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Wed 2 Jul, 2003 06:27 pm
I recently moved from SC to NC to a perfectly wonderful little home and land for the three kitties, and myself. None of them are wimps, are inside and outside cats (at their whim), and all have familiarity with dogs, snakes, and all manner of other critters. They have exhibited the usual tentative behavior in their new surroundings, but it has gone on for too long and they are too frightened of everything.
I may have been the cause of some of it, as I came home one afternoon and saw Haiku pawing a 4' long snake. I reacted with fear, which I conveyed, said "No" a lot, and grabbed him and brought him inside. He stayed under the bed for about a week. Very atypical behavior for him. I once thought that I should have named him Fearless Fosdick because of his devil-may-care behavior. Even going across the threshold, both to the outside and from the outside coming in, all three of them exhibit extreme caution, as if something bad could be lurking on the other side (even if I am standing "in" the other side). When I go outside, they stick close by me.
Wish I understood this better.
. They probably have taken a cue from your reaction to the snake. If you try to readjust their behavior by some clever snake handling, Im sure theyll come around. My main dog knows Im allergic to wasps so If we are walking around the barn and get kamakazed by wasps or bumble bees, my dog tries to catch them in his mouth. The hell of it is sometimes he succeeds and gets a wallop . I tell people that my main dog would take a bullet for me (or a wasp sting), but my backup dog doesnt seem to give a squat.
Try to make snakes your friendand your kitties will follow.
Yes, I know. Sigh. I may have done the damage a long time ago, when they were very, very young. As their moma, I wanted to teach them to show proper respect for snakes, as there are poisonous ones around in SC, where we were then. And this recently encountered snake was so long at 4' or more, although I believe it was a very mature garter snake, that I overreacted. Hope some of his young 'uns come around so that I can try to undo the damage, but fear they will try to kill them.
I think time and calmness from you is about it, Sumac.
So be happy and serene! Which is what I wish for you in your new home, so it sort of fits well, no?
If we cant make snakes our friends in the classical manner, we can always resort to this
http://www.congocookbook.com/c0138.html
I dislike the idea of making snakes, or any other critter, the "other"., but yes, Deb, I need to be laid back. My fear reaction, upon comjng home and suddenly seeing the snake, was too mjuch.
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