7-22-13

Posted on by Robyn

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Linn left a comment in Saturday’s post, and I’m sharing it here in hopes that someone (or lots of someones!) will have suggestions, because I’m not sure what to suggest.

Question for the cat crowd: I have a 17yo lady who has recently lost her hearing. Since this development, my 15 yo male, who has resided with her relatively peacefully since he came to us 6 years ago, has begun bullying her. He tries to muscle her away from the food and nudges her off the bed she enjoys sleeping on. He hasn’t physically attacked her but he’s definitely hostile. We joke that he’s telling us it’s time to put her on an iceberg and send her off, but it’s sad. Anybody have a guess what’s causing him to do this or how we can stop it? We have two other young males whose relationships with her are the same. We have plenty of food down at all times, 3 boxes, and the young boys are indoor-outdoor. The old guy prefers to stay in.

Y’all, got any helpful suggestions? Please share!

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Stefan would like to be BFFs with the Dragons.


::flirt::


“HI.”


::flirt::


::FLIRT::


“Yeah, I guess he’s okay.”


“He makes a good pillow.”
(In case it isn’t obvious, this picture is of Puff and Stefan – the previous one was Norbert and Stefan.)


“He looks like ME, only smaller.”


It’s a terrible thing when a cat melts right out of his condo. It’s the heat AND the humidity.


“What? She’s tiny! She doesn’t take up much room! I’m not squooshing her!”


Negotiating ownership of the box with Ruth.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Brandon, getting his post-meal snuggles.


“I’m your favorite snugglebug though, right? Don’t even answer, I know it’s true.”


Jon Snow appears to be quite amused by himself.


“Yummy! Human with just a soupcon of canned kitten food. Done to perfection!”


::leap!::dor


“Lady, you put that camera away. You are IRRITATIN’ me!”


::squoosh!::dor


She is just so CUTE.


Thinkin’ about whining. Jon Snow is a champ at “I’m da BAYBEE!”; I’m hoping to get it on video.


They love to sleep on that cat tree.

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I think your loons need some tuning, Jake.

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Previously
2012: No entry.
2011: Who, him? Oh, just some cat. Nothin’ special. Corbie, I think they call him. ::shrug::
2010: He’s gotten past this whole “feral” nonsense at breathtaking speed.
2009: No entry.
2008: Kitten, mid-jump.
2007: No entry.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.

Comments

40 thoughts on “7-22-13”

    1. So happy for the guy, and I hope that Corbie and Newt are coming around. Thanks for rescuing this fine fellow, Fred and Robyn!

  2. Stephan is your Charlene Butterbean!!! He is wonderful!!!

    The picture of Arya (“I’m your favorite snugglebug though, right? Don’t even answer, I know it’s true.”) – the look on her face is precious!!!

    Jake’s fur color is fab!!!

  3. I love the photos of Stefan and the Dragons. Stefan seems such a well socialized boy!

  7. Hummm….do you know where Khaleesi was found? And Stephan wasn’t neutered when he arrived, was he? Maybe the resemblance to Scorch isn’t a coincidence!! 🙂

    2. Oh my! We were just thinking how nice it is for the kittens to have a spare foster big brother for when Looney Jake is napping – but hmmmmmmmmmm ……..

  8. OK, question for you and the gang. Mostly a curiosity thing than anything. We have had quite a few cats in our life (and never encountered this and all were rescue/shelter cats and kittens) but I have a new brother /sister pair of black kittens we got from a rescue lady. Mother was semi-feral, kittens got over it quick. The boy is a real snugglebug but he LOVES to get in my face and smell around my mouth, eyes and sticks his little nose in my nostrils and leaves it there for a few seconds all while “patting” my face with his paws. He will do this for about 15 minutes rotating around my face then snuggles in my arms to sleep. Is he just weird or do we have others that have had this happen? Thanks! Heidi

    1. What’s that? ADORABLE. 😀 I can see where it might be annoying though. Beyond that, I have no idea. I’d like to see the answer to this one too.

    2. I have a boy cat that sniffs at my nose/mouth area. I always call it “kitty kisses” cause he would sit on a ledge I had in my bathroom and I’d lean my face over and he’d sniff and sniff at me for a minute or two. we moved from that house so he doesn’t do it as often, but still periodically will do it. he never did it that long though. I’m interested also in why they might do this. I’ve seen cats do it all the time though so never really thought about him doing it with me.

      1. Sherry,

        It is cute and funny, we have only had them for about 3 weeks now but like last night I was sleeping in bed, on my side and I wake up to him flopped in front of my face and he was feeling my face with his paws his nose stuck in my nostril and kitten whisker tickling my face and I have never had a kitten do that before. I was thinking it would not be too nice if I woke up to kitten claws in my eyeballs/eyelids. And he tries to gently “chew” on the tip of my nose after the smelling. LOL Crazy cats ; )

    3. My middle boy licks the tip of my nose and mouth. A rough tongue on the tip of your nose rather smarts! My other two do not do this.

