Cat Introduction .... Failure?

calicosrspecial

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I think it could be the availability. I think I'll start measuring out the portion for the whole day and giving them little by little every time.

Before free feeding the were getting 50g wet in the morining 1 scoop of kibble at lunch (around 18g) 50g wet at dinner time and another scoop of kibble before bed.
The instructions for the dry say 55g-70g and 150g - 200g of wet food. (All instructions for feeding them as the only source of food)

I was always aiming for the lower end of the spectrum out of fear Monty could get fat.

Sooo the whole dry food supply is a little off right now
"I think it could be the availability." - That would be great. I am thinking and hoping that is correct.

" I think I'll start measuring out the portion for the whole day and giving them little by little every time." - Perfect. I think that is a great idea.

"Before free feeding the were getting 50g wet in the morining 1 scoop of kibble at lunch (around 18g) 50g wet at dinner time and another scoop of kibble before bed. The instructions for the dry say 55g-70g and 150g - 200g of wet food. (All instructions for feeding them as the only source of food)" - Ok, so they were getting a little under the recommended? Now they are getting about 72g each per day of dry and the 100g of wet per day. So slightly above on the dry and still below on the wet. Since metabolisms are a little different I always watch for weight gain though it does take time to show up.

"I was always aiming for the lower end of the spectrum out of fear Monty could get fat." - Understandably.

"Sooo the whole dry food supply is a little off right now" - Yes :/

I think you have a good plan, let's see how they do. Great job!!
 
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RocketPuppy97

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So, I switched them to different dry food now, the pellets are much smaller and gives them the illusion of having more.
We weren't able to leave the dry food out all the time, because Cosmo would eat all of it. So I was giving them their portion scatterd through out the day. Monty will still chase Cosmo when he's hungry and the cat tree is empty.
It's a bit difficult to find the right moment to fill up the tree and the bowl, because I can't be sure if Monty is hungry or if Cosmo will just eat it for himself.
I had them down to 60g (30g each) today, which is 10g less than the daily portion of that kibble, so that's at least a little better.
I'm a bit sad, that Monty still chases Cosmo, because today I played with them intensley in the morning before feeding them their wet food and another intense play session in the evening before wet food
 

calicosrspecial

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So, I switched them to different dry food now, the pellets are much smaller and gives them the illusion of having more.
We weren't able to leave the dry food out all the time, because Cosmo would eat all of it. So I was giving them their portion scatterd through out the day. Monty will still chase Cosmo when he's hungry and the cat tree is empty.
It's a bit difficult to find the right moment to fill up the tree and the bowl, because I can't be sure if Monty is hungry or if Cosmo will just eat it for himself.
I had them down to 60g (30g each) today, which is 10g less than the daily portion of that kibble, so that's at least a little better.
I'm a bit sad, that Monty still chases Cosmo, because today I played with them intensley in the morning before feeding them their wet food and another intense play session in the evening before wet food
"So, I switched them to different dry food now, the pellets are much smaller and gives them the illusion of having more." - Great

"We weren't able to leave the dry food out all the time, because Cosmo would eat all of it." - Bummer, I was afraid of that. :/

"So I was giving them their portion scatterd through out the day. - That is good.

"Monty will still chase Cosmo when he's hungry and the cat tree is empty." - So it does seem hunger driven.

"It's a bit difficult to find the right moment to fill up the tree and the bowl, because I can't be sure if Monty is hungry or if Cosmo will just eat it for himself." - Exactly

As long as the chasing isn't leading to negative actions (hiding, avoiding, lack of confidence, etc) it isn't the worst thing in the world but it is something to watch carefully.

"I had them down to 60g (30g each) today, which is 10g less than the daily portion of that kibble, so that's at least a little better." - Ok, good.

"I'm a bit sad, that Monty still chases Cosmo" - I know. :/ But that might be just the way he plays or is. That it is a game, just something he loves. As long as Cosmo doesn't act differently after and as long as they are fine, love each other, etc then it isn't the worst thing. As long as Cosmo doesn't show less confidence then he is telling us it may be annoying but nothing terrible.

