But... Cairo is really growing on me. He drove me CRAZY for a few weeks, but after bringing him home to meet my family dogs, I learned that it wasn't him who was being crazy.
I wasn't executing any patience. He would jump on the counter and I would scream. He'd bite me in the middle of the night and I would scream. He would meow and I would scream back. I was at the end of my rope! But it was because I didn't know how to talk to the cat.
I realized that dogs and cats are actually very similar, but cats don't understand punishment like dogs do. Cats need patience, just like puppies do. It doesn't end with litter box training.
I learned that he was jumping on the counter because he knew I would chase him. He knew that if he rattled the plate I left in the sink or knocked over the papers I had on the table I would pay him attention. When I took away the papers and washed the dishes and put a little food in his bowl, he stopped jumping on the counter.
Cairo, halfway to Mt. Cabinet.
I also learned the "Ow and Down" technique. When kitty bit too hard during play, or when he bit me lightly while I slept to wake me up, I made a high pitched "Ow!' sound, similar to a yowl, and place him on the ground. He got the message very quickly.
Patience is a serious virtue and a very difficult one to master. I decided to keep Cairo because I knew I needed a lesson in patience and he needed a home willing to love him. I want him to grow up and be a fat, happy cat. I don't know if a humane society would give him that opportunity right away and as a kitten, he is in a critical stage of development. Without the proper nurturing, how could he be expected to be a "good" pet?
I still wouldn't call myself a "cat person" and I'm definitely still a dog person, but I felt that this was the right choice. So welcome home, Cairo! We've got a lot of learning to do!
Have you learned any lessons from pets? Share with me in the comments below!
Stay true to yourself,
Alyson
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