pepeangelhead?

well pepes breeder came around tonight to help us with pepe. we have to clip his nails every 2 to 3 weeks so he doesnt scratch us, and we have to hold him until he stops carrying on. under no circumstances are we allowed to let him go. she said some maine coons have a tendency to walk all over their owners and if you cut them a little bit of slack, they think they can do whatever they like. the breeder and her daughter held him for about 30 minutes straight and boy he was not a happy chappy. he bit, hissed and growled at them and tried to scratch them. but towards the end of them holding him he calmed down. she also showed us a way to hold him so we are more in control. shes unsure whether we can fix the play aggression problem but she said he will definately grow out of it, its just a matter of when. so, tough love for pepepoohead!! the feliway will come in handy when we hold him, he might feel a little less threatened. she also managed to sneak in a nail clipping and brushing session for us, woohoo!

 

Glad to hear you are getting some help with him. Best of luck...keep us posted on his progress.

 

Sorry to bug and im glad to hear you got some help for your cat, but would you be able to tell me the way they suggested you hold him?

 

we keep his feet on the ground and hold him under his elbows/shoulder. that way they cant turn around to swipe you.

 

Hi Kyles. I was doing some reading about the character of many types of cats. I thought of Pepe when I read the following information from Cat Owner's Survival Manual, by Clair Horton-Bussey and David Godfrey:

"With his athletic, powerful body and intelligence, he is a supreme hunter and he loves the great outdoors. He is built to survive the elements and is not put off exploring in cold and wet weather, as many breeds are. This breed is not best suited to a life as a full-time house cat, but he will enjoy living a dual life and spending time with his family inside and outside with his family. Playful, affectionate and fairly vocal, the Maine Coon is quick to learn and is highly trainable. "

You know how you mentioned that every time you are outside Pepe does what he's doing in your avatar? I was thinking maybe you might consider harness training Pepe so that he can go outside with you and Kuma. Or even building a simple outdoor cat enclosure (example of one in link below) that he could hang out in. I know he has allergies that are probably making him feel pretty lousy. However, I also wonder if his longing to be outside (in a safe environment of course) is also playing a role in his grumpiness. You may want to try giving the harness a shot. I honestly think once he got used to the harness and associated it with going outside, he may cheer up a bit. Just a thought. I just like Pepe a lot and I do want him to feel better and be a happy kitty.

http://www.just4cats.com/post5.html

 

i dont think id ever let him outside without a harness or enclosure. maine coons have the most insane prey drive. id end up with dead animals everywhere. ive tried a harness on him but he goes nuts with it on. he scared of the leash. one time he flew out of my arms and tried to run away from the leash, which was still attatched to him. he ran for about 10 minutes straight trying to get away from his leash :lol: :lol:

im looking at the cat encolsure pics right now. ive asked my dad about helping me make one. we are going to wait until the new veranda is finished because there is a brick wall [which is going to be knocked out] which is smack bang in the way of where i want the enclosure to go. damn rental properties! im also going to put some wire over the veranda at the front of the house. its getting cold here now and my other cat wants the sun.

pepe is actually better now with his behaviour when it comes to holding and brushing him. i think the breeder sent him into shock. ever since she came hes been ALOT more calmer when holding him. he must of realised all humans arent door mats!

 

Lol Kyles. Well, I'm glad you are thinking of building the outdoor enclosure. I think Pepe would really enjoy it. I'm also happy he's doing a little better. Does he still have watery eyes? How's the cat food hunt going? Any luck finding any quality food for him? Oh yes, and one more question: Can you use the Zoom Groom on him now? Or is it still just being used on Kuma?

 

his eyes are still mucky. im hoping he will just grow out of the allergy like the vet said. the eagle pack manager [or whatever he is] hasnt got back to me yet on alternative ways to get my hands on it. we can use the zoom groom on him if we restrain him. we havent used it on kuma lately as it made the fur tumbleweeds worse. shes almost bald now, we have 2 bag fulls of akita undercoat!