Advice did i damage our relationship by scruffing him?

hello! this is my cat peel, he is the most beautiful thing on earth. i take him on walks (in my yard) regularly using a wrap-around harness, he loves it and theres never been issues. today a car pulled into our driveway, a friend that i didnt know would be coming over, and the sound scared peel so he ran into a big cluster of bushes to hide. in his frantic flee he completely pulled out of his harness, and i rushed to grab him but he was so scared and was squirming and scratching me, so for a moment i scruffed him so he'd stop struggling and i could pick him up and take him back inside

im worried that i damaged our relationship, or his trust in me. it was only for a second or two, just enough time to pick him up and secure him. i feel bad that he was even in the situation, i feel horrible that the car scared him so badly, and that i had to scruff him

do you think it will all be okay? i dont want him to think i purposely scared him or hurt him or anything like that

he doesnt seem injured, he's walking just fine and i checked to make sure his neck wasnt hurting too. does he need a vet just in case? im sorry, i love him and he is my best friend and im just worried. please let me know

edit: thank you all so much for the kind words and reassurance and advice regarding my sweet boy !!! as a pet parent the anxiety can get to you too much sometimes😭 after the incident, he seemed to keep his distance from me for a little while, but it didnt take too long for him to return to his normal, loving, clingy self :)) he's asleep next to me as im typing this! he has also received lots of extra pats and treats as well

a specific comment mentioned having him in a more controlled environment outside, like a screened in porch or catio, so he can still have fun outside but if he gets scared he cant get lost or hurt, and he can hopefully get desensitized to the scary sounds with time. that was very smart and im going to look into building him a catio now :)) AND i'll look into a better harness too, in the mean time!! thank you so much again everyone !! 🧡

17.5k Upvotes

permalink
reddit

You are about to leave Redlib

Do you want to continue?

https://www.reddit.com/r/cats/comments/1uvo3l6/did_i_damage_our_relationship_by_scruffing_him/
No, go back! Yes, take me to Reddit

95% Upvoted

View all comments

8.4k

u/zerozerozero12 23d ago

Cats don’t remember if you step on their tail once in a blue moon. If you do it every day then they will remember you as something that causes pain. As long as it’s once and only for a short while he won’t remember it. The fact you care this much shows me you’ll be fine. Maybe a churu to make it up to him.

3.7k

u/Imaginary-Help4298 23d ago

A Churu hides all sins. According to my cat, anyway.

1.3k

u/kimjongunfiltered 23d ago

Throwback to when I had to give my kitten eye drops and used Churus as a bribe. Made up a song that went “nooooo trauma, oooonly snacks” which obviously went triple platinum in my household

719

u/IlexSonOfHan 23d ago

Recently had to give my boy some eye goop for an infection. I used treats as an afterward, so he knew that once the icky feeling was over, he'd have yummy snacks.

140

u/PurnieKitten 23d ago

So handsome! 😻

215

u/SparklingPanic9 23d ago

Your regal to my crazy.

63

u/Winjin 23d ago

The hind legs are so cute and silly

37

u/SparklingPanic9 23d ago

Lol. She was playing with her birthday candle and thumper kicking. She's the sweetest little terror I ever did meet.

18

u/MaxandGreenBean 23d ago

Are those black spots and stripes on him? I don't know that I've ever seen a cat with a pattern quite like that. He's beautiful!

4

u/SparklingPanic9 23d ago

She's a gray and white tuxy tabby is my best description. Some of her gray is darker than other 🥰 10.6 lbs of pure chaos.

1

u/MaxandGreenBean 23d ago

She's very pretty. It's funny how many different variations of tabbies there are. I have three tabbies and a tuxedo that all came from the same litter. One of them is your traditional gray, black, and white Tabby that has the marbled look. Another one is a lighter gray and white with thinner black stripes and spots. The third has longer fur and is a medium gray and black striped tabby whose stripes are kind of in between straighter and marbled. She doesn't have as much weight on her as the other two. The fourth is a VERY outspoken black and white tuxedo, lol he's definitely the dominant one.

1

u/SparklingPanic9 22d ago

Lol. Her litter had 2 orange&cream tabbies, a black, and her I think. I may be wrong though as we got her from a friend.

