PET OF THE WEEK: Caramel is a 2-year-old, short-haired rabbit with cute lop ears and a super soft tortoiseshell coat. While she’s a bit bashful around people at first, her curiosity will lure her to you eventually. She’s a sweet bunny and when she’s feeling safe she’d enjoy being held and loved. Need a reading buddy or a friend to watch movies with? Ask for Caramel, ID# A825727. Adoptable pets are available at Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA’s Tom and Annette Lantos Center for Compassion, 1450 Rollins Road, Burlingame. For information, call 650-340-7022 or visit www.phs-spca.org. (Thelma Andree / Peninsula Humane Society and SPCA)
Dear Miss Behavin’: My cat, Logan, is indoor-only, but he seems to think he’s a vicious jungle beast. He hides, stalks my feet and will jump out and attack me. I’m walking on eggshells in my own house. How can I stop the madness?
Reply: Cats are natural predators, and sometimes this instinct can accidentally be directed toward their owners. Typically, owners will observe the behavior is worse at dawn or in the evening, which is when cats would be hunting in the wild. The solution is to redirect this hunting instinct to a more appropriate (and less painful) outlet: toys.
To help satisfy Logan’s urge to hunt his food, start playing with him before mealtimes. String or ribbon toys with feathers or a stuffed animal at the end work best. Start dancing the toy in front of Logan, and get him really worked up for an energetic play session for about 10 minutes. Toward the end of the play session, start slowing the play down, acting as if the toy is “wounded.” Then, let Logan “capture” the toy so he truly feels like that vicious jungle kitty. After Logan catches the toy, feed him his meal in his dish.
In addition to play time, make sure Logan has other activities to keep him occupied during the day. For example, you can hide a few kitty treats in a hollow cat toy and have a tall cat tree or shelf for Logan to climb. If you do see Logan stalking you, staring and creeping forward, put up a pillow or piece of paper to block his line of sight. If a cat cannot see what they are stalking, that will typically interrupt the behavior.
If you follow these suggestions, Logan should be less likely to attack your feet. However, if Logan does go after your feet on occasion, resist the urge to yell, jump or pull away from him, as this only feeds into his game. It is better to stand still, not pull away, and wait for Logan to disengage after he realizes with disappointment that you won’t act like prey.