By Ruth aka Kattaddorra
Cats are very strange and wonderful creatures, they have their own code of behaviour which Barbara and I call: ‘Cats Politics’
We have a ‘new kid on the block’ and Walter and Jozef are determined to establish the neighbourhood ‘pecking order’ in that they rule, lol. These new people who recently moved here may need a bit of education about cats but so far we haven’t been able to make contact in that they never answer the door.
The other morning I opened our front door to let our boyz out for their morning rounds, being around 5.30am when they declare morning every day, it’s usually very quiet, not a soul around. But both Walt and Jo seemed spooked about something and then I heard a tiny meow and a fluffy tabby kitten appeared, around 5 months old at the most and wearing a collar.
Our boyz were interested and even though it hissed at them they must have realised it was only young, so didn’t attack it. They did drive it away though and Babz and I worried in case it was lost but we saw no more of it until later when a neighbour came to our door holding the kitten and saying he couldn’t get away as it kept following him. He said it belongs to the new people across the street, he saw them carrying it in when they moved in.
I don’t like calling cats ‘it’ but we don’t know its sex yet, we just hope and pray those people have it neutered soon because if a tom he will be fighting the toms passing through, if a queen she will no doubt end up having kittens.
Anyway he knocked at their door, no one came, then another neighbour took the kitten from him so he could get away and later he knocked at their door, still no one came.
Jozef went over to hang around its gate and ‘monster’ the poor little thing as it sat by the door, he wasn’t very happy when I carried him back home but I kept both our boyz in until the door opened and the woman shouted at the kitten and it went in. It was noon by then and far too long for any cat, let alone a kitten, to be left out. We worried it had been out all night and that they’d make a habit of shutting it out and going to bed. Some people still believe in ‘putting the cat out at night’
The minute Jozef was free again he marched over and sniffed every inch where the kitten had been lol then came home satisfied he knew all its secrets. But both Walt and Jo go over and check it out sometimes since, we thought maybe the kitten was out by mistake that morning but it has been out again since then. It’s amazing that kitten knows exactly where it lives already, within days of moving here!
Hopefully they will soon establish their individual territories and boundaries, we don’t have many cats in close proximity now since some have moved away with their families. Narla has been here as long as our boyz and she knows to come for her dinner when they are not around, her dad likes us to feed her because she’s often out long hours while he isn’t at home.
The new ‘kid on the block’ will soon slot in after neutering we hope! We had another taste of ‘cats politics’ today too, do anyone else’s cats kick a man when he’s down?
Jozef had a tummy upset and maybe Walt was jealous of all the extra attention he was getting, I saw a naughty gleam in his eye as he looked at Jo and then he ran past him biting his bum on the way. We had to smother our laughter, poor Jo.
So Jo went to sit in his ‘hide’ in the garden and Walt marched up to him and tapped him on the head. Oh he’s in for retribution, Jo bides his time until the perfect moment for revenge and then he stalks Walter around the house. He never touches him, just stares with his tail waving until Walt creeps slowly off.
We’ve learned not to interfere with ‘cats politics’ unless it looks to be getting too serious, they are usually quite capable of sorting themselves out.
What is this with Ozzie and his sheets of white paper that he guards! 🙂 Cute behavior. There is a balance in a cat group and it can be harmonious and it can be dysfunctional. It is important to have cats that get on ideally although if they don’t get along they get used to each other but it might never be as good as it might have been
I had to laugh at your cats politics Leah, with our boyz it’s red tissue paper. They get highly excited when we lay a new sheet down to play, Jo likes to pounce on the tickling stick under it, Walt likes to catch the ‘tape measure snake’ under it We usually play with one at a time but if the other one comes in it’s so funny to see his indignant face, they each make the same expression, it’s as if he is saying ‘Hey that’s MY game’
They are like two spoilt brats at times lol
Loved reading about Cat politics where you live Ruth and your poster is brilliant Walt and Jo tring to intimidate kitten 🙂 Its similar here tbh. When we decided to keep Honey we were concerned that ‘the balance’ might be upset. I believe that along with cat politics there is also a very fragile balance. Luckily Honey had been popping in and out so the boys had got used to her. There is rarely any aggression between her and the boys except when Ozzie gets in her face a bit too much and only then its a swipe and prancing off.
The worst we have is when Ozzie is given a sheet of crispy paper he won’t share and he guards it with his life lol more fights break out over that than anything else!
The other evening Ozzie was on the sofa and Honey pounced on his paper. While keeping eye contact with him she proceeded to shred it. Poor Ozzie looked and and meowed at her but to no avail 🙁 After she went out though I got him another sheet:)
Internal cat politics in this case but internal or external they definitely exist and are often hilarious!
They seem to be keeping him or her in now, fingers crossed, they are strange, don’t come to the door when anyone knocks so I think I’ll pop some CP leaflets on neutering etc through their letter box next.
So pleased to hear you will look after the little Kitten imagine him being out when the fireworks were on 🙁 poor little mite.
It was my fault Michael, I’d done a crap cleaner and when typing in my email address I put an extra o in but didn’t realise until too late when I went to another PoC page and saw it lol