our furry feline friends really are animals and will defend themselves if necessary. Either that or she had a case of PMT (hmmmm.....shes desexed.....maybe not) We are still friends this morning so I think I am worthy of her attention now!!! Angela (and the savage Gizmo) IMO tickling (?) a cat is one of the most dangerous things one can do. |
#4
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Duh....I have *no* idea how to tickle a cat! Probably a good thing.......
"m. L. Briggs" wrote in message ... : On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 11:06:05 +1000, "Angela Ryan" : wrote: : : I consider Gizmo to be fairly well domesticated, that was until last night. : We were watching TV together (yes, she watches TV then talks to me in the : ads) when she wanted to play, so I started tickling her.....all was good for : a while until she bit me and started swiping me and hissing. I hadn't been : doing anything to her I wouldn't normally do, things she always : loves......for some reason she chucked a spastic last night then ignored me : for an hour (sat in front of the heater, facing it, not looking at me, not : even purring)......so, I kept watching TV and alas, she came back and : started sucking up again and things were OK for the rest of the night. She : even let us sleep in this morning (just as well as it is Saturday). : : It just reminded me that our furry feline friends really are animals and : will defend themselves if necessary. : : Either that or she had a case of PMT (hmmmm.....shes desexed.....maybe not) : : We are still friends this morning so I think I am worthy of her attention : now!!! : : Angela (and the savage Gizmo) : : IMO tickling (?) a cat is one of the most dangerous things one can : do. |
#5
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On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 7:25:34 -0700, JHBennett wrote
(in message ): No, I agree with you. If a pet attacks me it is gone. Hell, if a spouse attacks it should be gone. I take my safety seriously. But with a pet you have to consider others as well. If it is willing to attack you would happen to someone else? I don't push animals and I wouldn't consider something I did to provoke one to apply. Maya bit me once while trying to pill her. My fault, you put your fingers in an animals mouth, you take you chances. She scratched me once but she was scared by the electric clippers I was holding, again my fault. But, I would never allow a situation where I feared for my safety. Angela, Undoubtedly I'll be castigated for mentioning this, but I have some thoughts about animals/pets attacking their masters. Except for my encounter with Miss Kitty (our former feral), which I provoked--and handled stupidly--I've never been bitten by an animal, although friends and family members sometimes have by the same critters I've been around. A really super dog and I once attended obedience school and the question came up regarding what to do about a dog growling or becoming menacing. The trainer said the thing to do was strike them sharply, under their chin, and slam their mouth shut. Likely it would cause them to bite their tongue, but the snap would also cause a jar to their brain, thus changing any particular thought they might have at the moment. A few weeks later, he was behaving badly--as though he'd do as he darn well pleased (this was a 130 pound German Shepard) and retreated under the kitchen table from me. As I was reaching in for his chain collar, he got as far as the beginning of a growl. Since my hand was so close to his chin, I instantly slammed his mouth shut, which also drove his head into the underside of the table, causing all the tableware to rattle and clatter. It was quite a racket and must have made a lasting impression on him. He never offered to get nasty and mean with me or any other member of the family...ever again, in all the time he was with us. The times I've been around other animals which have become menacing, I've worked with that key thought the trainer mentioned of *changing their minds* by doing something to break the pattern of what was unfolding. Once it was acting as though I was completely indifferent to the animal's presence, once I chased a dog away, and another time--my scariest encounter--I was confronted by a dog, on a pitch dark night. I couldn't see the dog, which sounded large, and he was very menacing, blocking my path. In that case, all I could do was give the universal "No!" command, followed by "go home" and some other authoritarian verbal orders. Whatever it was worked and he vanished back into the night. The thing of it is, you, us, we people, are at the top of the food chain and the big creatures in charge. We're the bosses and, while it's nice and fun to kid around about *them* being our masters or our equals, it just isn't so, nor can it be. I don't know what was going on in your pet's mind, but would offer that she apparently believes she can discipline you, in her way, for whatever infraction you committed. If she thinks that, it's dangerous and dumb, my friend. In the same situation you had, where your cat bit you, I would have instantly slapped her and knocked her to the floor. I wouldn't have hit her hard enough to hurt her, but I would have *changed her mind* and left her with the knowledge that I had a physical power, and ability to use it, far greater than she had ever imagined. The message would have been, we