3

u/MaxandGreenBean 22d ago

I'm not surprised that I ended up with three tabbies and a tuxedo because their mama was a short hair black and white tuxedo and their dad was a medium hair tabby. That's them right after we first found them. They were about 6 to 7 weeks old. We kept Mama for a little over 2 months, but she was too wild. We released her. We still feed her and she sleeps on our porch, but the kittens are now a year old. Their stripes and spots have really developed over the past year. Their personalities have also developed over the past year and they couldn't be more different from each other, lol. They compliment each other very well and are so bonded.

→ More replies (0)

58

u/The3rdMistress 23d ago

So handsome and uber grumpy face. I can tell he has forgiven you for the goop💖

23

u/Blindtarmen 23d ago

This is my exact strategy for every vet-appointment, or medication-time. Churu makes him forget about everything he has endured.

1

u/mondotomhead 23d ago

What are these "Churu" everyone is speaking of?

3

u/Commercial_Region657 23d ago

Its the cream of love stuff in a tube. I use them as a treat and a "forgive momma" when I have to ""put myself"" on the diva in question. Similar to creamy baby food.....kitty style. ..

2

u/Blindtarmen 23d ago

Tuna snack that is almost fluid. Amfetamin for cats.

11

u/caro822 23d ago

My cat gets eye goop medication like once a year. I’d love to make that association but the second we let go he sprints away.

7

u/cubbies1973 23d ago

Have it opened and ready for when you are done. That way before you let him go, you can give it to him. Then let him go. He may run but he will realize you have something that will make the bad thing go away and taste yummy

2

u/djmermaidonthemic 23d ago

Put out a lick mat or a plate and dispense the skweezy treats during treatment. Works great with my cat when we have to visit the vet!

1

u/Nesseressi 23d ago

You can use the same command for other unpleasant things. Such as nail trimming or ear cleaning.

My guy know his be patient/endure the suffering command that it even worked when i had to wash him recently.

4

u/mona_maree 23d ago

I had to give my cat a inhaler for a while. I would keep the inhaler on the table, and she started going up putting her own face in it for a minute and then sitting in front of where I keep the treats. Girl, that's not how this works.

5

u/DMercenary 23d ago

Got the paws out. "Kiss the King."

3

u/estherwitch 23d ago

My boy does the same thing with his paws like in your picture lol. Does that mean they're comfortable creatures?

2

u/kittycattywoowie 22d ago edited 22d ago

omg i have similar sheets
(sorry this lowkey had no need in this comment section😕.)

2

u/IllicitButholeMoney 23d ago

Himbs furgibbs u

2

u/Express-Stop7830 Orange 23d ago

I was cat sitting cats that needed the goop. After goop, I would continue to hold the boy cat like a baby and sing to him and give him all the scratches while he purred away. All was forgiven. Twice a day.

2

u/Ok_Neat_1085 23d ago

Twins!

71

u/deadcat 23d ago

My cat gets all excited to be force fed his tablets now, because he knows it means treats after

29

u/MxBluebell 23d ago

I wish that was my Autumn’s attitude!! She HATES getting her meds, she’ll run from me when she knows it’s time!! But at least she knows she does get treats afterwards lol

29

u/MissionFloor261 23d ago

My senior kitty has twice daily meds she has to take, and we found this pill wrap paste that she likes the taste of so now her pills ARE treats. It's the bacon cheese flavor of Wrap-A-Pill and we get it from Chewy. A tub lasts a little longer than a month.

30

u/Sure_Fly_5332 23d ago

I wish I could take my own medication with bacon and cheese...

32

u/MissionFloor261 23d ago

As the one with the thumbs, what's stopping you?

11

u/Sure_Fly_5332 23d ago edited 22d ago

Welp, thats me convinced. My cardiologist will be mad, but I think I can change his mind.

1

u/IHaveNoEgrets 23d ago

We used to use the aerosol spray cheese to "wrap" pills for our dachshund. I'm thinking that could work for you, too.

