3 Easy Tips for Bonding with Your Cat

Cats can be very enigmatic sometimes and are often seen as aloof and standoffish. This is one of the reasons many people tend to think twice about getting one. But if you’re a cat fan through and through and are willing to take the time to get to know them, cats can be very endearing and will eventually warm up to you to the point of forming a genuine bond with you. Here is a guide to bonding with your cat that any owner can use to build a strong connection with their furry friend.

Make Sure You Make Them Feel Secure

While it may seem counterintuitive at first, one of the best ways to make a cat feel safe is to give them a little bit of personal space for a while after you adopt them. And that goes for both adults and kittens. Allow them a space where they can feel completely alone, they will feel more secure that way.

If you can, arrange a room especially for them. Make sure you fill it with tons of toys and trinkets to keep them occupied, and a litter box. Make sure you add food and water as well, and also make sure that none of your other pets invade their personal space. If you don’t have the luxury of setting up a room solely for your cat, you could organize a small space especially for them and check on them gradually from time to time to start the bonding process.

Start Playing with Them

Once you start noticing that your cat feels comfortable, you can give them a little more space and let them roam free. Also make sure to keep their personal space intact and allow them to access it at any time they wish.

By now you should know what their favorite toy is. Pick it up and make sure to play with it with your cat at least once or twice per day. They will slowly start to make an association between you and fun. Many people try to pet their cats right away, but this is one of the most efficient ways to start building a connection with your cat.

Start Petting Your Cat

Now that you’ve gained your cat’s trust and you have a playful relationship with them, you can start petting them. Cats can be very apprehensive, and trying to pet them too early could put them off at best, or leave you with nasty scratches at worst. Cats love grooming, and petting is very similar in many ways. Make sure you use a soothing voice when petting your cat to show your good intentions. Cats are very territorial by nature and aren’t the most affectionate despite their appearance. But once your cat lets out a purr, you know that they are 100% comfortable with you.

Conclusion

If you follow the tips in this article, you should be able to form a deep connection with your cat in no time. Make sure that you make them feel secure at first and allow them their personal space. With time, let them roam free and start playing with them. Once they’ve formed a close bond, you can start being more affectionate. However, make sure that you don’t skip steps and take things easy at first if you don’t want to deal with unpleasant reactions.​

The Coveted Cat Translation Dictionary

If there’s any problem with cat ownership, it’s that your cat can’t talk to you. Sure, they can communicate with purring and meowing, but they can’t be specific. However, there are a few ways to understand what your fur baby is trying to tell you. Unfortunately, since their faces aren’t as expressive as canines, their communication can be subtler than other animals.

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Your cat’s body language can tell you a lot, much like with people. If you’re scared, you naturally try and make yourself look smaller, in the hopes that nobody will notice you. It’s exactly the same in the feline world. So, if your cat’s trying to make itself look smaller, such as by ‘cringing’, or having its ears flat to its head, then something’s scaring it. It means the same thing as when they’ve backed themselves into a corner. This is pretty much the number one reason as to why people get scratched or bitten: they’ve tried to handle their cat when it’s scared, and it’s lashed out.  

However, when cats are angry about something, they try and make themselves look bigger and more intimidating. So, if your cat’s back is arched, and it has puffed its tail out like a bottle brush, then it’s furious! Usually, this also suggests aggression as well. They’re just like people: if they get angry, they’ll lash out. If your cat’s angry, the pupils of their eyes will narrow, whereas they dilate when they’re scared.

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Because cats can’t talk about specific things that are bothering them, a lot of us are often surprised when we find that our cats have fleas. However, there are a few signs that your cat will give you that will tell you if they’ve got fleas. For one thing, your cat might be more restless than usual. Can you blame it, if it’s got fleas all over it? Luckily, a flea collar, or any kind of flea treatment for cats will clear the problem up. However, it’s still good to know the symptoms; if your cat has fleas, it’s going to scratch itself more than usual, bite parts of its coat, or shake its head excessively.

If your kitty is grooming itself to excess, then it’s usually trying to tell you one of three things: it’s anxious about something, it’s in pain, or has a skin irritation. If you can narrow down the reason why, and sort it out, then your cat will be much happier as a result. Over-grooming can lead to bald patches, skin damage, and even tail amputation, if the problem is particularly severe. If you cat’s biting its tail, then it’s generally trying to tell you that something is irritating it there, and you should visit a vet as soon as you can.

So, cats aren’t that mysterious. They still communicate with us humans (even if they do think that we’re big kittens), and if you can understand them, then keeping your cat and home in harmony should be the easiest thing to do.

Kitty Emma

We do not have cat at home bu my Burritos certainly love  feline.  Photos were taken when we had our first vacation in the Philippines.  My daughter  owned a kitten for a brief time, a friend of mine had kittens so she gave  her one.  My daughter named her Emma.  She cried when we  had to go back to Korea as we had to leave the cat at my parent's home.

It's been four years since our last visit.  I hope that we could visit again soon.