Struggling With Play Time

[calicosrspecial]

Great, let's hope it works. When one cat has a lot of energy it sure can cause issues. :/

But no sign of irritation? It is strange there are no symptoms or signs of issues other than the hair loss. :/

Yes, cats can be like that. Ash is definitely something. Yeah, Frost is a bit spoiled and probably a touch lazy. :/ He knows you will take care of him so why make too much effort..............................

 

[Animal Freak]

I want to say the spray seems to have made a difference, but at this point is so subtle that I'm not sure. They do go through phases quite a bit, so it's hard to say what's the spray and what happened naturally. But it almost seems like there was some sort of existing tension that's eased a bit. I haven't heard Frost hissing quite as much though that does vary day-to-day. I think I've heard him hiss twice in the same amount of days. Ash seems to maybe, possibly be less obnoxious though? He still acts like I should feed him from 12:30 to 2:30 when he gets a snack and starts up around 7 at night, but I've only stepped on him once so far today which is pretty impressive. I barely touched him and he didn't lash out. Lately it seems like he goes to the edge of the hall if I even look like I might be going in that direction, but he stops there and sometimes follow behind more slowly if I do go down the hall. Ember had also been a bit tense about Ash being in my room outside of meal times, but doesn't seem to have an issue with that now. However, he's not in my room enough outside of meal times to really keep track.

I also almost want to say Ash has gotten even more comfortable with Stella. It's a pretty slight change considering he was doing better and better anyway, but he was still hesitant about walking by her and typically kept a couple of inches or so between them. The strangest thing is Stella actually seems more comfortable with him. She was still a bit nervous around him, but he laid right by her with his tail touching her and both seemed completely fine.

No, nothing. I can see Ember's skin pretty clearly at this point and it looks fine. I see her grooming the area fairly often, but I never see her act as though she's eating any fur and I wouldn't say it's obsessive. She grooms other areas just as much.

Maybe a little more than a touch lazy. I don't think the Lickimat is really necessary for him though. At least this way I only have to clean the dang thing once a day instead of three times.

 

[calicosrspecial]

That sounds good. It is very hard to know. Time will tell. Let's hope it is working and continues.

That is great. Sometimes the positive reinforcement really leads to more confidence and more positive encounters. I am really glad to hear this.

That is good that her skin looks good. Maybe she is just grooming it to baldness? Not overgrooming necessarily but grooming none the less. Let's see if the calming products help. Let's hope. It doesn't sound too worrisome.

Hahahaha. No, it probably isn't necessary for him.

 

[Animal Freak]

I jinxed myself last night. I ended up tripping over Ash and caused a fight between him and Ember. It's still been pretty good all things considered.

They have all been doing really well lately. Stella and Ash seem a lot calmer around each other. I'm happy to see them all get along.

I've no idea. It's weird for it to start now and not over her entire body. At least, not yet. She's lost so much fur though. Her back legs are mostly bald and I think it's started moving onto her elbows as well. I hope it gets better.

 

[calicosrspecial]

It does happen. I wouldn't worry too much. It does happen.

GREAT!!!

I am at a loss. If something was wrong she would have other symptoms one would think. I too hope it gets better. But as long as she is happy and normal then it can't be too bad. And she seems happy and doing well so that is good. Hopefully the vet figures out what it may be.

 

[Animal Freak]

I do still think he's been a bit better about being under my feet. I'm not tripping over him as often as I was. Though he made up for that by having a hairball on my blankets...

I don't even know what to think about her fur loss. She seems fine. If she didn't then she would have gone to the vet a lot sooner. I think it might've slowed down a bit. The changes don't seem quite so drastic.

 

[calicosrspecial]

That is really good. They really do like to rub etc though. Hahahahaha, at least it wasn't a present like a mouse or bird!!!!

I hear you. I hope it slowed down a bit, that would be great. There is some reason. let's hope it is a minor one. She is so sweet.

 

[Animal Freak]

I think he just likes running in front of me. I don't know why. It doesn't seem like it would be fun to be stepped on, tripped on, or kicked. And the hairball was gross enough. He, of course, managed to get it on two of my blankets so they both had to be washed.

