I own two cats, both female. The eldest, Endia, is a year and some-odd months old, and there is Greta, about half a year old.
Normally, they get along well enough, playing and romping about the apartment. However, in past weeks, something quite disturbing has occured. Endia began displaying behavior that indicated she might be in heat (rolling, meowing loudly, rubbing on everything, hoisting her rump in the air, etc). She had done this a few times, from five months old, but I accepted it as part of her maturing.
Now, with Greta here, things have gone strange.
It seems that Greta is now in heat as well, however she doesn't behave this way on her own. Only when Endia bothers her, does she began to mewl and roll, and once it ends, she resumes her playful antics. Endia licks Greta's private area, but what concerns me is that she often will 'mount' Greta (and I will note, Greta did the same of Endia during her 'heat' sessions), biting the scruff of her neck rather roughly, and massages and pummels her fore and hind paws over her back and sides, until Greta growls. They also like to ring their forearms about the neck of the other forcefully and lick the ear and head of the other.
I wondered if this was normal, some sort of dominance ritual? Neither cat runs outside, so they neither has mated.
And also, is there anything I can do about it?
Normally, they get along well enough, playing and romping about the apartment. However, in past weeks, something quite disturbing has occured. Endia began displaying behavior that indicated she might be in heat (rolling, meowing loudly, rubbing on everything, hoisting her rump in the air, etc). She had done this a few times, from five months old, but I accepted it as part of her maturing.
Now, with Greta here, things have gone strange.
It seems that Greta is now in heat as well, however she doesn't behave this way on her own. Only when Endia bothers her, does she began to mewl and roll, and once it ends, she resumes her playful antics. Endia licks Greta's private area, but what concerns me is that she often will 'mount' Greta (and I will note, Greta did the same of Endia during her 'heat' sessions), biting the scruff of her neck rather roughly, and massages and pummels her fore and hind paws over her back and sides, until Greta growls. They also like to ring their forearms about the neck of the other forcefully and lick the ear and head of the other.
I wondered if this was normal, some sort of dominance ritual? Neither cat runs outside, so they neither has mated.
And also, is there anything I can do about it?
