Cats, cats, cats

Snickersmom

Poor fish! And poor you!

Spookiesmom

Cute story, but still............ewwwww

sugarmaple

corky60-you just made my night with your fish story! Ha

M0mmyof3

Rah2464

That is too funny! Momma cat went hunting for her babies

ktab96

Wow, those kittens prey instincts are kicking in. My cat (Beau) once brought a live gecko to bed. We all (myself, gecko and cat ) flew out of the bed.

Wren44

Mommy, Those were really funny.

feelingfeline

CeliaC

kathindc

Good one 😹😹

Rah2464

Busted !

M0mmyof3

feelingfeline

Fairchild

Cat advice needed!!!

Just now, my very small black 2 y/o cat, Dobby, spied an alien cat outside the window. Unfortunately, just then my lovely fluffy, enormous 6 y/o tux (Piper, who lived with me before he did), walked up, and Dobby suddenly attacked her, apparently venting his anger at the invader on her. I could understand it better if it had been a momentary thing, but he then proceeded to chase her throughout the house, with me galloping ineffectually behind both of them!

Poor Piper finally ran under the bed, where she's safe. Dobby stayed with me, locked in my study for 15 minutes, and after everyone calmed ddown, I made the mistake of letting him out. Again, he took off after poor Piper, who is now completely tramatized.

So I put Dobby in the bedroom with the door closed, and Piper this time is free to roam the house. (I don't want her to think SHE did something wrong.) Dobby is, BTW, always very dominant, from the moment I rescued him...Even though he's maybe half her size, she was terrified of him when I got him. But when you rescue an animal, you can't give them back, and he had my heart by then....so with many treats, advice from the vet, phermone devices, etc., they became tolerant of each other enough to even curl up together when it's cold.

But now she's acting terrified, and Dobby is crying upstairs! Oh, the trauma! Any ideas on how to diffuse the situation, without imperiling Miss Piper? As far as I can see, there's no physical damage done.

Piper & Dobby's mum

Fairchild

The culpret, Dobby

Fairchild

The victim, Piper...

Spookiesmom

I have no advise, except to tell you about my grand cats. Kitten was found in my DDs classroom at about 6 weeks old. Very shy. Not particularly friendly. Lived well with roommates cat. DD moves. Kitten was finally learning how to cat. Then Hemingway blew in with a hurricane. He terrorized Kitten. They tried Prozac. Made him worse. Now Kitten hides most of the time. They’ve had some skirmishes but no blood. DD has to let them work it out, if it gets too bad, a squirt gun. Wren is good with kitties, she should be along soon.

Snickersmom

My sister has two male cats and this has happened with them. I had it happen once years ago, too. The vet told us that cats will turn on whatever is closest, whether it's another cat or even their human whom they dearly love. Their instinct survival apparently overtakes their "feelings" and they kind of go haywire. I'm not sure how to diffuse your situation other than to keep them apart for a while. You will have to make sure that the alien cat is gone. Poor Piper! Won't she stick up for herself? Dobby looks like a little troublemaker!

Fairchild

Spookiesmom & Snickersmom, Many thanks! All info is welcome, as this is a totally new problem in my experience. A lifelong cat lover, all my cats have loved each other. I must have just been lucky!

Oh, my! He just chased her up the stairs again. I have to go get groceries and will pick up another cat box, as separation may be necessary for a few days. Clearly it's provoked when he sees another cat outside. One just walked by, and Dobby took off after Piper.

Sigh......! (But aren't they cute?)

Fairchild

Dobby is, unfortunately, a little troublemaker. He has such a sad story though that makes one's heart melt. He was found with only 1 sibling still alive and had to be bottle fed back to life. He then went to a shelter, from which I adopted him at 4 months. Piper has never been affectionate, and I missed that after her brother cat died 2 years ago. Dobby fit that need for affection...he followed me around immediately and has slept ON me every night since then except for when I was in the hospital or out of town. I've never seen a kitten so bonded.

Piper, meanwhile, has learned to love people from him, slowly becoming much more affectionate. But he has pushed her away when he could, essentially claiming that I belong to him. And he gets terribly upset when I'm not around him or attending to him.

We face a huge adjustment when I finally go back to work! It won't be easy on either of them to miss me!

Spookiesmom

Kitten before Hemingway blew in. She never messes with the tree

Spookiesmom

He, on the other hand, climbed the big tree, knocked it over, and was eyeing this one.

Snickersmom

Now I'm thinking that maybe I'm glad I only have one to contend with!!

Fairchild - do try the water pistol. That did work for my sister's cats. They still get into it occasionally but are pretty well matched. She said all she has to do is get the water pistol out of the drawer and they hightail it.

santabarbarian

My sister is a cat expert and she said the trick w sprayer is squirt when you are not looking at them, so they don't know you did it.

Fairchild

Great advice, y'all! I was worried about disrupting our relationship by squirting them, but I can see how not looking at them would convince them it wasn't me! The squirtgun is loaded and ready for action now. I'll report the results!

BTW, y'all have the cutest kitties ever! Don't you just wish you could have them ALL?

corky60

Do you like Dobby sleeping on top of you?  Is he too heavy?  He is asserting dominance over you that way.

When a dominant cat sees another cat outside, he is spring-loaded for action and will attack the nearest cat he can get his claws into.

Fairchild

corky60,

Well, I'm used to him lying on my hip all night now, so it doesn't bother me. Is it dominance? He's done this since he was a little guy, and I think of it more as protecting me. He is always, always facing the door, like he's watching for an intruder. Nowadays, when it's cold at night, he is nosing himself under my covers sometimes, so he can get warmer, right next to my knees.

A funny thing happened last night. After a very difficult day, with much argumentation between the cats, bedtime came. Piper was the first one to bed with me, which is unusual for her. When Dobby came in the room, she started hissing and growling in the most threatening way. I think Dobby was surprised and a little scared. He inched his way around the edge of the room, trying to make his way to my bed, but every time he moved, Piper growled...louder and louder. I'd never heard her growl before. Eventually he gave up and went away.

So apparently Piper can assert herself when it's an emergency! She was clearly quite proud of driving him off.

And this morning? I woke up to find both cats in the bed, in their usual positions, even sniffing each other's butts again. So they must have made up during the night. I should have had more faith! Periodically today Piper has hissed at him a little, but in general they seem to be getting over the Great Unpleasantness. What a relief!

Wren44

Yes, when the bullied fights back, the bully retreats. If he keeps up attacking her when he sees a cat outside, perhaps somehow you can prevent him seeing. Is he neutered yet?

Rah2464

Fairchild your babies are beautiful. Sorry I cannot help with the advice though. Mine just battle it out from time to time.

feelingfeline