"because today I played with them intensley in the morning before feeding them their wet food and another intense play session in the evening before wet food" - That is the exact right thing to do. When did Monty chase Cosmo in that time? After the play and before eating? Or after eating?

Any inappropriate peeing lately?

Keep an eye on any changes in body, language and/or behavior. But Monty seems to love Cosmo and Cosmo seems to love Monty so their base of trust and love is strong and can handle a lot.

We'll figure it out.
 
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RocketPuppy97

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As long as the chasing isn't leading to negative actions (hiding, avoiding, lack of confidence, etc) it isn't the worst thing in the world but it is something to watch carefully.
"I'm a bit sad, that Monty still chases Cosmo" - I know. :/ But that might be just the way he plays or is. That it is a game, just something he loves. As long as Cosmo doesn't act differently after and as long as they are fine, love each other, etc then it isn't the worst thing. As long as Cosmo doesn't show less confidence then he is telling us it may be annoying but nothing terrible.
Monty is just too rough with him. Not in a mean way, I'm just not sure if he learned the when a cat says it's enough and means it. Cosmo will growl and hiss at him, and Monty will still jump at him and I find fur laying around because he just janks it out (no wounds or anything like that). He's totally fine after that and they excpect to be fed. It's difficult to ignore, because he jsut doesn't stop.
It's different when they are actually eating. He respects Cosmo's growl and a firm no from me every time.

"because today I played with them intensley in the morning before feeding them their wet food and another intense play session in the evening before wet food" - That is the exact right thing to do. When did Monty chase Cosmo in that time? After the play and before eating? Or after eating?
I was up at like 4am because I had a bad headache and that threw him off. So at around 5:30 I noticed Monty getting a little too excited and I played with them before he chased Cosmo for like 30 minutes. They ate and went back to bed, like happy little cats. The whole day was fine aswell. Played before dinner time, everything was fine. Gave them the rest of their dry food at like 8 tonight and I suspect Monty didn't felt hungry at that time and Cosmo ate his portion or I don't know what. And then he started chasing Cosmo again at like 10. We broke it up and waited for a while in the kitchen supervising them before giving them a little more kibble in hopes Monty doesn't count that as a win that being a dick works for getting food.

Any inappropriate peeing lately?
:crossfingers: Fingers crossed. I don't dare to speak about it xD It's been well for a while now. I don't know excactly I would guess like 3 month-ish?


Keep an eye on any changes in body, language and/or behavior. But Monty seems to love Cosmo and Cosmo seems to love Monty so their base of trust and love is strong and can handle a lot.
I catch them grooming eachother from time to time, but just in secret. I'm not allowed to look lol.


I just want to know why he started chasing him all of a sudden. It doesn't add up for me. Next month will be one year living together without the hidious door seperating them and for month he didn't do anything like that.

What would be the next option? Just ignoring it and hoping if he doesn't get food from chasing Cosmo he'll stop? That would be rough
 

calicosrspecial

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Monty is just too rough with him. Not in a mean way, I'm just not sure if he learned the when a cat says it's enough and means it. Cosmo will growl and hiss at him, and Monty will still jump at him and I find fur laying around because he just janks it out (no wounds or anything like that). He's totally fine after that and they excpect to be fed. It's difficult to ignore, because he jsut doesn't stop.
It's different when they are actually eating. He respects Cosmo's growl and a firm no from me every time.


I was up at like 4am because I had a bad headache and that threw him off. So at around 5:30 I noticed Monty getting a little too excited and I played with them before he chased Cosmo for like 30 minutes. They ate and went back to bed, like happy little cats. The whole day was fine aswell. Played before dinner time, everything was fine. Gave them the rest of their dry food at like 8 tonight and I suspect Monty didn't felt hungry at that time and Cosmo ate his portion or I don't know what. And then he started chasing Cosmo again at like 10. We broke it up and waited for a while in the kitchen supervising them before giving them a little more kibble in hopes Monty doesn't count that as a win that being a dick works for getting food.


