Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Elsa


I think there is a little confusion about Elsa's "condition"..

She is not feral, but she had absolutely no manners.  She is very loving and wants lots and lots of attention, but in her world (prior to coming to me) everyone was most likely (and I'm guessing because I really don't know) was a cat or some other animal.  They express affection by biting and wrestling with one another.  When they settle down they do groom one another and snuggle up to one another, but Elsa is so high energy that I almost never see her laying down let alone sleeping.

Play sessions where I get her running around and jumping up on the couch and the box help drain some of that energy and make it a little easier for me to read her body language because it isn't going a 100MPH any more..

Wearing "armor" of sweaters and gloves protect my skin and allow me to get close enough to her to help her understand that biting human flesh is NOT acceptable.  When they are kittens they don't have the jaw strength to penetrate skin so it is much easier to train kittens how to properly interact with humans - I mean no matter how big their floofsuit is, they just don't intimidate me like a full grown cat with its powerful jaws that can exert up to 100 psi.

She runs to me.  If I try to move she runs to get in front of me.  She loves to rub against me.  If I am stopped near or sitting next to a blanket she will 'make biscuits" on it.  But she is unpredictable   she runs VERY fast, her movements are jerky, so it is hard to tell when she's just moving around or moving to strike.

Fortunately she hasn't done a strike since the first time which of course resulted in my being bitten.  And again, I do NOT believe she bit me because she was frightened or cornered, but I firmly believe that she bit me in play - not understanding that it would hurt me.

So we are doing that complicated dance people do when they are trying to communicate with someone who does not speak their language.  Her language of love is bite and wrestle.. Mine is cuddle and pats.

She is smart.  When I'm feeding her she gets all up in my business, and I tell her to get down and she immediately gets down.  Of course she turns right around and comes back up and I have to tell her to get down again, but she gets right down.

But being full of hormones it hinders things..

speaking of which..
*makes phone call*
*runs home then to shelter then back to work*

OK, so Elsa is at the shelter being neutered..   I didn't want to leave Ella at home alone and I figured if she came to work that she'd sleep easy tonight and leave Elsa alone.. well my newest co-worker has fallen in love and everyone is absolutely GUSHING over her.. I think she was going to faint from cuteness when Ella pounced on something.  She's already sending photos to her husband.. lol.

11 comments:

  1. I didn't have any doubt about her manners (or lack of). Glad she's getting spayed. That will help tremendously. And maybe you already found a home for Ella? ;-)

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  2. Yep - it happens. I often say that single kittens have the same issue - and I am SO thankful the crew at my house don't seem to mind fosters (too much). My crew is just better at teaching manners than I am. And I say something similar about Junior - I am positive his first language is not "domestic cat" cause even the crew looks at him funny sometimes. :) Hopefully the hormones coming down will help.

    And we have no doubt the cuteness will keep any serious work from being done this afternoon.

    Oh - and about your comment. If we had the two out before new ones in rule, Mo and Bourbon would be sleeping on the deck. MOL

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  3. She just wants love and attention. I have a sister like that too, well, she has gotten over it cause she knows how much we love her. She might just need some time to know that too.

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  4. Being spayed will certainly help!! Looks like Ella might have worked her charm!

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  5. Oh boy! That kitten may have a home in the making! Hopefully being fixed will help Elsa chill out a little. Sounds like she's just a big untrained kitten herself.

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  6. She sounds so sweet, hope it all work out!!

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  7. Mica Moo was like that too. She moved so fast we all thought she was going to attack, but she was just looking around seeing what was going on. She must have had some human contact, but she had to look around to see what was happening when her back was scratched. She loves to knead but she uses her claws. She's a strange case.

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  8. Hopefully you found her forever home! Have a great day. Hailey and Zaphod

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  9. uh oh, sounds like someone's a goner!

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  10. Of course she'll learn she just an over grown kitten and using doggy terms you just need to show her who the leader of the pack is that's all but being spayed will slow her down for a few days then its waiting for the hormones to drop off then she will chill a little

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  11. Anonymous3:46 PM

    She makes biscuits on you and all. So at least she trusts you. I'm sure she'll grow up in a loving cat in the future. ;)

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