sticking a finger out for them to sniff and rub against is another good one. hypothesis is that it's not dissimilar from the way cats bump noses and rub their scent off on each other
I also like making myself small and crouching and being as still as possible. I've befriended many skittish feline this way
I do all that plus I growl, hiss, rub my nose/cheeks against theirs, lick and groom their neck and forehead area just like cats. I imitate a dozen more cat behaviours.
I'm blessed with a lot of stray cats and slow-blinking alone helped me become friends with the most feral and aggressive tomcats here.
Just experienced this with one of the reclining mountain lions at the San Diego Zoo; the same two short blinks followed by an extended slow blink in response to my own. There were others nearby but we alone seemed to be “sharing that moment”.
My apartment bans all pets. The agent even told me I can't keep fish.
I really wish I could fall asleep next to a cat. Their purring is absolutely mesmerizing.
> Do saltwater aquariums fall under pets? Technically they're animals, but maybe they're not defined as such in your contract.
I don't see how an aquarium is an animal??? It's just glass/maybe plastic and framing.
Anyway, probably a saltwater acquarium is ok, unless you fill it or have something living in it. Acquariums with water are often specifically prohibited because of the posibility of failure and subsequent water damage.
It worked for me. I've tried it with feral cats who had essentially zero human interaction history, and I made great progress without involving food or other trust-making processes.
It's not a magic bullet but more of an amplifier. Cats probably use far many data points alongside to assess safety.
This is common knowledge among cat owners. Slow blink is the closest signal to "I love you".
> I trust you so much I choose to momentarily close my eyes in your presence. I know you won't rip me apart with your claws, although you have the capacity to do so as a predator.
Me, too. Conversely, my wife seems to have little intuition for what cats or dogs are feeling. She grew up without any animals. It's probably like human language - fluency is more likely to be achieved in childhood.
Another cat one is that i’m pretty about is that sitting or sleeping in another's usual spot is in no way a sign of dominance.
My cats do this to each other and it’s clearly taken as an invitation for affection by the other cat. They’ll sit in my chair and be happy when i gently wiggle in with them too.
It leads to a lot of stolen dog beds due to the interspecies communication barrier but i’m absolutely convinced it’s not the assholery it’s perceived to be. Merely a miscommunication.
try locking eyes and NOT blinking, you will need to channel every last bit of malevolent evil you got, but the hissy fit is worth it!
or in exceptionaly high stress situations looking AT the cat(wild, ferral,10lb tom trapped in the porch), but not focusing on it's eyes, untill it tucks its head, step OVER it and open the outside door, and it bolts so fast it leaves a cartoon puff of hair.
the search for intelligent life in the universe should be looking around, not up.
I also like making myself small and crouching and being as still as possible. I've befriended many skittish feline this way
I really like cats :)
I'm blessed with a lot of stray cats and slow-blinking alone helped me become friends with the most feral and aggressive tomcats here.
Just an idea if you want some kind of animal hobby :)
I don't see how an aquarium is an animal??? It's just glass/maybe plastic and framing.
Anyway, probably a saltwater acquarium is ok, unless you fill it or have something living in it. Acquariums with water are often specifically prohibited because of the posibility of failure and subsequent water damage.
It's not a magic bullet but more of an amplifier. Cats probably use far many data points alongside to assess safety.
> I trust you so much I choose to momentarily close my eyes in your presence. I know you won't rip me apart with your claws, although you have the capacity to do so as a predator.
My cats do this to each other and it’s clearly taken as an invitation for affection by the other cat. They’ll sit in my chair and be happy when i gently wiggle in with them too.
It leads to a lot of stolen dog beds due to the interspecies communication barrier but i’m absolutely convinced it’s not the assholery it’s perceived to be. Merely a miscommunication.
try locking eyes and NOT blinking, you will need to channel every last bit of malevolent evil you got, but the hissy fit is worth it!
or in exceptionaly high stress situations looking AT the cat(wild, ferral,10lb tom trapped in the porch), but not focusing on it's eyes, untill it tucks its head, step OVER it and open the outside door, and it bolts so fast it leaves a cartoon puff of hair.
the search for intelligent life in the universe should be looking around, not up.
It also seems to work on nervous small dogs.