:crossfingers: Fingers crossed. I don't dare to speak about it xD It's been well for a while now. I don't know excactly I would guess like 3 month-ish?



I catch them grooming eachother from time to time, but just in secret. I'm not allowed to look lol.


I just want to know why he started chasing him all of a sudden. It doesn't add up for me. Next month will be one year living together without the hidious door seperating them and for month he didn't do anything like that.

What would be the next option? Just ignoring it and hoping if he doesn't get food from chasing Cosmo he'll stop? That would be rough
"Monty is just too rough with him." - I know. :/ But if it is too rough Cosmo will tell us (he'll act differently). Two ferals in my colony are EXACTLY like Monty and Cosmo. They LOVE each other but they are SO ROUGH!!! It is unsettling. :/

"Not in a mean way" - Exactly. If it was we would be very different.

" I'm just not sure if he learned the when a cat says it's enough and means it." - He knows Comso wont hurt him and I am guessing he knows he doesn't mean harm. But I agree, I think he doesn't really realize.

"Cosmo will growl and hiss at him, and Monty will still jump at him" - Yes, proabably because there is so much trust and Monty thinks it is all part of the game, play. :/

" and I find fur laying around because he just janks it out (no wounds or anything like that)." - Yep, suggest he doesn't mean harm. But we don't want that.

"He's totally fine after that and they excpect to be fed." - Yep, and that is why I am thinking what I am thinking. Cosmo is more annoyed it seems than scared.

" It's difficult to ignore, because he jsut doesn't stop.: - I know, I deal with it with my ferals (again before eating most of the time) as well.

"It's different when they are actually eating. He respects Cosmo's growl and a firm no from me every time." - Yes, if there were real issues they would not be getting along then.

"I was up at like 4am because I had a bad headache" - Oh my.

"and that threw him off. So at around 5:30 I noticed Monty getting a little too excited and I played with them before he chased Cosmo for like 30 minutes" - Ok, so after play but before eating. Makes sense. Same pattern.

"They ate and went back to bed, like happy little cats." - That is why I am not worried about Monty's intent. Nor I am guessing is Cosmo.

" The whole day was fine aswell. Played before dinner time, everything was fine. Gave them the rest of their dry food at like 8 tonight and I suspect Monty didn't felt hungry at that time and Cosmo ate his portion or I don't know what. " - Ok

"And then he started chasing Cosmo again at like 10." Ahhhh, he was probably hungry again. :/

"We broke it up and waited for a while in the kitchen supervising them before giving them a little more kibble in hopes Monty doesn't count that as a win that being a dick works for getting food." - That is good, No, I don't think Monty would think it is a reward.

":crossfingers: Fingers crossed. I don't dare to speak about it xD It's been well for a while now. I don't know excactly I would guess like 3 month-ish? " - Great

"I catch them grooming eachother from time to time, but just in secret. I'm not allowed to look lol.: - Hahahahaha, yep, they love each other and are SO ADORABLE together. That is another reason why I am not really worried.

"I just want to know why he started chasing him all of a sudden." - Great question. Stress of being hungry? It is fun? They are cats and we don't understand? I do think it is a sign of totally trusting Cosmo.

"It doesn't add up for me." - No, but it happens all the time. It is not re-directed agression. Maybe re-directed hunger?

" Next month will be one year living together without the hidious door seperating them and for month he didn't do anything like that." - He may not have totally trusted Cosmo. Sometimes the more we love someone the more free we are to tell them negative things or take them for granted. Cats are similar in my experience.

"What would be the next option?" I need to think. I do like the feeding more often but maybe more for Monty while watching Cosmo's intake.

"Just ignoring it and hoping if he doesn't get food from chasing Cosmo he'll stop? That would be rough" - I don't think he chases knowing he is going to get food. I think he is chasing because he wants food. Or it is the excitement of knowing they will be getting food soon.

Let me think more about what else we can do. But for now I would try the above feeding Monty a bit more and more often while trying to watch Cosmo's intake.

Hang in there.

I am worried about your headache given the Covid situation. Make sure you watch for other symptoms just in case you caught it. I don't want you spreading it to your family or anyone else just in case and make sure you were a mask when near anybody and try to keep your distance if possible.