can be nice, or, if you insist on being nasty, you have no idea what you're in for. The better choice, kitty, is to be nice to the boss. Anyway, that's my thinking on the matter and I'm sure somebody will tell me how I'm wrong ;-) Cheers, Jack "Angela Ryan" wrote in message ... I consider Gizmo to be fairly well domesticated, that was until last night. We were watching TV together (yes, she watches TV then talks to me in the ads) when she wanted to play, so I started tickling her.....all was good for a while until she bit me and started swiping me and hissing. I hadn't been doing anything to her I wouldn't normally do, things she always loves......for some reason she chucked a spastic last night then ignored me for an hour (sat in front of the heater, facing it, not looking at me, not even purring)......so, I kept watching TV and alas, she came back and started sucking up again and things were OK for the rest of the night. She even let us sleep in this morning (just as well as it is Saturday). It just reminded me that our furry feline friends really are animals and will defend themselves if necessary. Either that or she had a case of PMT (hmmmm.....shes desexed.....maybe not) We are still friends this morning so I think I am worthy of her attention now!!! Angela (and the savage Gizmo) |
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"John Biltz" wrote in message thlink.net... On Sat, 30 Aug 2003 7:25:34 -0700, JHBennett wrote (in message ): No, I agree with you. If a pet attacks me it is gone. Hell, if a spouse attacks it should be gone. I take my safety seriously. But with a pet you have to consider others as well. If it is willing to attack you would happen to someone else? I don't push animals and I wouldn't consider something I did to provoke one to apply. Maya bit me once while trying to pill her. My fault, you put your fingers in an animals mouth, you take you chances. She scratched me once but she was scared by the electric clippers I was holding, again my fault. But, I would never allow a situation where I feared for my safety. [[[[[snip]]]]]] I appreciate the reinforcement, John (Wow, talk about tossing behavioral jargon around!). But, when you think about it, that's how animals communicate what the limits are to other animals, via some physical sign of force or warning. You make a very good point about the safety of others who might be around your pet. And how many times have we heard something like, "that's the first time Precious has ripped the throat out of a child." Most pets are very accepting and protecting of children in a family, but, then, there are some which should be carefully watched and monitored. Truth be known, that's likely a good practice with any pet. Cheers, Jack |
#7
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"JHBennett" wrote in message ...
Angela, (selective snipping for length) , and another time--my scariest encounter--I was confronted by a dog, on a pitch dark night. I couldn't see the dog, which sounded large, and he was very menacing, blocking my path. In that case, all I could do was give the universal "No!" command, followed by "go home" and some other authoritarian verbal orders. Whatever it was worked and he vanished back into the night. The thing of it is, you, us, we people, are at the top of the food chain and the big creatures in charge. We're the bosses and, while it's nice and fun to kid around about *them* being our masters or our equals, it just isn't so, nor can it be. I don't know what was going on in your pet's mind, but would offer that she apparently believes she can discipline you, in her way, for whatever infraction you committed. If she thinks that, it's dangerous and dumb, my friend. Cheers, Jack Mike has always been a mean cat. He's always been a biter, and though it's happened less and less over the years (he's now 11) occasionally he would just *attack* - he would get a strange look in his eyes, and there was no stopping him unless you could throw up a barrier of some kind, like shove a pillow in front of you to block him. It was almost like a seizure of some kind, and was pretty scary, just because it was so weird. He could do some damage whenever this happened. That said, there is a limit to just how much damage a 10 pound cat can do to a 100 pound person. Assuming you can keep the cat from your face and eyes, bad scratches is about the extent of it. In my experience, under ordinary circumstances the commanding voice thing will do the trick. If an animal is completely out of control, all bets are off, of course. I have my own scary dog encounter, and would like to ask your opinion. Once, DH and I were out walking at night, when a man pulled into his driveway across the street. Big, *big* rottweiler leaped out of the back of his truck and headed for DH and me, barking and snarling like he meant business. My DH did not grow up around pets, and his instinct is to run, which he began to do, grabbing my arm. The dog's owner was running into the street after the dog, trying to catch him before he could get to us. I snatched my arm away from DH and yelled ******!!!NO!!!******* at the dog in my very best commanding voice. The dog froze in his tracks. So did DH and the dog's owner insert ladylike snort of glee I like dogs, and like rotties, but I know this man and can easily believe he'd trained this dog to be mean. The shout at least stopped the dog long enough to let his owner get to him, after he himself had shaken off the "NO" command g but what would you suggest in that situation? We were not carrying a stick or anything, and the dog outweighed me by at least 30 or 40 pounds. Humans aren't *always* at the top of the food chain, in a situation like this. ------ Krista |
