Beating cats

[deacsoft]

So after a while of discussion and such I've agreed to let my girlfriend have her cat come to live with us. She's agreed to take full care of it (meaning that I have no cat responsibilities what so ever). The issue is that I'm alergic to cats and otherwise have no problem with them, but certainly don't need some cat driving me crazy while I'm trying to work. I don't care if the cat is living with us as long as she keeps it and the house clean of cat hair and such. And I do not want this cat coming in to my office and bothering me while I'm working. I basically don't want the cat near me but I also don't want the cat to run and hide in terror every time it sees me. How do I train the cat to leave me alone but not fear me? The only way I can come up with to keep it away from me it to give it a good, savage beating. However I don't want to hurt the cat, the girlfriend would get pissed, and the cat would forever fear me. I just need to get it accross to this cat they we can have a good "don't mess with me; I won't mess with you" relationship. Any help here?

[Brainwalter]

Just spray water at it, they really hate that. My dad did this for 10 or 12 years, it works well. They avoided him for the most part.

A little goes a long way, just keep a spray bottle around for a few days after tha cat moves in.

[ukpokerplayer]

Either piss yourself, or surround yourself with lemons. It wont come near you then

[Paluka]

water in a spray bottle is a good option.

[Los Feliz Slim]

To reduce your allergies:

Hardwood is better than carpet.
Get a good HEPA air purifier and put it in your bedroom.
If possible, keep the cat out of the bedroom at all times.
Have her brush and wipe the cat down regularly.
Feed the cat high-quality food.

If these steps help your allergies, how about you make an effort to accept the cat into your life? They're really wonderful animals. If you can't at least give it a shot, having the cat come live with you is a really terrible idea for everybody.

Obviously, don't beat the cat.

[Dominic]

get a water gun. Every time the cat comes near you, spray it. It will learn rather quickly not to come near you.

As a side note, when my finacee and I moved in, she brought two cats with her and I felt exactly like you did - keep the cats away and clean up the cat hair!

Now, I love the damn cats like my own children and the cat hair doesn't bother me at all.

We've also gotten ANOTHER cat and two dogs!

/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[deacsoft]

Thanks guys. I'm going to go out and get a badass water pistol today. That's a great idea. As I said, I have no problems with cats. I'm not a cat hater. The rules we set before I agreed to let the cat move in were these:
1) Not allowed in the bedroom or the my office. Ever.
2) The cat must be bathed regularly.
3) The house must be kept clean of cat hair. I agreed to buy a Roomba (http://www.powervacs.com/iRobot-Roomba-Red-4100-P158.aspx) to help with the cleaning.
4) Cat litter must be kept in order. I agreed to buy a littermaid (http://www.totalvac.com/littermaid.htm?ovchn=GGL&ovcpn=littermaid&ovcrn=li ttermaid+mega+self+cleaning+litter+box&ovtac=PPC) to help with that.

[swede123]

So she's bringing her cat into the house but in return you're buying her a bunch of automated household gadgets? Sounds like a win-win for her.

Swede

[BigBaitsim (milo)]

http://www.pet.gen.tr/2002/cats_pics/cats_51.jpg

http://www.darkness-sphynx.com/galerie/toy_uggy_4.JPG


http://www.related-pages.com/hairlesscats/images/hairless1.jpg

[Brainwalter]

I've seen very few living things as ugly as those cats. And most of the others were hairless cats as well.

Edit: And deacsoft, pursuant to rule 2, you should be the one to bathe the cat. It will avoid you like death.

[deacsoft]

She doesn't work.

[swede123]

More of a reason she doesn't need automated vacuums and cat litter boxes!

Swede

[private joker]

Also, get Claritin. The allergic effects of the cat hair will linger even if you think you're cleaning up all the hair. Claritin works really well on me, as I often get sneezy & itchy eyes when around cats.