Let me know if you have ideas on Monty/feeding as well. Let's try to figure it out.
 
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"and that threw him off. So at around 5:30 I noticed Monty getting a little too excited and I played with them before he chased Cosmo for like 30 minutes" - Ok, so after play but before eating. Makes sense. Same pattern.
I have to correct myself on this one! Sorry! I played with them before Monty could chase Cosmo. There was no chasing in the morning. Just late his evening. Sorry for my bad wording.

"What would be the next option?" I need to think. I do like the feeding more often but maybe more for Monty while watching Cosmo's intake.
I would have to come up with a clever idea for that, because it's hard to tell sometimes when Monty is hungry. And Cosmo being a always hungry cat is the first one having his head in the food 90% of the time

I am worried about your headache given the Covid situation. Make sure you watch for other symptoms just in case you caught it. I don't want you spreading it to your family or anyone else just in case and make sure you were a mask when near anybody and try to keep your distance if possible.
I suspect it's from not drinking enough! Don't worry about me! We don't go out much at all. I just go to school 1 day every week, go to work and buy groceries. Everything with a mask and faar away from everyone^^. I would be able to do a test really quickly, because the husband of my boss has covid tests avaiable. But thanks for your concern with my health! Stay save aswell.


I'm trying to think of a way to a) feed Monty when he's hungry b) before he's so hungry he'll chase Cosmo and c) without rewarding himfor chasing Cosmo around. Oh and d) without having Cosmo coming in and vaccuming the food away.
He's a lazy cat. Just since he we don't give them kibble in regular bowls anymore he'll use the food tree. When we used it before for treats Cosmo would swipe every treat out of there and Monty would eat just a few that fell out.

I'll watch them closely the next time Monty chases him. Usually I'll notice it when Cosmo gets vocal, then when I look around the corner I'll see Monty standing sideways wagging his tail and Cosmo laying on the ground.
Maybe I'll just let it happen. Last year the last step before getting them to live together was just me opening the door, sitting on the couch and letting them chase and wrestle and not thinking about how rough it looks, because it worked out in the end
 
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RocketPuppy97

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IMG_20201121_234520.jpg

On a more cheerful note here is Cosmo laying right next to me sleeping peacefully.

IMG_20201121_165753.jpg

And that's how Monty was sitting on my bfs lap the other day
 

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Maybe I'll just let it happen. Last year the last step before getting them to live together was just me opening the door, sitting on the couch and letting them chase and wrestle and not thinking about how rough it looks, because it worked out in the end
I got the feeling your concern is that this has turned into a one-sided, consistently-before-feeding situation that has put Cosmo into the role of a victim rather than a participant during this part of their day. That's why I was looking for ways to really, really break up the routine.
Can you consider separating them, both before and during feeding in some way so that Monty can't even see Cosmo? Feeding Monty at different times? Feeding Monty in one place one day, then the next day in a different location?
Keep in mind that this should be (hopefully) necessary for only for a short time. I read that it takes about two weeks to break a cat from a habit (although every cat is different).
 
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I got the feeling your concern is that this has turned into a one-sided, consistently-before-feeding situation that has put Cosmo into the role of a victim rather than a participant during this part of their day. That's why I was looking for ways to really, really break up the routine.
Can you consider separating them, both before and during feeding in some way so that Monty can't even see Cosmo? Feeding Monty at different times? Feeding Monty in one place one day, then the next day in a different location?
Keep in mind that this should be (hopefully) necessary for only for a short time. I read that it takes about two weeks to break a cat from a habit (although every cat is different).
The difficult thing with that is, I don't know when Monty will start to chase him. Sometimes it's 1 1/2 hours before feeding, sometimes it's 1 hour before. At the moment with our "free feeding" method I can't really be sure when he's hungry.
I wouldn't be able to get them separated without both of them making a huge fuss about it.
But I think you are right. Monty projected his hunt, catch, kill and eat routine on Cosmo. That would also explain why he chases him again after playing and why having food around all the time would kinda fix the problem, but creating a new one because they over eat.