    4. I’ve had kittens do that before, but they usually grow out of it. Jinx still smells my mouth sometimes…I figure he just wants to see what I had to eat and didn’t offer to him! 🙂

      1. I don’t know about growing out of it – Cagney does this sniffing/pawing of my face often – complete with nose licks – and she’s 19. In fact, she does it more now than when she was younger! Very sweet, but indeed, a tongue on the nose is a strange sensation.

        1. Yeah, my boy is 3 and I suspect he will do it forever. I have to take back what I said earlier. My youngest (2) licks my nose. She made sure I didn’t forget this morning. Ha. The cutest thing she does is when she wants her morning pets, she will wrp her paw around my wrist and pull it to her. I, of course, help her pull but she doesn’t know that! 😉

        2. Yeah, my boy is 3 and I suspect he will do it forever. I have to take back what I said earlier. My youngest (2) licks my nose. She made sure I didn’t forget this morning. Ha. The cutest thing she does is when she wants her morning pets, she will wrp her paw around my wrist and pull it to her. I, of course, help her pull but she doesn’t know that! 😉

    5. The late, lamented Simon used to like to stick his nose in my (and everyone else’s) mouth. It was a little bit irritating, but he would do it while sitting on your lap, facing you, with his ‘arms’ around your neck. After a bit, he would tuck his head under your chin for a little nap.

      And Robyn, thank you SO much for the pictures of Stefan and the kittens. Adorable!!!

    6. That happens a lot with the kittens we’ve had – especially (I think, though I can’t swear to it) kittens who were separated from their mother at a young age. All of the Starks do that, especially Jon Snow and Brandon. None of the Dragons do (or have), though.

  9. Hubby is grateful you live in Alabama – far, far away from us. I think we ‘d have a few dozen cats by now if you were close by, since I fall in love with at least one of your kittens in every litter you have. this time it’s Snow.

  10. Suggestions for the kitty who lost her hearing and is being ‘bullied’.. First let me say I recommend the book cat vs cat. Lot of information in there.

    Second, she is being bullied, and it is very natural. She is no longer really fit – nor apparently wanting to be the ‘alpha’ kitty any more. Your 15 yr old is taking over, and apparently has little respect for his elders – which is sad.

    I say you encourage his being alpha at every opportunity but discourage the disrespectful behavior. Schedule regular play time with him, and let him take the lead. Feed him first. Offer him treats and love first. Tell him he’s alpha, and in charge (when alpha was contested at my house I would often tell the alpha kitty he was in charge when I left the house)

    if you can find a distraction or four (don’t use the same one all the time, he’ll teach you that his bad action should result in you giving him what he wants – which is not what you want) that you can re-direct him when he’s ‘bullying’ If he likes to play, using ping pong balls to bounce around the house to get him interested in something.. keep a bag of either treats or something that sounds like treats to distract him.. etc.. Eventually his settling into his new roll and accepting his new position fully as well as your reinforcing it should mean that he doesn’t need to flaunt his position by bulling his elders..

    2. Whoops, I tried to reply on Monday but I was out of town and I guess my iphone ate the response. So thank you, that seems like good advice — I have been feeding her first to try and garner her some respect, but sounds like I should appease the aggressor instead. I am back now and tonight he eats first! He’s really our most affectionate cat so this has been somewhat of a surprise.

  13. By the way, my heart is melting – and it’s not the heat that’s causing it. It’s Stefan!!! The pictures of him with the kittens are wonderful!

  14. Oh, Stefan! You’re melting our hearts!

    Thank you for sending us where you got your outdoor cat house! It arrived last week and we love it! We’ve got it up and even christened it over the weekend to the memory of an outdoor kitty. Thanks!

  18. Hi Robyn, I was wondering what the brand name of the collars that you use to keep the permanent residents in the yard is? My parents have an indoor kitty who would dearly love to be an outdoor kitty, and she causes them so much stress when she escapes!

    1. We use this PetSafe fence, and the collars that go with it.

      There’s a wire fence around the back yard, so Fred ran the electric fence wire around the bottom and then around the top as well. It works really well to keep the cats in the back yard – on the rare occasion that one of the cats who wears a collar escapes(Kara or Tommy – the other cats don’t try to escape the back yard, luckily), it’s because the collar battery needs to be replaced. My only gripe is that the fence only comes with one collar, so we had to buy extras.

      Okay, my other gripe is that the collars are ugly and ruin my pictures, but I’ve learned to live with that. 🙂

  19. Your pictures are always such fun, but I L-O-V-E the melting cat! Love it, love cats–am typing with one melting over my arm right now, actually.

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