My older one has never really *liked* the younger but things have gotten much better over the years. Today, I found them both yowling together, facing off against "Mean Orange Kitty". Sure they had retreated to the house, but they were not cornered, and he couldn't chase both of them. They were not at the door, so no reason for them to stay in that particular spot. So I figure they must have been comforted by the other? Maybe?
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Facing Off Danger Together
- Thread starter ArtNJ
- Start Date
The three in my house will sometimes group up. My girl has a habit of running to hide behind the boys if another cat is chasing her. The few times I've seen them react to an intruder Nightfury will guard the doorway into the house, Link will face the intruder and Rocket will try to circle around.
Hi!
That sounds like a confrontational territorial dispute, and some serious team-playing, my goodness!
That sounds like a confrontational territorial dispute, and some serious team-playing, my goodness!
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I'd be interesting in knowing the ages and any (if at all) genetic family ties when it comes to these cats.
We have a few sets of litter mates that gang up on the others like some kind of weird, cat-driven gang. It's not nice and kind of disturbing, and we don't allow it, and the same happens with dogs....litter mates will gang up on a non-litter mate or non (genetic) family member like a group of nerdy and bratty school kids heightened by their "power" in numbers, and need to be told to knock it down a peg (or 10.)
Bully someone your own age, I'll watch out for the underdog, but bully someone who is older than you and Bruce don't play, man. You don't screw with the old ones.
As I said before...If this cat is older, get them checked out for health problems. If the cat isn't older, get them checked out anyway.
Often, cats will gang up on a cat that they've lived with for years without a problem when that cat is sick or showing signs of illness. We have a cat that will get bladder inflammation or a UTI at nothing and when the others start flipping out on her, we know something is brewing.
If I were you, I'd check out the genetic ties of the group of cats and if at all possible, have the targeted cat checked for health problems.
We have a few sets of litter mates that gang up on the others like some kind of weird, cat-driven gang. It's not nice and kind of disturbing, and we don't allow it, and the same happens with dogs....litter mates will gang up on a non-litter mate or non (genetic) family member like a group of nerdy and bratty school kids heightened by their "power" in numbers, and need to be told to knock it down a peg (or 10.)
Bully someone your own age, I'll watch out for the underdog, but bully someone who is older than you and Bruce don't play, man. You don't screw with the old ones.
As I said before...If this cat is older, get them checked out for health problems. If the cat isn't older, get them checked out anyway.
Often, cats will gang up on a cat that they've lived with for years without a problem when that cat is sick or showing signs of illness. We have a cat that will get bladder inflammation or a UTI at nothing and when the others start flipping out on her, we know something is brewing.
If I were you, I'd check out the genetic ties of the group of cats and if at all possible, have the targeted cat checked for health problems.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
Holy smokes that is like something out of The Warriors series! Which is basically Game of Thrones with cats for young kids.
My group gets along abnormally well. Rocket can be a little brat but Link is very much the protector. Nightfury is the provider and will bring in "toys" late at night when my two are house bound.
To the original post, is the Mean Orange Cat your older one? If so, it could be noticing a weakness in him. Or if they are around 1-2 years old they could be challenging the status quo.
My group are 5.5, 4.5, and 3.5 none are related to each other. When the middle one has been sick the other two tend to just give him space. But around the 1-2 year mark both of the younger ones had a little bit of pecking order fighting with the oldest. The whole, whose the boss and where do we fit thing. Cats aren't as clear cut on alpha pecking order as dogs are but I've seen there is some give and take within the group.
My group are 5.5, 4.5, and 3.5 none are related to each other. When the middle one has been sick the other two tend to just give him space. But around the 1-2 year mark both of the younger ones had a little bit of pecking order fighting with the oldest. The whole, whose the boss and where do we fit thing. Cats aren't as clear cut on alpha pecking order as dogs are but I've seen there is some give and take within the group.
I think it takes a very close relationship and strong group ties for cats to band together to defend "their" territory. I've been walking my cat for 4 years on a leash and have had to negotiate my way out of a lot of cat fights. My guy and I have only ever been set upon by two obviously close cats once - one cat started trying to fight and another heard the noise and immediately ran to back up its buddy.
It's definitely a strength in numbers approach. My cat would definitely have tried fighting one cat (had I not stopped him), but the second he saw the other he got nervous and backed off.
It's definitely a strength in numbers approach. My cat would definitely have tried fighting one cat (had I not stopped him), but the second he saw the other he got nervous and backed off.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
Nope, it is an interloper, a large healthy obvious house cat of unknown origin. There is a public drainage basin behind us, with a tunnel that comes from somewhere and a sewer on the other side. Over the years we have been here, at least 3-4 different cats have come to visit via the tunnel, many regularly. It is basically a magical cat super-highway. My two cats always react with growling and retreat back to the house. To answer one of the other posts, they have been together about 4 years, and have gradually gotten very close to full toleration, but it was still a surprise to see a unified front.
Although we call him Mean Orange Kitty, the truth is that my guys react the same way to all visiting cats, and I don't know for sure that this one is a fighter. I mean, just because he corners my two and doesn't retreat when their is yowling, I'm not totally sure that means he is looking for trouble? Probably though.
He is probably invading their territory or they've decided to team up and enforce their dominance a little more. Cats can have overlapping territory but they will usually avoid confrontation over the overlap. If your guys are teaming up either the orange guy is pushing them too far or they are expanding. It sounds more like the orange guy is pushing.
My crew hold our yard pretty firmly against Intruders. But every now and then an extrenal cat will tryro enter out yard. That's usually when my guys will team up and back each other up in defending our yard. Since I also want my guys to hold the yard I will usually shoo the intruder and pet my guys. Enforcing that they belong here and the intruder does not.