Her fur is still so thin. I can see that it's thinned out on part of her sides a bit. I don't think that's new. It's just subtle enough that it isn't easily noticed. It just looks a little off. But she was playing with her tail earlier today. I'm glad to see her so calm and relaxed after the fireworks last night.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Oh yes, they love to do that. Run in front, rub as a person walks, etc. No, it doesn't seem fun but who knows, cats can be interesting. Of course, they always like to get maximum impact with their actions. :/

At least it is not new. She does seem like a content cat. I just don't know why it has happened. Hopefully it is nothing. Yes, it is good she did well with the noises.

 

[Animal Freak]

They are certainly interesting. I can't even open a can without Ash thinking he's going to be fed. I don't know why he thinks he'll be fed at any random time of the day. He bugs me almost two hours before a meal time. I'm honestly about ready to forget about the second dinner because I'm tired of him being under my feet.

I'm honestly not even sure if some of this is new or not at this point. One of her sides is looking a bit ragged. She didn't enjoy the fireworks, but I think she's gotten better with them.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Hahahahaha, yep. I have two that are always begging regardless of whether they really want it or not. They just want to share what I am having. They really are something.................

New hair? Or new thinning? Does she lay on that side more often? No, none of the cats like those fireworks sadly. At least she did do better though. That is good progress.

 

[Animal Freak]

Ash will beg quite literally immediately after eating. If I'm late cleaning the can out and he finishes, he'll be acting like I'm going to give him more food. It's a pain having him under my feet from 1-2:30 and then 7-9:30 though. Those are my busiest times.

New thinning. I'm not sure. I haven't paid attention. I will now, of course. I knew her sides were starting the thin out, but the one side seemed to get patchy all of a sudden rather than the gradual, even thinning it was doing.

Frost is complete unfazed by the fireworks. Ash is only mildly bothered by them particularly if they go on continuously for a bit. Even then he usually just twitches his ears. This was our first year with fireworks going off right outside our house too. These people moved in across the street earlier this year. They had some pretty big fireworks too.

 

[calicosrspecial]

:/ I know. It is like enough is never enough sometimes. Ash sounds like one of my girls. She is so bad like that. :/ I know what you mean about them under the feet. I have that are so bad about that. I have to be so careful not to fall.

Poor Ember. It is possible she is laying on that side so it is good that you will watching for that. Maybe that is it? Partially at least. I wonder why it wpould change. I wonder if she was pulling it out?

It is really good that they did well. ESPECIALLY with it going on right near!! That is really impressive.

 

[Animal Freak]

He's become quite the problem child, that's for sure. I don't remember having so many problems even when they were kittens. He's been starting to be obnoxious at night again too. I thought we were past that.

I would say she lays on that side a lot, but I'm not sure yet if it's a whole lot more than the other side. I've never seen her pull any fur out. All of a sudden it seems like she's grooming the bare spots a fair bit, but I didn't notice that before so I'm not sure if that means something or if it's just coincidence.

They did do well. Frost didn't seem bothered at all. I, on the other hand, kept getting startled by the bigger fireworks because I'm not used to them being so close.

We did have a pretty loud fight yesterday morning. I don't even really think it was much of a fight. I think what happened was Frost went a little crazy and might have ran right into Ember or perhaps jumped over her or something and scared her. I heard some claws on the floor that sounded like Frost running shortly beforehand. I went out without glasses so couldn't see well, but Ember was laying flat against the floor. There was only a tuft of white fur around and all three were in the dining room. Ash seemed too calm to have been involved though and Ember was sort of lashing out at him, but it seemed a bit half-hearted and she kept looking in the storage room which is where I think Frost came out of.

 

[calicosrspecial]

I think sometimes when a cat gets really confident and comfortable they can get that way. They kind of think they are king. :/

It would make sense that she is laying on that side more. Keep watching her and see if it is consistent (being on that side). The grooming now, it may be because it feels different etc. It may be a result of the hair loss rather than the cause. Keep watching to see if she continues. Does it look at all irritated?

