Picking up and food queries!

[JockMcGraw]

Hello!

I recently adopted two lovely cats, a brother and sister, who are nearly two. They've both settled in wonderfully. From what I can gather, their previous owner cared for them well in the sense that they were well fed etc. But they were never handled at all. They are indoor cats and have never been outside.

They have come on leaps and bounds given it's only been about 4 months since they started having any human contact. They both love playing, like to be stroked and and beg for attention (though are occasionally overwhelmed easily when they get it!) But don't sit on laps etc. I just had a couple of queries:

-They can't be picked up. And I'm not sure how to go about getting them used to it. Any advice is welcome! While I'd obviously love to hold them for a cuddle, I'm more nervous about going to the vets or needing to get them out of the house in an emergency and just not being able to.

-Both cats are good eaters but boy cat doesn't eat any wet food at all (he does drink a lot of water btw- controversially out of a cat bowl!) Is this something to be concerned about? Again, I'm wondering about what ifs and getting worried that if he's ever ill and put on a wet food only diet that he'll starve.

Thanks in advance for your wise words :-) I've tried to attach a pic but never done it before so we'll see if it works...

[Wolfiefan]

Many cats dislike being held and some don't sit on laps. I wouldn't push it.
In an emergency you shut them in one room, cat carrier ready. Grab cat and back it into cat carrier.

[Allergictoironing]

I had the same problem, and 2 years down the line mine still don't LIKE being picked up, however they will tolerate it.

I started by extending their strokes down the sides along the ribs rather than the backs, then started to curl my fingers so they cupped the ribs. Once they were happy with that I would slide my fingers under their chest and put just the teeniest bit of upward pressure while still stroking them. Eventually I got to the stage where I could sort of half lift them without them panicking.

As I said above, they still don't like being picked up, and neither will sit on my lap though Boycat loves snuggling up next to my leg while I stroke him. But no hysteria any longer if I DO pick them up briefly, just resigned lying there & jumping off the moment they get the chance.

[catlover1987]

Aw they're gorgeous OP. It's so tough with rescue cats isn't it. I think you just need to be patient. Mine after 4 years with us is still not a lap cat and gets over stimulated very easily, but I could carry her around all day long now. It's just taken time and trust. If you did need to pick them up in an emergency you could always just throw a towel or blanket over them first.

Re the wet food. Mine is the same. Would live on dry food given the choice. Initially we had dry food down all the time but now she only gets it at night and wet during the day. I'm sure you'll have tried this but have you tried a variety of wet food. Mine gets bored very easily so we go to pets at home and buy individual sachets. They do 26 for the price of 20. The cat soups are also great.

[JockMcGraw]

Thank you all for your really helpful advice! The stroking method leading to gentle picking up sounds really effective and I will sloooooowly work on this. Next vet appointment (touch wood!!) Isn't until next year so i have a while before I next need to get them in their baskets...

Thank you for tips about trying different varieties of food and not leaving dry down all the time, which we are doing! We have experimented a little bit with wet food brands and girl cat (black cat) wolfs anything down but boy cat has just ignored everything. He does drink plenty of water so I'm not too worried, like I say it's more the what if scenarios.

Also just to make it clear I've not been rushing them or trying to make them sit on me/trying to lift them up for a cuddle. I'm happy to go at their own pace and if they never want to sit in my lap then that is fine . They've come such a long way and I'm so proud of what loving, friendly cats they are despite never being socialised.

If truth be told I was watching an episode of cats from hell where a woman couldn't pick up her cats and had to leave them when the fire alarm (thankfully false) went off in her block of flats and it got me thinking.

[Allergictoironing]

Ah watching the demi-God of cat behaviour, the amazing Jackson Galaxy. Listen to what he said in that episode, the man really does know what he's talking about .

I gather he's also got some general cat behaviour YouTube videos (i.e. not Cat from Hell stuff) that's worth watching.

[TyrionsNextWife]

One of my cats was definitely not a lap cat when she first arrived, she’d let you stroke her but always slept on a different sofa and didn’t come looking for a fuss. She gradually got more interested and affectionate and now she’s the sookiest lap cat you’ll ever meet! She runs to meet me at the door and won’t sleep unless she’s squished up against leg

She had 5 homes before she came to me and wasn’t used to having her own human - once your pair settle in and realise your not going anywhere, they’ll probably warm up a lot. Once that’s happens, it’ll be easier to pick them up and do any manhandling that’s necessary - it’s much easier now to wrestle my girl into a box then it was when she first came.