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"LOL" wrote in message
om... "JHBennett" wrote in message ... Angela, (selective snipping for length) , and another time--my scariest encounter--I was confronted by a dog, on a pitch dark night. I couldn't see the dog, which sounded large, and he was very menacing, blocking my path. In that case, all I could do was give the universal "No!" command, followed by "go home" and some other authoritarian verbal orders. Whatever it was worked and he vanished back into the night. The thing of it is, you, us, we people, are at the top of the food chain and the big creatures in charge. We're the bosses and, while it's nice and fun to kid around about *them* being our masters or our equals, it just isn't so, nor can it be. I don't know what was going on in your pet's mind, but would offer that she apparently believes she can discipline you, in her way, for whatever infraction you committed. If she thinks that, it's dangerous and dumb, my friend. Cheers, Jack Mike has always been a mean cat. He's always been a biter, and though it's happened less and less over the years (he's now 11) occasionally he would just *attack* - he would get a strange look in his eyes, and there was no stopping him unless you could throw up a barrier of some kind, like shove a pillow in front of you to block him. It was almost like a seizure of some kind, and was pretty scary, just because it was so weird. He could do some damage whenever this happened. That said, there is a limit to just how much damage a 10 pound cat can do to a 100 pound person. Assuming you can keep the cat from your face and eyes, bad scratches is about the extent of it. In my experience, under ordinary circumstances the commanding voice thing will do the trick. If an animal is completely out of control, all bets are off, of course. I have my own scary dog encounter, and would like to ask your opinion. Once, DH and I were out walking at night, when a man pulled into his driveway across the street. Big, *big* rottweiler leaped out of the back of his truck and headed for DH and me, barking and snarling like he meant business. My DH did not grow up around pets, and his instinct is to run, which he began to do, grabbing my arm. The dog's owner was running into the street after the dog, trying to catch him before he could get to us. I snatched my arm away from DH and yelled ******!!!NO!!!******* at the dog in my very best commanding voice. The dog froze in his tracks. So did DH and the dog's owner insert ladylike snort of glee I like dogs, and like rotties, but I know this man and can easily believe he'd trained this dog to be mean. The shout at least stopped the dog long enough to let his owner get to him, after he himself had shaken off the "NO" command g but what would you suggest in that situation? We were not carrying a stick or anything, and the dog outweighed me by at least 30 or 40 pounds. Humans aren't *always* at the top of the food chain, in a situation like this. ------ Krista I don't have any suggestions, other than what you did, but I'd guess that's the best thing you could have done. Running is a VERY bad idea in such a situation. If you stay put, you might be attacked, but if you run, you definitely will be. Joy |
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"Angela Ryan" wrote in message ... I consider Gizmo to be fairly well domesticated, that was until last night. We were watching TV together (yes, she watches TV then talks to me in the ads) when she wanted to play, so I started tickling her.....all was good for a while until she bit me and started swiping me and hissing. I hadn't been doing anything to her I wouldn't normally do, things she always loves......for some reason she chucked a spastic last night then ignored me for an hour (sat in front of the heater, facing it, not looking at me, not even purring)......so, I kept watching TV and alas, she came back and started sucking up again and things were OK for the rest of the night. She even let us sleep in this morning (just as well as it is Saturday). It just reminded me that our furry feline friends really are animals and will defend themselves if necessary. Either that or she had a case of PMT (hmmmm.....shes desexed.....maybe not) We are still friends this morning so I think I am worthy of her attention now!!! Angela (and the savage Gizmo) Clarification.....normally Gizmo likes being tickled......this is the only time she has stepped the bounds.....I did not feel the need to discipline her I think perhaps I might have hit a sensitive spot. Angela |
#10
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I'm so glad you and your husband got out of the situation unharmed. You
really knew how to react. Best wishes, -- Polonca & Soncek "LOL" wrote in message om... snip I have my own scary dog encounter, and would like to ask your opinion. Once, DH and I were out walking at night, when a man pulled into his driveway across the street. Big, *big* rottweiler leaped out of the back of his truck and headed for DH and me, barking and snarling like he meant business. |
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