We experimented with feeding them at the same time but different locations. For that we just had to always start with cosmo, because he's so greedy his head will be in the food in a matter of seconds.

Feeding at different times, would be risky because Cosmo would just got wild before we feed him as well. Also risking him peeing again would be not so great. And if Cosmo was being fed before Monty, I think he would just resume chasing him after that.
 

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Somewhat aside from this, I don't know if it's been mentioned before (my apologies if it has) but can you get these guys harness trained and out for walks? The mental stimulation would help both of them, I think and the physical exercise would be great, especially for Monty.
Additionally, do you have room for one of those cat exercise wheels? If so, keep an eye out during the Black Friday sales, maybe you could get one for less money, or check Letgo, nextdoor, craigslist etc ;)
 
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Somewhat aside from this, I don't know if it's been mentioned before (my apologies if it has) but can you get these guys harness trained and out for walks? The mental stimulation would help both of them, I think and the physical exercise would be great, especially for Monty.
Additionally, do you have room for one of those cat exercise wheels? If so, keep an eye out during the Black Friday sales, maybe you could get one for less money, or check Letgo, nextdoor, craigslist etc ;)
I thought about harness training them. But I worried that if I don't go out with them everyday it would be unfair to them. I didn't read that much about it so I don't know any better.

When we (hopefully) buy a house in the next 5 years we want to build one ourself and also build a catio. In our current apartment there wouldn't be enough room unfortunately.

What about clicker training for Monty?
I started clickertraining cosmo again a few weeks ago and Monty joined in as well. He seems to like it now. I just don't know if it would help solving the chasing
 

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I just don't know if it would help solving the chasing
If you develop an activity that's associated with the clicker, then you can use the clicker to help break his mental habit/focus of misdirected zoomy chasing before eating.

They don't have to go out every day, that's too stressful for you to try and deal with and not what it should be :), because it should be enjoyable for all of you. Plus, although it would of course be very nice for Cosmo, I really think Monty would benefit hugely by having a way to work off some of his energy and exuberance, and to have something to further engage his active mind 👍

Harness And Leash Training For Cats – TheCatSite Articles
 

calicosrspecial

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I have to correct myself on this one! Sorry! I played with them before Monty could chase Cosmo. There was no chasing in the morning. Just late his evening. Sorry for my bad wording.



I would have to come up with a clever idea for that, because it's hard to tell sometimes when Monty is hungry. And Cosmo being a always hungry cat is the first one having his head in the food 90% of the time


I suspect it's from not drinking enough! Don't worry about me! We don't go out much at all. I just go to school 1 day every week, go to work and buy groceries. Everything with a mask and faar away from everyone^^. I would be able to do a test really quickly, because the husband of my boss has covid tests avaiable. But thanks for your concern with my health! Stay save aswell.


I'm trying to think of a way to a) feed Monty when he's hungry b) before he's so hungry he'll chase Cosmo and c) without rewarding himfor chasing Cosmo around. Oh and d) without having Cosmo coming in and vaccuming the food away.
He's a lazy cat. Just since he we don't give them kibble in regular bowls anymore he'll use the food tree. When we used it before for treats Cosmo would swipe every treat out of there and Monty would eat just a few that fell out.

I'll watch them closely the next time Monty chases him. Usually I'll notice it when Cosmo gets vocal, then when I look around the corner I'll see Monty standing sideways wagging his tail and Cosmo laying on the ground.
Maybe I'll just let it happen. Last year the last step before getting them to live together was just me opening the door, sitting on the couch and letting them chase and wrestle and not thinking about how rough it looks, because it worked out in the end
Thanks for the pics!! I honestly can't get enough of them. I LOVE your cats. The are so handsome and adorable it is crazy!!!

"I have to correct myself on this one! Sorry!" - Ok, no need to apologize.

"I played with them before Monty could chase Cosmo. There was no chasing in the morning. " - Great, exactly the right thing to do. Sometimes what happens is there is some pent-up energy after play and before they eat and sometimes they can get "into it" with each other. But it sounds like it went well in the morning.

