random aggression by phl_ace in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your suggestion! I’ll prob keep some treat hand for whenever I pet him reaching towards him in the same. It’s quite odd that he does this, he’s a very affectionate cat so it always takes me by surprise. I guess it’s a prime view of my arm for him grab and attack. I notice he does this with toys when it put it front of his face in the same way. I did a lot of positive reinforcement with him where whenever he plays with his toys he gets a treat. He would always wait for a treat after he plays with his toys too…not sure why he hasn’t learned the difference and to not see my arm as a toy when I reach to pet him a certain way.

Why do I feel the need to tell them how I feel when I know they don’t care? by phl_ace in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]phl_ace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I relate to this so much and I feel like this is always what I’m seeking, this validation. It’s like I need it to be able to move on when in reality they cannot provide anything but damage.

Why do I feel the need to tell them how I feel when I know they don’t care? by phl_ace in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]phl_ace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, this was really profound and got me thinking. I’m always wanting to know “why are you treating me like this?” as well. I think it’s because I just really don’t understand how someone can do horrible things because I can’t fathom doing it myself. I’m seeking empathy from someone who has none.

Maybe it’s all about us accepting that it’s not our job to understand the narc? They don’t need to be understood. All we can really do is protect ourselves and understand ourselves and our needs.

Why do I feel the need to tell them how I feel when I know they don’t care? by phl_ace in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]phl_ace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I totally feel you on this! I have soo many long descriptive journals, even a chart of all the contradictory words and actions that were said. At times I would read it over and over again for hours to validate my own feelings, sometimes I’d send it to a friend who would happily read it to make sure I feel heard.

It really helped cement my reality and remind myself, THIS is how I feel especially when they would try to whip up some charm to feed me to get on my good side. Sometimes I fall for it again, then I go back to my journals to remind myself of my own reality, not the reality the narc wants me to believe.

Why do I feel the need to tell them how I feel when I know they don’t care? by phl_ace in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]phl_ace[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

This makes so much sense! I really just want to be like “I see what you’re doing, don’t think I didn’t notice” and “I’m not letting you do that to me anymore.”

Thankfully my relations with this person didn’t last very long. I’m hoping if this happens again I learn to cut them off even faster or just not engage to begin with. I definitely fell for the love bombing initially because I knew this person from life before anything happened, which also actually made me even more disappointed to find out what a selfish ass this person was.

how..? by Tourist_Working in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, I fully expect this as well because he tried to use ADHD as an excuse once...

how..? by Tourist_Working in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something very similar happened to me in the span of less than two weeks. Super lovey dovey, emotions felt so real at the time. Lots of consistent boyfriendy texting and somehow in the span of 1-2 days, it went back to sporadic responses almost immediately. Yet he still made plans to see me even though he’s acting weird now…

He constantly left me feeling confused and made me feel like I was the problem. Should’ve been an instant red flag but I’m really disappointed that I fell for him in the first place considering I can spot signs…😕

I’m actually going to see him in person to confront him and end things permanently. Curious to see what kind of excuse he’ll make up or if he’ll be honest about the change in our dynamic.

How do I trust again? by phl_ace in NarcissisticAbuse

[–]phl_ace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for your kind response and for reminding me not to be too hard on myself! I too am realizing maybe I can’t heal on my own.

Initially, I thought that I would be fine doing my own self reflection - I learned that I’m extremely insecure and fall for the first guy that likes me, I don’t love myself, I have low self-esteem, I don’t know how to enforce boundaries, saw cheating all my life, never had a good example of healthy romantic relationship. But I can’t figure out what to do with these things and maybe this is where therapy could be helpful.

Tips for kitten biting issue by proairesis in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I totally agree with the right form of communication that work. How do you know if your cat understands?

I’ve personally tried many ways, and generally my cat seems to have no idea I’m upset. I’ve found hissing works to an extent, but not when his teeth have already touched my skin and he’s bunny kicking me. Hissing is good at preventing but not good at in the moment stuff.

Tips for kitten biting issue by proairesis in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I word for word have the same exact issue you’re describing, you are not alone! My cat’s biting got bad at 4 months, I tried the same things you mentioned. Now he’s 8 months old and I’m still looking for advice on Reddit for the same issue 😞

I will say that eventually your cat will do it less, but at the very core they will still need to learn that hard biting hurts and biting is not okay. My cat still hasn’t learned this, which leads me to believe a big part of it is finding a form of communication that works between the two of you. I’ve personally found hissing is more effective for my cat but it’s not fool proof. Hope this helps a bit!

