Can cats be bullies?

When i was living with my mother bonnie used to sit in front of the cat door, mum said she was being a bully and not letting the other cats through but i just laughed it off.

But noe she also sits right in the middle of the hall and won't let anassa past to see me plus she will sometimes just jump on pandy for no apparent reason.

So my question is, can cats be bullies or is this just being misinterpretid (sp?)



felicia

I think they can. I read a cat behaviour book before I got my two, and one couples problem with their cat urinating outside the box was caused by their other cat not letting him into the box at all! Poor thing!

Oh yes they can be bullies - but it comes I think from an innate sense of territorialism rather than malice. Cats know their boundaries and like other cats to know about them too! I think you'll find that most `bullying' issues tend to be territorial at heart - and also about establishing dominance in the pecking order. Very natural behaviour from their days in the wild...

I'll move this to the Behaviour forum

Most definitely.
Joji used to bully everybody. As she got older, she stopped. Now it's QT bullying her in particular. Getting even perhaps?
The strange thing, both only do it when they think I am not watching.

Originally Posted by KitEKats4Eva!

Oh yes they can be bullies - but it comes I think from an innate sense of territorialism rather than malice. Cats know their boundaries and like other cats to know about them too! I think you'll find that most `bullying' issues tend to be territorial at heart - and also about establishing dominance in the pecking order. Very natural behaviour from their days in the wild...

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Thankyou all,

i had a feeling it was territorial, it's just funny because i'll be in the bedroom and hear nass crying, only to find bonnie blocking her way, the hallway is quiet narrow and nassa won't pass bonie unless there's at least a meter distance when bonnie does this, if nassa gives in and leaves bonnie will leave too but if nassa keeps crying bonnie stays, she gets this fed up look on her face too and looks the other way.

with pandy, bonnie and her will be fine all day and pandy will walk past and bonnie will bite her hard on the butt it seems different to play and pandy always runs away, other times for no reason at all she will just jump straight on top of pandy and pandy is tiny in comparison to bon so all you can see is her paws reaching for freedom.

i feel sorry for the poor cat and the litterbox bullie lol, cats are so funny sometimes.

The strange thing, both only do it when they think I am not watching.

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bonnie does too sometimes but when she see's me she still keeps at it gotta love her, she has a lot of cattitude



felicia

I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh, but the thought of Bonnie preventing Anassa from getting by is just too funny! Dogs afraid of cats, whatever next!

Originally Posted by Purity

I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't laugh, but the thought of Bonnie preventing Anassa from getting by is just too funny! Dogs afraid of cats, whatever next!

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Don't be sorry, i totally love nass and even i think it's funny, recently though bonnie has started to stop nass from getting to her food, nassa is a picky eater and will nibble at it a little bit then come back to it later, only when she does come back bonnie is sitting at her bowl, not really eating it although sometimes when nassa is looking she takes a bite or two but mostly she just sits in front of it, nassa has got a bit more courage lately and has raised her hackles and barked very loudly but bonnie still won't budge, she gives nassa this look as if to say 'is that all youv'e got? *yawn*'


so i have to come to the rescue and move bon so poor nass can have her dinner.

bonnie is definately at the top of the pecking order...and poor nass's alpha is a cat

felicia

Talk about cattitude! Here I am feeling sorry for the dog!

Will tries to do that with our dog Misty. Misty knows she can't be agressive, and sometimes Will rubs against her legs, but sometimes as we go out the door with Misty on her leash, he will sit in her way. She wouldn't mind stepping on him, I'm sure, but knows she has to be nice! They are like little kids sometimes, aren't they!

Yes, I know this quite well.

There is usually an alpha cat in each household, I have found. And my alpha even sometimes challenges ME.
Especially if all are female. I think males are more tolerant and flexible.

We minimize this with a daily ritual...each cat --I have 3 -- gets a personal treat--something they crave, once a day, and at different times.

Sheba--shrimp in late afternoon
Tippy-- a few TenderVittles at lunch time
Oreo-- her decadent whipped cream at 10am..she is very punctual BTW !!

When I started this, I noticed a huge improvement in the territiorial type behaviors. I can have two now on one cat tree...previously, it was one only to a tree.

We also have a cat door and have the same thing. You know cats go by smell..mostly and they cannot see who is coming in really. And until they do the kissey noses thing that is their ID and greeting. Behind the door, well that is not possible. Also I noticed, esp on vacation, that Tippy will watch the others outside, as if they were new or interlopers....she does not "recognize" her housemates by sight.

That staying and blocking passage is very typical. What I do is lure alpha away and say, "be nice".... she doesn't dare strike out, when I am there.
Eventually they do stop this to a large extent. (so are doorways... in our home alpha must go first)..

It takes patience... and it all depends too on the temperment of the cats.
Ours seem to learn and want to please. Others may not be so cooperative.

Best wishes,
ShrimpLover