"Just late his evening. Sorry for my bad wording." - Ok, but the chasing happened that evening after play but before eating. If so, I mention above the issue that happens sometimes. Again, no need to apologize. It is hard to express exact, complex situations in these circumstances.

"I would have to come up with a clever idea for that, because it's hard to tell sometimes when Monty is hungry." - Yes, we will. It is a challenge. I feed my at exact times and sometimes they are less hungry for a variety of reasons. It is a challenge in more complex istuations.

" And Cosmo being a always hungry cat is the first one having his head in the food 90% of the time " - Exactly, that is what complicates it. I am hoping it is food insecurity that will go away in time but that doesn't help us now. :/

"I suspect it's from not drinking enough! Don't worry about me! We don't go out much at all. I just go to school 1 day every week, go to work and buy groceries. Everything with a mask and faar away from everyone^^. I would be able to do a test really quickly, because the husband of my boss has covid tests avaiable. But thanks for your concern with my health! Stay save aswell." - GREAT!!! Oh, I do worry about everyone I know. I just can't help it. I will definitely, thank you. It is going to be a rough few months still. :/

"I'm trying to think of a way to a) feed Monty when he's hungry b) before he's so hungry he'll chase Cosmo and" - Yes, exactly. Just try different things and try to judge the times he tends to get that way (monrings will probably be the most difficult time but maybe feeding quickly is the solution?

" c) without rewarding himfor chasing Cosmo around." - I don't think you have to worry much about that as I believe they don't really respond to that kind of "reward" BUT I surely could be wrong.

"Oh and d) without having Cosmo coming in and vaccuming the food away." - Yes, that is the challenge. I know I battle that with my ferals and I use distraction, slow feeding the fast eater, etc.

"He's a lazy cat. Just since he we don't give them kibble in regular bowls anymore he'll use the food tree. When we used it before for treats Cosmo would swipe every treat out of there and Monty would eat just a few that fell out." - Yes, he is less food motivated it seems and maybe more food secure. Do you agree?

"I'll watch them closely the next time Monty chases him. Usually I'll notice it when Cosmo gets vocal, then when I look around the corner I'll see Monty standing sideways wagging his tail and Cosmo laying on the ground." - Yes. My outside feral is exactly like this with my other boy. They remind me so much of Monty and Cosmo

"Maybe I'll just let it happen. Last year the last step before getting them to live together was just me opening the door, sitting on the couch and letting them chase and wrestle and not thinking about how rough it looks, because it worked out in the end " - Well, I do think it is good to distract, redirect, etc when they are doing that. I do that with my ferals all the time. I am not sure it works in limiting the interactions BUT I do think it keeps them from degrading their relationship. So I think when possible I would distract, redirect, etc.

"Monty projected his hunt, catch, kill and eat routine on Cosmo." - I am not sure it is this. I think it is excitement, play, "let's eat" rather than a more "negative" prey driven thing going on.

"We experimented with feeding them at the same time but different locations. For that we just had to always start with cosmo, because he's so greedy his head will be in the food in a matter of seconds." - I do really like this idea.

Great job on the clicker training. Maybe it will work with the chasing?
 
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If you develop an activity that's associated with the clicker, then you can use the clicker to help break his mental habit/focus of misdirected zoomy chasing before eating.

They don't have to go out every day, that's too stressful for you to try and deal with and not what it should be :), because it should be enjoyable for all of you. Plus, although it would of course be very nice for Cosmo, I really think Monty would benefit hugely by having a way to work off some of his energy and exuberance, and to have something to further engage his active mind 👍

Harness And Leash Training For Cats – TheCatSite Articles
My bf is against leash training him, because he doesn't think that would solve our problem with him chasing Cosmo when he's hungry. He worrys that if Monty would act up because he wants to go outside all the time he would have to deal with it because he's working in home office. Also he doesn't think the area where we live is great for alking him
 
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"I'm trying to think of a way to a) feed Monty when he's hungry b) before he's so hungry he'll chase Cosmo and" - Yes, exactly. Just try different things and try to judge the times he tends to get that way (monrings will probably be the most difficult time but maybe feeding quickly is the solution?
Mornings are not the worst, because he usually wakes me up when my alarm is about to ring and pressures me into getting up and feeding them, what I do anyway. At lunch time and in the evening is far worse, because we don't want to feed him earlier and earlier.

