Pets
By Gabs
@gabs8513 (48686)
United Kingdom
January 26, 2008 6:26am CST
I have seen a few Discussions now asking about How to make a mistreated Pet trust you
I have been brought up with Dogs and I have always had a Cat or Dog or both
Most of mine have been rescue Pets that have been treated bad and abused including my little Fellow Gissi
It is not easy but the main ingredients are
Your Voice - the Pets go by the tone of your Voice, if the Pet has been abused certain tones will scare them badly, try to keep your Voice as gentle as possible, a quiet as possible,
Patients - Do not give up with them, talk to them a lot, slowly start going up to them, treat them, when they come to you do not make sudden movements, but have patience with all of this, if you try to push them to hard it will end in disaster and they will not learn to trust you
If there are more People living in the House just one Person work on the Pet first, as it will make them nervous if to many People are involved
Talk to them all the time, when you are feeding them, when you give them water, coax them to come out of the hiding places, do not try to force them though, talk to them gently
It took me 8 Months to get the Fear out of Gissi and to make him realize no one will hurt him while he is with me, he then started to trust my Children more to as they where very good with him to, as they no that is the only way to get them to feel safe
Cats are harder at this as they are funny creatures and more scared, so you need a lot of patience, again treats for them talk to them at all times
I do hope this helps some People who have found it their Heart to give an abused Animal a new loving home
And that is the main task of all love them care for them
I am not a Vet but I have had8 rescue Animals 5 Dogs and 3 Cats and it was always hard work but we always got there in the end Gissi is the 5th Dog
7 people like this
17 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
26 Jan 08
Excellent advice Gabs. I am sure this will go a long way to help those first timers who have been generous enough to give some poor animal a new life being in a loving home where they have nothing to fear.
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (157873)
• United States
26 Jan 08
I think I would add that I have found it easier to regain trust with young animals than with old. Most of my pets have come to me under a year old. The one I wrote about here was a full grown adult. I got his trust, got his vet care, and then he did not like the new babies that kept finding me.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (157873)
• United States
26 Jan 08
I get lots of animals that choose me, mostly cats. I had the UGLIEST cat adopt me for awhile. It was funny. Usually everything, even wild animals trusts my husband, and this one would not let him even get close. I just kept food outside and talked to him and eventually he came to me, and trusted my husband and son. Winston (cat's name) had been abused, there was a serious crease in the bone of his skull. I assume a man did it, and that is why he did not like my husband at first. He turned into a handsome "tuxedo cat" when he got regular food and water and love. He got tired of me adopting others, though, and left. All my cats are adoptees, strays.
2 people like this
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
26 Jan 08
He must have wanted to be only one and not have to share his new found good fortune with any others. My alpha female, the first and oldest of my three, is still pretty jealous of the others.
2 people like this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
26 Jan 08
good words of advice,
I would add not to rush your animal, coaxing is fine but even that would scare some of them, so give them their space, just try to get them out of their hiding place slowly,
for example if the cat is hiding under the bed and won't come out bit the water and food just beside the bed, then change it to about a yard away, then gradually get it to the place where you tend to have the feeding take place.
all my cats are rescue cats.
2 people like this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
26 Jan 08
I couldn't agree with you more. You have to also have positive thinking about them. They are able to pick up your thinking. My younger dog is coming to me and is giving me sweet look when I think about how much I love her...
My pets are so happy when I say "I love you all" or when I repeat..."good girls"...
I let my cat to have her own agenda, but she is responding very well, running to me any time I call her.
All of my pets like to be pet and I pet them every day...
My kitten was rescued and I am happy to give her loving home. It took time to make my dogs to love her, but now they are all friends...
@TerryZ (22076)
• United States
26 Jan 08
Hi gabs your so right about using your voice to calm your pet. When I had Blackie she was really freaked out by people and would go and hide whenever someone would come to visit. She was an outside cat that didnt have a home. I put so much work into her that she only trusted me. I think alot of bad things must have happened to her. I would always talk to her with a soft happy voice. Boy do I miss her. I wish more people would think like you and take these poor abused animals for pets. With alot of love they can be such a loving pet. Hugs!
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 08
I know that you miss her Sweetie and I wish that she would have come back
The Kids are looking for one of ours still after 2 weeks
Lucky which is the one that Mike found years ago as a Kitten and she was abused ran of when the House was been taken as she is scared of Strangers so the Kids are still going back and looking for her
@keepermykitty (2573)
• Canada
27 Jan 08
Very good advice , thats how the animal gets to know you on it terms not yours and at its own pace ...
