Something cute, funny, and puzzling.

[tallyollyopia]

To start off with my house has six cats; Rose, Slipper, Princess, Asia, Spot and Ra. Princess is the baby of this thread.

The first thing you need to know about Princess is that she's not a cuddle cat. She loves to be pet, but she doesn't like to cuddle. You can imagine my surprise when, on my way to check the mail, she jumped into my arms and began to cuddle against my chest purring loudly. After a while I noticed that she was looking over at something and I followed her gaze--towards three cats that are not ours. She stayed like that until the three cats left and then she jumped down and pretended that she didn't know me, as she usually does outside.

So--any thoughts on what happened?

 

[bobkater]

When outside, cats like to assume an air of autonomy and importance, often ignoring (or just showing off their independence to) their owners. What they hate most then is another cat entering what they consider their territory and challenging their rule over it.

What happened is indeed a cute episode worth noting. While it’s possible your cat wanted to escape the challenge of strangers in her territory seeking some kind of sanctum in you, it’s also possible she wanted to show them that she is the one who has your favors.  Another possibility is that she somehow got worried you might show favors to the new cats and wanted to anticipate and prevent you.

 

[mazie]

Yes, and I would like to add it has been my experience that female cats are MORE territorial than male, ( at least neutered females vs neutered males). If I am not mistaken this was just said recently by one of our other members?? My queen Suzie was so territorial that I had to label her a bully when another, especially female would come into the yard. My Katy is proving to be the same way. I think that the reason that she ignores you when she sees another cat enter the yard, she perceives them as a danger, a threat to what she believes is her yard. She ignores you because I think the queen is about to defend and protect you from the intruders. That's how I see it. Survival of the fittest kind of thing and you and her are GOING to be the ones who SURVIVE!

 

[tallyollyopia]

Okay, but the cats (all of them, even Princess) are in the process of trying to adopt a stray white cat that roams the neighborhood (I call it Ghost). In this theory, why would Ghost be okay, but these strange cats be enemies?

 

[mazie]

Could it be that Ghost is a male, and say younger than the other 3 cats.  Maybe this is kind of a "matronly type of behavior)   By the same token,  are the other 3 (adpotor cats ) queens?  The reason I ask is that a couple of years ago, a young, male cat, about the same age as Suzie's kittens at the time came roaming into the yard.  This cat was very friendly, and Suzie took right to him, sort of "mothered" him.  Her kittens were about 7 weeks old and so was this young male cat.  Suzie allowed him to remain in the yard, but would chase off any females that would roam into the yard.  Just a thought,  what  you are experiencing  makes me think back on this.

 

[tallyollyopia]

Spot and Ra are male, and the rest are female. I have no idea what gender Ghost is--the cat is either terrified of humans or hates everything to do with them (the main reason why it's not one of the brood now)--and while Rose is a mother cat (the rest were her babies), her kits are a year and a month old. Actually, it seems to be the boys who like Ghost the best; I've seen all seven cats take turns sliding down the windshield of the cars in the yard (one AWM's, one RB's, and one that's been sitting in the yard for almost three years now). They play, interact, and the cats have actively tried to herd Ghost into the house--and Ghost doesn't like it. Ghost has his/her own thread here http://www.thecatsite.com/t/313499/the-ghost#post_3944176  if you're interested.