Two summers ago, our son convinced us to adopt a third cat...a kitten from the animal shelter. Forget the fact that we already had two indoor cats at home... my dh and I love cats too and so we agreed.
Above is patient Cat number one with Kitten trying to play.
Cat number one at home is sweet and docile and accepted the new kitten rather easily. Cat number two was a bit more disenchanted. He wanted nothing to do with this brash young whippersnapper we brought in his house. He hissed and pouted for months. Kitten tried valiantly to make friends and play, never giving up hope that big brother would change his mind. Brother never changed his mind. For eighteen months he continued to be grumpy with her - although things were calm for the most part. If kitten got too close or tried to play, he'd simply hiss, and kitten would shrug and leave him alone.
Above is Cat number 2
Until this past January...18 months after her arrival, kitten snapped. Out of the blue, she decided that her big brother the hisser was the devil incarnate--and she turned into something of a demon herself. She and Cat 2 were at each other's throats, fighting and screeching and tearing into each other whenever they laid eyes on the other. There was no peace in our house anymore. This mutual hatred lasted for months then slowly quieted down with only occasional warning hisses. They could be in the same room, but they kept watchful glares on each other. Sometimes something would spook one of them and it would start another fight, but at least there was relative calm.
Then last month I lost my temper with cat 1 (who usually would come see what the ruckus was about but would otherwise stay out of the fights). Cat 1 was underfoot, being a pest, and I was in a bad mood. I yelled at her to get out of the way and...kitten took that as a sign that she should attack Cat 2. All heck broke loose. Big fight. Flying fur. Groan...
Since then things have quieted again but kitten is super tense and little things set her off. She is so cute and sweet most of the time and can go banshee in a heartbeat. She reminds me of Jack Jack at the end of The Incredibles. Cute wide-eyed baby one second then- Poof- flaming devil baby. My dh calls her Psycho cat now.
As I right this, Kitten is looking out the window mere feet from where Cat 2 is sleeping on a cabinet. All is fine. But let some sudden noise spook them and...look out!
<eye roll>
Beth C.-counting down to release day of DUTY TO PROTECT!!
Beth Cornelison- www.bethcornelison.com
DUTY TO PROTECT- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- July 2008
RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- Oct 2008
Calling Dr. Jekyll
Hi Beth,
I'm experiencing somewhat similar behavioral problems with our baby. We adopted him from a rescue organization and he and the dog were getting on famously. But we recently allowed a student who lives in my nanny's sweet to bring in her cat from home, and all of a sudden our lovely boy has turned into PSYCHOSHREDDER. Unfortunately since he can't get AT the guy in the basement suite, the objects of his frustrations have become us. Luckily he usually telegraphs his intentions to attack with a meow we've come to identify as his warrior cry, but I'm sitting here sporting a fresh crop of shredding on my forearms from his latest personality flip. We can usually distract him by tossing a balled up peice of paper to *fetch* but I found myself unarmed this morning...er, in more than one way it seems...sighs.
Jayne
Community Manager
"We cannot really love anybody with whom we never laugh"—Agnes Repplier
Wow! This is why I have
Wow! This is why I have a n only child. She reacts so badly to the strays that come to visit (outside the window) that, though I wanted to adopt one of the strays, I didn't.
"Perhaps what the average member of a group is capable of doesn't limit what a given individual can accomplish." -- Boston Globe, letter to the editor
March's Member of the Month!
Jayne ....hope you took
Jayne ....hope you took proper care of the mauled arm.
Your experiences is why I don't have pets. I've been in the middle of cat fights once too often AND THEY WEREN'T EVEN MY CATS!!!!!!
ELLEN TOO
A true teacher is a person who, at the end of the school day, still likes children!
cats
When Glenn and I got married my sweet docile cat turned psycho. We had to keep them separated. My cat jumped over the gate and he attacked Glenn's cat who fought back and shred my cat's eye. Miraculously, the surgeon did such a great job that he kept the eye and could see with it. We had to keep them separate.
Glenn's cat had a bad habit of biting. I broke him of it by yelling at him, biting him back (Softly) once or twice and then stroking him afterwards. It worked.
Cat fights can be dangerous...especially for humans trying to break them up. I read that a dumping water on cats is the best, safest way to stop a cat fight. Our current cat has been hard to train because he hates treats but the water spray bottrle works...now all we have to do is show the bottle to the cat.
I'd like to get a second cat but I don't think Buddha could handle it.
AKA Merri
Family Challenge Team: The Spine Breakers with my dh Glenn AKA Phaedrus
Psycho cats and shredded arms
Jayne- Yeowch! Hugs on your shredded arm. So far our psycho hasn't turned her insanity on us...well, she screamed at my husband when he came to bed the other night, but no physical wounds) Good luck calming your slasher.
Hope to see you this summer at RWA National!
Beth Cornelison- www.bethcornelison.com
DUTY TO PROTECT- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- July 2008
RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- Oct 2008
Ellen Too- Yep- definitely
Ellen Too- Yep- definitely stand back when the fur flies. Claws can inflict a lot of pain. Sorry you got caught in a cat tiff!
Fake Frenchie- Our babies don't like outside visitors either, but until the new cat got weird we didn't really have any prolems with more than one cat. We've always had two or more. (I know... we're the weird family with all the cats!)
BEth C
Beth Cornelison- www.bethcornelison.com
DUTY TO PROTECT- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- July 2008
RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- Oct 2008
Paisley
Paisley-
We've taken to keeping the two seperated when we need to. Kitten-brat spend most of the morning in "time out" in my bedroom. But just wait... she'll come sucking up to me tonight, curling up on me, purring while I watch TV and acting all sweet and precious....
