Cat Information

almost every single time i pet my cat she always scratches me or runs away.what should i do?

im tottally nice to my cat and she loves company.but if she loves company than i should pet her.but she ends up running away. what should i do help me to have a better relationship with my cat. please!

Public Comments

1. If your cat scratches you and runs away whenever you pet her...don't pet her! Many cats like to be near people without actually being petted. Some animals only like to be petted on THEIR terms...so leave her alone until she wants to be pet. (It'll be pretty obvious, she'll start rubbing on you, possibly shoving her head underneath your hand.) I hope your kitty warms up to you, but give her some space! Good luck, and do not get frustrated with her!
2. id take a step back and really think about a punishment for that pussy. if you let it scratch you, you're showing you area weakling. when my cat scratches me i punish it. and i don't mean a nice punishment like locking it in the basement or not feeding it. i use a water board. thats right. jk jk thats animal cruelty. im a tree hugger name dorothy. im from KANASA
3. A lot of cats do that, and I'm not sure why. I had one who was like that and when he sat near me, I'd just let him be. When he fell to sleep, I'd pet him only then...that is strange... it's like they don't want to be bothered.
4. doesn't sound good... has your cat been owned before and been mistreated or is someone within the household mistreating it and you don't know about it. my cat had come from a home that was very cruel. so i started by bringing her home, clipping her claws, and bathing her (hard job) then when she was dry i'd have to catch her and basically hold her on my lap and i wouldn't let her go until until she calmed down and started purring for at least 10 minutes. after doing this for a few times a day and for 3 weeks (thats how long it took) she would be able to be in the same room as us and wasn't hiding in the corner. i wasn't letting her outside either. so by then i had a cat that was being sociable. and now 2 years later i have a cat that doesn't get mistreated she says hello to everyone and she even plays in boxes bags and is a social butterfly. not to mention 4 kittens that i could handle hours after birth with patting her first. I later got her desexed and she got even better! she is my beautiful Mau
5. Be patient. Maybe someday she'll just come up to you and ask to be petted. However, there's a longtime resident at the shelter who will tolerate being pet for 2 seconds, then she'll snap. We've worked with her for almost 2 years, I doubt she'll ever change. Good news for you, though, is that most cats will come around. Try moving really slow - avoid startling her. Also, you could try tempting her closer toward you with treats or toys. Finally, I don't know if you already do, but every time before you try petting your cat, let her smell your hand first and give you the "go ahead". As for a previous poster's answers - I've noticed that many of the shyer cats at the shelter will only let you pet them if they're sleepy or in a cubbyhole/litterbox. There is a vicious one that somebody else is trying to socialize by wrapping in a towel burrito and then petting. Don't know if that'll be too traumatic, though.
6. try holding cat treats or catnip in ur hand and call it GENTLEY toword u. when she starts eating it use ur other hand to pet her, it'll take some time but its worth it.
7. Mine does that too. I think it's just a normal cat thing. They're quite selfish critters :)
8. Hate to say it but alikonda is right. Some cats just don't want to be petted. I have one named Mimzy. She HATES it when we try to pet her! If we ignore her, she'll SOMETIMES come lay near us, sometimes not. But if we reach to pet her she'll stalk off every time. It's frustrating, but seems to be who she is. She adores my 18 year old son, and he pointed out that it's because he doesn't try to love on her like my daughter and I do.He ignores her, and she wants to lay in his lap! She meows at his bedroom door when he's not home and if he's gone overnight, she sleeps in his bed. It's weird.
9. Do you have any other pets? Their smell may be affecting your cat. Some cats just aren't that sociable. They may become attached to just one person or don't do well one on one with anybody. Just respect the boundries the cat sets up but keep the invitation open for more closeness.
10. You should try and spend more time with her. My cat was scared of me and I spent a little time with her and she is not so much afraid of me.
11. leave her alone for a month and shell mello out
12. its best not to pet her....