That is really impressive. :? Yes, they can be startling so imagine how they must be for animals.

Yeah, that does happen. One startles another one and there is a dust up. BUT it sounds like they did really well after it which really is the key. As long as they get over the issue quickly then it isn't anything to really worry about. But we always have to do our work to keep them all happy. Which I know you will do very well.

 

[Animal Freak]

He thinks he's king until he upsets Ember... Then he realizes that's not quite the case. Of course, he forgets quite quickly and goes back to believing he's king again. Ember has to keep reminding him. There's some tension between them tonight.

I'll keep an eye on her. I have to keep track of which side it is though. It makes sense that her grooming may be a result of the hair loss. No irritation that I've seen. I try not to bother her too much about it since I don't want to stress her out, but it looks fine.

Frost isn't afraid of fireworks and Ash isn't afraid of the vacuum. Weird cats. I understand how they feel. I did not enjoy having fireworks going off right over us.

I think it's interesting to see how Ember reacts. She won't touch Frost. She actually did hiss at him today, but I didn't see the whole thing. The boys had been playing and she went after Ash. Then she went to lay in the dining room and watched Ash. Frost sat right behind her. I don't know what he did. I just heard her hiss and saw him sort of moving back like maybe he had lunged at her. I'm not sure if it was playful or not. But that's the most I've ever seen her do towards him. Yet she'll go after Ash even if she knows it wasn't him. You could tell she knew there was something off about her going after him the other morning. And she was looking for another cat. Now, did she really not realize it was Frost or is there another reason for acting like there was no way it was him?

Now I have the problem of having cats on my stereo. I knew I shouldn't have let Frost start that habit, but it didn't bother me much since I didn't use the stereo often and it's basically the only place off the ground (other than the usual furniture) that he goes. When I did use it, he seemed to stay off of it. But I had it playing classical music for July 4th to help with the fireworks and he turned it off four times by jumping on it. I want to start using it at night to see if it helps me sleep, but I don't want him turning it off constantly. And, of course, right when I decided to try to break the habit, Ash started getting up on it. He does it intentionally, I swear. He likes driving me crazy. And I think it's caused some issues because there's been two occasions where I heard some growling that didn't sound like Ember and found Ash on the stereo and Ember nearby. So I think he gets up there and then growls at her for pretty much no reason other than he has the higher ground.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Yes, I know how they can be. I too have that power struggle at times. Just try to defuse any tension when you can see it is up. Use love or treats, things like that to calm them down a bit.

That is a good way to approach it. A good plan. It is good there isn't any irritation. I would guess that is a positive.

I would say really secure cats. It is great. I too understand how most cats are bothered as I too am bothered.

It is common for certain cats to respect some cats more than others. Sometimes it is fear and sometimes just really respect or knowing they aren't an issue. A hiss can just be a "hey, don't even think of doing something" and can be caused by just being near without any aggressive or even non-aggressive misinterpreted movements. I am guessing she knew it was Frost the other day BUT they tend to take it out on the one they are less afraid of or don't get along with as much or the one with less confidence or the one that is too cocky. It can be a number of reasons. I have my hierarchy hear that is pretty predictable (99.9% of the time) and it sounds like you have one as well. And of course Ember could be the mother trying to teach Ash things. They really are complex relationships if you observe them. Fascinating stuff.

I had a dust-up last night out of nowhere. It just happens sometimes. It was fine and they got over it which tells me it is not an issue.

Oh I know. It can lead into something bigger. I have learned my lesson on things like that as well. We think "oh, they wont harm anything" then it starts to get out of control. And of course Ash follows him and wants to play with Ember and of course Ember doesn't take it that way. Hiss, etc. I have cats going places they shouldn't and no matter how hard I try I can't get them to stop. In fact, the more we tell them no sometimes they want it more. Of course, my girl opened the cabinets and got into some rolls I had in there for just a short time. Never fails. Cats. They just love to do what they shouldn't more often than we like. :/ I wish I had good advice to keep them off the stereo but other than the tape or tin foil there isn't much (and that doesn't always work).

 

[Animal Freak]

I will. I have another calming product to try too. I keep forgetting about that one.