[The Goober]

[ QUOTE ]

3) The house must be kept clean of cat hair. I agreed to buy a Roomba (http://www.powervacs.com/iRobot-Roomba-Red-4100-P158.aspx) to help with the cleaning.


[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent idea- these things are awesome. Just be sure to clean out the bearings frequently (like every other time you run it).

[ QUOTE ]
4) Cat litter must be kept in order. I agreed to buy a littermaid (http://www.totalvac.com/littermaid.htm?ovchn=GGL&ovcpn=littermaid&ovcrn=li ttermaid+mega+self+cleaning+litter+box&ovtac=PPC) to help with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

I would recommend against the littermaid. I was thinking of getting one and read a lot reviews that said it was poorly made, the rake got jammed up a lot, the motor was underpowered, and you have to buy special little plastic bins to hold the [censored]. One reviewer even said that it threw poop like 10 feet in the air!

If you want an automatic catbox, I'd go all the way and the get the Litter Robot (http://www.litter-robot.com/default.aspx?ac=1). It's a lot more expensive, but I've heard nothing but good things about it (and it uses regular trashbags).

Or you could just get this (http://www.furlongspetsupply.com/rollaway_self_cleaning_litter_box.htm) which works surprisingly well and is like $15 at target.

[RunDownHouse]

[ QUOTE ]
She's agreed to take full care of it (meaning that I have no cat responsibilities what so ever).

[/ QUOTE ]
Meaning you have agreed to buy her all kinds of gadgets so that she doesn't have to take care of it at all. The Roomba I can maybe understand, but its not hard to clean out a litter box. It takes a couple minutes. Why not just buy her this:
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/168713_lg.gif

and let her go to town?

[Los Feliz Slim]

[ QUOTE ]
A cat that does not accept change very well may reject a new litter box concept such as the Litter-Robot.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is from the litter robot site, I got a kick out of it. Back to the drawing board for me, then.

[roxtar]

http://www.peasridge.co.uk/products/images-products/product-1122.jpg

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]


The issue is that I'm alergic to cats.
+
+
I don't care if the cat is living with us as long as she keeps it and the house clean of cat hair and such.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you are allergic, you will feel it, regardless of how clean you keep your apartment. You need to accept that fact (or hope medication keeps you reasonably comfortable) before the cat moves in.

[chesspain]

[ QUOTE ]
The rules we set before I agreed to let the cat move in were these:
1) Not allowed in the bedroom or the my office. Ever.
2) The cat must be bathed regularly.
3) The house must be kept clean of cat hair. I agreed to buy a Roomba (http://www.powervacs.com/iRobot-Roomba-Red-4100-P158.aspx) to help with the cleaning.
4) Cat litter must be kept in order. I agreed to buy a littermaid (http://www.totalvac.com/littermaid.htm?ovchn=GGL&ovcpn=littermaid&ovcrn=li ttermaid+mega+self+cleaning+litter+box&ovtac=PPC) to help with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't really know anything about cats, do you?

[ QUOTE ]


If you are allergic, you will feel it, regardless of how clean you keep your apartment. You need to accept that fact (or hope medication keeps you reasonably comfortable) before the cat moves in.

[/ QUOTE ]

I don't see how you can live with a cat in your house if you're allergic to them. I was with a friend who was allergic to cats. I couldn't believe how quick his reaction was. His eyes almost swelled shut and his face got all red and puffy. I had to drive him to Walgreens to get benadryl. Thought he might die on me.

[HopeydaFish]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The rules we set before I agreed to let the cat move in were these:
1) Not allowed in the bedroom or the my office. Ever.
2) The cat must be bathed regularly.
3) The house must be kept clean of cat hair. I agreed to buy a Roomba (http://www.powervacs.com/iRobot-Roomba-Red-4100-P158.aspx) to help with the cleaning.
4) Cat litter must be kept in order. I agreed to buy a littermaid (http://www.totalvac.com/littermaid.htm?ovchn=GGL&ovcpn=littermaid&ovcrn=li ttermaid+mega+self+cleaning+litter+box&ovtac=PPC) to help with that.

