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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / November 2007why is this cat so catty?
We have a problem with Marblecake. She's about 2 1/2. She's always been pretty friendly to humans, and rather aloof to other cats. She was a downright bully to poor old Ishmael last year when he was dying of cancer. She had two litters of kittens this year - we were trying to get a companion for Splodge, who was also rather isolated from the other cats. Splodge got on fine with both litters, they obviously weren't his but he happily adopted them. We'd only intended to keep two kittens; thought we were set with the first lot after rehoming two of them, but then Marblecake started ganging up with the female to make our Chloe's life a misery (Chloe is rather mixed-up and insecure at the best of times). So we rehomed the remaining kittens. Better luck with the second litter, now 5 months old. We rehomed two of them and the other two (Ollie and Courtney) got on fabulously both with us and the other cats; Splodge has been a great father to them. But the one cat they *don't* get on with is their own mother, and it doesn't seem to be their fault. She's always picking fights with them. We got both Splodge and Marblecake neutered, thinking that one possible effect might be a drop in Marblecake's aggression. No change at all in either of them: Splodge is still a model of laid- back paternal bonhomie and Marblecake is a furry little Mommie Dearest. I was in the bath a couple of days ago when Courtney came and balanced on the edge to say hello: Marblecake came up behind and pushed her in. She hasn't done any real damage to either of them, but I haven't seen a single affectionate interaction between her and either the kittens or any of the adult cats since they were weaned. Ideas? She's in perfect health, we've had her checked out thoroughly. And she likes people - she's sitting on a high chair by my shoulder at the moment. Maybe she just wants to be an only cat? When do we give up? It's not fair on the others. ============== j-c ====== @ ====== purr . demon . co . uk ============== Jack Campin: 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland | tel 0131 660 4760 <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 > We have a problem with Marblecake. > [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > Maybe she just wants to be an only cat? When do we give up? It's > not fair on the others. I thought it was perfectly normal for a mama cat to put some distance between herself and her offspring once they were weaned. Jo >> We have a problem with Marblecake. >> [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Jo Goes both ways. We had one like Marblecake, and one who never stopped coddling her babies until they were all in their late teens and 20s. > >> We have a problem with Marblecake. > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > Goes both ways. We had one like Marblecake, and one who never stopped > coddling her babies until they were all in their late teens and 20s. Maggie May (age 16) certainly seems to know that Missy (age 7) and Winnie (age 5) are her kids. She is affectionate with them and seems to also feel that they should respond to her motherly discipline. They are awfully and visibly fond of her but don't obey any better than other kids. Her relationship with our other cats, WooToo (age 8 or so) and Sunrise (age 6) are cordial but quite different. Will in New Haven -- - Hide quoted text - > - Show quoted text - Violette put TV off very soon after weaning but she was fast friends with OEJ until she went to the bridge. I have been thinking and wondering if separating her and treating her like a new arrival and doing a complete reintroduction process might help things, Lee > > We have a problem with Marblecake. > > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > > Jo > Violette put TV off very soon after weaning but she was fast friends with > OEJ until she went to the bridge. I have been thinking and wondering if > separating her and treating her like a new arrival and doing a complete > reintroduction process might help things, Lee OEJ is a girl, isn't she? AIUI, a mother cat will instinctively make sure that she doesn't mate with her own son by driving them off more forcefully than the daughters. This doesn't apply to Marblecake, though, since she treats both kittens the same way.  SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. OEJ is a girl and she got most of the brains, even when they were kittens and they still got to go outside, after the first couple of trips out, she would fake a nap until he fell asleep then poke OEJ and take her off to hunt, I think she knew if TV had to fend for himself it wouldn't be good, OEJ on the other hand has all of her mother's hunting skills, Lee > > Violette put TV off very soon after weaning but she was fast friends with > > OEJ until she went to the bridge. I have been thinking and wondering if [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > -- > Marina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. > We have a problem with Marblecake. > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > <http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/> for CD-ROMs and free | fax 0870 0554 975 > stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, & Mac logic fonts | mob 07800 739 557 Some cats just want to be top cat. That sounds like Marblecake. If nothing dangerous is going on, I wouldn't worry. It's actually semi funny she pushed a kitten into the tub with you. > We have a problem with Marblecake. > [quoted text clipped - 31 lines] > Maybe she just wants to be an only cat? When do we give up? It's > not fair on the others. Miranda's mother Kira was the same with Mir's litter. One day she just decided that she'd had enough of the kittens and it was time for them to make their own way in the world. My niece kept one of the kittens, Emil. Kira has been aggressive towards him all the time since she first decided she'd had enough. Mir and Emil will be 3 years old tomorrow, so it looks like she will never accept him. AFAIK, Kira has mellowed a little bit, at least towards Kasper, the third cat in the household (her half brother). She and Emil can sleep on the same bed, but not touching each other. I haven't heard that Kira would do anything as openly afggressive as pushing another cat into the bath, though. Sorry, but that did make me laugh a little. I hope they can learn to get along. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki. >> We have a problem with Marblecake. > > I haven't heard that Kira would do anything as openly afggressive as > pushing another cat into the bath, though. Sorry, but that did make me > laugh a little. I hope they can learn to get along. I tend to think of that as more snotty than aggressive. Like how Sugar will go bop Pearl in the butt if Pearl has chased Sugar and then goes to walk off. Kind of a "Because I can" attitude. I mean, I don't know about Marblecake, but Sugar has an honest to God "So there" expression on her face when she does this. > I tend to think of that as more snotty than aggressive. Like how Sugar > will go bop Pearl in the butt if Pearl has chased Sugar and then goes to > walk off. Kind of a "Because I can" attitude. I mean, I don't know about > Marblecake, but Sugar has an honest to God "So there" expression on her > face when she does this. LOL! I know that look. SignatureMarina, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.
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