Cat Chat Feline Forum

Diabolo has taken a while to settle in but getting there. However we are at a bit of a sticking point with him. He is very friendly around meal times but that's it. He occasionally also will come up for treats but not always. We seem to have hit stalemate with him. I cannot seem to getbhim to come up for a stroke outside of meal times, he just legs it. Any tips please on how I can encourage him to come up to us without treats being involved. He still doesn't know his name after 2 months so cannot go out yet. He knows the words "teat time" as have all of our cats. He does react with an upright tail at that words but not much reaction outside of that.

It could be he will always be one of those cats that only wants attention on his terms, however he does need to learn that sometimes he must have some attention on your terms.

Does he have a favorite sleeping place that is accessible to you, on a chair or a bed. If so, keep some treats close to there. When he is resting but not a sleep offer him a treat where he is. When he is happy having treats there, try giving him a treat and then a gentle stroke behind the ear. Hopefully he will start to accept the strokes with out the treats. If he pulls away from the stroke then let him go. Even if you can just get him to tolerate the strokes while he is being fed the treats then at least that might be a way to start moving on to taking hold of the back of his neck while getting treats, and thereby starting to pick him up.

Bribery and corruption, and as the old saying goes 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach'.

good luck with Diabolo, you are getting there, it may seem slow but it is still progress.

Ha ha too true! I am giving him treats all the time it seems!!!!! He does sit on the sofa upstairs but when I get within a foot of him he is gone. He does accept treats when I call him occasionally but like you say on his terms!

Sadly some cats are just like that - Lucy will only tolerate strokes on her terms, and she will go from rubbing your legs to hitting you within minutes. Funnily enough at the rescue, all she wanted to do was sit on people's knees, so I was looking forward to a lap cat. It happens about once a week, but you aren't allowed to stroke her, and if you laugh at the TV, she'll jump off!! I couldn't use treats that much with her though, as she was on a diet when I got her.

I think all cats are like that to a degree aren't they...that is what makes them so unique!

Diabolo is the same as my last posting, however he is getting quite restless when he sees Gemo going outside. The SPA refuge said he should stay indoors for a few months. He knows mealtimes now but still doesn't answer to his name but he understands the words teat time or fish as food times.We can tell he is getting inquisitive with going out and the cat flap, He does know the cat flap now and keeps trying to use it but is locked, however he will only let us stroke him at mealtimes. Problem is, we would like to go on holiday at the beginning of April and atm we are not able to as he would have to be closed out of the lounge with the litter tray and gemmo would have to be closed in the lounge so she can go out freely. We are too scared to try Diabolo outside atm but not sure also that leaving him with the run of most of the house whilst we are away is a good idea either. Our neighbour would come in and do the litter tray but not sure how to handle Diabolo going out.