Letting Eli Win

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Pat - 18 May 2006 03:25 GMT

Tommy and Eli were play-fighting for a close to half an hour this evening.
Tommy laid on his back 90% of the time with Eli holding onto his head from
behind, making moves like he was trying to bite Tommy's ears.

Every few minutes Tommy would let out a little squeal which had a tone that
seemed to be saying "I'm afraid of you, please take it easy on me, boss!"

A few times they both sat up facing one another and did some fancy boxing,
and Tommy would always try to walk away from it after a bit, but Eli
wouldn't let him go, he would follow and keep whapping at Tommy's tail until
Tommy consented to resume the wrestling match.

Tommy finally escaped and now Billy has taken his place as the whapp-ee. Eli
isn't giving him as much of a test because it has already been established
that Eli's stature is higher than Billy's.

Tommy is a very wise cat. He seems fully committed to defusing Eli's
aggressive urges. This morning I found the two of them snuggled together on
my bed. They looked up at me and their eyes had an expression that's very
hard to describe - so many emotions.

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jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net - 18 May 2006 03:29 GMT

> Tommy and Eli were play-fighting for a close to half an hour this evening.
> Tommy laid on his back 90% of the time with Eli holding onto his head from
> behind, making moves like he was trying to bite Tommy's ears.

> Every few minutes Tommy would let out a little squeal which had a tone that
> seemed to be saying "I'm afraid of you, please take it easy on me, boss!"

That's really cute. Is Tommy a much older cat than Eli?

I was just reading in Temple Grandin's book "Animal Translations" about
how animals play like this all the time. When an older animal plays with
a young one it will let the younger one win part of the time (sounds like
Tommy does it a lot more than that). This teaches the youngster how
to lose *and* how to win, as well as honing their various attack and
hunting (if relevant) skills.

Joyce

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Cantate - 18 May 2006 04:07 GMT

I got a big kick out of our one-year-old cat Cherry teaching a kitten
(Jona, abandoned when she was three days old and raised by me with a
bottle, so no experience watching cats except Cherry) how to use the
litter box! Cherry would climb in, eyes on Jona all the time, and Jona
would sit down next to the litter box and watch carefully. Then they'd
switch places. It was really cute, especially considering that Cherry
was not at all happy with this little interloper on her territory.

Now Jona and Cherry are the same size and best of friends. They are
the only two of mine that will actually sleep on the same surface at
the same time.

Cantate

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Monique Y. Mudama - 18 May 2006 05:37 GMT

> I got a big kick out of our one-year-old cat Cherry teaching a
> kitten (Jona, abandoned when she was three days old and raised by me
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> especially considering that Cherry was not at all happy with this
> little interloper on her territory.

Well, it makes sense, right? The only thing worse than a new baby
taking attention away from Meowmie is a new baby who not only takes
attention away from Meowmie, but also craps on the floor!

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monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

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Pat - 18 May 2006 05:30 GMT

> > Tommy and Eli were play-fighting for a close to half an hour this
> > evening.
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> That's really cute. Is Tommy a much older cat than Eli?

He's only a couple of months older but he joined the house first so he has
seniority that way.

> I was just reading in Temple Grandin's book "Animal Translations" about
> how animals play like this all the time. When an older animal plays with
> a young one it will let the younger one win part of the time (sounds like
> Tommy does it a lot more than that). This teaches the youngster how
> to lose *and* how to win, as well as honing their various attack and
> hunting (if relevant) skills.

Tommy didn't teach Eli to hunt but I think he's the one who taught Eli to
occasionally hunt for the younger cats.

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Kreisleriana - 18 May 2006 16:32 GMT

> > Tommy and Eli were play-fighting for a close to half an hour this evening.
> > Tommy laid on his back 90% of the time with Eli holding onto his head from
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
>Joyce

Even Stinky takes it easier on Dante than he could, or he really wants
to, I suspect, considering how exuberantly Dante flings himself at
"the Big Dood"-- and how Dante is a lot bigger, faster and more
muscular than he was when I brought him home-- he just seems to have
the same little kitten dingaling brain rattling around inside his
skull. :P

Theresa
Stinky Pictures: http://community.webshots.com/album/125591586JWEFwh
My Blog: http://www.humanitas.blogspot.com

Make Levees, Not War

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Adrian A - 18 May 2006 15:40 GMT

> Tommy and Eli were play-fighting for a close to half an hour this
> evening. Tommy laid on his back 90% of the time with Eli holding onto
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
> together on my bed. They looked up at me and their eyes had an
> expression that's very hard to describe - so many emotions.

That's cute. Did you get any video of them playing?

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Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

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Pat - 18 May 2006 16:17 GMT

> Did you get any video of them playing?

You can rest assured that I wanted to, and would have, if the light was good
enough in here at night to do it. There might be an adjustment I can make to
the camera settings for low-light situations... I'll check that one of these
days so I can maybe catch the next performance.

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