Cat Behavior

For all your feline miscellany - any interesting stories, news or subjects that do not fit in the other sections.
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suziesingh
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Cat Behavior

Post by suziesingh »

Hi Everyone,
I am a new member and I could use some advice.
I have a 3 year old male neutered indoor cat.
My mother has now moved in with me and brought her 10 year old female neutered indoor cat.
They have been living together now 2 weeks.
Their kitty litters are in separate rooms and so is their food bowls.
She has her own room, he has the rest of the house.
They have started getting closer to each other and sniffing each other as she has started to feel more secure and wandering around the house.
She seems relaxed near him and walks around the house but he seems to not know how to react.
Sometimes he chases her. But they don't fight or touch each other. She hissed at him a few times at the beginning but seems to have stopped now. He does not hiss at her.
They are very curious about each other.
I always feed him first to show him that he is still mine, then I feed her. She is comfortable with me and follows me around too.
I am hoping they can be in the same room eventually without him always sitting up at attention every time she walks by. She seems more relaxed than him. But it is his house so she is the intruder.
Her new behavior is she comes near him and lies on her back and swings from side to side.
I thought she is being submissive or trying to be friends but I don't know what she means by it. She has done this to me in the past wanting to cuddle.
Can you advise me what her behavior means, is she being friendly to him?
Suzie
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Lilith
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by Lilith »

Hi and welcome :)

These two are really doing very well after two weeks - I think it sounds as if they'll be friends, but she sounds like the dominant one.

That 'playful' rolling, in my experience, often means 'I'm boss here' - quite unlike a dog's submissive rolling. Usually the rolling cat has a bit of a glint in its eye lol. But boys do tend to be placid and he'll probably tolerate her. Don't let her take liberties though, like sitting in his way and refusing to let him through a door etc, which dominant cats can start to do for amusement, and always reassure him and let him know he's First Cat in the house - as you're doing already. This is what's worked for me, anyway, with several cats in the house.

Hopefully there'll be more people along with more advice but hope this helps for now, and all the best with them :)
suziesingh
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by suziesingh »

Thanks for the advice Lilith.
Update on their behavior - She walks around the house but sometimes he chases her out of the room and back to her room, it seems like he is saying, this is your room now stay there. He goes in her room and checks out her scratching post etc.and she acts like her room has an invisible door and no one can touch her if she is in there.
Yesterday she actually went and ate from his plate in front of him and he didn't do anything but then when she left, he went and ate from the same plate.
It seems he acts nice to her in front of us but at night he puts her in her place.
Sometimes the running around looks like play but I'm never sure. Things are changing all the time. They are very amusing to watch. One minute they seem ok together next they are like arguing, but never actually touching.
She doesn't fear him, but he watches her like a hawk.
Sometimes when he chases her out of the room, I go and get her back because I feel sorry for her.
Sometimes they come nose to nose then walk off but this morning when he came nose to nose with her, she swiped at him but didn't actually connect, just a warning. I think she was tired of him chasing her out of the room.
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Kay
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by Kay »

I think a lot of cat owners would envy you - they sound to me as if they are sorting out their relationship very well, and you have little to worry about

I have found that incumbent older girls like to be boss cat, and regularly hiss and swipe at younger newcomers to teach them boundaries, but having a new interest in life will have enriched her world, and he seems to accept her overlordship quite happily

growling, raised hackles and fluffed up tail are signs of true aggression, and you don't describe any of these, so congratulate yourself and thank your lucky stars :D
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Lilith
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by Lilith »

Ha, bless them - it does sound to be six of one and half a dozen of the other and as Kay says, they seem to be reaching a compromise. All the best with them :)
suziesingh
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by suziesingh »

Thanks Kay and Lilith.

I am thinking maybe they get on better because I didn't actually just bring a cat in the house, Sootie (the female) came with my mother, so at first Ivo (the male) was scared of my mother but not anymore, but maybe he sees it as my mother brought the other cat, not me.

And my husband and I give him a lot of attention, Ivo is actually very attached to my husband.

But both cats see me as the feeder and the kitty litter cleaner.

When Ivo sees me cuddle Sootie and I go near him, he smells my hand and wants me to cuddle him.

I will post an update in a week as to how they are progressing.
suziesingh
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by suziesingh »

Hi Everyone,
It seems now after one month, my two cats have accepted that the other is not moving out. They seem to play together more often. And can tolerate being near each other (much closer) than they used to be.
We are so glad they didn't end up fighting. They both seem to be at the same level, so neither is able to boss the other around for more than a couple of minutes.
So far so good.
Suzie
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Both in same room, interested in same product.
Both in same room, interested in same product.
suziesingh
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by suziesingh »

Hi Everyone,
Update on my 2 cats. They have been living together 5 weeks today.
They chase each other a lot. Now and then, one of them might swat the other. Sometimes she spits at him but I think she is telling him she doesn't want to play anymore. He is only 3 years old, he wants to play all the time whereas she just turned 10 yesterday.
The other thing is she often goes to his plate and eats his food. He doesn't seem to mind. Then he eats from same plate.
Also 1 week ago I moved her kitty litter to the laundry, the same place his kitty litter is. Now they are both using the same tray. And neither seems to mind. He stopped using his tray (they are identical) and uses hers. So today I moved his tray out to the garage to see how they would fair with just one tray. Hope it works because it makes the laundry much less cramped with just the one tray. I will let you know if it works out or if I have to bring it back.
Suzie
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mr_frisky
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by mr_frisky »

They sound like they are getting on very well. They are probably glad of the feline company.
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Lilith
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by Lilith »

Sounds to me like you've done the trick and they've bonded - congrats :D
suziesingh
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by suziesingh »

My cats seem to have totally accepted each other now. It's been 3 and a half months and this morning they even ate out of their individual bowls near each other. They eat of each other's plates at times, neither seems to mind. They play together. And even sit quietly together. There doesn't seem to be any jealousy if one is being cuddled, the other comes for a cuddle and they seem ok with that.
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Having a quiet moment.
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Kay
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by Kay »

well done - we don't have two hands for nothing :D
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Mollycat
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Re: Cat Behavior

Post by Mollycat »

This is a beautiful story of a successful integration, well done for achieving so much so quickly and smoothly.
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