I dropped by my daughter's today and was welcomed by this image in the window. I just love this little gal.
"Hey...guess what, Nan. Joe has a boo-boo on his head and can't go out and he's being mean to me"
"Really, Ray" That is called displaced anger and I'm not happy that he's taking out his frustrations on you.
"Well, he is smacking me sometimes and then he scratches mom's couch. He wants OUT! Maybe I should come home with you."
"Maybe, Rae. I'll talk to your mom."
Cat-tip for the day=^..^=Displaced Anger in cats
Many cases of unexplained aggression are brought on by environmental stress, leading to heightened fear. A distressed cat may suddenly attack another cat or a person who is nearby, even though that person played no part in causing the upset. A cat who has just been in a fight may accept handling by one person, yet scratch and bite another who approaches too closely. This is known as displaced aggression.
In Rae-Rae's case, Joe, who was always an indoor-outdoor cat has been in a fight with another neighbour's cat and received a wound that became infected. He is now on antibiotics and his wound is healing well. He must stay in for 2 weeks, Dr.'s orders. His owner, my daughter, is hoping to get him used to being indoors and keep him out of harms way. This is not sitting well with Joe and he will swat Rae just out of the blue or attack their furniture and scratch the living daylights out of it. So, today I suggested a few things to help with this displaced anger which is...
l. Playing more with him. This is the most important one.
2.Placing boxes around the house for them both to play together in
3.Providing more window shelves
4.Giving treats at certain times of the day
5.Grooming more often (daily)
Hopefully it won't take long for him to settle down now that the summer is closing and the cooler weather is coming soon.
Don't worry about Rae though....she can hold her own.
GOOD NEWS
Siamese kitty goes to his new loving home today. He is at the vet this morning and his new owners, a retired man and his part-time working wife with kids and grand-kids will be taking him home to Ottawa. (30 min car drive)
I am so happy for this guy that he will finally sleep in someone's bed. This family have lived with Siamese cats for years and love them dearly. He will be an only cat for now but that may change as they will most likely adopt again.
"Have a great life, Siamese kitty" It was wonderful to get to hold you, pet you and love you for a little while"
hugs, Deb
That is such good news on the Siamese kitty. So happy he/she found a home. You are so right about the displaced anger.
ReplyDeleteI just bet Rae Rae can hold her own! LOL! I have seen that displaced anger for sure...good tips Deb. So happy for the Siamese kitty. I know he will have a great life now! hugs, Linda
ReplyDeleteIt's always wonderful to read that a little furbaby has gone to a loving forever home. Sounds like Rae Rae and Joe will be adapting ...
ReplyDeletePeople tend to forget that furbabies really are like little human children.. We had our God Children spend 5 days with us (6 year olds) our little Dolce (Yorkie) was not too excited about te little boy and when he finally left .. and Dolce had control of his toys and his home ... he let us know his displeasure at these visiting little ones by lifting his leg and peeing on the carpet mat going into our bedroom...
xo HHL
Thanks for the interesting tips about keeping displaced anger channeled. It's funny - many don't realize it, but it is very important to play with your cats. The stimulation prevents them from getting bored and feeling the need to vent in other ways.
ReplyDeleteI'm crying tears of joy! The little Siamese has a home! Oh Deb! This is the best news! And it sounds like a good family too! Siamese don't like to be alone( at least mine don't). I love a happy ending! Do up think they might let us know how he is doing? No pressure, just a word now and then. Oh it is a happy day, indeed!
ReplyDeleteYour info on displaced anger is excellent! There is a lovely blogger named Lisa at Cat of Nine Tails who might be able to benefit from this very informative piece! Thank you so much! You're the best!