Cats and ab work--help!

[Mollie F.]

I realize that this is hardly an original topic, but my cat, Ava, has started some new behaviors regarding ab work. In the past, she'd lie behind my head and try to catch my pony tail, ot try to catch my head as I was doing crunches. That was fine, because she purrs so loudly and is incredibly cute, and she really wasn't interfering with the workout.

However, now she's started placing herself just beneath my head, so that if I go from some kind of crunch to some kind of reverse curl, my head lands on a loudly purring, soft-furred bolster. She also takes my head in her very strong little paws and tries to turn it in a different direction. All of this sounds kind of cute, but it really is screwing up my form.

Ava seems to have no preference for instructor; she's done this to Kari Anderson's Curl, Trish Muse's Ab Attack, Awesome Abs on the Ballthe and all of Joyce Vedral's ab work, and that's a pretty wide range of instructors.

Anyone had any luck in discouraging a cat from ab work? I suppose that I could just miss a few reps, stop and rub her tummy, and move her out of the way. Well, actually, I already rub her tummy any time the opportunity arises during floor work. It's just annoying to have to reach straight over my head to do it.

[Diavolobella]

I don't have much advice to offer, since my cat likes to sit ON my abs while I work them (hey, adds resistance!), but I did have to say that your story is so cute that I can see how you have a hard time telling your cat to buzz off. Maybe you can put the kitty in another room while working your abs??

[Mary W]

putting her on your chest and using her as a weight?

My sweet Shamu is the same way. He interferes with most any ab or yoga workout. If I'm not standing and moving very fast (as in doing a step class), he is looking for a way to either jump on my flattened back or assume himself into some nook or cranny of my body!!

[kittybug]

I just have to laugh at this one. For my kitty, it's pushups that inspire many 'head-butt's' as I descend towards the floor. He likes to lay under me while I do them and make contact in any way he can. This makes keeping good form very difficult (especially while laughing!)

It's a good thing he's got a tremendously short attention span. I try to keep one of his toys near by (like a play-mouse) and throw it for him when this happens. Then he focuses on the toy and leaves me alone for the rest of the workout.

[Mollie F.]

In the past, Ava has refused to be resistance weight. She jumps off as soon as her perch (me) starts moving, and goes right back to my head. But, since her behavior has changed, maybe I should try it again.

The only way to shut her out of the living room is to shut her into another one, which she would deeply and vociferously resent. She's half-Siamese, and has the voice, so Ava being vociferously resentful is not an option.

She's usually fine and avoids me during everything except abs and stretching. The exception is Joyce Vedral--for some reason, Ava really likes to hang around during Joyce's workouts. I stepped on her tail last week during one of these moments, but that hasn't fazed her. I mean I stepped on Ava's tail, and Ava hasn't been fazed. Gotta be careful about those pronouns!

[TuesdayTaylor]

Sorry, Mollie, but I think your cat & abs problem is very cute!!! I have a wonderful sweet cat who insists on lying inches from me throughout my entire workouts - step, kickbox, lunges, yoga, Pilates, whatever - he won't move. I just try to step around him and try to avoid stepping on his precious tail! It's probably good for improving my co-ordination.

But, about your ab problem: can you try some basic behaviour modification techniques? Each time you find your cat acting as a pillow and grabbing you, stop your movement and move the cat away from your workout area and say "NO" firmly. It will interrupt your workouts at first, but, perhaps after getting the consistent message that her behaviour is not acceptable, she will move elsewhere? I know every cat is different but we used this technique with our cat to get him to only scratch his post and nothing else and also to curb any other behaviour that's not wanted. But, we make sure we don't occasionally reward him or let him do the behaviour. The technique seems to have worked. My cat is so finicky that if I came near him during my ab work, he'd squawk and move. I think he's paranoid someone will step on his tail!!!

[roz]

No help here, but what a great image of your kitty grabbing your head and screwing it around! Very cute. I know, I know-- not what you wanted to hear....

[Mollie F.]

Tuesday, I'm afraid that my cat has probably modified my behavior more than I've ever modified hers :rolleyes: . I never minded her "assistance" with ab work before now, so I really don't want to get her to the place where she flees me during floor work. I think that floor work is boring, and I appreciate the distraction, actually.

I think that I'll try shoving her out of the way and see if she gets the hint.

And, everyone else, she is an incredibly cute cat. Sometimes I suspect her of thinking up entirely new cute things to do, just so that I'll notice that all over again. Maybe that's what this new behavior is all about.

[Colleen]

I agree with what Tuesday said. You can train your cat to stay off your exercise mat. I trained my cats to stay off of my yoga mat because my tabby likes to chew on my ponytail when I'm in down-dog. They know they are not allowed on the mat itself, but they still hang out nearby.

[nappentass]

Originally posted by TuesdayTaylor
can you try some basic behaviour modification techniques? Each time you find your cat acting as a pillow and grabbing you, stop your movement and move the cat away from your workout area and say "NO" firmly. It will interrupt your workouts at first, but, perhaps after getting the consistent message that her behaviour is not acceptable, she will move elsewhere?

This has worked for me, I've also taken tips from all my cats behaviours that seem to help
- if one threatens to interupt, a growl from me will sometimes make them hesitate, the next stage is a hiss - this is useful if you are in a position where you can't quickly move you furry pest
- another is to 'play swipe' them, I usually aim near ears or whiskers or tail to get my message across (NEVER to hurt them as I usually miss anyway )
Now two stay well clear of me, choosing to supervise whatever work out I'm doing from nearby furniture, the other has learnt to avoid my yoga mat completely and give me some space until I'm in relaxation then I get the big fuss and he lays against some part of me - really cute

J