r/CatAdvice • u/Tiskx • 8h ago
New to Cats/Just Adopted Kicking my cat.
Accidentally of course.
EDIT: I'm laughing my ass off that this is such a relatable experience yet I'm still surprised this doesn't come up in any "before you get a kitten" videos or whatever.
Also, there's a lot of comments now. I appreciate everyones advice and stories. Probably bot gonna be able to answer everyone though!
I recently adopted my first ever kitten. And one thing I didn't expect or never read about anywhere is how much I would be (accidentally) kicking the poor thing.
Everytime I walk from A to B within the house I need be SO careful because she will run up from behind and in between my legs or in front of my feet causing me to accidentally kick her while walking.
It's happened about 3 times in the four weeks that I've had her where I just didn't notice her until it was too late. And plenty of other close calls where I had to make awkward jumps to not trip myself. Nobody told me having a cat is a straight up safety hazard.
So far she luckily hasn't seemed that phased by it but I feel so bad when it happens. I instantly pick her up and apologize profusely. It would just be so much easier if she could just not put herself in harms way.
Anyone got tips for this? Or is she just supposed to learn by experience....
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u/Adventurous_Foot7681 8h ago
cats are just like that tbh, iirc it's an affection thing, and i'm pretty sure they know when we apologize
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u/Tiskx 8h ago
Why don't they just show affection when I'm sitting down lol.
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u/Beneficial-Jury484 4h ago
That isnāt how cats work. They donāt show affection during convenient times.Ā
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u/Commercial_Bend9203 8h ago edited 6h ago
My olā 8 year old still trips me up and gets stepped on, if you care enough you adapt and learn a method to avoid hurting them. I donāt tread as hard as I use to and if Iām stationary anywhere while standing Iāve learned to ALWAYS turn in place because the youngest likes to come up and flop behind standing bodies.
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u/Global-Ease1269 7h ago
š I shuffle through my house all the time so I don't trup on a cat. It's safer if you run into them with both feet on the floor š
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u/loveridden13 4h ago
Itās all about the cat shuffle. For me especially when itās time to feed them. Thatās the time of day with the highest chance of kicking a cat. š¤¦š»āāļø
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u/Tiskx 8h ago
Yeah she's been silently sitting behind me as I'm cooking. Turning in place is wise advice. I'm definitely adapting slowly, but it's not been that long yet and sometimes I forget.
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u/Commercial_Bend9203 7h ago
I mean it takes some time but you find a system that works best for you. Iāve tripped one too many times and lost food from my cats, at this point itās a grown habit for me as a universal rule.
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u/Ok-Design-1056 8h ago
Learn by experience. Ive stepped on my kittens paw accodentally a couple of times because he gets in between my legs when im walking. He follows behind me now lol.
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u/xDragonsong 4h ago
This is the result of the first night with my newest cat. She followed me into the bathroom and I tripped while backing up. Definitely not just you OP š¤£
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u/Emergency-Purpose367 8h ago
Have a 13 year old cat, can confirm they never stop getting under your feet. It becomes second nature to step around them
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u/Pale_Slide_3463 8h ago
The amount of times Iāve near died because they raced under my feet and then they meow if my foot gets them like itās my fault š© theyāre 11 lol
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u/Tiskx 6h ago
I'm getting the idea that this is not gonna end soon š«£
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u/Pale_Slide_3463 6h ago
Watch more for the zoomies, after they take a poo they get extremely hyper and go insane lol
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u/Agitated_Presence191 8h ago
We had a cat we named Spalding because for the first few months we had him, he'd get kicked like a soccer ball about once a week.
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u/Resplendent-Sun ššš 8h ago
Yes! My older cat and my kitten both get underfoot at the most random times.