"He's a lazy cat. Just since he we don't give them kibble in regular bowls anymore he'll use the food tree. When we used it before for treats Cosmo would swipe every treat out of there and Monty would eat just a few that fell out." - Yes, he is less food motivated it seems and maybe more food secure. Do you agree?
I would say they are both fairly secure with their eating habits. They can check eachothers bowls for leftover food aswell without anyone being irritated. But yes, I would say he's secure with his food. He just seems to want to eat it when he likes it xD

"We experimented with feeding them at the same time but different locations. For that we just had to always start with cosmo, because he's so greedy his head will be in the food in a matter of seconds." - I do really like this idea.
Maybe I'll try that again sometime. It didn't seem to change his behaviour between feedings, just made him a little suspisious being fed in a different spot

Great job on the clicker training. Maybe it will work with the chasing?
I stopped it for the week and a half during experimenting with free feeding, because he look a little fat too me and I didnT wanted to give them even more food.
How would you say should I incorporate it in my routine to avoid Monty chasing Cosmo or in other words, how do I catch him in time?



I also made a new feeding schedule for them:
6:30 am 50g Wetfood
around 2pm a bit of kibble (right before I leave for work)
After work when I get home another bit of kibble
7:30pm 50g Wetfood
And another round of kibble right before bedtime.

I heard Monty chase Cosmo 20~ minutes ago, my bf got up and told him to leave Cosmo be (which usually makes 0 difference at all) I heard them zooming around the hallway a few times after that but now it's quite.
I also have to metion that we got home pretty late tonight at like 9pm and that's when they got their wetfood and a little kibble after.
And around 10pm he started chasing him, so not long afterwards
 
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RocketPuppy97

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This video is not the best example for the chasing.
Often Cosmo will hiss, growl and all of that
 

Furballsmom

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That's a great video. It's completely normal catly behavior.

So, I went back through earlier posts in your thread.

The way I tell between a fight and play are a few things. Body language (eyes dilated, big tails, ears back), awful sounds, how fast they rebound from the fight (do they act normal right after or do they hide, slink away low, not eat, avoid areas, etc). Things like that.

So if they rebound from the incident quickly then it isn't too worrisome. So if they go back to acting "normal" quickly then it wasn't serious. But if they start acting differently then we can judge the magnitude of the incident by the length of the "recovery" time.
This is a quote from a little more than a year ago :), just for reference.

If you are worried just give Cosmo some extra attention, make it positive. If Cosmo is not acting differently (less confident) after this then I would not be too worried.
However, since Monty's behavior still bothers you because Cosmo isn't getting a break from being chased all the time, then in my opinion you need to be a little more assertive about things.

I heard Monty chase Cosmo 20~ minutes ago
how do I catch him in time?
You're overthinking this, I believe. When you hear Monty start, then you utilize the clicker to shift his mindset. Or, walk over and pick up Cosmo (if it's safe to do so) and love on Cosmo. If Monty still looks interested, walk away with Cosmo. Other times, pick up Monty (again, only if it's safe for you) and love on him so he doesn't get jealous, but Cosmo is the one who will benefit most from extra loving.

Otherwise, just let them have at it, although I totally agree that hours worth of it from Monty is excessive and too much. Maybe find ways to shift stuff around so Cosmo can retreat to that office room you talked about in earlier posts.

Anyway, if you aren't weighing them, definitely start doing that every couple weeks and keep a log.
 
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calicosrspecial

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Mornings are not the worst, because he usually wakes me up when my alarm is about to ring and pressures me into getting up and feeding them, what I do anyway. At lunch time and in the evening is far worse, because we don't want to feed him earlier and earlier.



