Friends or foes??

[Maisie]

Let's analyze my cat's behavior! lol. My neutered cat Ollie has some regular social interactions with a fluffy cat that sometimes shows up at the door or window. (side note: Ollie showed up 1.5 years ago and adopted us, he became indoor only about a year ago.) I'm very curious about what these behaviors mean and I'm wondering if any cat behavior experts can shed some light?

0:00 sitting together /chilling /doing the blinky eye thing
2:45 Ollie walks away, sits under nearby chair, but meows looking in direction of other cat
3:30 Ollie returns, both bang on door ("attack?")
4:04 Ollie paws at glass gently
5:10 Ollie repeats 2:45
5:43 Ollie returns to door
6:39 other cat sits facing away next to door, they continue to chill together


more of the same but on windowsill

when the other cat leaves, Ollie often repeatedly meows (example at 0:06) almost like he's trying to call other cat back

This is a semi regular occurrence so I'm very curious:
1. do they like each other?
2. what is the banging on glass about?
3. what is the gentle pawing about?
4. why does he walk away and meow at the cat, then return?
5. is he trying to call other cat to come back?

He doesn't seem distressed to me but I'm not an expert.

 

[susanm9006]

I wasn’t able to watch all the videos thru but from what I see they aren’t friends but not enemies either. I see a great deal of caution in their interactions with some slapping that says they are trying to protect their territory. Your indoor cat does seem more relaxed about it than the outdoor cat. The glass gives each protection which they are aware of. If they werent separated I think you would see much stronger reactions from both.

But the outdoor cat sure looks like he is hoping for a home. Are you thinking about taking him in?

 

[Maisie]

Caution is a good observation, that makes sense and pretty much sums it up.

One reason I was so curious about their relationship is that the pawing at the window reminded me of something my old cat used to do--with his brother from the same litter, the kitten that we gave to our next door neighbor. He would come over to the window and they'd sit together and paw at each other (the gentle version, not the attacking version). So I got the wild idea that maybe Ollie and the other cat recognize each other from when Ollie was outside.

I could be wrong, but I had come to the conclusion that the outdoor cat has a home. I can't confirm this yet but it was just based on my observation that he seems fed and cared for, and I only see him a couple times a week when the weather is good, never desperate during a storm or cold or anything. I might throw a message out locally to see if anyone knows if he belongs to someone. Unfortunately I wouldn't be in the position to be able to financially care for an additional cat, but if he were in need I'd definitely at least try to find a temporary solution.