Terabith Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Inky has a house full of toys. She has generally 4 interactive play sessions with me a day. She has Cat TV. She has video games on the ipad and my phone. She has a brother who adores her. She has the opportunity to take walks on the harness. Obama has one toy he loves, the yeoww catnip rainbow. And now every time he tries to go play with it, Inky attacks Obama and is being very mean in her fighting of him. I don't want my kitty to be a bully. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Oh, Inky. Animals are just like people in that they can be jerks sometimes. Poor Obama. I do not have enough experience with cats to know if they respond to scolding or reprimands or squirt bottles. Have you tried any of those? And where's that popcorn emoji? I want to see what the cat people say. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Because cats are like toddlers with claws and sharp teeth. You can intervene when you see it happening and scold/spray whatever disciplinary action you want to inflict on Inky. Inky won't stop until she matures a bit or until Obama stands up for himself. Unless he's really sick or otherwise actually unable to defend himself, if he's not doing anything about it, it kind of means he doesn't care enough to. When she crosses some boundary with him he'll put her in her place. (If I remember correctly Obama is the older one and Inky is the younger one.) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Clearly the only toy that matters is his. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted February 15, 2023 Author Share Posted February 15, 2023 7 hours ago, Clarita said: Because cats are like toddlers with claws and sharp teeth. You can intervene when you see it happening and scold/spray whatever disciplinary action you want to inflict on Inky. Inky won't stop until she matures a bit or until Obama stands up for himself. Unless he's really sick or otherwise actually unable to defend himself, if he's not doing anything about it, it kind of means he doesn't care enough to. When she crosses some boundary with him he'll put her in her place. (If I remember correctly Obama is the older one and Inky is the younger one.) Yes, Obama is the older cat. He does stand up for himself. Inky is just constantly challenging him for status/ dominance, and sometimes he’s just like, “I am out of here!” Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 I'd buy another toy and let Obama have new one and Inky can keep the pre-slobbered, head rubbed, and rabbit kicked rainbow. We have the same rainbow. I totally get it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Kittens don't always have the best social skills. Neo still doesn't quite get that the older cats' tails aren't toys... And then looks so hurt when she gets hissed at. She's also gotten swatted a few times. Meanwhile, Mamba really likes Neo's sparkle balls. I'm just thankful Neo hasn't gone for Mamba's eggplant.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted February 15, 2023 Author Share Posted February 15, 2023 14 hours ago, Clarita said: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Idk, but now I'm off to order a catnip rainbow for myself my kitties. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted February 15, 2023 Author Share Posted February 15, 2023 Oops. Not sure what happened there. It’s also possible that Obama is enjoying the wrestling? He definitely fights back with teeth and claws and screaming, but he didn’t grow up with a kitty friend. Just much older cats that hated him and wouldn’t play with him, and I think he’s kinda uneasy about playing with another cat. He makes the same noises when he seems like he’s trying to kill an animal as he does with Inky, but he also kinda keeps coming back to her again. It’s just hard to read and know whether I should remove Inky from his presence or not. And I feel like I should make Inky watch King George and the Ducky from Veggie Tales. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 23 minutes ago, Terabith said: Oops. Not sure what happened there. It’s also possible that Obama is enjoying the wrestling? He definitely fights back with teeth and claws and screaming, but he didn’t grow up with a kitty friend. Just much older cats that hated him and wouldn’t play with him, and I think he’s kinda uneasy about playing with another cat. He makes the same noises when he seems like he’s trying to kill an animal as he does with Inky, but he also kinda keeps coming back to her again. It’s just hard to read and know whether I should remove Inky from his presence or not. And I feel like I should make Inky watch King George and the Ducky from Veggie Tales. Go with your gut. Our mama cat and her now 3yo child often end cleaning sessions with an all out hissing wrestling match. We let that go. No fur is flying and they are over it in a second. Our oldest 2 cats downright hate each other. There are several high value areas in our home and they will often block the way to those areas by sitting guard. All other cats can pass them but their nemesis will get a stare down. If the stare down fails, then it becomes a chase with claws extended. If we see them guarding those areas, we try to remove them to another room to try and discourage the behavior. So our gut says situation 1 is ok and situation 2 isn't. We could be wrong though but unless Jackson Galaxy stops by that's all we've got. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 1 hour ago, Terabith said: Oops. Not sure what happened there. It’s also possible that Obama is enjoying the wrestling? He definitely fights back with teeth and claws and screaming, but he didn’t grow up with a kitty friend. Just much older cats that hated him and wouldn’t play with him, and I think he’s kinda uneasy about playing with another cat. He makes the same noises when he seems like he’s trying to kill an animal as he does with Inky, but he also kinda keeps coming back to her again. It’s just hard to read and know whether I should remove Inky from his presence or not. And I feel like I should make Inky watch King George and the Ducky from Veggie Tales. When cats play the do make the same noises and posture as when they are on the hunt. (I mean they are hunters; they play like hunters.) I was told when I was first introducing my cats together, as long as no blood was drawn you do need to tolerate a bit of fighting so they can establish boundaries with each other. He's coming back to Inky which means he doesn't see her as threatening. If he felt bullied he would avoid her and pretty clearly avoid her and even hide from her. No matter what happens during the play fight you are look for when one cat is done (walk away, makes unhappy noise not hunting noise, etc.) The other cat should also walk away or stay put, not chase after the other cat. If one cat chases the other cat around and the other cat is continuously running as opposed to occasionally posture for a pounce then we step in to discipline the chasing cat (stern scolding may be a sock or blanket thrown to distract from the chase/fight). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted February 15, 2023 Author Share Posted February 15, 2023 5 minutes ago, Clarita said: When cats play the do make the same noises and posture as when they are on the hunt. (I mean they are hunters; they play like hunters.) I was told when I was first introducing my cats together, as long as no blood was drawn you do need to tolerate a bit of fighting so they can establish boundaries with each other. He's coming back to Inky which means he doesn't see her as threatening. If he felt bullied he would avoid her and pretty clearly avoid her and even hide from her. No matter what happens during the play fight you are look for when one cat is done (walk away, makes unhappy noise not hunting noise, etc.) The other cat should also walk away or stay put, not chase after the other cat. If one cat chases the other cat around and the other cat is continuously running as opposed to occasionally posture for a pounce then we step in to discipline the chasing cat (stern scolding may be a sock or blanket thrown to distract from the chase/fight). Yeah, that makes sense. I don't think Obama is really being actually bullied. I do think that Inky is challenging him for dominance/ top cat position, and I think she's winning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarita Posted February 15, 2023 Share Posted February 15, 2023 Just now, Terabith said: I do think that Inky is challenging him for dominance/ top cat position, and I think she's winning. It's probably what's going on and it seems like Obama doesn't care to be alpha cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terabith Posted February 15, 2023 Author Share Posted February 15, 2023 2 minutes ago, Clarita said: It's probably what's going on and it seems like Obama doesn't care to be alpha cat. I think he'd prefer to be alpha cat but doesn't want to put in the effort. He is also allowed outside freely, so he has options that Inky does not have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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