I would say they are both fairly secure with their eating habits. They can check eachothers bowls for leftover food aswell without anyone being irritated. But yes, I would say he's secure with his food. He just seems to want to eat it when he likes it xD



Maybe I'll try that again sometime. It didn't seem to change his behaviour between feedings, just made him a little suspisious being fed in a different spot



I stopped it for the week and a half during experimenting with free feeding, because he look a little fat too me and I didnT wanted to give them even more food.
How would you say should I incorporate it in my routine to avoid Monty chasing Cosmo or in other words, how do I catch him in time?



I also made a new feeding schedule for them:
6:30 am 50g Wetfood
around 2pm a bit of kibble (right before I leave for work)
After work when I get home another bit of kibble
7:30pm 50g Wetfood
And another round of kibble right before bedtime.

I heard Monty chase Cosmo 20~ minutes ago, my bf got up and told him to leave Cosmo be (which usually makes 0 difference at all) I heard them zooming around the hallway a few times after that but now it's quite.
I also have to metion that we got home pretty late tonight at like 9pm and that's when they got their wetfood and a little kibble after.
And around 10pm he started chasing him, so not long afterwards
"Mornings are not the worst, because he usually wakes me up when my alarm is about to ring and pressures me into getting up and feeding them, what I do anyway." - That is really good. Very interesting that he is better in the mornings. There is a reason. He might be a little sleepy still?

"At lunch time and in the evening is far worse, because we don't want to feed him earlier and earlier." - I wonder if it is because he is awake and more engaged.

"I would say they are both fairly secure with their eating habits." - Great. I do wonder if Cosmo is a bit less secure. Monty seems totally secure.

"They can check eachothers bowls for leftover food aswell without anyone being irritated." - Yes, THAT is great. And supports your view that Cosmo is secure as well.

" But yes, I would say he's secure with his food. He just seems to want to eat it when he likes it xD" - Monty does seem like a grazer. But again, he is very confident he will not go hungry.

"Maybe I'll try that again sometime. It didn't seem to change his behaviour between feedings, just made him a little suspisious being fed in a different spot " - Yes, any change can be disconcerting and cause them to be suspicious.

"I stopped it for the week and a half during experimenting with free feeding, because he look a little fat too me and I didnT wanted to give them even more food. How would you say should I incorporate it in my routine to avoid Monty chasing Cosmo or in other words, how do I catch him in time? " - That is fine. Good question, I think Furballsmom is better to answer but I would say when you see them ready to wrestle just use the clicker. It is tough to catch them in time. I guess just be aware as possible.

"I also made a new feeding schedule for them:
6:30 am 50g Wetfood
around 2pm a bit of kibble (right before I leave for work)
After work when I get home another bit of kibble
7:30pm 50g Wetfood
And another round of kibble right before bedtime." - This looks great to me. Just see if it works and adjust as necessary. It really is more art than science.

"I heard Monty chase Cosmo 20~ minutes ago, my bf got up and told him to leave Cosmo be (which usually makes 0 difference at all) I heard them zooming around the hallway a few times after that but now it's quite." - They just love to do this. I watch these videos and it is play to them, fun. It is a bit rough but they know the line and they act fine. The first video Cosmo is looking at the camera at the end like nothing is wrong. And in the second video Monty is like "why are you leaving, let's play more". And if Cosmo really feared Monty he would not expose his belly like that and he would definitely be avoiding Monty and acting totally different. I know what you mean, an accident can happen and someone can get hurt, etc. But other than stepping in each time and burning off as much energy as possible it is tough to regulate. Because they love it. :/

"I also have to metion that we got home pretty late tonight at like 9pm and that's when they got their wetfood and a little kibble after.
And around 10pm he started chasing him, so not long afterwards " - He probably had a lot of pent up energy and got excited that you came home. Often, they sleep when we are gone then we come home and they wake up and look for fun.

Your titles on the videos are so spot on. Boys being boys. I don't get why they love this roughhousing so much but they do. (Cats not just Monty and Cosmo). Two of my feral boys are exactly the same.

I will say, they are just so darn cute!!! Gorgeous cats. And they are very restrained and you can see the intent they have in that wrestling (play not fight).
 
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