Whenever I pet my cat I give him a shock. How do I stop this?

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I've only had him for about 10 months, and with the winter coming I think the static electricity has gotten worse. These days I shock him every time I touch him, it seems.

Tips?

― Jack L., Friday, 18 November 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

Take the live wires out of your hand.

― Dan (Helping You Out) Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 18 November 2005 19:48 (twenty years ago)

You mean I should stop petting him with a 9-volt battery?

― Jack L., Friday, 18 November 2005 19:51 (twenty years ago)

but seriously...

― Jack L., Friday, 18 November 2005 19:51 (twenty years ago)

Shave the cat.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 18 November 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

hardwood floors

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 18 November 2005 19:54 (twenty years ago)

pet him with wet hands.

― D.I.Y. U.N.K.L.E. (dave225.3), Friday, 18 November 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

Quit rubbing party ballons on him and sticking them about the house willy nilly.

― M. White (Miguelito), Friday, 18 November 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

GERT A LIVE.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Friday, 18 November 2005 19:58 (twenty years ago)

jesus, people...

― Jack L., Friday, 18 November 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

Does it only happen when you pet his head? I shock my cats when scratch their chin or something, but nowehere else.

― Erick Dampier is better than Shaq (miloaukerman), Friday, 18 November 2005 20:01 (twenty years ago)

Can't you discharge static electricity by touching a piece of metal?

― Erick Dampier is better than Shaq (miloaukerman), Friday, 18 November 2005 20:02 (twenty years ago)

Don't shuffle on the carpet, pick you feet up and walk. Find something you can discharge the static electricity into (something conductive and not grounded) before you pet the cat.

― M. White (Miguelito), Friday, 18 November 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

http://immuneweb.org/articles/staticcling.html

― andy --, Friday, 18 November 2005 20:15 (twenty years ago)

Run a humidifier in your house and spray Static Guard on your upholstered furniture. Ground yourself before petting the cat by touching a faucet or metal lamp base, something like that. I live where it's very dry and work with static sensitive equipment - we have wrist ground straps in the lab and special floor mats, but I still get shocked every time I touch the door handle.

― Jaq (Jaq), Friday, 18 November 2005 20:16 (twenty years ago)

I guess you could do something boring like humidify or ground yourself, but wouldn't it be more fun to learn your cat to ride a Hoverboard, like Marty McFly's in BTTFII?

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Friday, 18 November 2005 20:36 (twenty years ago)

Or, you could pet your cat only when he's been naughty. That way the shock will be a negative reinforcement for his bad behavior.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Friday, 18 November 2005 20:42 (twenty years ago)

Move to a house with steam heat.

― Jeff Wright (JeffW1858), Friday, 18 November 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

STOP this?

You've just found your secret weapon.

And you're complaining!

― do knut (donut), Friday, 18 November 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

Spray Static Guard on your cat.

― M. V. (M.V.), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Tie a steel chain to your leg that drags on the ground. Alternately, tie it to the cat's leg.

― nickn (nickn), Friday, 18 November 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

http://www.wholesalecrap.com/images/electric%20cat.jpg

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Saturday, 19 November 2005 03:14 (twenty years ago)

http://www.mwpersons.com/images/cat.jpg

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Saturday, 19 November 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

You can discharge static electricity by touching something metal. I wonder what your cat is thinking of all this. He must be thinking "That asshole keeps hurting me. I hate him."
Thats too bad. OW!

― Mike Hanle y 3000 (hanle y 3000), Saturday, 19 November 2005 04:37 (twenty years ago)

Try to be more positive when he's around.

― StanM (StanM), Saturday, 19 November 2005 12:03 (twenty years ago)

REUSABLE TOE AND HEEL GROUNDERS

- Offers safe and reliable grounding between mobile personnel and conductive flooring.
- Constructed with a durable two-layer rubber sole material and Velcro straps.
- Includes 1 megohm resistor.

EN8004 toe grounder, to fit women's dress shoes with heels
FG8650 deluxe heel grounder

DISPOSABLE HEEL GROUNDERS

- Provides economical grounding between transient personnel and conductive flooring.
- Made of 4 mil black conductive polyethylene material.
- Adhesive section attaches to bottom of heel; straps tuck inside shoe.

EN8001 consists of one pair of disposable heel grounders

― Aimless (Aimless), Saturday, 19 November 2005 16:13 (twenty years ago)

the electricity is coming from the cat

― strongo hulkington's ghost (dubplatestyle), Saturday, 19 November 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

strongo, I think you're right - he seems to be getting shocks from everything, not just me.

this is a plus in the sense that it's not just me who's the asshole shocking him all the time. but not in the sense that he's basically a walking ball of static charge constantly being zapped. but he doesn't seem to really care as long as i'm not shocking his face.

so I think the hoverboard is the best bet...

― Jack L., Saturday, 19 November 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

Clearly the cat hates you.

― do knut (donut), Saturday, 19 November 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

i have a cat that likes static electricity a lot. when we had carpet she'd get all static-ed up and then to touch the radiator and shock her self. she'd do this over and over. it was clearly a huge source of amusement to her

― kyle (akmonday), Saturday, 19 November 2005 21:15 (twenty years ago)

http://static.flickr.com/33/48961922_daa2ec1f54.jpg

― weather1ngda1eson (Brian), Saturday, 19 November 2005 23:16 (twenty years ago)

Hee kyle did yr cat walk around all puffed out like a giant yarn ball?

― Trayce (trayce), Saturday, 19 November 2005 23:35 (twenty years ago)

get a dog.

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 19 November 2005 23:53 (twenty years ago)

then do it on purpose.

― Kim (Kim), Saturday, 19 November 2005 23:53 (twenty years ago)

I heart you Kim :D

― Trayce (trayce), Sunday, 20 November 2005 00:02 (twenty years ago)

maybe you can shave the cat naked so no static lectricity can build up

― Mike Hanle y 3000 (hanle y 3000), Sunday, 20 November 2005 05:10 (twenty years ago)

I already suggested that but nooooooooooo, he wanted "serious" answers. Shaving also cuts down on hairballs. And you can dress them in cute sweaters. It's really the only decent thing to do.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Sunday, 20 November 2005 05:22 (twenty years ago)

it's not that I didn't like the funny answers, you know.

― Jack L., Sunday, 20 November 2005 05:47 (twenty years ago)

I meant shave the cat while HE is naked.

― Mike Hanle y 3000 (hanle y 3000), Sunday, 20 November 2005 06:04 (twenty years ago)

Okay, but seriously, as much as this thread has completely cracked me up, all you'd really have to do is run your hand under some water for a bit before petting him. He'd probably be happy to have a break from electricity anyway.

― Bimble The Nimble, Jumped Over A Thimble! (Bimble...), Sunday, 20 November 2005 07:45 (twenty years ago)

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