New problem with the new cat

[jmowreader]

Thanks to flea combing and washing in Dawn, the flea problem has been eliminated. Now I have a worse one.

We have one room in the house that is completely flea-free, so that's where she lives. This room houses my Mac, my office chair, my stereo, this 2-lb cat and our big orange cat Kenny, who lives down here because he tries to kill the Titty Boy (that's his real name) every time he sees him--and the Titty Boy is Kenny's son.

The Girsberger Trilax chair is upholstered on the bottom. This is important--she goes under the chair, jumps up, grabs the upholstery, climbs up until she reaches my leg, climbs that, climbs up the front of my shirt and plops down right on my shoulder, where she proceeds to fall asleep and stay that way for an hour or so.

Now I have a very sore shoulder and can hardly move my arm. I've tried moving the cat to the left shoulder; she either goes around the back of my neck, jumps into my lap then climbs back onto my right shoulder, or crawls over my head to get back to her shoulder. Putting her on the floor only works if there's food down there, and then only until she's eaten--then zoom! right back on my shoulder.

This shit's getting painful. Any ideas?

[Dookus]

1. awww....

everybody should have such problems - a kitty who loves you too much.

It's hard to explain to a cat that they can do something SOMETIMES but not others. If it's a serious problem, you'll have to train her not to get on your shoulder at all. When she tries, give a stern NO! followed by either a little tap on the nose or a little pinch on the neck, then put her on the ground or down on your lap. Repeat as necessary (might take awhile). Good luck!

[Skip Intro]

5. That was exactly my first response

awww - and everyone should have such problems

I'm sure the little one's habits will modify as he grows.

My cat, very, very well over two pounds, has chosen between my legs as his resting "on me" spot. Its not always convenient, but man, would I miss it if he stopped...

[jukes]

8. light mist

from a spray-bottle, can help.

intro her to catnip.

[Spinzonner]

2. Catnip on the left shoulder ?

Although I guess she's probably too young for that. Plus you might get a cat colony on your shoulders from that.

Cat repellent on both shoulders ?

hair shirt ?

[AmandaRuth]

3. get her a pillow or cat cradle

where she can sleep and rub it with catnip. When she climbs on you, gently put her in her new space.

[sleepyhead]

4. Maybe put something on your shoulder to repel her?

Cats usually don't like the smell of citrus. I'm not sure how you'd do it though. A dab of lemon juice?

Or maybe if you put an article of worn clothing like an old T-shirt on the floor, she would find it similar enough to your odor to sleep there?

[kestrel91316]

6. Advice from DU's unofficial cat veterinarian.............

Ask your vet to show you how to keep kitty's claws clipped REAL SHORT so there is no climbing up clothes or upholstry. And for flea control, don't waste your time and energy using flea shampoo and a flea comb. If kitty is old/big enough (8 wks/2 lb) use Advantage, Revolution, or Frontline. These are state-of-the-art flea control products, extremely safe and highly effective. I never have to deal with flea problems anymore with this stuff, we always just nip it in the bud.

[demnan]

7. Find a safe haven for this cat.

It could be a closet, an extra bathroom, etc. The cat is feeling very threatened and finds that your body is the only place it feels safe. You need to give this cat a little piece of territory of its own, so it feels safe in a cat bed, maybe with a similarly colored stuffed animal and a litter box where it can establish its own smells, as this is important for a cat. If you give it this haven for a week or two it will come out of its shell and become a normal gregarious cat. While its in its sanctuary, be sure and give it plenty of love and kisses so it knows it is part of your family.

[jmowreader]

9. This is a "normal gregarious cat"

I've had cats that felt threatened when we brought them home. This isn't one of them. This is, conversely, one of the boldest kittens I've ever seen. She just loves to sleep on my shoulder.

[SoCalDem]

10. My Marvin is a shoulder cat too.. Is't it wonderful??

He just drapes himself (totally relaxed) and allows me to massage his ears with my left hand.. When I stop, I get a handfull of kitty face until I start again.. When he falls asleep, I can resume typing with two hands..

Marvin is a runt, so I am lucky..

You might have to find a different room when you want to "work"..:):)