Interpreting kittens' behavior - Page 3

Thanks Darlili - am glad you found the right food for Dante. My choices, I feel are limited, since I need to find a balance between Calvin's sensitive tummy and Hobbes's stinky poop. I hope I can find something soon. Also I am concerned that both my kitties are always begging for food but I do not think I am feeding them less.

One thing that I am seeing these days is that Calvin is being really mean and selfish. He will hoard all toys (even the ones that we got for Hobbes) and growl and hiss at Hobbes when he approaches any of them. When Calvin plays, Hobbes tries to go and join in and Calvin hisses and attacks him. Treats are not having much effect. He's beating up on Hobbes quite a bit and if Hobbes comes to us for comfort then, he then kind of acts up. Hobbes is more adventurous and finds newer places to hang out in and Calvin just has to go and displace Hobbes. Also he will not let Hobbes go up on the cat tree. Did anyone experience anything like this? Any tips to make Calvin be friendlier towards Hobbes? They still groom each other a lot and play/fight (I always don't understand what's going on ), sometimes sleep together.
Another issue is that both Calvin and Hobbes seem to monitor when the other is going to the litter box - more so Calvin. They wait outside or try to enter of sit on top of the litter box. What's with that?

I think Calvin is the one being petty in his jealousy etc, but Hobbes is somehow the smarter one. Today he was able to displace Calvin from her favorite chair where he sleeps. They are both talking turns in doing this – I guess sibling squabbling, as Darlili mentioned. I have 2 covered litter boxes in 2 rooms. The 3rd one was an open one that we had last week but no one used it and so we put it away. Maybe should bring that back. They both take turns monitoring litter box visits. And yes, Calvin the other day, in plain sight of us sat on top of the litter box with his paw on Hobbes’s head, while Hobbes was sticking out his head and pooping his stinkiest poop! They both initiate fight/play and both groom the other. They take turns playing with the laser sometimes and other times both play together. I have tried 1 wand and 1 laser – not so easy but will try with a 2nd wand. Finally maybe all of us with multiple kitties can become ambidextrous in a limited sense. I never thought of separate playtimes but that’s a great idea.

Maybe will have to get a 2nd cat tree but convincing DH will not be easy, since money right now it tight for such expenses and I messed up my tax withholding this year and have to pay a penalty.

Laurie: I talk to both of them all the time and sometimes I feel Calvin gets it and he just hangs back and let’s Hobbes play but then that depends on his mood, I suppose. But I am hoping that positive reinforcement will do it’s trick!
But even with all the fights and squabbles – they are just such cuties!

@ Darlili - I know - some people are so talented and creative. Laurie sent me some links to making nice vertical space for the kitties. I am not good at making stuff. I think we will have go the buying route. Calvin and Hobbes, so far, don't seem to routinely climb on furniture with "height." They either chase each other or hang out with us
We want a larger cat tree down the road and will have to discuss the shelves idea with DH - I somehow feel he will not buy (literally and figuratively) buy that. We are trying to save some money to take Hobbes to see the cardiologist. But will see how we can create the best possible space for our 2.

Till I figure out how to play with 2 want toys, DH and I played with the babies yesterday. I played with Calvin and DH with Hobbes and it was great fun.

thanks for the link!

I know if we were not renting and had our own place we would have put up some wall units for them to climb. I will be honest, DH more than me will go crazy if we want to redecorate to suit our kitties's needs. I do like the house to look pretty and clean but the cats are allowed on all furniture. We do not have anything too expensive but they are ok and the kitties have not damaged anything. We will be getting some new furniture when we buy a house in a couple of years and we will be mindful of the fact that we have cats -so not as much of glass table tops as we have now and bookshelves with doors etc. We will definitely keep them in mind when we are househunting too. We already talk about the things that we want for them in the house.
Another thing that we need to consider is that we have houseguests who visit for extended periods of time and we do need to have at least 1 kitty free room. I know many will disagree with me on this one and as much as it is out of respect for visitors, I will not trust those that are not fond of cats to have access to my kitties where I cannot monitor them.