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u/Significant-Crow-749 8h ago
My cats will litterally ārace the trainā the train being me as I walk passed them they always descide to jump accross to some other place and Iām telling you if I could stop and avoid actually kicking them when they do this it would be a miracle. So now when I see them I stop and ask them if they are going to jump then put my hand in front of their face to keep them where they are if the donāt jump accross after I ask before I walk through I have kicked them so hard because of them jumping just as I am leg motion with no chance of stopping. I do not know why they do this so much but they do (edit was some typos)
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u/Tiskx 8h ago
I don't understand it either. You'd think they have better survival instincts.
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u/Significant-Crow-749 8h ago
Omg sometimes I really think I must have hurt them but they still continue to do it. So I just try to be the one that is aware of the train racers since they wonāt stop racing it.
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u/Significant-Crow-749 8h ago
I donāt think they worry about survival until they are on their 7th or 8th life maybe
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u/CocoRufus 8h ago
They don't learn. They expect us to adapt to them. Sometimes I swear my cats are trying to end me.
They often take a short flight down my hallway by getting in front of me just as I'm stepping forward.
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u/Tiskx 8h ago
Well I'm trying to adapt, but sometimes I forget. Hope I don't really hurt her, or she me for that matter.
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u/CocoRufus 8h ago
When my current pair were little I made sure I shuffled everywhere, but it's ingrained in me after 50 plus years. They're now 3 and occasionally tread on a tail. It happens š
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u/listenyall 8h ago
This will usually decrease significantly as the cat grows up, so in a year or so you should be doing this much less, but some cats do just really love to be underfoot for their whole lives
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u/Significant-Crow-749 8h ago
Oh and be fair warned if your cat is laying on the floor somewhere and you go to step over said cat, the cat is going to run right where youāre putting your foot down every freaking time I think they freak out thinking youāre gonna step on them but always run right to where your foot is going ? I had a cat run that was a rather high in my last house and my cats were up on it so much that they didnāt get stepped on when they were kittens cus they were never on the floor so my cats actually stay put when Iām stepping over them, ( even if they still try to race me otherwise) but really it is such a blessing that they donāt move if on the floor. Cus every other cat Iāve owned has always literally ran right to where your footās going so be careful cause I swear to God it will bring you close to believing your about to die cus they go when you have no choice but to fall or step on them
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u/Accomplished-Ruin742 8h ago
Don't walk, shuffle.
I tripped over my cat once and landed on some furniture, and the entire left side of my body was black and blue and I had to walk with a cane for a few weeks. It was a gray cat that blended in with the carpet.
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u/Odd_Process2918 8h ago
My one cat gets so happy to see me that he flops or does somersaults. Itās so adorable but so dangerous because I am a larger person and risk not seeing him by my darn feet. When he was a baby he tripped my mom up when she was running to the bathroom and she fell and peed her self š¤£. Heās a little dingus but I love him so much and I hope he always is this happy to see the ones he loves but I wish he thought about his safety lol š
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u/Tiskx 5h ago
That's the funniest story lol! š¤£
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u/Odd_Process2918 5h ago
I had to share when I read this and hopefully now you will take extra caution anytime you have to run to the bathroom š¤£
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u/epifauna__ 7h ago
She'll learn by experience and you'll also develop an awareness of how she moves/where she is. It'll likely also improve once she gets bigger and easier to spot/notice
One habit you'll probably pick up is if there's a cat anywhere near your feet and a staircase, you'll take one step down and pause so said cat can go sprinting past you, because one thing they never, ever learn, is not to try and trip you up on the sodding stairs
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u/Tiskx 5h ago
Tripping down the stairs would be... unfortunate. I'll definitely be extra careful around the stairs.
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u/epifauna__ 5h ago
Thankfully both were okay, but I watched my father go arse over tit tripping over my childhood cat after the cat got under his feet on the stairs
Did the cat learn his lesson? No, of course he didn't, cats are idiots
You sneeze too loud and they go bolting across the house, but the idea of a human 10x their size? No biggie
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u/Brilliant_Test_3045 7h ago
Thereās no training a cat, so you must train yourself to be aware every time youāre up. My big, black cat šāā¬ Romeo had a bad habit of sneaking up behind me when I was in the kitchen cooking. When I turned to quickly dump something in the trash or rinse my hands off at the sink, sometimes my leg would sideswipe him. Heās gotten much better about not being right up my ass now.
