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One step forward....

926 views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  Susan 
#1 · (Edited)
two steps back.

Man, one day they are getting along great and laying near (not cuddling, but within touching distance) with no problem and a few days later all heck breaks loose.

Last night MOwMOw fell asleep in the computer chair, instead of waking him I covered him with a soft blanket and went to bed. Shepherd Book hopped into MowMOw's spot and we fell asleep. 4:30 AM I woke up when MOwMow jumped onto the bed and I quickly pushed poor Book onto the floor :p and MOwMOw settled into his regular spot. Book came up on the other side of the bed and settled behind me and I was able to give both of them their morning worships.

MOwMOw seemed content to lounge in bed so I headed for the showers and Book followed me and hopped up onto the counter (MowMOw usually sits in that spot) while I was using the bathroom. All was fine until MowMOw walked in. He sat and stared at book for a LONG time and then hopped up on the sink and attacked the poor little tyke. Chased him all over the apartment mauling him and I let it go until the screaming started (it was only 5:30 and I didn't want to disturb the neighbors) so I stepped in and locked MOwMOw in the bedroom while Book helped me shower (he likes to sit on the edge of the tub).

I let MowMOw out when I went to dress and right away Shepherd Book was in his face. Kept running right up to him and either smacking him on the head or nosing at him. Lots of hissing and growling from MOwMOw so I got food dished out and kitten locked up as quick as possible.

I can never decide who is at fault because while MowMOw is SOOOO grouchy, the kitten bugs him constantly. If I'm petting MOwMOw then Shepherd Book is right there wanting attention. I lock the kitten up to give MowMOw some mommy time and that kid just SCREAMS his fool head off (I always wait to open the door until he's quiet so he doesn't learn that screaming gets him out of jail but... he hasn't caught on yet). If MowMow trots ahead of me into a room the kitten has to rush forward and cut RIGHT in front of him and stop...facing him and either sits down so MowMOw has to go around him or smacks MowMOw on the head. MowMOw takes it for as long as he can tolerate it then he seems to just snap and attack the little demon spawn.

On the other hand there are times where MowMOw is *really* intolerant and will start grumbling and growling as soon as Book walks in the room. Then they remind me of my brothers. The moment MowMow gets upset then Book is RIGHT there bugging him and pushing his buttons. I'll squirt book to send him on his way but less than a minute later he's back at it.

Ugh. Darn cats!
 
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#2 ·
Awww! Courage! They'll get there! It sounds like you're doing everything you can. Even our kitties who (luckily) transitioned well still fight on a semi-regular basis, over everything from laps to windowspace. Nothing serious yet but as the kitten gets bigger, so do the fights! Fur flies sometimes!
 
#3 ·
I'm also never quite sure WHEN to step in. MowMow always wins these battles and I *THINK* that's good because Book really is a little $%*# to him sometimes..... but I when the kid starts screaming my first instinct is to step in and stop the battle... on the other hand I watch them closely and it doesn't LOOK like MowMow is doing much damage. THere is sometimes tufts of black fur in his claws or mouth but I never find any wounds on the kitten (who is 7 months old now). I know that Book is going to be larger than MOwMOw, he's already as tall and as long so I want MOwMOw to establish the pecking order NOW with him in charge before the kid gets big and starts really fighting back.
 
#4 ·
In order to establish the pecking order now you might just have to step back and let MowMow wallop him one. It may sound mean but it will be worse if you step in all the time and then Book gets big enough eventually to establish himself as top "dog". Everything will be ok. :)
 
#6 · (Edited)
Sometimes these tiffs start as attention-getting action for your attention. If they usually start while you're present, like your bathroom incident, then it's jealousy that MowMow is getting more attention than SB. If the incidents happen and you're not present.....then it's SB starting to assert his dominance as he is nearing maturity (usually 8-10 mos.) when trying to establish the "pecking order". For attention-getting tiffs, the best thing is to remove yourself from them both....go to another room and close the door. If it's tiffs that are happening more when you're not present, try and distract them with some action....throwing a toy, going and putting out a box or paper bag, putting catnip on a scratching post. If this doesn't work then you have to let SB know that you don't approve of his behavior if he's the instigator. You can clap your hands and say a stern "No!" or "Bad boy", and if he ignores that walk towards him with stomping feet....a lot of cats don't like that. What you do want him to understand is that you don't approve of his behavior. I think cats that have a close bond and respect their owner really do like to please them (contrary to what some people say), and don't like to be "in your bad books" so to speak. Sometimes when I have to be a little heavy handed with Zuba who tends to take things too far in bugging Alkee, after he's reprimanded then he'll come to me to suck up and want attention as if to say, "don't be mad at me". It's something you should try and nip, as it can get worse as SB matures and the fights can be more serious. It's very important to balance this out by rewarding good behavior with lots of cuddles and loving. Try it, you might find it works with SB. Let us know how it goes.
 
#7 ·
Any screaming or growling in my house instantly results in the coin can (assuming I'm home to shake it!). What they do when I'm not around is up to them, although I've yet to see any evidence of foul play.:) I suspect the screaming/growling bothers me more than them, but what can I say, I prefer peace. Fortunately, I only need to use the can a few times a year. Hopefully you'll soon get to that point.
 
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