Laura E. McRae

If you have ever physically punished your cat, it is possible that your cat has developed a fear of you. On the other hand, you can be the gentlest of cat owners and still have a cat that runs when you try to pet her. Often this behavior is due to poor socialization of the cat when she was a very young kitten. Kittens need to be socialized to human touch between the ages of 2-7 weeks. This is when kittens learn that being held and pet by humans is pleasurable. Kittens that don't receive much early socilization may always be a little skittish around people and not associate petting with a positive experience. Some cats are also just more sensitive to being pet - it doesn't feel good to them; it arouses or irritates them. A cat that doesn't like the way petting feels will run away to avoid the experience. Yet, that same cat may enjoy your company and want to be in the same room with you. You can encourage your cat to come closer for petting by doing the following simple steps: 1) let your cat initiate the interactions, rather than you trying to impose them on your cat; 2) Sit or squat down whenever you would like your cat to approach so that you don't seem as threatening to your cat; 3) Reward your cat's approach with a favorite treat or a tiny bit of canned food; 4) Let your cat smell your hand before you attempt to pet or touch; 5) If your cat is shy about its head being touched, try scritching under the chin or at the base of the tail; 6) Reward your cat for allowing you to touch her. 7) Keep your petting brief and increase as she seems more tolerant. 8) Instead of petting your cat when she approaches, engage her in play with an interactive toy to help build a bond between the two of you. 9) Be patient with your cat and yourself.

Tilt your dog's head back and hold open the eyelid with your thumb and forefinger or middle finger. Flush the eye for 10 to 15 minutes using cool water, or preferably a sterile saline eyewash or artificial tears. To flush the eye, hold the bottle of saline solution/artificial tears directly above the eye and squirt a gentle but steady stream of fluid into the eye. Or you can soak a wad of cotton in the water/solution and squeeze it into the eye repeatedly. If the foreign body cannot be removed by irrigation, seek veterinary attention.

It would be better to wait until she has weaned the kittens before having her spayed. However, you do need to keep her indoors and away from intact tomcats until the procedure is done because she can become pregnant again soon after giving birth.

By your description, your dog might have a sensitivity to being groomed and may have developed "clipper irritation" (aka "clipper burn"). Clipper irritation is not an actual burn. It is, in fact, similar to the type of skin irritation people experience when they shave too close on dry or sensitive skin. [Professional groomers](https://www.petcoach.co/article/5-signs-of-a-good-groomer) may recommend the following types of treatment to help soothe the skin and calm the scratching: * Bathing in plain oatmeal or [oatmeal shampoo](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/earthbath-oatmeal-and-aloe-totally-natural-pet-shampoo) for pets * Gently applying witch hazel to affected areas * Gold Bond medicated powder or plain cornstarch * Triple antibiotic cream or ointment * [Hydrocortisone spray](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/zymox-spray-with-5-hydrocortisone) for pets (available in petstores) * Bag Balm * Specific treatments for soothing clipper or razor irritation (available in petstores) - sprays, gels, shampoos * Diaper rash cream With some of these suggestions you will need to make sure that your pet cannot lick off the treatment. Rubbing creams or ointments in completely and/or wiping off excess, using an [E-collar](https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/well-and-good-e-collar) (cone), or only applying when you can observe your dog closely can all help to prevent ingestion and excessive licking. If your dog has open wounds or any of her wounds worsen even with treatment or appear infected, please see your veterinarian immediately. She may have developed a skin infection secondary to the clipper irritation.

I recommend that you take your pet to your local veterinarian for an examination and blood work. There are numerous reasons an animal may have pain in the lower part of her body, including kidney infection/stones, degenerative disc disease, spains/strains, osteoarthritis, or trauma, etc. Often, lack of eating is a sign of pain or distress. Once your pet's source of pain/discomfort is diagnosed and treated, you pet will be more likely to eat again.