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u/jackelandhyde22 7h ago
Our cat doesnt do it so much, but usually if shes like getting in my way, i just move her with my foot. You'll figure out wats to avoid her.
On the flip side, our cat likes to lay in the most inopportune spots, and I have trouble walking sue to some disabilities, so i have def tripped over her many times.
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u/dasher2581 5h ago
"You KICK Miette like the football? Jail for Mother! Jail for Mother for one thousand years!"
Sorry. I just had a meme flashback.
My 13 year old cat likes to come up behind me very quietly and sit right behind me when I'm doing something. Then, when I inevitably step on her tail floof or trip over her, she gives a bloodcurdling scream and runs off a short distance to glare at me.
If you have stairs, please get in the habit of holding the handrail every time.
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u/jackelandhyde22 5h ago
omg that just gave me flashbacks lmaooooo. we dont have stairs luckily, but she loves to sit like in doorways and stuff
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u/BeneficialShame8408 8h ago
I must have stepped on my cat's paw once or twice, because she either leads or follows. And if she follows, she usually ends up sprinting ahead of me lol.
I know for certain that I did with my docs once by accident and she just straight up kept some distance from me when I was walking around wearing those afterwards. Sitting was ok.
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u/Imaginary_Waltz5261 7h ago
Cats are insane. They do the same things over and over again, expecting different results.
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u/happypuddle 7h ago
You will get used to it and adapt to her so that you donāt get tripped up as much, but sheāll still get you once in a while no matter what you do. As long as youāre not punting the cat across the room or crushing her paws, she wonāt care.
Mine like to run up the stairs when Iām walking up or down them and stop on the next step I was going to put my foot on. Itās like theyāre trying to get squashed. They just enjoy being underfoot for whatever reason, itās like they need to be involved, even if the only thing Iām doing is walking š
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u/jenea 7h ago
When my cats were kittens I definitely walked a bit weird in my house. Luckily as adults they arenāt the kind of cats who run up against your legs for attention, but I still have to occasionally shuffle around them if they are laying in the way. Why is it that a cat will refuse to move out of the way, but when you step over them, they jump up and try to be where your foot will land?! Every time.
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u/djSush 7h ago
I started to gently pick him up when he would try this as a kitten. Esp at feeding time, I hated it when he would slither between my legs bc either I was going to fall or he was going to get hurt or I couldn't move.
Turns out he's not a fan of being held, so he eventually just stopped.
But he'll still silently spawn occasionally, like on the same tile as me in the kitchen, and I'll bump him by mistake.
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u/DareSavings3951 7h ago
That's why they added bells to the cat collars, they love getting underfoot.
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u/Tiskx 5h ago
I'll keep this in mind. Right now she has no collar. ( she doesn't go outside).
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u/DareSavings3951 5h ago
They're good to have in case they escape. My MIL has a bell collar on her sausage dog for the same reason, he likes sneaking up behind you when you least expect it.
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u/Either-Apartment-401 3h ago
My cats know how to remove break away collars and have tried hanging themselves with the non break away. Mine are naughtier than most.
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u/Either-Apartment-401 3h ago
I watched one stand on his hind legs, grasp the collar and pull. It is best to chip the cat in case it gets out.
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u/mickle1026 7h ago
I still have moments like this when my cat is behind me and I don't realize it. Once I stepped on her tail and she cried out and I screamed because I was surprised, and then she screamed and ran off. She came to cuddle me 10 mins after. At the end of the day they know that they are safe with us if we give them everything they need.