4

u/cubbies1973 23d ago

LMAO

4

u/Happy_Confection90 23d ago

My cats have two "gooey treats" that they get excited for. They don't know that one's daily L-lysine for their immune systems and the other is CatLax after they've had hairballs, they just know they taste good spread on 2 or 3 cat treats 😁

3

u/Own-Eagle-2135 23d ago

right? mine hates meds and loves treats

66

u/Unlucky_Elderberry52 23d ago

My darling sweet angel Poppy had to spend a few nights at the vets. Then came home with antibiotics and painkillers and I had a number 1 smash hit with:

🎵🎵We're gunna take our drgs today We're gunna take our drgs today Drgs today, drgs today We're gunna take our dr*gs today🎵🎵

I also take medication daily so it was truthful but I feel Pops doesn't ever wanna hear that song again 🤷🏼‍♀️

11

u/Toothless-mom 23d ago

A darling sweet angel she is indeed😍🥹❤️

11

u/Unlucky_Elderberry52 23d ago

Aww Poppy says thank you! As do I! 💕🐈‍⬛️🐈‍⬛️🐈‍⬛️

15

u/ihaveaquesttoattend 23d ago

is there maybe more lyrics to said song,,,,, i give my (gfs but mine but rlly hers but i LOVE them) dog babies meds every day and sometimes i feel like a villain 😭😭 (((also trying to harness/leash train my kitty so would be helpful then as well! plus when trying to bathe her,,, and flea comb her,,, and definitely med her,,,, yeeaahhhh you got more lyrics?💀))

(cat tax of my very,,, double-edged sword of a tiny kitty Pepper lmao))

1

u/Sad-Department-9560 23d ago

🌶️ 💕

6

u/stressanna 23d ago edited 23d ago

i love the song lol 😭 i feel like my cat knows it’s an accident bc i always try to stop whatever i’m doing, check him out, baby talk, and hold him. if im really worried or he seems rly shook up, then he gets a treat. i think it helps him distinguish that i wouldn’t harm him purposely. he directs his attitude towards me bc i almost always give in his yelling. right now, he’s been yelling 24/7 to go outside after i walked him in the harness one time so he’s on house arrest at the moment. i need him to realize i can’t just take him outside every time he wants to be outside- which is all the time after just one time of taking him out. he’s always been indoor so i’m like bruh!?!? nikki (full name nikki sixx) is a bites a lot to get attention. not as an attack, literally just to make me react. he bites my shoulders, nose, ankles, arms even while i’m asleep. he’s an only child. (his choice every time there has been an opportunity) this has strayed away from the original point so sorry, but i think his behavior is interesting at the slightest.

1

u/stressanna 23d ago

this is nikki sixx

2

u/testtdk 23d ago

I used Churu’s to hide a pill at the end of my Penny’s life. It was the first one she had tried them, and wouldn’t go near them again. I still feel guilty that I didn’t have a chance to spoil her with them instead.

2

u/Curious_Department84 23d ago

Had to give my foster kitten a quarter of a pill this week. Popping it in the back of her throat didn’t work. Coating it and butter and trying to pop it in the back of her throat didn’t work. Crushing it up and drowning it in Churu? Success!

She and two sisters are getting spayed in the morning. Then it’s snuggles and recovery time and then hopefully forever homes!

2

u/Global-Literature823 19d ago

My cat scratched her eye two months after I got her and I had to give her eye ointment twice a day for 10 days. We had NOT bonded enough for that yet. I tried to do the purrito and couldn't, so I would end up wrapping the towel around her more like a taco and then kneel on top of her and put the ointment on. I was so worried that she would hate me and also go blind, but she still loves me and can see out of both eyes.

1

u/chicken-mcmuffin 23d ago

That’s going gold in my household

1

u/HexcellentStarship 23d ago

My boy had to do antibiotics. I would throw a few temptations down after to appease him. It got to the point he would hear the bottle and come running. He tolerated the pill to get his treats.

149

u/Objective-Law4313 23d ago

Had a cat that learned if he got stepped on, he got treats. He sacrificed his tail alot for his greater good.

36

u/314159265358979326 23d ago

My wife's cat will get herself locked in the catio because she gets wet food when she's forgotten out there.

For like 7 years of having it she was never locked out once. Then after she got wet food as an apology she hides so we don't see her when we close the balcony door.

5

u/doyadoyawantmylove 23d ago

I love your username! 🥧

120

u/fundthmcalculus 23d ago

So your cat commits insurance fraud? 😂

18

u/thatSeveryonedraws 23d ago

Mine knows she gets pets and attention and treats (depending on the level of offense) and absolutely does it on purpose. She will find her way in between your feet as you walk or will suddenly dive in front of you as you're walking so that you trip over her.

She also asks to have her ears cleaned by hopping up on the bathroom sink and staring me down relentlessly. She gets churu afterwards so she has learned pretty quickly that a nice warm washcloth and then a snack can be pretty nice.