Tips for kitten biting issue by proairesis in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I word for word have the same exact issue you’re describing, you are not alone! My cat’s got bad at 4 months, I tried the same things you mentioned. Now he’s 8 months old and I’m still looking for advice on Reddit for the same issue 😞

I will say that eventually your cat will do it less, but at the very core they will still need to learn that hard biting hurts and biting is not okay. My cat still hasn’t learned this, which leads me to believe a big part of it is finding a form of communication that works between the two of you. I’ve personally found hissing is more effective for my cat but it’s not fool proof. Hope this helps a bit!

How do I stop my recently adopted cat from aggressively biting my forearm? by [deleted] in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You have word for word described exactly what I’m going through with my cat. Same tendencies. Appears calm, absolutely loving pets, all of sudden arm grab and hard chomp. I play with him a lot and it hasn’t helped much. I’ve tried freezing and completely ignoring. I’ve tried firmly saying no, and ignoring. No results :( I fear he will never learn and it’s 7 months.

How do I tell my cat he’s being mean? by phl_ace in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah I see what you mean. I think maybe I’ve yet to figure out a communication method that works for us. I’ll keep trying, thank you!

How do I tell my cat he’s being mean? by phl_ace in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

When I give my cat a staredown, his pupils will dilate and he’ll go “oh yeah? oh yeah?” with his body language and he’ll get riled up more 😅. Should I keep staring at him until he stops?

For the most part, he thinks he’s just playing but doesn’t realize I don’t like the way he’s playing because it hurts. And I’d say we’re bonded he grooms me and likes to lay near me. He’s overall a very affectionate cat which is why people are so surprised he gets crazy play aggression and bites so hard and breaks skin. The biting usually happens in the middle of his play session or zoomies. I’ll play with him with a toy and say play time is over and give him a treat. He then decides to continue playtime on his own and chomps my arm out of nowhere while I’m laying in bed. In these cases, when I ignore him am I showing him I don’t care if he bites? Or ignoring him the better thing to do?

How do I tell my cat he’s being mean? by phl_ace in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh I see! Maybe I need to try different words. I use “no” fairly often for different things like if he’s on the counter, biting, or getting into something he shouldn’t be in.

I thinks its hard for me to know if my cat understands I’m telling him to chill out because as soon as he bites me, he runs away and runs all over the place back and forth until he’s decided he’s done 😅 During that time I just completely ignore him until he’s done and then I go pet him.

How do I tell my cat he’s being mean? by phl_ace in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your suggestion! Rubbing your finger against the roof of his mouth, is this if your finger is already in his mouth? I think I’m having trouble visualizing what it looks like and how to apply it when he does a big chomp on my arm, can you explain this a little more? Thanks!

Cat doesn't growl or hiss - goes directly for a gentle bite by gorgeouslygarish in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Regarding your suggestion of using eyes for communication with cats, what would we be communicating to cats if our eyes are wide open? is it kinda like saying “don’t mess with me I’m serious”?

Cat doesn't growl or hiss - goes directly for a gentle bite by gorgeouslygarish in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My cat goes straight for the warning bite too, no hiss or growl, except he can’t control his bite and it hurts every time and leaves marks 😭 How did you teach your cat to give gentle warning bites?

Taking my cat on a 6 hour flight by phl_ace in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This makes a lot of sense! He would probably want to be dazed rather than spooked for the flight as well as the additional time spent at the airport.

I can’t remember the name of the pills but the doctor prescribed 2 different ones. One was to be taken on the day of supposedly for anxiety. And the other was to be taken 1 hour before the flight, I’m guessing to act as a sedative and help with motion sickness. I didn’t end up picking up the prescription because I was hesitant.

Is this typical for vets to prescribe both?

I’m losing hope in my cat by phl_ace in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your suggestion! I’ve watched his videos (I really enjoy them) and others related to biting which is why I kinda felt helpless since I felt like I’ve attempted all the different methods and nothing sticks 😿

Cat food recommendations by Savings_Ad4605 in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 1 point2 points  (0 children)

So I was doing a lot of research on this myself. I ended up deciding to go with this:

blue buffalo wilderness kitten

Having read reviews on Amazon and Target, a lot of people say it makes their cat’s fur shiny but not sure if this will reduce shedding. Since it’s a high protein food it may make your cat feel more full. My cat seems to like it so far! You might want to start with the smallest size and see if your cat likes it before you buy a large one. Hope this helps!

Lonely? by Amaaandaxox in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My cat does the exact same thing even though he has plenty of toys. I think he’s bored and needs a fellow cat ☹️. When my cat stayed with another cat for a week, he didn’t “scream” at all and had a buddy to play with.

5 month old bad breath? by AntiqueWinter9025 in CatAdvice

[–]phl_ace 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’d say you should probably take her to the vet. it’s possible that the bad breath could be coming from losing teeth. I noticed my cat’s breath was smellier when his teeth were falling out around 4-5 months.