Cat obstructionism

[s1m0n]

Does anyone know a way to deter my cat from scurrying to get ahead of me and then stopping dead in the narrowest part of the hallway? When my back is flaring up, I'm not too steady on my pins first thing in the morning, and this cat trick is annoying as hell. I suppose I could could plough right into him without stopping, but would that ever teach him that this is a bad idea?

[emmline]

Cats like to do that. Another trick is running precisely across your walking trajectory such that the cat is a great risk of being inadvertently booted across the room by your next step.

Perhaps falling over it once or twice would be a deterrent, but I doubt it. Maybe you just have to anticipate and slow down when you sense the critter making a move.

It's kind of an active version of the lie-on-newspaper trick. Body placement as a means of focusing attention on itself.

[Innocent Bystander]

Lying on the third stair down from the top is a good one too.

Maybe your best bet in this instance is to bark like a dog.

Now that I think of it, the best way to chase a cat is to pick it up and pet it extravagantly, to the point where the cat finds it unbearable. My daughter has the knack. She has been practicing from age two. Now at age sixteen, all she has to do is approach the cat with an adoring cry of "pussycat!" and it runs. They all run. Bwahahahahah!

[tansy]

just pick him up and kiss him til he gets mad

[Innocent Bystander]

Fine for Simon, but what about the cat?

[tansy]

Fine for Simon, but what about the cat?

the cat may stop lying down where all this will happen, too much love, etc.

[tansy]

it almost sounds like "f c s, fainting cat syndrome (as in goats).
my cat BEBE has it bad, she'll walk along in front of me and just roll over, but it means she wants a love and probably a good brushing

[Infernaltootler]

Seriously, you can get your cat to move for you simply by deliberately never slowing down or stepping over him, by giving him a gentle but firm hoof in the ribs as you stride along if he doesn't shift quick enough.

By constantly walking round or over the cat you are setting yourself up for a fall because when you are carrying that heavy TV set you won't see him and he won't move in time.

Do both of yourselves a favour and teach him that you have right of way.

[Nanohedron]

Some cats respond to abrupt, sharp noises. I don't have to do it often at all, but a sharp "Hey!" or the like can do the job. And it doesn't even have to be loud, just sharp; a low volume can work so long as there's an edge to it. It will send her moving when she's being a road hazard or is up to something naughty. Sometimes I clap my hands together if they're free. It seems to work pretty well, although sometimes I have to repeat myself. Sometimes it's the compound rising "hey-Hey-HEY!", but then she's usually in her "Neener. Whatcha gonna do abouddit?" mode. Still, it works, and she rockets off, officially chastised, from her latest shredding project. Usually within less than a minute later she's in my lap being a totally shameless love-baby and then zonks out, dreaming of whatever it is cats dream of.

I like tansy's and I.B.'s "Pick her up and squeeze and kiss her 'til she gets mad" method, but I don't move so well and she'd probably play the "Now catch me" game. I don't think so. My only reservation about it is that I wouldn't want cuddlies to be associated somehow as a consequence rather than a reward.

I also agree with Infernaltootler. On occasion Herself has felt - gently - the poke of my shoe somewhat below her tail when she's being a laggard. Speeds her up right quick, and I don't have to worry about a fall. I agree: don't pussyfoot around your cat. Once in a while, fine. It can be a little act that lets him or her know you care. But don't do it as an exclusive habit. You live there and deserve consideration, too. Any cat in its natural mind ought to understand and accept that.

[dwest]

Here's what I use for my cats. And they have their own multicollar controller to use on the dogs so everybody's happy.

[herbivore12]

Echoing Nano on the "sharp noise" ploy. If used consistently when kitty's being naughty, one or two exclamations can become associated with "knock it off, cat". I use "Psssst!" -- a sharp release of air through the teeth -- and "Oi!", and both get kitty to stop what she's doing and even get her to move off a few feet (or flee for the next room, depending on how bad she knows she's being). I think being consistent is the main thing, though. Cats don't want subtlety or vague protestation in these cases. (And as with Nano, my kit's back to her cuddly self very quickly after these little admonishments, again I think because cats respond well to consistency even when they're being thwarted from doing whatever it is they were/are intent on doing.)

[Coffee]

Some cat caretakers swear by a water gun or spray bottle in such cases.
Myself, I'd be tempted to reach for the airsoft pistol.

[chas]

If the sharp noise thing doesn't work, I second the suggestion of a squirt gun. This will really piss the cat off, so he might avoid you for awhile after the incident, but may work.

As others have said, this is something that's totally ingrained in cats. With mine, it's usually associated with a desire for attention -- especially food. It's quite possible, even likely, that there's nothing you can do about it.

[gonzo914]

There are those who would advocate punting the little peckerwood as far as you can, but if you place kick him, you get an extra point, and a good drop kick that clears the hallway and leave a cat imprint halfway up the wall is good for two.

[Nanohedron]

If the sharp noise thing doesn't work, I second the suggestion of a squirt gun. This will really piss the cat off, so he might avoid you for awhile after the incident, but may work.

As others have said, this is something that's totally ingrained in cats. With mine, it's usually associated with a desire for attention -- especially food. It's quite possible, even likely, that there's nothing you can do about it.

Catly attention-seeking is not something I would want to do anything about. It's part of the charm of the contract. If my cat didn't seek attention from time to time, I would think there was something wrong with her. She cannot be faulted for how she goes about it, but she can be made aware of what I don't accept, and can sometimes even be trained to forgo certain behaviors. But if I want a cat to be like a dog, I'd better get a dog instead.

Some cats are more gregarious and human-friendly than others. If the cat - and so new to your household - is seeking your attention, s1m0n, he has adjusted to you, wants to be your friend, and wants you to be friends with him. I think you can trust me on this.

If I treat my beastie with kindness, play and affection - on the CAT'S terms, and one has to be open to those nuances, for the cat will let you know what's working and what isn't - and the cat is mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy, it will periodically seek attention in some way. That's cat-natural. If my cat hated or feared me or was sick - and it may not be my fault, but I would still look very, very hard at that - then it should be no surprise that it wouldn't seek attention.

When it comes to behavior correction, I allow that a squirt bottle is acceptable and can do the job, although it's not to my taste. There's a sort of paradigm shift to objectifying the cat in using them that I'm personally not comfortable with, but that's just me. On the practical side, I just don't like lugging one around or having a bunch of 'em placed here and there in a sort of Kafkaesque disciplinarian decor; I can be more on-the-spot, directly involved, and (I like to think) better, without them. But, there may come a day. There just hasn't been a cat under my roof yet that I really needed to use a squirt bottle on, and I've lived with cats almost without interruption since I can remember.