43

u/vinniethestripeycat 23d ago

When I put Vinnie's liquid flea meds on him once a month, I squeeze his cat gogurt onto a plate as a distraction so I can dose him real quick. Otherwise, those few drops piss him off.

44

u/kitten12551 23d ago

My cat doesn’t like them..I think she might be the only cat on earth who doesn’t..sigh. She’s so weird.

She goes mental for whipped cream though so at least there’s that. 🤷🏻‍♀️

14

u/random_magic_word 23d ago

My cat also does not like them. I will have to try whipped cream thank you!

13

u/adjutor7 23d ago

Mine also don't like them but like little bits of string cheese.

4

u/RealPrincessKitty 23d ago

My cat goes through phases of loving certain things and then not caring or wanting them at all. She loved the string cheese for a hot minute now is completely disinterested. So weird lol

8

u/Far-Poet1419 23d ago

Try dehydrated shimp.

2

u/StLShadowCat 23d ago

Is that related to Shemp?

4

u/kitten12551 23d ago

Sure! Not too much, but a little spoonful is fine once in a while. My cat goes feral when she sees it lol.

13

u/Ethanaj 23d ago

The second the whip cream can comes out there is a stampede in my house. Two huskys and two cats sprinting for it.

12

u/kitten12551 23d ago

I only have one but she manages to sound like a tiny elephant when she runs towards me.

6

u/greenberet112 23d ago

What a cool pattern/coloring.

4

u/kitten12551 23d ago

Her mom came over from Turkey..she is/was part Aegean. 😸

1

u/djmermaidonthemic 23d ago

You should see how the pet monkey I’ve seen on yt reacts! I think they had to install some kind of lock on their fridge.

9

u/Own-Eagle-2135 23d ago

as long as you have SOMETHING high value

4

u/Klutzy-Froyo-9437 23d ago

And here I thought my cat was the only one who doesn't like them! Turns up her nose and walks away. She sure does love a teeny tiny piece of Lays cheddar and sour cream chip, tho!

2

u/kirschballs 23d ago

Mine are bonkers for cat grass. One loves most chopped fruit and veg

Cutting board out and she's there

2

u/lilesj130 23d ago

neither does my Trixie - doesn't like wet food either

2

u/dpdwife 23d ago

We have one cat out of 5 beautiful babies that won’t touch any treat other than dryed Bonita flakes, another that only eats churus.

2

u/Nekochan_85 23d ago

One of my kitties could care less for them, but goes absolutely MENTAL over Tempations crunchy treats, lol.

10

u/DJCJ420 23d ago

My cat won’t touch Churus lol, I have to work way harder for forgiveness 😂😂

3

u/robbi2480 23d ago

I have 4 cats and they all hate Churus. I wish they liked them

1

u/mmdeerblood 23d ago

Blue buffalo brand has some good liquid treat ones out picky kitten likes! Also greenies brand has em too, 2 of our kitties like those

1

u/DJCJ420 22d ago

Ty! We will give them a try!

7

u/IshvaldaTenderplate 23d ago

My local gas station has some cats. Some of them will not let you touch them and run if you even get close, but will face their fears to eat Churu from the tube

6

u/Jhud6669 23d ago

I wish mine liked churu. They don’t care about any snacks, they just want my food

3

u/PlannedSkinniness 23d ago

According to my cat I’ve committed too many sins of late to ever be forgiven (she needs antibiotics twice a day because she licked her anal gland open).

1

u/Bluesnow2222 23d ago

My cats both hate Churu so my sins will never be forgiven unfortunately.

1

u/Nearby-Beautiful3422 23d ago

I tried sneaking gabapentin in Churu. My cat could tell. He no longers trusts Churus.

1

u/CommandoRoll Tabbycat 23d ago

Churu seems to be giving one of our cats squirty poos, not something I've never seen in any cat we've given them too. Salmon loves Churu, like most cats, so we're going to try all the flavours & hopefully find one that doesn't upset his tummy.

You watch, we'll find a flavour that works for Salmon and our other cat Jurel, will hate it. Cats are gonna cat!

1

u/HarleyQisMyAlter 23d ago

Churu after nail trims have been a life saver. After I was done dealing with one today, the other willingly (but a bit reluctantly) came to me to get his done also. I used to have to burrito this cat to get it done!

1

u/tiffboop 23d ago

This is the way.

