From: martin@mala.bc.ca
Newsgroups: rec.pets.cats
Subject: taming a cat
Date: 17 Apr 92 13:21:00 -0700
Organization: Malaspina College

I have spent the last couple of years taming a cat that bit and
scratched.  I adopted him from a short lived private "no-kill"
shelter that operated locally.  After initally appearing to want
to respond to my touch he bit me severely the first time I picked
him up at the shelter, and I went away and thought about it for a
week, then went back and said I'd take him home for a week on
trial.  He's still here..
 
He had been neutered, and the vet said he was about five years
old.  It was quite obvious from the start that he had been badly
abused.  He did not bite me in play, or by accident.  He would
cringe in fear, strike out, then run.  I quickly realized that
any kind of physical punishment would simply continue the
cycle... and found myself sitting a few times with blood running
down my hand, just holding him and trying to comfort him... "its
OK Sam.. nobody's going to hurt you ever again.. you're gonna be
OK here.."  etc.. wondering if I was completely nuts!
 
It took about 6-8 months before I started to trust him around
anyone else.  He approached people, wanting attention, and then
would flashback into some past I couldn't guess, and panic,
striking out at whatever had triggered it.  He bit a few people
besides me in the process... thank goodness no-one sued...:-)
 
Its now about 3.5 years later..  He still stikes out sometimes,
but hasn't broken the skin with his teeth for a long time.  He
seems to remember half way into the strike and it becomes just a
warning... you feel the teeth, but they don't do any damage. He
has also made a lot of progress with understanding that his claws
hurt, although still reacts instinctively so some situations.
 
He'd probably never hurt me anymore if I wasn't continuing to
frequently, gently, push his limits, trying to build the sense of
trust between us.  He won't let me rub his stomach yet, something
all my other cats have loved, and he has a sensitive place along
his rib cage that I have decided must have healed broken bones,
or somehow bring memories of pain when you touch him there.
 
I've been using the idea I got reading here of making lots of
pain noises when he hurts me, and it seems like it is going to
really help.  He stops whatever he is doing, and looks really
confused.  I think its going to be quite effective working with
him around using his claws gently.
 
He has become very attached to me, sleeps on the foot of the bed,
or on an extra pillow, and according to my roomie, howls
mournfully outside my bedroom door if I'm not home.  I can
sometimes see this amazing confusion in him, he wants to cuddle
closer and closer, and then remembers that he doesn't quite trust
anyone yet and backs off.
 
Even through this experience, I find I can't imagine a cat
without its claws.  His ability to climb and hunt seem so much a
part of the essense of his spirit.  I try not to make judgements
about other people's choices, but this one really confuses me.
It seems to me that some part of the magic of keeping cats is
the fact that they are so capable of taking care of themselves,
and so capable of hurting us, but that they make the choice not
to hurt us, and to hang around.  I feel honoured.

Helen