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Hey there /an/. I'm mostly posting this to vent, but if anyone can give some pointers on how to correct some possibly poor cat training I'd appreciate it.
Last September, my housemates got a kitten. I neither like nor dislike cats, so I agreed to having one. One of my housemates, I'll call him Catman, is pretty knowledgeable about them due to his mom's having owned several throughout his childhood. My own knowledge is basically nil, so I just did minor stuff like buy tons of food, change her litter box, and give her attention when no one else was at home/awake.
About a month or so after getting her, I broke my leg and went back to live with my parents til I was back on my feet again. I've just come back home a few days ago, and I'm kind of shocked at how badly this cat seems to be turning out.
Before I left, her roaming area consisted of a room we set aside for her, the hallways, Catman's room, and our living room. I'd also let her into my room if she wanted, though I have a lot of wiring and stuff in here so I'd kick her out if I had to scold her for trying to get at the back of my computer or something too often. The only luxury items we had for the cat were a couple of small fuzzy toys for it to pounce on and whatnot (we didn't bother with a bed for a while because she loved sleeping on Catman's).
Since I came back, it seems the only cat-related items we've gotten are a cat bed and a water spray bottle. Her roaming area's pretty much restricted to her room and the halls. I think even Catman won't let her in his room now. Whenever she gets into the living room, my housemates immediately scold and throw her out. Apart from feeding her, this seems to be their only interaction with her these days. I don't know how long this has been going on for.
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>>2298398
Because she's got fuckin' nothing to do, I decided to keep my door open for her. Like I said, I've got some hazards in here along with things I plain don't want her to mess up, and she just doesn't learn to leave that stuff alone. Apparently this is why she's banned from the living room, since we have vidya consoles set up in there. So, I end up having to kick her out as well.
Letting her in my room seems to have been a mistake, as now when she's in a playful mood she solely seeks out my door and scratches at it constantly. A couple days ago she figured out how door handles work and, much like with wires, she just does not learn to leave it alone. I've lost track of how many times I've had to shoo her away just while typing this. I'm now physically losing sleep because it's loud as hell and she's waking me up. I'm stressed out that when I go back to work full-time she'll get in here and mess something up bad, or worse, hurt herself.
Catman says she's a difficult cat, but I dunno if anyone's been training her properly in the first place. I'm gonna get at them about it today, because it seems like a case of everyone wanting a kitten cause they're cute without wanting to put in any effort on maintaining one.
I didn't want to take the moral high ground since I don't really know how to care for them by myself (which is why I'd also really appreciate any advice). But then again, my very first day back here I walked fifteen minutes up and down the street on my half-healed leg for cat food because she'd had nothing to eat but dental cat treats for two days.
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>>2298399
have you tried playing with her? tiring her out by playing with her might be the solution
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>>2298399
also, talk to your roommates about getting her more toys to keep her busy. a cat tree and / or scratcher can help to keep her away from your things
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>>2298402
Not gonna lie, not as much as I should. I'm still a half-cripple and it's hard to move quickly if she's getting into trouble, which is why I'm iffy about letting her in my room. But I suppose going to her would probably be a good idea, even if it means crawling around the hall.
>>2298407
One of the main things I'm gonna rant about. A bed and two old boring toys is stupid, having had her for half a year already.
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>>2298408
if you can't play with her you can look up stimulating toys that she can operate by herself, like pic related
also, a cat teaser is a lot of fun and requires less work
talk to your housemates about the importance of playing with her too.
thank you for looking out for her, anon. I'm sure you will do a great job, and she will love you for the rest of her kitty life :)
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>>2298411
Laser lights work great too. My cat will stop dead in her tracks to kill that red dot
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>>2298399
It sounds as if it might be better to rehome her, since it doesn't seem like your roommates care about her very much. Maybe strike up a conversation about this, and if they protest, try making agreements about the care of the cat, because you all got the cat together, so you should care for her together
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