Hello, everyone,
Well, my 7 cats have decided to activate at night (normal, I know). They have access to a protected outside, fenced-in garden, door open in good weather so they can come in and out.
Around 3 a.m., I have to jump out of bed because three or four or them have cornered a female in the front room. They are sitting around her in a circle, threatening her, she's growling. I have to break it up.
Then just as I am getting to sleep again, I hear commotion in the kitchen.
There is my black male, ShakerToy, having caught either a mouse or a big moth, and he's torturing it. All the other cats stand around watching.
He will not take it outside. He has to run around the apartment with it.
I can't get it away from him, he growls at me. He's a big, very strong cat.
After all this, I am standing with clenched fists, trying to hold onto myself. I never touch a cat and won't, but I am so angry at them that I feel like taking them all and putting outside and shutting the door. Can't do this because of neighbors and their yowling.
I keep telling myself not to react, but I can't help but get quite upset.
Is there any way to stop this behaviour? I feed them late, they've plenty of outside exercise time. It's the ganging up that gets to me.
Any advice would be so greatly appreciated. I don't sleep that well for starters, and these interruptions in my sleep are really wearing me out.
Thanks so much,
Seaturtle
Well, my 7 cats have decided to activate at night (normal, I know). They have access to a protected outside, fenced-in garden, door open in good weather so they can come in and out.
Around 3 a.m., I have to jump out of bed because three or four or them have cornered a female in the front room. They are sitting around her in a circle, threatening her, she's growling. I have to break it up.
Then just as I am getting to sleep again, I hear commotion in the kitchen.
There is my black male, ShakerToy, having caught either a mouse or a big moth, and he's torturing it. All the other cats stand around watching.
He will not take it outside. He has to run around the apartment with it.
I can't get it away from him, he growls at me. He's a big, very strong cat.
After all this, I am standing with clenched fists, trying to hold onto myself. I never touch a cat and won't, but I am so angry at them that I feel like taking them all and putting outside and shutting the door. Can't do this because of neighbors and their yowling.
I keep telling myself not to react, but I can't help but get quite upset.
Is there any way to stop this behaviour? I feed them late, they've plenty of outside exercise time. It's the ganging up that gets to me.
Any advice would be so greatly appreciated. I don't sleep that well for starters, and these interruptions in my sleep are really wearing me out.
Thanks so much,
Seaturtle