Rumbling cats

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

Blairomatic - 01 Jan 2007 12:13 GMT

We've adopted two little beauties from the SPCA and they have fitted
into our home like a treat.

Kiwi and Bella are both quite young, and after a tentative start, get
on now like the proverbial house on fire.

They play fight a lot, in fact for the majority of their
waking/non-eating times! Lot's of games of chase and wrestling, but
Kiwi is a bit full-on and can up the ante and Bella is also known to
turn on the firepower when she want's to, usually in retaliation.

The result is that occasionally their play get's a bit rough and
overheated with lot's of growls and lashing out with paws and teeth.

When it get's to this stage, should we jump in a seperate them? Or
should we leave them to sort it out for themselves? After all, we are
not home during the day, so they will be home alone to sort things out
without us, Bella is usually on the receiving end, so is it better for
her to learn how get out of a tricky situation on her own?

That's all for now.

Blair

Reply to this Message

Spot - 01 Jan 2007 16:00 GMT

That's what you keep a squirt bottle of water for. I let mine play but when
it gets too nasty it's time to put a stop to it.

Celeste

> We've adopted two little beauties from the SPCA and they have fitted
> into our home like a treat.
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Blair

Reply to this Message

Lynne - 01 Jan 2007 21:09 GMT

> That's what you keep a squirt bottle of water for. I let mine play
> but when it gets too nasty it's time to put a stop to it.

I have never intervened when my cats have gotten out of hand. They always
stop, no blood has ever been drawn, and they get along famously (groom each
other, eat out of the same dish, nap together, etc.). My previous pair of
boys used to appear to beat the living crap out of each other, but the one
who always seemed to be on the losing end was always the instigator, so I
figured he enjoyed the rough play.

OTOH, if blood was drawn or one cat was clearly afraid of the other, I
would intervene.

Signature

Lynne

http://picasaweb.google.com/what.the.hell.is.it/

"First get your facts; then you may distort them at your leisure."
-- Mark Twain

Reply to this Message

sheelagh - 01 Jan 2007 19:19 GMT

> We've adopted two little beauties from the SPCA and they have fitted
> into our home like a treat.
>
> Kiwi and Bella are both quite young, and after a tentative start, get
> on now like the proverbial house on fire.

I think that It is fantastic that you got a pair fo kitty's.It makes
them settle better & It also allow's the to continue the socail
language of cat socioligy too, that they began learning as part of
their litter, with their litter mate's

> They play fight a lot, in fact for the majority of their
> waking/non-eating times! Lot's of games of chase and wrestling, but
> Kiwi is a bit full-on and can up the ante and Bella is also known to
> turn on the firepower when she want's to, usually in retaliation.

> The result is that occasionally their play get's a bit rough and
> overheated with lot's of growls and lashing out with paws and teeth.

Please don't forget to ensure that you desex(nueter/spay) both of them
well before they get to six month old. The reason I mention this next
to this passge, is because as part of that socioligy lesson I
mentioned- they learn all of their socioligy , including how to defend
yourself when a male whole cat trys to mate them.
By desexing them before they ever reach sexual maturity, they will
never experince the desire to to mate another cat, & generally, they
become a lot cleaner, larger & human friendly. If they are litter
mates, it will also ensure that they don't inter-breed too.
.

> When it get's to this stage, should we jump in a seperate them? Or
> should we leave them to sort it out for themselves? After all, we are
> not home during the day, so they will be home alone to sort things out
> without us, Bella is usually on the receiving end, so is it better for
> her to learn how get out of a tricky situation on her own?

Spot makes a brilliant suggestion, & It has the added bonus of working
every time with no harm in flicted in any way either.It will get to the
stage where you will only have to bring the spray bottle out, & the
very sight of It will be enough to make the pair of the running in any
direction, except each others.
Good Luck & happy cat home-sharing.It will be good to hear later
instalments at a later date.
S:o)

Reply to this Message