Do cats "troll" their humans?

[jezahb]

Ok, so for any of you who aren't aware what "trolling" means, it is purposely starting a fight with or antagonizing someone for amusement.

I have posted about my cat Khaleesi before, and how she steals my seat whenever I got up to get a drink, bathroom etc. At the time, the consensus for her behavior seemed to be that she liked my seat better than her completely identical one right next to it (I have two identical recliners side by side) as it had my scent. She will jump up on my chair whenever I get up and when I come back she just has that "I wanna fight" look, not the "I am comfy and this chair is better" look. If I try and touch her she will complain loudly and try to attack my hand. Even if I don't touch her but place my hand on the chair she will attack it.

Here is the kicker, I decided recently that when she does this I just wouldn't engage at all. I see she is in my chair and ignore her, go off to do something else and within a minute or so when she realizes she isn't getting a rise out of me she will exit the chair and usually either sit down near where I am and stare at me (I swear she has a disappointed annoyed look when she does it), or pick a fight with her sister. She clearly doesn't actually want my chair, she just jumps in it when I get up to literally troll me and annoy me. I have never seen a cat do this before! Anyone have similar experiences? 

 

[jadeleaf]

 
Ok, so for any of you who aren't aware what "trolling" means, it is purposely starting a fight with or antagonizing someone for amusement.

I have posted about my cat Khaleesi before, and how she steals my seat whenever I got up to get a drink, bathroom etc. At the time, the consensus for her behavior seemed to be that she liked my seat better than her completely identical one right next to it (I have two identical recliners side by side) as it had my scent. She will jump up on my chair whenever I get up and when I come back she just has that "I wanna fight" look, not the "I am comfy and this chair is better" look. If I try and touch her she will complain loudly and try to attack my hand. Even if I don't touch her but place my hand on the chair she will attack it.

Here is the kicker, I decided recently that when she does this I just wouldn't engage at all. I see she is in my chair and ignore her, go off to do something else and within a minute or so when she realizes she isn't getting a rise out of me she will exit the chair and usually either sit down near where I am and stare at me (I swear she has a disappointed annoyed look when she does it), or pick a fight with her sister. She clearly doesn't actually want my chair, she just jumps in it when I get up to literally troll me and annoy me. I have never seen a cat do this before! Anyone have similar experiences? 

Sabbath and Felix frequently steal my chair when I get up.  I swear I can take less than two seconds out of the seat and by the time I turn back one of them will be in it.  I don't get the attacks when moving them though.  I have to literally pick Fe up and move him, but if I go close and say "move" Sabbath will generally scoot off, lol.

Sabbath frequently trolls me either when I go on my exercise bike, am eating in my room or about to fall asleep by pooing with the most ghastly obnoxious smelling load (the litter box is in my room).  He's one of those cats that needs to have the poo removed post haste, he prefers to have a clean box and will make a mess in front of the box if I don't do it quick enough (he'll pull garbage out of the wastepaper basket, pull his scoop out, etc and lay it in front of the litter tray as a protest to the poo, I swear).  Usually 9 times out of 10 it's me having to scoop up poo, and go outside to dispose of it in the landfill bin at 2am, lol.

He also likes to climb on me when I'm sleeping in the morning to wake me up, usually when I want a sleep in. 

They most definitely know how to troll their owners, lol. 

 

[StefanZ]

 
Ok, so for any of you who aren't aware what "trolling" means, it is purposely starting a fight with or antagonizing someone for amusement.

I have posted about my cat Khaleesi before, and how she steals my seat whenever I got up to get a drink, bathroom etc. At the time, the consensus for her behavior seemed to be that she liked my seat better than her completely identical one right next to it (I have two identical recliners side by side) as it had my scent. She will jump up on my chair whenever I get up and when I come back she just has that "I wanna fight" look, not the "I am comfy and this chair is better" look. If I try and touch her she will complain loudly and try to attack my hand. Even if I don't touch her but place my hand on the chair she will attack it.

Here is the kicker, I decided recently that when she does this I just wouldn't engage at all. I see she is in my chair and ignore her, go off to do something else and within a minute or so when she realizes she isn't getting a rise out of me she will exit the chair and usually either sit down near where I am and stare at me (I swear she has a disappointed annoyed look when she does it), or pick a fight with her sister. She clearly doesn't actually want my chair, she just jumps in it when I get up to literally troll me and annoy me. I have never seen a cat do this before! Anyone have similar experiences? 

I do have two different answers.   I do agree they can do such tricks.  Our oldest resident may meow, like "please get me som water somebody, Im so thirsty!", when we look at TV and when I or the wife rise up, he quickly sets himself in the TV chair...

But he is otherwise a friendly guy, and its easy to bash him, if I want it.  Really way too easy, him being otherwise a shy cat.  His behavior reminds a lot of an adopted and fostered  shy ex-semiferal. 

OK, the other half of my answer, I think  Jezahb, what your cat is doing, is striving for the alpha-position in your household.   Se is throwing the gauntlet at you!!!   Im pretty sure of it.

So, think it over, and my recommendation is you do confront her,  at a moment when you are prepared for it.

Cats very seldom clearly go for the alpha position, unlike dogs,  They may behave like spoiled, but they are very seldom making big use of it, their acchieved Alpha.  Again, in contrast to dogs.  Thus, this problem is very common with dog owners, but quite uncommon in its clear cut case with cat owners.

But yours is going over that Gentlemen Agreement limit.  im thinking on the staring - I think in her case its not being disappointe you didnt wanted to play, but ist  the "shall we do the chicken race, do you dare??"