I think my parents are accepting the fact that I now have 2 kitties. I sent them a carefully crafted e-mail - telling them that I cannot force them to visit me but if they choose to do so, I will respect their wishes as to how much/ or how little contact they want with the kitties. To be honest, I do not think that that will be an issue at all. I spoke to my sister and if seems my dad thought that having too many pets (2 is waaaayyy too many for them) means there's pee and poop all over my house. They seem to have become way better about this after they saw pics and when I called them they were asking many questions and wanted updates. More so I think they are showing interest since they do not want to alienate me - which works for me. Unfortunately, my parents do not live anywhere close enough to visit or make something and get for the kitties. Plus I get the "not being creative and handy" from them - runs in the family.

What's with Dharma and the top of the fridge? Is the temperature there any different that she prefers?

Thanks Laurie, for the tips. The way things have gone this past 3 months, I am sure I will be here looking for advice in a couple of years before buying furniture, But I hear you about the microfibre -our sofe and loveseat are of microfibre and I have this fabric protection shield and it's worked ok.

I'm glad you enjoyed the book, feralvr, and I showed the website to DH and he was definitely running the other way. But we will need to make some vertical space. Yesterday I had Hobbes on my lap and he was speaking through me with Daddy - asked him how his day was and that how much Hobbes loves daddy and then he said, "Daddy, Calvin does not let me on his cat tree, will you get me one of my own?"

It's really funny since I am usually the one taking care of finances and making sure we are not buying things we can do without but where the kitties are concerned I am just so weak. DH does agree that we need another cat tree.


So, even though the kitties play and snuggle sometimes, it seems that the snuggles are always initiated by Hobbes and Calvin sometimes is agreeable and other times he walks away. They both groom each other though and bite each others necks. But the other thing that I have observed is that Calvin many a times stalks Hobbes around and stops him from doing what he wants to do. If Hobbes wants to play with a toy, Calvin is wrestle it away from him but wont play. He will wait outside the little box to pounce on Hobbes - be it an open or closed one. Calvin will not let Hobbes get up on the cat tree or scratch the sisal there. The thing is, Hobbes does not scratch the card board scratchers that Calvin loves and we have them in every room and put catnip on them but Hobbes does not like them. Hence, the other tree. But am not sure how that will change anything since Calvin just follows Hobbes around. It's the same at litter boxes - there are three and Calvin cannot monitor all at the same time but since he follows Hobbes around, he is there, ready to pounce on Hobbes. I am talking to Calvin a lot but he is not ready to completely accept Hobbes. Plus the thing that breaks out hearts is that Calvin chases Hobbes away from the family room. We have a family/ TV room in the basement where we hang out in the evenings and where Calvin has his cat tree. Whenever Hobbes comes downstairs Calvin chases him out. Any solution you can suggest to avoid this?

Really - these boys are crazy The issue is Hobbes is still not totally comfortable with us - not the way Calvin is and actually was from day 1. He also does not want to be held/ carried - and he does not follow us everywhere - he takes his time to follow us. So, unfortunately, it is difficult for us to take Hobbes to the family room with us. But that's a really good idea except I do not know how to make it work.

Awww - that's really nice of you to offer. Unfortunately, I am quite far from you. Plus, you donating it to the shelter is such a great idea! We will be able to get the cat tree in a month or so - so we are set there.
Hope your crew is doing well!

I think Perkins, Dante and Calvin go to the same school where they teach kitties to give their siblings a hard time!. Laurie's Ming Loy, on the other hand seems smarter in some ways - she attacks and then screams out pretending she's totally faultless!

This afternoon Hobbes was sleeping on the sofa and when I went to check, he opened his eyes and I just physically carried him back to the bed, where I was sitting and working and gave him a lot of cuddles and lovin'. He left after about 30 mins and then I brought Calvin in and we had our cuddle time. Calvin then went back to his chair and Hobbes came back to my lap and napped on my lap. It was really cute. The thing is he is super loving an rubs himself on our legs all the time. The foster mom said he was abused - though I am not sure why she thinks so - because at other times she said he was brought in with his sister and mother - who was a feral. The mother was spayed and released and the kittens kept at her place. But Hobbes does have a broken tail and I do not know how that happened. He is generally scared of everything - he is scared of us when we wear our winter coats/ jackets and when we come down the stairs he runs to hide or when we come home and he hears the door he wants to hide and stops when we call out his name. Picking him up is surely a problem.

I am thinking the same thing: as long as they are cuddling, grooming and sleeping together at times, they should be ok. Also their fights "end" on their own - so I guess that's not too shabby, right?