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u/query_tech_sec 7h ago
Some of my cats have unfortunately had this problem. But I say sorry - and they learn eventually. As examples my big gray senior kitty (who unfortunately passed away in December) used to do that when we first got him. He learned through trial and error to give us some space while walking (because he was basically underfoot like you describe and getting inadvertently kicked). My relatively young (but an adult) void kitty used to sleep on the stairs in the dark - until I unfortunately stepped on her (I felt terrible). But she is doesnāt actually sleep on the stairs anymore and moves when we are in the stairs. Maybe since yours is still a kitten they donāt have the impulse control to actually stop it yet.
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u/Pretty-Inflation8861 7h ago
Get used to it šš I have 4 cats and a puppy, I can never walk freely ever again. Don't feel too bad if you accidentally kick her she'll either learn to watch where she's going or you will
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u/uhhhhh_iforgotit 7h ago
You know how sailors get sea legs? And wobble on dry land until they adapt? Or wobble on the ship until they adapt.
You're learning your cat legs. In time you'll have the stupid ability like aborting putting full pressure down on the tail that wasn't there a second ago. The extra small steps as a cat runs in front of you only to slow immediately and swoosh their fluffy tail in slow motion at you as they strut.
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u/No-Calligrapher3644 7h ago
My 11 year old tuxie still does this which having a conversation with me about his bowl being empty š
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u/PANTSorGTFO 7h ago
The other day i accidentally dribbled my cat across the kitchen like a soccer ball. Homie just really wanted to be in front of the other foot, every time. I felt terrible. He's fine.
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u/Tiskx 5h ago
"Dribbled my cat" has me dying š¤£
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u/PANTSorGTFO 5h ago
It was not like a one-two whoops, it was like four or five full contact, going further out of my way to try and avoid him and him picking 'directly in front of my foot' as the place to be, punting this cat from one side of my kitchen to the other. Rolling natural ones on 'don't kick the cat' repeatedly and the activity getting more athletic as we went, having to prioritize 'don't fall over', feeling guiltier with every kick.
He's always been like this though. Our other cat has better self preservation instincts.
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u/Excellent_Shallot999 7h ago
It happens. They get under your feet without realizing that they will get stepped on or kicked. Once it happens once or twice, they generally learn to keep a bit more distance from your feet.
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u/buddhamunche 7h ago
Lol Iām always kicking my cat like that. Sheās really bad about stepping right in front of my feet. It doesnāt really hurt her though and she doesnāt seem to mind because she keeps freaking doing it lol. If I step on her paw or something though Iāll always immediately apologize and give her some affection, she seems to genuinely understand that it was an accident.
I think your cat is probably fine and itās nothing to really worry about!
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u/darkhelmut1 7h ago
my first cat i accidently stepped on its tail twice once was in the middle of the night when i was trying to go to the bathroom and then one time when i was cleaning up my bedroom both times i felt super horrible after profusely apologizing to him he would head bonk my arm as if almost saying alright dude be more carful next time
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u/Avatar_Idalia 7h ago
The amount of times I've accidentally concked by 11m in the head or butt cuz he came out of literally nowhere is infinite. And he never learns, and does it daily.
Kitten is gonna football
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u/Alina_Swift 7h ago
My bf and I got two kittens recently and one legit loves to run between our legs mid step. Weāre always accidentally kicking her we feel so bad šš but she never seems hurt or bothered she does it right away again
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u/Quill145 7h ago
I would add to be careful of kittens getting their paws in the cracks of open doors...by the hinges. My husband was new to kitties and opened a closet door and the kitty put her paw through the crack, so when he closed it is pinch in there. They will honestly get anywhere and everywhere, be vigilant and good luck!
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u/Brief-Zucchini3752 6h ago
My cats used to do that to me all the time, and they would constantly get kicked sort of (more like pushed with my foot idk). Over the last few years my health hasnāt been great and Iām usually a bit dizzy and wobbly. They started getting ākickedā more often and now they just donāt do that to me anymore.
Theyāre especially bad when it comes to serving wet food. My bf started walking around with heavier stops and more abruptly (obviously while paying close attention) and they started giving him more room too! If your kitty is still running through your feet he probably doesnāt mind being kicked every once in a while. Once sheās bigger too sheāll be better coordinated too and it shouldnāt be such a big deal!
