| Title: | Meower Power is Valuing Differences |
| Notice: | FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY |
| Moderator: | MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO |
| Created: | Sun Feb 09 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jan 11 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5089 |
| Total number of notes: | 60366 |
Hi Everyone,
I've used keywords, but haven't found anything to do with jealousy,
but moderators, please feel free to move this if necessary. I haven't
been in this conference for eons and it's certainly grown!
Anyway... I'd like suggestions/advice from any of you who may have
experienced something like this before. I had a baby 5 months ago
much to the dismay of Florence and The Cowboy (mother and son ages
12 and 13). Florence is more or less a go-with-the-flow type cat,
but The Cowboy has become very jealous of the baby and is acting
out by fighting with Florence (he's definately the instigator) and
ripping the sofa and loveseat to shreds. He's always been a problem
with clawing the furniture, but it's gotten *really* bad since my
daughter entered the picture. I've tried everything to get him to
stop (e.g. scratching posts, clipping nails, smelly spray stuff,
squirt gun) and nothing works. I'm trying to give him extra attention
(especially when the baby is around) but he's definately a "changed"
cat. Will he ever accept her? Florence seems to have done well,
but then she never really despised the baby to begin with.
Also... about declawing alternatives: A friend of mine has told me
that there's a new procedure out there where the vet will cut the
claws very short and glue a little tiny bead to the end so they
can't scratch furniture. It's something that supposedly lasts about
3 months before it has to be done again, is fairly inexpensive, and
above all, a much better alternative to declawing. Anybody hear
about this or had it done? I'm very curious and would like to learn
more.
Thanks,
Kathryn
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3419.1 | CIRCUS::KOLLING | Karen/Sweetie/Holly/Little Bit Ca. | Thu Mar 15 1990 15:50 | 5 | |
My guess would be at at only five months, you still have a huge
amount of your time and attention centered on the baby, and
The Cowboy senses that. (little egomaniacs!) I expect things will
calm down later.
| |||||
| 3419.2 | MIVC::MTAG | Wed Mar 21 1990 12:24 | 24 | ||
I read a story somewhere last Summer/Fall in a magazine about a woman
who had a cat, then a baby. The woman in the article experience
similar problems as you, except she only had one cat. Anyway, after
months went by, there was a terrible thunderstorm one night and she
lost electricity. Her child was in the playpen in a room while she was
looking for flashlights, candles, etc. When she returned to her baby,
the cat was curled up with him/her as if comforting the baby during the
storm. They finally accepted each other and it was as if the cat
understood what was going on with the baby during the storm. Seems
years earlier the woman had adopted her cat during a wild storm and now
the cat was returning the favor by comforting the baby.
I am expecting my first in late May and have 3 cats. I have wondered
about how the cats will accept my baby, particularly Benjamin.
However, somehow, Ben *knows* about the baby (I think even before I
did) - he used to "tabby stomp" my stomach before I started to get big,
and now he lies across my stomach and purrs, as if talking to the baby
(who gives him a swift kick). I think somehow, hopefully, the
acceptance process has already begun and if not, it may take some time.
But, I'm sure eventually the cats and baby will learn to be "friends"
or at least tollerant of each other.
Mary
| |||||
| 3419.3 | NUTMEG::MACDONALD_K | Wed Mar 21 1990 15:32 | 22 | ||
Mary,
What a nice story that was! I don't think The Cowboy could ever
be like that, though. He's always been "my baby" before Allyson
came along and he'll probably only be tolerant of her, at best.
Congratulations, by the way, on your upcoming baby. I'm sure
everything will work out O.K. The fact that Benjamin purrs to
your belly is a good sign, I think. Florence and The Cowboy
seemed to sense that there was "something strange growing in there"
when I was pregnant and avoided my belly completely. The Cowboy
was used to laying on my stomach at night while watching T.V.
but stopped (without my prodding) as soon as I started to show.
He just *knew* something was up and he didn't like it at all.
Anyway, thanks for the vote of confidence. Hopefully he'll adjust.
One thing the baby has taught him, though: "If you cry, you'll
get fed." Yesterday, at 4:30 am he stood in the doorway of her
room and whined so my husband and I would hear him on the nursery
monitor. If we don't get up and feed him when *he* wants it, we
have no peace. What a little pain! He even woke up the baby.
- Kathryn
| |||||