Yes, they are pretty secure. At least most of the time. Ash has his moments. Frost isn't bothered by much.

Frost certainly hissing at Ember without her acting aggressively! I kind of figured she would have known it was Frost, but it's interesting to see her act like she didn't know. Like, what's the point of looking for another cat if you already know who it was? But she certainly wasn't going to take it out on Frost. It's funny because their hierarchy doesn't seem to go in a very straight line. I'd say Ash is dominant over Frost. Frost is definitely dominant over Ember. Between Ash and Ember it's kind of odd. Oftentimes, Ember appears to dominant and Ash can be quite fearful of her, but Ember also has a respect for Ash. She might attack him, but she sure as heck won't take anything away from him. Sometimes I think they both believe the other is dominant. Ash believing Ember is above him and Ember believing Ash is over her. Very complex indeed.

I might try the tape. It didn't work on the counters, but of course they had the prospect of food on the counters. The only thing to do on the stereo is sit on it and who wants to sit on tape? I would almost say they liked the tinfoil and I don't want Ash to eat it. He tries to eat everything these days. I think Ash figured out that I would get up to get him off of the stereo, so he does it at night when he's wanting his second dinner. With my luck, he'll sit on the tape, but at least he isn't up there much outside of when he wants food.

 

[calicosrspecial]

Sounds good.

Your cats really are secure and very good. Totally agree. All our cats have their moments. But as long as they aren't acting differently for long and they are happy then it is nothing to worry about.

Or that she was like "I am not going to complain to Frost about his hissing". Then she redirects her anger because she isn't going to confront Frost.

It is interesting. I always pictured Frost as on top. Ember accepts that and respects him. Then Ash battles with Ember for the next spot. But I always pictured Ember above Ash and that is why Ash struggles a little. And Ember typically doesn't put up with much from him. It really is complex.

It might be worth a try. Your thinking makes sense. Ash is pretty smart. I hope he doesn't sit on it.

It is never a dull moment, huh? I have a few that are really being bratty lately. :/

 

[Animal Freak]

Frost is almost scarily secure. He really isn't bothered by much. There might be things he doesn't particularly like, but he doesn't fight much and he gets over it quickly.

She's certainly quick to lash out at Ash. I don't know where she thinks this fourth cat is coming from or how it gets away without leaving a scent. She looks for another cat fairly often when she gets startled rather than actually being upset by something. Like she thinks, "Well, maybe it wasn't actually Ash and there's another cat here that scared me."

See, to me I would've initially put Ash over Frost, Frost over Ember. One thing that I think gives away the true hierarchy is their behavior around food though. Ash will steal from Frost, but not Ember. Ember will steal from Ash, but not Frost. I think that's where I see Ember's position over Ash to most because even in their fighting, it's easy to say she's just scared. But Frost gives in the Ash pretty easily, so I wonder if their hierarchy is as simply as just a straight line. I would say Frost is dominant over Ember, Ember is dominant over Ash, and then Ash is dominant over Frost. No one cat really appears to be over the others.

Though I say all of that and something rather peculiar happened today. All of the cats went crazy around the same time. Ash just calmed down when Ember started meowing. Frost started meowing in a manner similar to when Ash decides to mount Ember. It was different than Frost's usual noises. I looked up and saw he was looking at Ash so I though maybe he just wanted to play. Nope. He climbed on top of Ash, took a hold of his scruff, and started kneaded. Ash didn't budge at first, but got tired of it and tried to run off. He didn't get anywhere though. Kind of funny considering he's the bigger cat. He just sat there with his head pulled back because Frost still had a hold of him. I had to call Frost off. It was weird. Frost has never done that.

Ash is smart, but stubborn. He does what he wants to do even if it in no way benefits him. Even if it hurts him, actually. He's laid on a bunch of seashells before, so I don't think tape would stop him he decided it was worth it. He's less of a problem than Frost is on the stereo though.

Ash has really been ridiculous. It seems like he's just now going through his teen phase, honestly. I know they're all still pretty good compared to other cats, but I'm certainly not used to this.