I would ask more questions about the biting. It might have nothing to do with being picked up to go the catio. It might be biting becuase of getting too excited when playing or other things. I would ask their advice on this. It’s also fine NOT to take them out to their playpen.
If it is specifically when you pick them up and have a lightweight carrier, then I’d say get the easier cat out there, and use a treat to see if you can get the other cat in the carrier for the trip. Heavier duty garden gloves might be another idea.
You can avoid getting scratched by a cat by picking the cat up with one hand under it’s chest (cat facing forward) so your arm keeps the cat’s front paws from moving. I use this method when my cats door dart into the hallway and I need tto get them back in. It also makes biting a little harder too.
Good news: First Operation Cat Lift has happened without injury.
Elder cat meowed to be airlifted to the glassed studio, but then meowed his complaints during the actual lifting. Happily, he didn’t try to bite or scratch, but I was wearing my puffy jacket and some rubbery garden gloves, as suggested, in case anything went awry.
Before my hosts left the house, they said at the last minute: Don’t let them hurt you. I said, I think it’ll be fine. They replied: Well, we have the marks to prove it. And: Grab him by the scruff of the neck to show him you’re in charge.
Yikes. So I’m going to take it day by day and see how the cats behave. And I’m not going to be grabbing anyone by the scruff of the neck.
Like any animal, cats have their inherent personalities. Some crave attention and laps, and other’s ignore you more. However since they tend to be stoic it’s important to watch and pay attention to behavior and or changes. I’ve had multiple cat sits and they all been their own unique littke individuals. I even sat for one this winter who loved belly rubs which is unusual, but not unheard of.
Yup, definitely individuals. I sat one who loved belly rubs and brushing of his face and whiskers and under his chin. And cats who’ve swished their tails nonstop when they were content.
A few days into my sit with the iffy kitty and his friendly sidekick kitty: I’ve been picking them up to get them to and from their glassed studio daily.
No injuries, knock wood, though the elder cat did give me a warning bite yesterday. That was because I was going to pick him up and he wanted to stay in the studio. So I let him stay till near dark and was then able to pick him up for dinner in the house, which is separated by the yard.
Thanks to wearing rubbery garden gloves (I think they’re meant to prevent puncture by thorns), the warning bite didn’t do any damage. I’m going to keep wearing them and my puffy jacket, just in case.
The iffy kitty meows in protest and squirms every time he’s picked up, even when he’s standing by the door and meowed to go to the studio. The worst thing would be to get bitten and have him run away while we’re between the house and studio. I make sure to hold him firmly against me, so he feels secure and isn’t dangling.
I get the sense from observing him at other times that he’s not stable — one minute he wants me to pet or brush him, or he’s rubbing against me, and suddenly he swats at me with his paw. I stay alert and pet and brush him only for limited time. He also randomly will hide under a chair or other piece of furniture while watching me. And sometimes he darts away.
Odd. He doesn’t seem to be the kind of cat where you can steadily earn trust. I guess that’s why his regular humans get scratched or bitten — he’s unpredictable, even though they’ve had him for years. They say he’s moody and you don’t want to catch him in a bad mood. Apparently, he was much worse before, when he was the only cat. His humans were advised to get a second cat, to help keep him company and help cut down on his aggression.
I feel sorry for him — he’d get more loving if he weren’t unpredictable.
The other kitty is sweet. He sometimes climbs on me, like in bed. We were just hanging out and he was purring away. He’s normal.
Iffy kitty is showing more affection, including hanging around the bathroom while I brush my teeth and hopping on my bed while I’m reading. He likes to hop and dash off, then check back in. Meanwhile, his little sidekick dozes off and likes to hang out on the bed much more, getting pets.
You certainly are going above and beyond to keep their routine and make sure they get their time in their catio! Make sure you only do what you feel comfortable and safe doing.
I’m glad that iffy kitty is warming up and the Ginger baby one is being so cute!
Thanks, @Carla. I’ll reassess if they become more worrisome.
These are darned lucky cats. If I believed in reincarnation, I’d want their lives. They have run of a multistory home with all sorts of views, perches and toys.
They also have a large catio they can enter at will, from a cat door from the house. That faces the waterfront and has a litter box.
Instead, they prefer the detached studio (it’s an art studio with toilet, sinks and such), because it has a full glassed view of the backyard and woodsy setting, where birds, squirrels and other critters feed. It’s like a giant living TV screen for the cats. And it has multiple levels, a ladder, a cat tree, a giant planter box, cushy seats, a heater, food, water, a litter box and more. The cats’ routine includes lounging in there for hours, so they meow in demand to go daily. I think if they didn’t go, they might create mayhem in the house.
Wow, @Maggie8K They have some many options! Plus the detached studio! Thank you for doing what you are doing. Coming back as a well-loved pet would be amazing. No 9-5 and being so well cared for and waited on
I’ve had two cats that actually swat when you stop petting them or they think you are about to stop. My beloved departed senior cat would actually grab the brush if I was using it with two paws to signal he wasn’t done.
I wonder if the catcentric pet parents have considered creating a passageway for the cats from the studio to the main house. That solve a lot of problems!
Yes, I’ve sat a cat like that. It was helpful, because they could show what they wanted. Unfortunately, with iffy cat, the swatting could mean claws out.
This evening, heard young kitty squealing and found that iffy kitty had him pinned down. Went to the rescue, and iffy kitty jumped and took an upset swipe at me. Luckily, I pulled back and escaped the brunt of his claws.
They separated and then quickly resumed wrestling hard, so I had to approach and yell at them to stop. Younger kitty ran off and iffy kitty pursued.
A minute later, I find young kitty on iffy kitty’s back, trying to resume wrestling. I broke them up again and, when one chased the other into my room, I shut the door after iffy kitty ran out, so younger kitty couldn’t pursue and further provoke iffy kitty. I figured they needed to cool off.
I then texted my hosts, who said that’s happened before and to not approach when the cats are wrestling too hard. Instead, throw a blanket, towel or cushion to break them up. They say iffy kitty has lunged like that before when worked up.
My sit ends in a couple of days and I’ve avoided trouble so far. Hope to wrap up that way as well.
So far, I’ve stayed careful when lifting the cats to and from their studio. And I brush or pet iffy kitty only a little and watch out. Meanwhile, young kitty is very affectionate.