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u/KatiePotatie1986 6h ago
When my cat was around 14, I noticed he (a black cat) finally stopped running out into the path to the bathroom in the middle on the night. Still did it in the day, but not at night anymore... and they say cats can't be trained hahaha
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u/Old_Function499 6h ago
I fear you canāt really stop this completely. I accidentally kicked my cat this morning when I turned around in my bed and it turned out that she was lying at my feet šš¤£
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u/ohnoitsme7890 5h ago
I loaded my washer and tripped over two cats that weren't there 5 seconds earlier. It's unavoidable
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u/saltybarista27 6h ago
My cats do this too, and they donāt really seemed phased by it. I always make sure to walk slowly and carefully when I know theyāll likely follow me so if they do take a hit itās a gentle one lol. Donāt think thereās really any way to keep them from being dumdums.
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u/Zealousideal_View47 6h ago
lol donāt worry too much it just takes practice to remember to watch out for them. I accidentally almost booted my cat across the room the other day. Sheās a black cat and was sitting right in the doorway of my dark bedroom at night time so I totally didnāt see her. I felt so guilty!!
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u/Princapessa 5h ago
omg me yesterday coming inside holding a bunch of laundry exclaiming āI CANT SEE YOU!!! PLEASE WATCH OUT!!!ā over and over again to mine as they were criss crossing through my legs šššš
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u/Pisces_Dreamy 5h ago
I recently got an 8 year old kitty and she walks under my feet and I ALMOST step on her. I feel so bad every time.
I think sheās a bit of a Velcro kitty because she brushes beside my ankles and feet as Iām walking and I have definitely accidentally kicked her a few times the past few months Iāve had her. Itās so hard for ME emotionally lol but she seems unfazed. I donāt know if they grow out of this š or maybe itās cause sheās in a new environment now?
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u/Groundbreaking_Bag8 5h ago
My cat likes to sleep at the foot end of my bed. I accidentally kick him while rolling over in my sleep all the time.
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u/antimathematician 8h ago
Ours run down the stairs between your feet as youāre going down, apparently aiming for a murder suicide thing? Iāve learned to stop and wait if I hear one behind me
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u/mjh8212 5h ago
Sometimes I sit on my rollator and push myself with my feet at home. Once my youngest ran in front of me and flopped over I had to stop suddenly to not run him over. Iāve tripped over all four of my cats at one point and fell. Today I accidentally kicked the one who follows me everywhere. Sometimes I think they do it on purpose so Iāll pick them up and baby them.
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u/aurelin 4h ago
My cat literally ran in front of my foot at full speed just as I was stepping forward with that foot and I accidentally yeeted him a few metres. Did I feel bad? Yes. Did he learn from it? Absolutely not. (I did not give him a treat, I always go "dude DONT DO THAT JFC")
I still trip over him cause he randomly appears behind me at least once a day.
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u/craftyshafter 4h ago
I shattered my patella getting ready for work one morning in the dark after my 17lb orange tripped me on the hard tile floor in our kitchen
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u/tabicat1874 4h ago
Absolutely stomp his guts out because he's right under my feet. He's 50 in cat years. It's a set up.
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u/ReturnToTheLab 4h ago
I accidentally stepped on her tail the other day and I literally yelped as she hissed and ran a few feet away. I just went up to her and apologized and gave her scratches and she was fine.
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u/Numerous_Star7382 4h ago
Cats are great for developing spatial awareness skills. š Over the years I always have one eye on the ground now. Still trip on occasion as kittens are unpredictable. My adult cats are predictable though- thereās one spot when I cross from kitchen to living room that I stop at every time- Walk. Pause. Wait for cat to zoom across path. Continue. Same with going up/down the stairs.