[/ QUOTE ]

You don't really know anything about cats, do you?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, he's in for a rude awakening.

[wdeadwyler]

My mom's fiancee is allergic to cats and he has lived in the same house as my two cats for four years. He sneezes alot, but it could be ok depending on your allergy.

Cats are perceptive creatures, if you speak to it harshly when it is around and pick it up (cats hate it when you pick them up by the scruff of the neck), and toss it out of any room you are in, it will soon learn that you are not to be messed with. DO NOT BEAT IT. That is horrible and cruel. As a cat lover, the fact that you even entertain this notion is horribly offensive. Just be mean to it and don't pet it and it will soon not want to be around you anyway.

Edit: I forgot about this technique so I have added it. Cats HATE the feeling of aluminum foil. If you put some on your doorway floor to your bedroom, the cat will not want to cross it. Eventually, the cat will learn to associate coming into your room with the unpleasant feeling of the tinfoil, and then you can remove the foil and the cat will not enter. Repeat for office.

[deacsoft]

swede123, good point.

private joker, I don't really care to take medication for things like this but do take Allegra for seasonal allergies. If it come to that point I will probably consult my doctor to see about a year round perscription. My allergic reaction to cats isn't that bad as long as they and the home containing them is maintained. I just couldn't sleep on a pillow full of cat hair or hold the cat for extended periods of time.

The Goober, thanks for the littermaid review and the other ideas. I'll surely be taking that into consideration.

wdeadwyler, I would never actually have any desire to beat a cat. The only reasons it even entered my mind was because I couldn't think of a different way to go and do know that cats can be quite responsive to conditioning. I would never beat this or any other animal.

Everyone, You're correct. I know little to nothing about having an indoor cat besides what I don't want to happen.

[Landon_McFly]

Personally, I'd go with this...

http://stuffthatisawesome.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/monsterxl.gif
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005OLWJ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Probably the fastest way to get your point across.

I am allergic. Ed and I have three cats. Ed's cat likes to sleep on my head. My allergies are really bad right now.
But I love the cat. I love my cats more though /images/graemlins/wink.gif

We have a littermaid. Actually, we have two. We each had one before we moved in together. We love the Litermaid. But one of my cats won't use it. It freaks her out.

Have fun with the cat.

Allegra works well for my cat allergies. I take allegra and flonase daily, and since I've moved back into a house with a cat, I only get the urge to sneeze once in awhile. Its good stuff.

[Blarg]

Most cats know right away who is a cat person and who is not. They tend to pick up on those things lightning fast and act in accordance before you even realize anything has gone wrong. You may not have to do a thing to get the cat to stay away from you. You may even have to work hard not to have it get up and move away when you sit too close, in the living room or such. Your worries are probably a little exaggerated here.

Barring a cat just following it's instincts naturally, the spray bottle is a good idea, especially if you do it when the cat can't see it is you. Just give them the general willies about being in your room.

Don't go out of your way to get the cat pissed at you, or you will find it peeing on your jacket when you lay it on the bed, etc. They retaliate, even if you're just thinking it.

But your hopes of keeping the place free of cat hair are unrealistic, too. Even people with dead noses can smell a house that has a cat in it even if the litterbox isn't even indoors and the place is immaculate. Their smell can almost vanish if you're used to it, but if you're not ... you and your friends will know it's there. Don't expect your girlfriend to be able to eliminate all traces of the cat's presence.

The allergies to cats supposedly come from the proteins in their spit. This means that if you have one of those cats who is a sloppy wet licker when self-cleaning, it'll be worse, and that if you see the cat doing so, you might want to stay out of that area for a couple hours. It also means that if your cat gets the occasional bath, it might very well help, as it washes away the residue of all those spit baths.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
To reduce your allergies:

Hardwood is better than carpet.
Get a good HEPA air purifier and put it in your bedroom.
If possible, keep the cat out of the bedroom at all times.
Have her brush and wipe the cat down regularly.
Feed the cat high-quality food.