And I'll take the bait- hook, line and sinker too! I'm such a pushover...
Beth C
Beth Cornelison- www.bethcornelison.com
DUTY TO PROTECT- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- July 2008
RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- Oct 2008
Cute kitties....
even if they are psycho!
We adopted two boy kitties from the shelter about 9 months ago, and OMG, they're so cute but SO ornery! They're brothers from the same litter, 4 years old. Stitch is 16lbs. Nemo is 7 lbs. You'd think Nemo would be the one to cause the trouble. Nope, it's Mr. Stitch. He's the instigator. They're generally well behaved, but when 10pm rolls around, look out! It sounds like a herd of elephants running through our house. I've never had two at once before this. It's a daily adventure!
JodieG
Prepublished and workin' to change that!
A winner of the Big Finish 2 Contest, March 2008!
Participating author in Pass the Plot, Summer 2008
We have been part of a
We have been part of a Maine Coon rescue group and have had up to 5 cats in the house. Right now we are down to 3. We are careful to bring in the cats to an office that we have removed the solid door and installed a screen door. That way cats can meet, see and smell each other without actually getting into each other's space. But the last cat we brought in low these many months (something like 2 years) has had to remain isolated as she just can't get along with anyone. She's a sweet cat one-on-one, but rather antisocial.
They can be a lot of fun. And 10 pm is our cat races hour as well. For realitively small animals they can sure make a lot of noise as they go chasing through the house!
Nancy
Kitty races
Jodie- LOL! I'm familiar with the 10 p.m. kitties 500 race. Yes, amazing the ruckus they can make!
And egad! 16 pounds! Stitch is a chunk! We used to have a 14 pound chunk who has gone on to kitty heaven (But I wrote him into DUTY TO PROTECT so he can live forever!)
Nancy- a Maine Coon rescue group?! Oh my goodness! I'll have to save your email addy! My dh has said when we get another cat (Waaaaaayyyy down the road when current kitties cross the rainbow bridge...) that he wants another Maine Coon. We rescued Cat 2 (see above picture) from our neighbors dog when he was a tiny kitten stray. He is at least part Maine Coon and such a goof ball! (Even if he is cranky with his sister...)
Take care, Beth C
Beth Cornelison- www.bethcornelison.com
DUTY TO PROTECT- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- July 2008
RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- Oct 2008
I wondered if your Cat 2 was
I wondered if your Cat 2 was part Maine Coon. Your kitty looks I lot like the last cat we took in. Our Toffee is not terribly social--she needs to have her own litter box--so she has to stay confined, she is part Maine Coon. She is currently our biggest cat at close to 14 pounds and has the big tail, but the rest of her fur is short to medium length instead of being all long. As an only cat she is wonderful.
Nancy
Another demon kitten!!
Hiya
LOL.. was cracking up reading this.. I too have a precious little baby scaredy cat turned demon in a second.. I should have called her Janus for being so two-face. She's a beautiful little calico - black and orange tabby- that I picked up at 9 weeks..
For a couple of months she and my older tabby spat and hissed at each other so much.. One stayed under the bed so much that I put her food bowl there.. and the other roamed the rest of the house.. the only time they got together was near the litter boxes.. but oooh... those nasty little hisses and growls..
Now.. The baby is 1-yr-old and she's best friends with the older cat. They curl up next to each other and groom one another. Then she'll go all demon on us and pat the older one and take off running.
And the chase is on. Zig zag zooom... Definitely agree with the evening races.. I have multiple ones in the evening.. and I'm in an apartment.. I feel sorry for my neighbors below.. lol..
When it comes to people, the baby is a scaredy cat and will hide under the bed for the entire visit.. and not come out for anything.. food or litter box visit. The older tabby... well she's definitely the lover of the family. New person to her is a new petter for her. She's right in their lap, purring away. :)
Luck with all the demon kittens!
Pre-published and working at it with pleasure.
email: flafairy@earthlink.net or flabookworm@gmail.com
Nikki's demon kitty
Hi Nikki-
Thanks for posting about your kitty. Your kitties sound sweet (well, with the exception of that sometimes demon thing! LOL)
Cute picture too!
I bet your downstairs neighbors wonder what you are up to when the kitties start racing...
Beth
Beth Cornelison- www.bethcornelison.com
DUTY TO PROTECT- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- July 2008
RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- Oct 2008
Hi Beth
Yes they are super sweet and lovey-dovey when they wish..
Then the claws come out.. oy..
The picture is the baby calico kitten. Funny thing is, I named her Harlequin because of her face masque...lol...
Hugs!
Pre-published and working at it with pleasure.
email: flafairy@earthlink.net or flabookworm@gmail.com
LOL, loved the cat story!
LOL, loved the cat story! As someone who seems to be forever surrounded by "dog people" it's refreshing to hear a kitty story for a change. Personally, for me there's no comparison. Cats rule, dogs drool. I definitely need to hang out around here more often.
PUTTING IT TO THE TEST, Harlequin Blaze, April 2008
UNLEASHED, Harlequin Blaze, November 2008
FAST AND FURIOUS, Free eHarlequin On-Line Read, February 2009!!
Visit me at www.sizzlingpens.blogspot.com or my web www.loriborrill.com
Cat lovers unite!
Hey, Lori!
Welcome! Nice to have another cat person join us!
Beth Cornelison- www.bethcornelison.com
DUTY TO PROTECT- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- July 2008
RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- Silhouette Romantic Suspense- Oct 2008