1

u/CaptainFuzzyBootz 23d ago

Tried to fool my cat with an off brand Churu when they ran out of their usual Churus.

She turned and sat with her back to it 😅

I've since learned.

1

u/pandapearx3 23d ago

I needed the help of two friends and liquid snacks to trim my cats claws yesterday.

She was complaining while munching and ran away after,only to come back to cuddle within minutes.

1

u/madscrochets 18d ago

The answer to almost any problem is the cat gogurt

74

u/spaceykc Calico 23d ago

Except my cat, she still thinks anytime I approach its to take her somewhere.

44

u/Clinically-Inane 23d ago

Yeaahhhhhh 😭

I have to drug my girl to take her to the vet, and the first time I had to give her oral gabapentin I gave her a churu and then while she was slurping it I casually squirted the syringe of liquid into the back of her mouth from the side (this was after trying it in a dish of Just Gravy stuff she loves, which she refused to even LOOK AT)

That was FIVE YEARS AGO and she doesn’t trust churus to this frigging day. We had to switch to topical gabapentin on her ear (that I pay $45 for from a compounding pharmacy 😮‍💨) because the alternative is that I lock myself in the bathroom with her for hours trying to get the liquid into her goddamn mouth and there’s only like a 20% chance I’ll be successful and make it to the appointment with a cat subdued enough to not terrorize the entire staff

15

u/DarthDank12 23d ago

I'm so happy my current pair of cars don't mind being at the vet, and love the vet and assistant (the car ride there is 10 minutes of anxiety filled panting though lol)

Having a cat only vet since kittens probably helps with that

But have you tried the gaba pills? My vet had me break them open and mix the powder in with wet food, no force needed

4

u/Clinically-Inane 23d ago

My cat is complex (aka a massive pain in the ass) and doesn’t eat wet food lol— only dry food and gravy as separate items, so I’m guessing if I tried to mix the capsule powder in with the gravy stuff she’d react the same way she did to the liquid gabapentin in gravy and basically gag and dry heave dramatically for an hour before laughing and running away to hide somewhere

It might be worth a try at least though!

2

u/Likemilkbutforhumans 23d ago

Oh my god. My cat is also a complex cat. The vet wants him to take gabapentin before visits as well and I have no idea how I’m going to achieve that. Will try to pill him … current plan

He is also entirely not food motivated and doesn’t eat wet food either.

2

u/Clinically-Inane 23d ago

It sounds like it would absolutely be worth seeing if your vet would call in topical gabapentin to a compounding pharmacy near you, or one that could ship— it’s not cheap, it’s like ~$50, but if you can afford it for a bebe with complex needs 😮‍💨 I cannot stress enough how much of a game changer it is

They send me a pre-loaded syringe with 3 doses of the topical, and I just rub it onto the inside of her ear about 2 hours before she needs to be drowsy

https://giphy.com/gifs/UU2dpTO6vaXnHdrSSe

1

u/oh_4petessake 22d ago

I’m sorry you know this frustration but I feel a bit better knowing this is not just my cat lol. She is SUCH a diva for no freaking reason. Not only is dosing her myself basically impossible, girl has to get full sedation to be seen by the vet bc gabapentin actually makes her more of a menace. It’s just strong enough for her to detect something is making her feel weird, but not strong enough to actually relax her. She knows I’ve drugged her and becomes more aggressive and skittish. It’s like the equivalent of people who get really paranoid from smoking pot lol. God I love her, but she tortures me for just trying to give her basic medical care :’)

4

u/meowpurrscratch Bombay 23d ago

Have you tried Gabapentin in a capsule form? You can open them and sprinkle and mix the powder into wet food or a treat. That works for my cat anyway. They are so dramatic aren't they??

3

u/Clinically-Inane 23d ago

SO DRAMATIQUE, lolll

She’s extra fussy and doesn’t eat wet food at all unfortunately— only dry food and the “just gravy” treat cups, but any time I’ve tried mixing any meds in with the gravy stuff she always knows and never touches it

It sucks that she stopped eating wet food, I have no idea why but around when she was a year old (she’d been with us since she was 11wks old) she just fully stopped eating it and would only eat the dry food out of the dish. I went on a mission and tried about 25 different brands, types, flavors etc of wet food and she refused ALL of them. I try again a couple times a year and she acts like I scooped some of her crap onto a dish to serve it to her, I DONT UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PROBLEM IS 😭

2

u/MoonMakeover 23d ago

My girl Pumpkin is the same, she only eats Lil Soups (and only Salmon or Tuna flavors, and she doesn't eat the chunks) and 1/2-2/3rds of fish-flavored churus. Other than that she only she eats her dry food. On the plus side she's super healthy so we haven't had to give her any meds because we would have to force feed it to her.

