My darling little (15 lbs) marmie boy is starting a new & nasty habit. He hisses at & then charges every kitty in sight! Including his sister that he never beat up before. Any suggestions on how to stop sweet boy from turning into a bully?
Good question, but I don’t have any good advice (when my cats turn into jerks toward the other cats, I mostly keep them as separate as possible, and if all else fails I bellow “STOP IT!” when the hissing and (cat-)screaming begins). Anyone else have advice on how to stop the bullying?
Doesn’t Reacher look like one of Kara’s babies? I’m forgetting the name.
Good point, one that a couple of you mentioned. Kara’s baby boy River, who’s now known as Nate, could be Reacher’s twin. Here’s River/Nate from shortly before he went to his new home:
And here’s Reacher:
Maybe Kara’s just trying to figure out why Reacher looks so familiar!
I have a crush on Reacher and I’m 46, what does that make me?!
Oh, I think “Cougar” still works! 🙂
And oh the dishwasher – one place every kitten seems to love. I guess the food smells are the attraction. My question is do you do a headcount before you start it – because at our house, even though the cats are all big and you would see them in the dishwasher, Brad has to do a headcount every time he loads it (I am not that crazy – I can just look in the dishwasher to see that there are no cats there). At your house that would be a lot of counting!
I don’t do a headcount before I start the dishwasher – though I do glance inside just to be safe. The only time I do a headcount is in the evening when we bring the cats inside, and then I only double-check to make sure all the Bookworms are inside. I’m less worried about the older cats being locked outside, because they know if they come to the back door and bang at the cat door, we’ll hear them and let them in. I shudder to think what would happen if one of the Bookworms was locked outside overnight!
Have you seen or heard of Caboodle Ranch, a shelter for cats? Google it, if not. It’s awesome!!
I’ve definitely heard of Caboodle Ranch – I love seeing the pictures, and I read the blog regularly. I think it’s amazing!
You and Laurie both do an amazing job geting great kitty photos. I have often wondered what sort of magic or drugs (just kidding) you guys use! Of course there are probably 15 deleted photos for every good one. Keep them coming!
I can’t speak for Laurie, but there are definitely a large number of deleted pictures for every one I use. Thank god for digital cameras – can you imagine how much it would cost to have all those pictures developed? I saved over 2,000 pictures last year!
When they’re relaxin’ at the house, are they still on Petfinder?
Oh yes, they’re still on Petfinder, still completely available for adoption. Don’t forget, you guys, if you know anyone in the Alabama/ Tennessee area who’s dying for an awesome cat, steer them this way! 🙂
You know, Topher & Dorian (i.e. Mike & Gus) totally have the same fang toof thing going on. It’s adorable.
Does Corbett or Reacher drool while purring like Topher does?
They don’t drool while purring, no. But I do notice some step-sibling resemblances. When Buster complains about something, he reminds me so much of Mike/ Topher’s complaint meow that it always makes me stop and hug him. I don’t know if Gus/ Dorian still does this, but when he was little and he was eating, he’d lean low to get a piece of food, then sit up straight and eat it, lean low and get another piece of food, straighten up and eat it. Corbett does that, and it’s seriously cute. Also (as you’ll see below), Corbett doesn’t have quite the magnificent ear floof that Gus/ Dorian has, but he has some respectable ear floof going on!
I love the way Reacher and Corbett are basically the same pattern, in different colors.
See? He’s got a little bit of ear floof going on!
Pretty Corbie.
I was laying on the couch watching TV, Miz Poo beside me (as always), and Starsky wedged himself in between us, then promptly fell asleep.
Hutch likes “Grey’s Anatomy.”
Hutch, kneading and sucking on the blanket.
“Hi. Hi! HI! Belly rub, please?”
Pretty Spanky.
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Previously
2009: My poor babies.
2008: And if not, I can always buy their love with a plate of chicken baby food.
2007: Best. Picture. EVER.
2006: No entry.
2005: No entry.
When I have a hissy cat I use the good old squirter bottle. If they’re just getting in each others faces it’s a good way to just distract them and then usually they go on their merry ways. I have a serious hisser at the moment, her and one of my own are always at each other so they’re mostly separated.
I second the great photos! I struggle to get many good ones of my kits!
That Corbett!!!! I think he has charmed his new human although they don’t realise it yet!!
Lovely kitty he is…
I think Marmie’s mom should take the same route for him that was suggested for the reader who’s kitty had suddenly started experiencing a change in litter pan habits.
Take him to the vet to rule out any health issues.
If there are none, try Feli-way. Feli-way relaxes and mellows them. I recently started using it when we moved to a new house and one of my three was really freaked out. Works great!
Beth
For the reader whose marmie is hissing, etc.:
Have there been any other cats coming around the house and making themselves known? One of my cats gets riled up when that happens and she’ll take it out on the other cats in the home because she can’t get to the intruder outside. (if another cat outside is spraying nearby this might also be a possibility.) And then, as Beth suggested, take the cat to the vet and make sure nothing’s medically wrong. It could be that he’s not feeling well.
Btw, that pic of Hutch kneading and sucking the blankie reminds me of my Pandora. She was weaned too early as well, and even though she’s now almost 12, she still does the kneading and sucking – except she prefers my neck instead of a blanket 🙂
I like Grey’s Anatomy, also!
The pic of Starsky wedged in is adorable!
Good suggestions by Beth P. as a Tech I definitely recommend getting a health check. And as a kitty mamma to a truly brutal Tom cat. Try the Feliway. I saw a dramatic decrease in the fighting with all the kitties. Lastly if that doesn’t seem to help, he might be candidate for behavior modification medications. My brutal boy is currently on Prozac and he is a much gently guy. I’m even getting snuggles from him. 🙂 All this acting out may just be some anxiety.
Hi!! Awww I think the other commentators have said this already but I also think that for adorable marmie to suddenly turn nasty when he wasn’t before would say that he’s either stressed about something or he’s not well. So definitely a health check to elimate anything physically and medically wrong. If he’s stressed then maybe try and figure out what’s changed in his environment? I’ve heard such great things about Feliway – so maybe that would also help! GOOD LUCK!!!!
Awww Starsky wedged between you and adorable Miz Poo! Awwww!! Hutch and his belly rub – awwww!!
Reacher and Corbett and Spanky are just perfect!! Oh Nate/River has such a pretty face – look at those lovely eyes – wow!!
Great pics as always, thank you!! Take care
x
My resident cat is mean to my foster kittens–hisses, growls, and whaps them if they get too close. I understand that they’re invading her territory and she wants the house to herself, but I still wish they could all get along. Maybe I’ll try Feliway.
I personally believe that cat behavioural issues have a lot to do with their diet. I personally believe that grain-based cat food is the devil and it jacks with their tiny wee bodies. My cat used to run up and down our hall wailing as if his little heart was about to break. He would yowl us out of our beds at 4am EVERY NIGHT and act out if we thought he wasn’t recieving enough attention. He clawed things, bit us, FREAKED OUT if the slightest thing around him moved, would not accept affection and just wouldn’t sleep for more than about 20 minutes.
I read something about how cats would never eat grains in the wild so their bodies are ill adapted to the effects. I started buying Arcana grain-free food and Kees (for that is his name) changed overnight. He’s calm and sleeps half the day like a good kitty should and he takes things in his stride and only yowls like a fiend once a month or so (plus, he’s deaf so he can’t hear how loud he gets). He’s just a settled, easy-going boy now.
Perhaps your grumpy kitty’s blood sugar is just peaking and crashing, making him irritable?