If these steps help your allergies, how about you make an effort to accept the cat into your life? They're really wonderful animals. If you can't at least give it a shot, having the cat come live with you is a really terrible idea for everybody.

Obviously, don't beat the cat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Great post.

I very strongly agree about NEVER letting the cat in the bedroom. EVER. If you go to sleep with the cat in there, it will have hours to expose you, and you will have hours to build up exposure. They are also nocturnal, and will often run and jump around at early morning hours, wake you up to try to play or see if you're alive, whatever. It can be extremely frustrating in an adorable kind of way that makes you want to punt them over the fence.

Plus, their hairs will find a way into your closets and you will find yourself picking cat hair off your suits and jackets and shirts and pants all the time, even if the cat never touches them and never gets in the closet even once.

Plus, clean as cats are, let's face it, they don't wipe their asses. Perfectly clean, they sadly are not. Have one trot by your face with a freshly shat back door and you'll become aware how much the idea of a cat's cleanliness is a myth. They do NOT lick their bungholes. They WILL drag whatever stayed stuck around with them, and you don't want that stuff by your face.

If a man's home is his castle, you should be able to have at least one or two rooms that cat is not allowed in, ever. If your girlfriend is like most people, she'll just do what she wants and not give a damn anyway, even if she agrees, because it doesn't concern her directly and people love being transgressive and sneaky. But, it's worth a shot trying to get her to take very seriously that sneezing and being allergic during the day is one thing, but you need to sleep every night without problems, unless you win the lottery and stop having to go to work in the mornings.

The brushing and wiping down is a good idea too, as is the HEPA filter.

I do predict you might wind up liking the cat more than you think you would, though. They're really pretty cool, as LFS notes, very low cost to maintain, and basically zero maintenance. Not a bad deal.

[Blarg]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
She's agreed to take full care of it (meaning that I have no cat responsibilities what so ever).

[/ QUOTE ]
Meaning you have agreed to buy her all kinds of gadgets so that she doesn't have to take care of it at all. The Roomba I can maybe understand, but its not hard to clean out a litter box. It takes a couple minutes. Why not just buy her this:
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/168713_lg.gif

and let her go to town?

[/ QUOTE ]

The idea that someone can't just scoop out the box a couple times a day is mind-boggling to me.

Even more so when the OP says she doesn't even work for a living. What the ...?

Seriously, if she can't scoop out the litter box, I give her zero chance to successfully do one single other thing she has agreed to do regarding the cat. This is really ground zero of the laziness/commitment barometer.

[Mvcode3]

I heard a good savage beating is a great way to keep small childern away from you also.

[JoshuaD]

[ QUOTE ]
So after a while of discussion and such I've agreed to let my girlfriend have her cat come to live with us. She's agreed to take full care of it (meaning that I have no cat responsibilities what so ever). The issue is that I'm alergic to cats and otherwise have no problem with them, but certainly don't need some cat driving me crazy while I'm trying to work. I don't care if the cat is living with us as long as she keeps it and the house clean of cat hair and such. And I do not want this cat coming in to my office and bothering me while I'm working. I basically don't want the cat near me but I also don't want the cat to run and hide in terror every time it sees me. How do I train the cat to leave me alone but not fear me? The only way I can come up with to keep it away from me it to give it a good, savage beating. However I don't want to hurt the cat, the girlfriend would get pissed, and the cat would forever fear me. I just need to get it accross to this cat they we can have a good "don't mess with me; I won't mess with you" relationship. Any help here?

[/ QUOTE ]

Most cats will just act like that.

[PokerBob]

i was really hoping that this thread was about beating cats.