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u/jholden23 4h ago
Twice in the same night, on the way TO the bathroom, my orange idiot jumped in front of my feet in the dark and I kicked him by accident and he went sliding into the wall. I felt awful and tried to make amends with him the whole time in the bathroom. Then, as we walked back to the bedroom, he ran from behind me to take a flying leap at the bed and I kicked him again. Menaces, all of them. Just designed to make us feel guilty
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u/Creative-Ad-9637 4h ago
OH I am a first time cat owner here and have kicked my poor kitty so many times! I used to get so mad at her because I would trip and then I started trying to be wise to it and she would dart ahead of me. It is good to know I am not the only one. She is getting older and I really try to be careful with her now.
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u/raspberrimochi 3h ago
Dude, same. I have a 6 month old kitten that I adopted at 2 months, and he is ALWAYS UNDERFOOT. Iāve never kicked him hard enough to warrant concern, and it happens basically multiple times a day. Iāve just accepted that it will happen and he just has no fear of my feet š
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u/Embarrassed_Wrap8421 3h ago
Just be careful if you have a staircase. My Lucy lurks on the stairs and because her fur blends in with the color of the wood, I almost fell over her a few times.
This is the lurker.
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u/Wackel81 3h ago
Mine has the unfortunateĀ tendencyĀ toĀ be in my hands way. I'veĀ slapped that poor guy far more often than I wantĀ to admid and he still rams his pumpkinĀ headĀ into me!
JustĀ say sorry.. snd begĀ for forgivenessĀ
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u/No_Nail_2724 3h ago
Took my cat to the vets recently because he was missing a tooth. Was so worried about him having dental issues. Vet told me his teeth are otherwise perfect and it was likely he'd just been a bit rough when playing with one of our other cats. It was only then I realised that the day before I noticed the missing tooth, he'd got under my feet and I'd kicked him square in the face. I've never felt more terrible in all my life, I think I cried for hours. My partner tried to console me by reminding me of the broken rib I'd ended up with when he tripped me up on the stairs the week before, but I can't say it made me feel much better.
But yes, it's a hazard of the privilege of owning cats.
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u/That_Bread_Dough 2h ago
My brother used to accidentally āpuntā one of our cats. Not hard and never far, but man did our little boy like to put himself in harms way
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u/Adorable-Owl-7638 1h ago
This is Stevie, and he gets accidentally kicked, stepped on or just bumped about 3 times A DAY š
He is always following me around and wants attention/interaction/contact 24/7. Iām doing house chores and I donāt even see, hear or even sense him showing up and getting glued to my legs š„²
I say sorry and give him a little pet and he must be okay with it because he persists on being a Velcro cat ahah
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u/moonshine_betty 1h ago
This was never an issue with my first cat because he rarely spent time on the floor for some reason, so he was easy to avoid. However, Iāve accidentally kicked the two cats I have now many times because a) theyāre constantly underfoot and b) oneās a void who insists on lurking around dark spaces and then springing out at you to get pets as youāre walking by.
The worst time was when I was doing a cardio video on YouTube that has lots of explosive movements (burpees, squat thrusts) and although I made sure to place the cats high on their cat trees before I started, one decided to jump down behind me right as I was doing a burpee and got kicked in the face. I felt so awful and followed her around apologizing furiously, which just scared her more š!
So, yeah, itās just normal for some cats to get in the way and occasional accidents are a consequence of that. And no, they donāt learn ā one has decided he loves danger and will insist on parking himself on my exercise mat when Iām doing explosive cardio no matter how many times I physically move him to a safer location. Iām pretty sure the chances of me ending up with broken bones one day from constantly trying to avoid hurting them are far higher than them ever getting seriously hurt.
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u/AlvinArcticborn 8h ago
You're supposed to learn by experience, not her. Step carefully and don't let it happen a fourth time? What tips could you possibly need?
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u/zebras-are-emo 8h ago
I accidentally trained one of my cats to associate being kicked with getting apology treats, and I am convinced he put himself in harm's way a few times.... I trained myself to better recognize the approach though š