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Personality of some savannahs
- Thread starter Snookie
- Start date
It's "normal" for cats to be individual and not all the same. Just like people... some are just not touchy-feely types.
And I can see that if a cat feels that every time he comes near he gets grabbed or messed with, it seems simpler to stay out of arm's reach. With patience, that could also change over time...
And I can see that if a cat feels that every time he comes near he gets grabbed or messed with, it seems simpler to stay out of arm's reach. With patience, that could also change over time...
NikkiA
Site Supporter
We have a boy who didn't like me to touch him when he was a kitten.
When we brought Jarvis home, I couldn't touch him. He didn't sit by me, or snuggle with me, or let me pet him or interact with him. Every cat is different, but Jarvis was a combination of terrified and not socialized well, and I was inadvertently making it worse by trying to push him while simultaneously our older-but-still-a-kitten Diablo was beating the living day lights out of him.
Fast forward, and I stopped trying to force him, and gradually, he came around. He is 4 now, and thanks to a lot of hard work, and patient positive reinforcement, he snuggles with me in bed every night, asks for belly rubs every few days, and generally begs for attention. We are even starting to make progress with him going up to guests to say hello and be petted. We learned Jarvis needed time away from Diablo also.
Be patient. Jarvis was around a year before he started to come around for me, and almost 2 before was in any way consistent. Now, at 4, he is mush with me. That said, he still doesn't like to be touched certain ways, and he is the last of our bunch to try to get on my lap. He doesn't like being picked up, by anyone, he will tolerate it only if he knows there will be treats at the end of it. He will ask for chin rubs, and head pets, and ask for play time and come sit next to me, but I can't touch him if he is sitting anywhere but under his chin, I have to wait for him to lay down before I pet him. For me, I needed to learn to read Jarvis body language, and make sure what he was reading from me was reassuring, not threatening. Once he figured out I wouldn't hurt him, and I wouldn't let anyone else hurt him, he made progress pretty quickly. It just took a while for him to figure it out.
When we brought Jarvis home, I couldn't touch him. He didn't sit by me, or snuggle with me, or let me pet him or interact with him. Every cat is different, but Jarvis was a combination of terrified and not socialized well, and I was inadvertently making it worse by trying to push him while simultaneously our older-but-still-a-kitten Diablo was beating the living day lights out of him.
Fast forward, and I stopped trying to force him, and gradually, he came around. He is 4 now, and thanks to a lot of hard work, and patient positive reinforcement, he snuggles with me in bed every night, asks for belly rubs every few days, and generally begs for attention. We are even starting to make progress with him going up to guests to say hello and be petted. We learned Jarvis needed time away from Diablo also.
Be patient. Jarvis was around a year before he started to come around for me, and almost 2 before was in any way consistent. Now, at 4, he is mush with me. That said, he still doesn't like to be touched certain ways, and he is the last of our bunch to try to get on my lap. He doesn't like being picked up, by anyone, he will tolerate it only if he knows there will be treats at the end of it. He will ask for chin rubs, and head pets, and ask for play time and come sit next to me, but I can't touch him if he is sitting anywhere but under his chin, I have to wait for him to lay down before I pet him. For me, I needed to learn to read Jarvis body language, and make sure what he was reading from me was reassuring, not threatening. Once he figured out I wouldn't hurt him, and I wouldn't let anyone else hurt him, he made progress pretty quickly. It just took a while for him to figure it out.
I agree with the others - cats, like people, have individual personalities. I have had littermates who are opposites with one glued to my lap and the other running away when I try to pet her. As Nikki has said, having patience and becoming intuitive with your cat's body language is imperative, but it is possible to change his behavior and turn him into a loving, outgoing kitty.
Renee
Savannah Super Cat
They just want to play all the time, lol! Loki just barely started cuddling on my lap three weeks ago and even then it might be 3-4 times a week. He still doesn't tolerate being pet while on my lap too well, but maybe in time. He's still quite young.
My raggie didn't sit on our laps until he was two years old and now at five he is the biggest lap Kittie.
I agree with the patience and treat route
My raggie didn't sit on our laps until he was two years old and now at five he is the biggest lap Kittie.
I agree with the patience and treat route