Thats how I`ve always got to know an animal its the only way ...
1 person likes this
@keepermykitty (2573)
• Canada
29 Jan 08
Exactly thats the way you should do it so you don`t scare them
1 person likes this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
26 Jan 08
I really appreciate your posting this. I've never experienced an abused pet until a few months ago when we adopted Shile (2-3 year old beagle) from the animal shelter. The first day he was home with us we figured out he had obviously been abused.
The first sign was his hiding shivering and shaking at the smallest of loud noises or fast movements.
The second was I live in the walk out basement here and from the start we decided when Shilo goes outside he's to go out the door down there because the upstairs door faces the road (where many dogs have been hit by cars). It took me almost a week to get Shilo to go down the stairs - I had to carry him up and down. He doesn't have any problem with the stairs now but I think someone shut him in a basement - now he knows "Mom" is down there and he can cuddle on my bed or in my recliner and he's never left alone.
We're still working on the fast movements and loud voices.
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 08
You are doing good there Faith and it will pay of I promise you look at Gissi
It is you that has to work on his Trust and Love and you are doing that
I wish you good luck with the little Fellow and I know that you and him will do fine
You already have part of trust there
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
27 Jan 08
We had a major break through yesterday - Shilo went upstairs by himself. Normally if I'm in the basement so is he - if I go upstairs he goes too. Yesterday he went up and stayed there for an hour or so without me.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
30 Jan 08
Hey there Twin yes there are because People do not know what to expect
I guess because I had grown up with Dogs I just used common sense the first time I got a rescue Dog who was being kicked and locked in the Cellar all the time
And from there on it just came natural the main ingredients are let the Animal know that you love it and be very patient and the Voice
Hugs to you
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
31 Jan 08
Thanks so much for this great post! Both of my cats were rescued as kittens after being abandoned and/or abused by their owners and I know this is a difficult thing to get them to trust again. My babies are now wonderful family members but they're still very timid and afraid around strangers and always will be. Traumatic experiences stay with them the same as they do with humans, even more so in the sense they don't have the power of reasoning that we do so they don't understand if they're told no one is ever going to hurt them or take them away again.
Annie
1 person likes this
@teapotmommommerced (10359)
• United States
26 Jan 08
I have gotten dogs from a pound but not ones that have been beaten. I have never delt with a dog that bites.
My Abagail was from the Last Hope Cat rescue and she is so special to me. She keeps me up at night but whats a little lost sleep when she is so loveable?
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 08
Well Gissi as you know was in a bad way and yes he bit me 3 times but only because I made a wrong move and you could see the fear
I made thi move without knowing that it scared him but look how he is today it was worth it lol and I will always remember the litle Man as I have 3 little Scars lol
It wa not nastines from him it was fear and when he did it he always looked sad a if to say sorry because he realized
1 person likes this
@karenskinner (5)
• Spain
22 Feb 08
One of my cats is very sensitive and does not like being handled. We had her right from young and we almost took her back to the rescue place because she kept on lashing out at our dogs with her paws. I'm glad we kept her because she jumps on our knees now and then. She's a very little cat and still looks a bit like a kitten so she's difficult to handle. Our other cat on the other hand loves being picked up and never runs away. Whenever we arrive back in the evening he greets us, it's so sweet. I'm so glad we got them from rescue homes because they are deserving cats but ours weren't abused they were just unwanted.
1 person likes this
@raydene (9871)
• United States
26 Jan 08
Hello Doll, I would only add to stay consistant. Always use the same command for the same expected response otherwise they may get confised and a confused pet that has had abuse may strike out.
As you know Sweets I am always taking in the ones that have been kicked to the curb and I follow a few steps with all animals that I bring into my home.
1. They are immediately placed in a crate.They can get to know other household pets in the safety of the crate.
2. I make a schedule for the new pet..7am feed and water and excersize...11am clean crate and excersize....3pm excersize....7pm excersize....10-11pm last excersize..
3. 1 month later Begin to introduce pets outside of the crate for an hour at a time 4 times a day. Increase the times but always leaving the crate door open so if the new pet gets nervous he can dash for the safety of his crate.
4. All pets have their own safe place and other pets are not allowed in each others secure spots.
You are a true angel
xoxoxoxo
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
26 Jan 08
Well I have never done it that way I would protect Gissi from the Cat lol
But that is also a good way and I know that you know what you are doing as I do know that you have taken a lot in
What is a Crate as I have never heard of them before
Love you xxxxxxxxxxxxx
