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Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

446.0. "Cat Wars" by MASTER::EPETERSON () Mon Jan 12 1987 17:30

    
    I currently have 4 cats.  I have observed over the years that my
    gang, from time to time, will go to war.  They as a group will run
    from room to room in one collective running - hissing - spitting
    - growling ball of cats.  Then, after a period of time, it will
    stop as suddenly as it started.  In some cases I can tell what the
    cause of the problem was.  Once it was because I had given them
    their first (and only) high potency catnip toy.  I found that my
    boy kitty found his "dutch courage" in it.  Another time I believe
    it was because I had only one kitten left from a litter, and the
    Grandmother kitty was very protective of her.  A fight would occur
    any time the kitten would make even the slightest sound.  It sort
    of went like this - the kitten would go "meeoo".  The grandma would
    figure "Gee, the kitten said 'meeoo'.   It must be time for me to
    try to kill every other cat in the house!!!".  Sometimes I can fairly
    well figure out what is causing the problem, but sometimes I cannot.
    Maybee if any of you notes readers have the same situation, and
    you share the experience, we all can have better insight as to what
    the basic cause is.
    
    As for me, I find the best action to take is no action at all. 
    The battles are vigorous, but the wars seldom last for more than
    a few weeks (in the one case, though, it didn't stop until the kitten's
    new owner came to get her).
    
    So lets get together on the Cat  Wars situation.  Perhaps we can
    truely achieve peace.
T.RTitleUserPersonal
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446.1Twice a day, every dayAKOV68::FRETTSMon Jan 12 1987 17:5014
    
    
    Kitty wars occur in my house twice a day! -  at breakfast
    and at dinner.  Buster Brown usually starts it by picking
    out one of the other 6 kitties, following the other kitty
    all around the kitchen and meow-crying, and then if it looks
    like the other kitty might get a better position, he'll 
    usually haul off and whack them across the face!  And then
    all hell breaks loose, including me yelling for everybody to 
    "Knock it off!!!!".  It's really a perverse way to start and
    end the day when you think about it.
    
    Carole
    
446.2USHS01::MCALLISTERTARDIS Sales and Service Co.Mon Jan 12 1987 18:0316
    We seldom have wars, but we quite often have "air raid" practice.
    Our cathold is aligned with Crunch on top (now that they are all
    altered (Yep, no whole cats at the moment)). Rockie doesn't try
    to take Crunch's place, but doesn't take much guff, just leaves.
    The others all bow in his general direction.
    
    When a fight starts between other cats, Crunch goes over and breaks
    it up.  He never uses claws, just whacks one of the two up the side
    of the head 5-6 times.  After the poor kitty gets his bearing again,
    the fight is usually over.
    
    Was quite different during the days of two whole males and 5 breeding
    females.
    
    Dave
    
446.3TOPDOC::DREWMon Jan 12 1987 20:2310
    My brood seems at its most rambunctious just before feeding time
    at night. We usually get a 'floor show' that includes ambushes,
    frontal assaults, collie-strafing, and general free-for-alls.
    Fortunately, no one ever seems to get hurt and during the rest of
    the day these 'bitter enemies' can often be found curled up together
    in some comfortable niche.
    
    Sometimes I wonder if they rehearse when no one's looking...
    
    -nn
446.4Cat Wars!CADSYS::RICHARDSONTue Jan 13 1987 16:4115
    My two are usually at peace with each other.  Nebula, being
    half-Siamese and very fiesty, usually runs things, and JFCL, even
    though much bigger, usually lets her.  However, if Nebula gets too
    far out of line (say, biting The Fickle's tail when she is asleep
    on the footstool with her tail hanging over the edge, or shouldering
    her away from the cat bowls), The Fickle will whack Nebula across
    the nose as if she were a kitten.  This usually restores law and
    order.  Sometimes the cats chase each other all over the house (CHARGE!
    down the hallway with Neb in thye lead, followed a few seconds later
    with a gallop in the other direction, with positions reversed),
    but I think this is all in fun, since they usually run with their
    tails curled over backwards, which is what they do when I play with
    them, and do not otherwise molest each other (though sometimes at
    the end of the hallway, the little cat will jump over her larger
    companion - which is pretty funny to watch!).
446.5fightsNEWVAX::BOBBGO GIANTS!!!Tue Jan 13 1987 20:5023
    Our two, Rascal and Merlin, have what I describe as an "older brother -
    younger brother" relationship. (they are not even remotely related)
    
    The younger cat, Merlin (thought he is about 2 yrs old now) seems
    to like to tag along with Rascal (about 5 yrs old), but will also
    pick on him, especially when Rascal is in what we call his "hissy-face"
    mood. During these times, Merlin goes out of his way to be a
    brat....he'll wait behind a corner or chair and when Rascal comes
    by, Merlin will swipe and run. Most of the time Rascal will just
    hiss and try to ignore the other one. If it gets too bad, we pick
    Merlin up and put him in another part of the house. 
    
    About once every six months or so, the fighting gets out of hand,
    though. They've never hurt each other, but it sure sounds like murder
    is being committed. Now, who knows if they do this while we are
    out work (they stay inside when we aren't around) but if they do
    it at night, the best way to break it up is some type of loud noise,
    usually me yelling or smacking my hand on the wall. Water can be
    good on some cats (the new water pistols give you good aim and lots
    of water supply) - but Merlin likes water... 
    
    I think an occasional tussle is natural - how many of us can live
    in close quarters without having some type of "fight" now and then?