[MyTurn2Raise]

http://myspace-190.vo.llnwd.net/00328/09/10/328190190_l.jpg

[ QUOTE ]
http://myspace-190.vo.llnwd.net/00328/09/10/328190190_l.jpg

[/ QUOTE ]

This picture actually made me say "Awwwwww" It gets the ever coveted swing my thing award

[Rduke55]

[ QUOTE ]
I've seen very few living things as ugly as those cats. And most of the others were hairless cats as well.

[/ QUOTE ]

I thought so too until my wife got us one. Those cats are freaks. More like dogs in many ways.

[Buccaneer]

[ QUOTE ]

Quote:
The rules we set before I agreed to let the cat move in were these:
1) Not allowed in the bedroom or the my office. Ever.
2) The cat must be bathed regularly.
3) The house must be kept clean of cat hair. I agreed to buy a Roomba to help with the cleaning.
4) Cat litter must be kept in order. I agreed to buy a littermaid to help with that.



You don't really know anything about cats, do you?

[/ QUOTE ]

He really doesn't know enough about deals with spouses/SOs when it regards and animal in the house. First week everything will be perfect, next week the litter box will not be cleaned and the cat bath will be put off. It will continue to get worse untill you tell her it is the cat or you. Be sure you have some where to go.

[ QUOTE ]

Quote:
The rules we set before I agreed to let the cat move in were these:
1) Not allowed in the bedroom or the my office. Ever.


[/ QUOTE ]

BAHAHAHAHAHA!!! You have obviously never lived with a cat before! LOLOL!! They are smarter than you think. I'll just leave it at that /images/graemlins/smile.gif

[Blarg]

You can keep a cat out of a room, but you have to live with keeping the door closed at all times. And your spouse has to live with respecting your wishes, which people are often too perverse to do.

Think of an atheist marrying a Christian, and their agreeing not to teach the kid anything religious until he's old enough to have some comprehension in making a choice -- let's say 12 years old. I've heard of numerous people doing that.

Guaranteed the Christian is teaching the kid about god and scaring it to death with warnings about hellfire right away, on the sly.

Some promises people are very capable of making but completely incapable of keeping.

[deacsoft]

Well, it's been a few weeks now and I thought I'd let you all know how things are going. We got an Ionic Breeze for the living room. It's been working quite well for my allergies. I also got a small(ish) NeoTec air purifier for my office. It's more to combat my smoking then it is the cat, but I have remained safe and sound from smoke and cat stuff while in here. The Roomba I'm buying as a household gift for Christmas.

As far as the cat is concerned, we have a fairly decent love/hate relationship. He got squirted with water frequently over the first week. Since then he's developed a a good understanding that he is not allowed in the bedroom or my office. In addition to that he stays off of the counters for the most part and doesn't sit in my spot on the couch. I found that the combination of being squirted with water and some harsh sounding choice words now conveys the message to him as to what he's not allowed to do. Overall I feel he's getting the picture of the house rules. He likes me but respects me as well and knows when he's about to get the hose. I'm thinking with a little more time he'll be done with breaking the rules or at least not do when I'm home.

As far as my girlfriend's house keeping goes, she's doing an okay job so far. She's backing me up in the rules for the cat and also will squirt him or raise her voice to him if he's doing something wrong. I didn't purchase a self-cleaning litter box because she said that she would maintain the one we had. So far she's done a good job with that. She has also kept up with the vacuming and even busts out a lint roller to remover cat hair from the furniture frequently. She needs to improve on bathing the cat more often, but I feel she's getting better and more understanding of my needs. The first couple days were really hard on my allergies, and she felt terrible about that. I told her it's not her fault, but in return she's mostly keeping up her part of the deal.

[theghost]

Your allergies should die down considerably after living with the cat for a while. (You'll still be allergic to other cats though, exactly why, IDK.)

[deacsoft]

I also wanted to point out that the cat doesn't even go down the hallway that leads to the bedroom and my office, so I am able to leave those doors open when I'm home. Also, my girlfriend brushes the cat about 5 or 6 days a week and rubs him down with AllerPet (some lotion that is supposed to reduce the amount of dander and such) when she's done.