File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
I wanted a cat when I was a real little girl, /an, but my dad's pretty allergic so we've never had one. In a couple months, my friend and I are getting our own place and she's thinking about buying a kitten. I'd be so happy!

Now, she's had cats all her life and knows how to take care of them, so that's not my concern. I just don't really know how to interact with them. I've had dogs, bunnies, and guinea pigs with great success but cats don't appreciate being dealt with like that. They're so pretty but they feel like they should be treated different than other animals. What should I do?


tl;dr -- How should I act so's my roommate's cat likes me?
>> Anonymous
lol you sound like you're asking advice on how to act around your secret crush.
It's a cat, not that difficult - stroke it when it wants to be, leave it alone when it's doing its own thing. It'll let you know when you're allowed to interact. Don't force yourself on it or it may get pissed off.
>> Anonymous
Making eye contact with a cat is impolite. Cats communicate a lot with body language.
see:
http://messybeast.com/cat_talk.htm
http://messybeast.com/cat_talk2.htm
for more information.
>> Anonymous
One word of warning: Cat tails mean exactly the opposite of dog tails.
>> Anonymous
Just leave it to do what it wants mostly. If it does something wrong, discipline it in whatever way your room mate says. Don't mind if it gets pissed at you, it won't last forever. Just pick it up and pet it at least once a day, talk to it in a gentle voice, make known you're a friendly presence. The cat will react to you in the way it's personality dictates; it could be a real climb-on-your-lap-and-purr type, or a yowl-every-time-you-pick-it-up. As long as you live with it and don't abuse it, it should like you.
>> Anonymous
Remember to blink slowly if the cat catches you staring at it. Breaking eye contact like that is a "polite", calming thing among cats and communicates that you have friendly intentions. Looking away has the same effect, but then you won't know how the cat reacted (often the cat will blink back if it feels safe and peaceful).
>> Anonymous
Protip - Get a Ragdoll; they're long-haired, but don't shed as much as others, and their fur is rather diffrent then other long-haired cats, as it has a diffrent 'texture' and dosn't need to be maintained by a human. But they also love being brushed, so...yeah.
They have a very sweet and loving temperament, but they're a little on the expensive side; they're worth is, as they're amongst the best cats out there.

They trail you around like dogs, and love to be 'man handled' and held, and are very people-loving whilst most cats would rather you GTFO.

Ssrly, Ragdoll. Get one, it sounds perfect for you.
>> Anonymous
>>121101
LIES!!! When see ears pull back and you hear the tail thumping the ground from the sheer JOY of prolonged petting interaction, it's recommended you stroke their bellies to deepen the bond :D
>> Anonymous
THE FIRST THING YOU NEED TO DO IS ESTABLISH DOMINANCE. ONCE YOU GET THE CAT YOU NEED TO GRAB IT BY THE SCRUFF OF THE NECK AND HISS IN ITS EAR THEN LET IT GO AND BACK AWAY. IF YOU DONT BACK AWAY FAST ENOUGH THE CAT IS GONNA TURN AROUND AND BEFORE YOU KNOW IT YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN THE SIX SIDED RING OF FIRE IN A VICIOUS CAT BATTLE, AND YOU DONT WANT THAT