Cat Attacks Owners Hands and Ankles
Talia was a 2-year-old black domestic short-hair cat with a penchant for stalking her mom, wrapping herself around Mrs. Small’s wrist and bunny-kicking her hand. Ouch!
My usual favorite remedies for this sort of cat exuberance include increasing structured playtime. At least 20 minutes twice a day of hard ball-chasing, string-chasing fun (supervised, of course!)
My next favorite remedy if the kitty is already very well entertained with attention and exercise, is a “natural” slightly unpleasant consequence. Not punishment, because that usually ups the stakes and makes the cat gain your attention with more vigorous and inconvenient means.
A “natural” consequence is a bit of canned air pfoofed in the cat’s direction. Not water, not a can with coins, not sharp sounds like the crack of newspaper. It even sounds like hissing.
Mrs. Small couldn’t implement any of this advice because she was 100% blind. So what was she going to do?
“How can I even say anything to Talia? I can’t see her coming.”
Aha! This gave me “the” idea.
“Why don’t we put a bell on her collar?”
Perfect! Talia tried her little game a few more times, but Mrs. Small heard her coming every time now. Not so much fun anymore!