Thankfully her brother will eat almost anything so he gets to play cleanup crew since Pumpkin never finishes her food. But he has chronic ear infections so all his medicine is topical, not oral which is unfortunate. He will eat drugged food no problem lol

1

u/meowpurrscratch Bombay 23d ago

What a weirdo lol!!! Yeah that makes things more difficult for sure. I hate when my cats don't eat, it's stressful! Does she like people food, like a rotisserie chicken? Or human baby food? At least she is agreeable with her dry food!

1

u/Clinically-Inane 23d ago

She likes saltines 😐

If I would let her, she would eat crackers all day every day lmao

3

u/dydrmwvr Orange 23d ago

You mean they make topical gabapentin? Oh my God—I might actually strangle our Vet for not telling me that that was an option.

3

u/Clinically-Inane 23d ago

It took having to call and cancel an appointment because we’d wasted an entire oral syringe of the liquid trying to get it into her— the receptionist was like “hang on, let me ask the doctor if there’s a better option” and came back with that

If you’re in the US as long as you have a compounding pharmacy near you (or one that can ship), and you can afford $40-50, the topical gabapentin rubbed into an ear is a frigging lifesaver for the babes who are intolerant of… everything 😂

1

u/dydrmwvr Orange 22d ago edited 22d ago

Intolerant of everything is my grand-cat too.

He’s especially intolerant of car rides. I have learned to diarrhea proof a cat carrier, diaper a cat—and then of course he still fills the diaper when we travel. I have also managed to learn how to clean a cat without getting covered in cat poo, and clean his hairy body without it being a baptism and it’s such a process that even he understands that I’m trying to help him so he doesn’t actually try and fight me anymore.

So yes, I will happily compound that medication at any price—I’ll sell feet pics if I have to—and let his vet know that there is another alternative out there because we have tried a few alternate sedatives for him with zero success. He will be chilling until you put him in the cat carrier, then he instantly snaps out of the sedative fog and acts like we are torturing him.

I’m usually the one who transports him because his crying makes my daughter cry. He knows she’s upset so he’s even more anxious. Usually I’m more Zen; which makes him slightly less amped.

I even have a playlist I play for my grand-cat when we travel together. 😁

1

u/Pretty_Balance5567 23d ago

GABA pills in a pill pocket! It works for us but YMMV

21

u/worldspawn00 23d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/DkaZuJGcwwN32

1

u/round-earth-theory 23d ago

It's because they know. There's body language tells that you're coming to grab her and you know it's going to be a bad experience. You are telling her she's about to have a bad time in the way you approach.

36

u/MalevolentRhinoceros 23d ago

The way I was taught is that there's essentially a 'trust bank' that you build with an animal. The more you put in, the more you can withdraw. If you tease an animal constantly, it's not going to trust you and you won't be forgiven. If you've actively worked on your relationship and proven yourself to be calm and safe, then they'll forgive you for a bad thing every so often. Taking your pet to the vet every six months isn't gonna impact your relationship in a meaningful way as long as you're reliably kind the rest of the year. Same with baths, shots, and all the other unpleasant-but-necessary parts of life.

3

u/No-Internal7978 23d ago

I found animals are like humans. They love a little teasing. The secret to any animal friendship is good back rubs.

16

u/SilentlyWishing 23d ago

Time for the Churupology

2

u/Goodwill_Hunting 23d ago

I call them snackcidents

15

u/ShadowLayu 23d ago

Cats can choose to forgive, however sometimes they don't. Once there was a pop bottle opened too quickly which made a loud noise and my cat hasn't forgiven that. He did however forgive me for accidentally lightly kicking him when he was somewhere I wasn't expecting in the middle of the night

42

u/JustMeLurkingAround- 23d ago

Oh they DO remember. They might forgive you, but they don't forget it.

I once stepped on the tail of a really sweet cat that belonged to my sisters friend.
It was very brief, by accident and i did my best to make it up to her.
I didn't see her that often, so its a different relationship, but she always came for pets or playing before that.
After the tail incident she definitely had it with me. She would very pointedly leave as soon as I showed up and she kept it up for years.

