- Joined
- Aug 14, 2007
- Messages
- 12
- Purraise
- 1
We took in a stray about a month ago. He was about 6-8 mos. old, wounded and hungry. How could we say no? After the vet gave him a clean bill of health, patching up his wound and snipping his little boy-cat parts, we took him home, naming him "Scout".
Scout is no stranger to Merlin and Itty-Bitty, my two well-established 2-year-olds. When days are sunny, we'd put them out on tethers (well-measured so they can't hang themselves on anything and right in front of a picture window in case there's trouble). Both are fixed, but I know how territorial cats can be. When Scout first started coming around, he was both food- and attention-starved. If we were out of reach of the tethers, he would come up and readily accept petting, but he'd get all wriggly if we tried to pick him up.
Merlin kept Scout at a distance. He'd growl a bit, but wouldn't charge. He'd walk quickly and a little aggressively, but no hackles were raised, no tails were poofed, and no ears were flattened. Maybe there'd be a hiss, but not always. Scout would simply sit just out of reach of the tether and the two would stare at each other.
When Scout showed up with a hideous wound to his front leg, we had no choice. We felt we had a moral obligation to take care of this little guy, so we picked him up, took our scratches (which weren't many) and our bites (which were very light despite the size of his fangs!), and took him inside for the night. He'd be off to the vet in the morning. Merlin and Itty-Bitty naturally went on a Class 5 Freak-Out. With Scout yowling to get back outside, they didn't attack; they scampered for the garage door, their usual refuge when they think they've done something wrong.
We got through the first night and when Scout came home to stay, we expected the usual hissiness. As Scout recovered, he found out that people make toys just for kitties (and gosh, aren' those ping-pong balls fun!) and he now acts like any happy, somewhat hyper kitten would. He's discovered that laps are soft and warm, a steady food supply is a wonderful thing, and fishies are neat, but not to be swatted at, and people are pretty cool. He even wants to play with the other two cats, but they don't want to play back... or do they?
Itty-Bitty will flop around, stretching on the floor, and look at him with the tip of her tail whipping around. If he gets close, however, she hisses and goes for the back of my easy chair. He acts like he enjoys getting a reaction out of her and will find someplace to sit and stare at her until she hisses and tries to find someplace else.
Merlin, however, has gotten a bit more active about things. Where he first just hissed and tried to ignore Scout, he has now taken to what looks like playing but sounds like fighting. He swats Scout, chases him, trees him on the kitty tree (but doesn't pursue him up it), and yes, Scout chases him right back. Again, no fur is bristling, no ears are flattened, and Merlin's tail is often upright, but there is plenty of growling and hissing. This morning, as I was writing this, I heard a thump in the living room and went in to find Merlin keeping Scout cornered in the kitty-hut. His eyes looked somewhat scowly, but the rest of him had the poise of a cat who was waiting for someone to throw that superball just one more time.
Scout acts like it's all a big game. When he's treed, he reaches down to swat at Merlin. He'll run up to Merlin and tag him before running the other way. He's clearly not afraid of this tabby, who is about 1 1/2 time his size, nor is he afraid of the chubby little bombay with the bright green eyes.
Nobody's bleeding, and Merlin and Itty-Bitty are still buds (though he sometimes gets in a foul mood and hisses at her), and I can even get all three to sleep on my lap, but the only mutual grooming that goes on is between Merlin and Itty-Bitty. They still seem to regard Scout as some pesky kid who won't go away.
So is it a fight, an adjustment period, or do they see Scout as a kid brother who they just don't want to let in? They don't eat together, but they never have. Scout can sit within inches of them without eliciting so much as a hiss when he's waiting his turn at the water dish. Sometimes, they even walk right by, their fur brushing against his, without even acting like they see him. Argh! Can someone give me some insights into this behavior? I'm sure it will settle down in due time, but meanwhile, what should I expect?
Thanks in advance.
Scout is no stranger to Merlin and Itty-Bitty, my two well-established 2-year-olds. When days are sunny, we'd put them out on tethers (well-measured so they can't hang themselves on anything and right in front of a picture window in case there's trouble). Both are fixed, but I know how territorial cats can be. When Scout first started coming around, he was both food- and attention-starved. If we were out of reach of the tethers, he would come up and readily accept petting, but he'd get all wriggly if we tried to pick him up.
Merlin kept Scout at a distance. He'd growl a bit, but wouldn't charge. He'd walk quickly and a little aggressively, but no hackles were raised, no tails were poofed, and no ears were flattened. Maybe there'd be a hiss, but not always. Scout would simply sit just out of reach of the tether and the two would stare at each other.
When Scout showed up with a hideous wound to his front leg, we had no choice. We felt we had a moral obligation to take care of this little guy, so we picked him up, took our scratches (which weren't many) and our bites (which were very light despite the size of his fangs!), and took him inside for the night. He'd be off to the vet in the morning. Merlin and Itty-Bitty naturally went on a Class 5 Freak-Out. With Scout yowling to get back outside, they didn't attack; they scampered for the garage door, their usual refuge when they think they've done something wrong.
We got through the first night and when Scout came home to stay, we expected the usual hissiness. As Scout recovered, he found out that people make toys just for kitties (and gosh, aren' those ping-pong balls fun!) and he now acts like any happy, somewhat hyper kitten would. He's discovered that laps are soft and warm, a steady food supply is a wonderful thing, and fishies are neat, but not to be swatted at, and people are pretty cool. He even wants to play with the other two cats, but they don't want to play back... or do they?
Itty-Bitty will flop around, stretching on the floor, and look at him with the tip of her tail whipping around. If he gets close, however, she hisses and goes for the back of my easy chair. He acts like he enjoys getting a reaction out of her and will find someplace to sit and stare at her until she hisses and tries to find someplace else.
Merlin, however, has gotten a bit more active about things. Where he first just hissed and tried to ignore Scout, he has now taken to what looks like playing but sounds like fighting. He swats Scout, chases him, trees him on the kitty tree (but doesn't pursue him up it), and yes, Scout chases him right back. Again, no fur is bristling, no ears are flattened, and Merlin's tail is often upright, but there is plenty of growling and hissing. This morning, as I was writing this, I heard a thump in the living room and went in to find Merlin keeping Scout cornered in the kitty-hut. His eyes looked somewhat scowly, but the rest of him had the poise of a cat who was waiting for someone to throw that superball just one more time.
Scout acts like it's all a big game. When he's treed, he reaches down to swat at Merlin. He'll run up to Merlin and tag him before running the other way. He's clearly not afraid of this tabby, who is about 1 1/2 time his size, nor is he afraid of the chubby little bombay with the bright green eyes.
Nobody's bleeding, and Merlin and Itty-Bitty are still buds (though he sometimes gets in a foul mood and hisses at her), and I can even get all three to sleep on my lap, but the only mutual grooming that goes on is between Merlin and Itty-Bitty. They still seem to regard Scout as some pesky kid who won't go away.
So is it a fight, an adjustment period, or do they see Scout as a kid brother who they just don't want to let in? They don't eat together, but they never have. Scout can sit within inches of them without eliciting so much as a hiss when he's waiting his turn at the water dish. Sometimes, they even walk right by, their fur brushing against his, without even acting like they see him. Argh! Can someone give me some insights into this behavior? I'm sure it will settle down in due time, but meanwhile, what should I expect?
Thanks in advance.