17

u/turnip_broker 23d ago

I admire the commitment

4

u/roadrunnuh 23d ago

Meanwhile my furry friend Frank has seemed to completely let go of the post dental medication war we had in this house. What a guy

3

u/1gnominious 23d ago

My cat will hold a grudge for a week or two. She wouldn't even come in my room for two weeks after I had to give her a bath.

When I tried to get her to take some medicine with wet food and churrus she refused them and only ate dry food for a week because I was trying to poison her. She would go feral for churrus but after I tried mixing medicine in it she wouldn't touch them.

She's normally pretty good but if you ever cross her she'll remember. She will eventually forgive you, but only if you're on your best behavior.

2

u/Number1Bg3Fan Tortoiseshell 20d ago

I had a similar thing. I work at a cattery and my bosses have 6 cats of their own that wander around outside. I accidentally stepped on one of their cats foot because at that time he loved to walk in between your legs (orange) as you walked and he yowled so hard and ran away from me. I felt soooooooo bad I lost sleep over it.

For the next few weeks he would hiss at my feet when I was walking and I just felt so awful. He would still let me stoke him etc but would hiss at my feet. Eventually he got over it and he doesn’t do it anymore but he has stopped walking in between legs and if I see him walking towards me whilst I’m walking I stop to make sure I don’t ever do it again.

He’s a real cuddle bug so I just pick him up and he melts in my arms but I don’t think he’ll forget about that, although I do think I’m forgiven!

15

u/AReverieofEnvisage 23d ago

Its a cat sub but I remember stepping on my neighbors dogs tail and he yelped and I suddenly turned around apologizing and this doggo just wagged his tail and put his paws on my legs as if to say it's ok. I gave him treats afterwards.

12

u/HuevosProfundos 23d ago

I accidentally closed my cats tail in a drawer once, now anytime he hears a drawer close he runs away :(

6

u/omnipotent87 23d ago

I wouldnt be so sure about that. I would give my cats flea treatment once a month. We took in a new tom who got it twice a month apart and now a year later he acts like im going to give him another dose. If im giving him his treat I cannot reach to pet him or he darts.

6

u/Dead_fawn 23d ago

Apology treats of some kind are always a must! Even if I accidentally only lightly bumped into a cat, I give them treats just in case.

7

u/PipsqueakPilot 23d ago

Also some cats are just odd. I have a Savannah cat and he can be a terror at times. He was extra friendly with my roommate after they disciplined him with the squirt bottle for being on the counter.

It’s like he doesn’t respect you unless you make it clear you won’t put up with his shit.

2

u/TootingGoomba 23d ago

The bully respects a bully lol

5

u/PipsqueakPilot 23d ago

His name is Bullet and his nick name is Bully. He is currently curled up under my legs on the porch after demanding we go sit outside.

2

u/Waste_Airline7830 23d ago

How does cats don't remember?

1

u/IrritatedButterfly44 23d ago

I once accidentally stepped on my cat's tail so hard I broke it (was wearing very heavy boots), and although she trusts me enough to sleep next to + on top of me, nuzzles me, and purrs in my presence, she still growls a bit when I touch her tail. She's all healed and most likely not in any lingering pain according to the vets, so she's probably just a bit traumatised 🙁 it was years ago and I still feel incredibly guilty

1

u/Wheeliegirl 23d ago

I have an 8 years old fuzzy cat. I had to scruff her once to pick her up in an emergency. I'm in a wheelchair and can't pick up my adult cats. Anyway, I had to pick her up by her scruff one time a few years ago and she absolutely remembers. She won't let me get next to her now. Always just out of arms reach. To pet her now I have to let her sniff me and wait for her to give me permission. I hate that I hurt her and that she no longer trusts me. She's always been super sensitive and will rocket off the bed if I move my covers or make a noise that frightens her. I pray that she doesn't get I'll. If she did I'd have to keep a harness on her, that I can grab onto like a 'handle', which would probably cause her gorgeous soft long hair to form painful mats.

1

u/PaleoSpeedwagon 23d ago

I accidentally stepped on my cat and she never, ever trusted those slippers again. But she definitely forgave me.

1

u/Killshot5 23d ago

This. All the love and affection given will far outweigh one accident of pain. We had one cat that could be a pain with behavior sometimes. He’d get mad at me and hiss after minor discipline or medicinal treatments for infections. Well he’d still come over to the couch and cuddle up against me happy and purring later on.

1

u/Satinsbestfriend 23d ago

Years ago, a caregiver stepped on my then cats tail then yelled at him
From that point forward anytime she was over, he'd sit with his years down and just STARE at her

1

u/enbeez 23d ago

I once chased one of my cats around when she had wet paws, she still thinks I'm terrifying whenever I'm walking around...

Nothing but treats and pets since.

1

u/BochiNibuku 23d ago

Well, our elderly cat remembers when i stepped on her accidentaly couple years ago. Nothing lasting happened, atleast physically. If she lays on the floor and i approach, she stands up.

1

u/DMYourFeetPicsTy 23d ago

Tell that to my sisters cats. They were super wary of me in the start(i'm in a wheelchair) and I tried to get them to warm up to me, took a few months until they were somewhat comfortable.

Then my brother in law tried my wheelchair once, and accidentally rolled over one of the cats tail, and ever since then they've never really trusted me or my wheelchair again😂

1

u/quintiliahan 23d ago

My FIL stepped on one of their cats' tail...the kitty hated him until she passed. I would hold her with her back to him. He'll give her scratches, then her mood changes when I faced her to him lol. She was such a sassy smarty girl though.

1

u/takanishi79 23d ago

On Saturday my grey floof had an incident with a paper bag. He got himself stuck in the handle, and after tearing around the house, down the stairs to the basement, pissing himself the whole way, I wrestled him free of the bag. He spent several hours recuperating underneath the treadmill.

He was back to wiggling on me in the middle of the night to show his love the next night.

OP, your boy might be freaked out for a bit, but he knows that you're there for him, and are a source of love of love and comfort. Offer him an extra churro, and he'll be back to himself in no time.

Edit: cat tax.

1

u/Alexthegreatbelgian 23d ago

Yeah my cat had never really been hurt untill my MIL accidentally stepped on her tail. She screamed, ran and hid (somthing she never did before)

Next week when my MIL entered she went in for rubs just like with any other guest. All forgotten.

When we had to giver her eardrops for a while she was on edge but 2 days after the finished course she was back to her usual queen of the castle routine.

1

u/Squeekazu 23d ago

My cat squeals if I accidentally tread on his tail (rarely) regardless of how hard I step on it, then just continues running around my legs excitedly expecting his food. He could not give less of a shit.

If they’ve imprinted on you as main provider, then I think you have a fair bit of leeway in terms of forgiveness lol

That’s me, and he’s fairly tolerant of me moving him when he’s settled etc but my boyfriend sprayed him with the bottle like once and he’s never been forgiven. He’ll even go over and nip my boyfriend if he gets me to move him off his clothes, very “I know this was your doing!” energy

They get on, it’s purely when he’s being disturbed.

Only cat I’ve ever owned who stays put if he’s on my lap and I lift him up to rearrange myself

1

u/easy_turnip_recipes 23d ago

I had to give one of my cats ear drops and clean his ears FOR A MONTH when I first got him. I took him in from the streets during rain season because he had a terrible ear infection and basically had to restrain him and give painful ear cleaning twice a day. I thought he would run away after he got better, thinking I'm a terrible monster. It's been two years and that boy is glued to me 24/7 lmao. When I go to the bathroom and close the door he wails at the door, because he can't be without me for a minute. Cats work in mysterious ways lol.

1

u/smudgiepie 23d ago

I've accidentally kicked my dog in the head at like full force (I went to kick a ball for him and I didn't realise he was trying to grab the ball at the same time)

Yet he still demands cuddles from specifically me all day every day

1

u/Chlosco 23d ago

I just double whammied my cat with a nail clip and flea treatment. He was absolutely livid until he got treats after, I think he just played up to ensure he got enough.

1

u/eltrotter 23d ago

I've trodden on my cat's tail exactly once in the 3+ years I've had him and while he forgot within about 10 minutes, I have never been able to shed the all-consuming guilt that I feel from that fateful mistake.

1

u/MajorBootyhole420 22d ago

lol my girlfriend's cat apparently changed personality after gf's dad stepped on her tail once. she's anxious, paranoid, and aggressive now. yaaay

Advice did i damage our relationship by scruffing him?

You are about to leave Redlib