- Joined
- Jan 3, 2019
- Messages
- 81
- Purraise
- 95
Hi everyone. I thought things were going okay with the introduction of Ollie (5 months) to our resident trio Milo (9 months), Charlie (nearly 5 months) and Archie (4.5 months). There's been no significant hissing or growling, they eat together and they pause to check scents.
However, I have a list of behaviour changes I've seen. Ollie is being over friendly to us humans and constantly wanting attention while the other three seem mote subdued. The three established kittens have moved from sleeping in the cat room/family room on the middle floor where my wife and I spend our leisure time to the lounge on the bottom floor. They also seem less playful when Ollie is around. I bought 4 more cat chasers and have tried to have separate playtime and that seems to have improved things. All 4 played in the same space when I is some laser pen play.
Today I noticed Ollie has been licking Archie's ears and butt so it looks like normal dominance. Charlie was kneading a blanket on my wife's lap when Ollie walked back and forth across my wife's lap and the chair and then stared at Charlie and backed him into a corner where he looked scared. I know it's probably because they are evenly sized and similar ages they haven't established a pecking order but my wife's upset to see how Charlie was reacting. Ollie has proceeded to lie down sideways wherever I sit in the room (I've moved a few times to test this). When Milo came in I closed the door to keep them all in and Charlie and Milo kneaded the blanket I put on the floor. Ollie lay sideways near by them then confidently go up pushed his way between the two of them and paused. Then he walked through turned round and walked back between them and lay down facing them.
Charlie and Archie are asleep on one of the cat trees and Ollie is on the floor next to the blanket. He fell "asleep" whilst Milo and Charlie were still Kneading. Milo has now moved and is sleeping near the other cat tree. I got up to take a photo and only Ollie reacted as he is clearly still awake and reacting to movement, noise and my turning on the light. Ollie is the nearest in this photo and lying full stretched and Milo is lying at the back.
Our older son came in to the room just now and Charlie came over from the other cat tree and was meowing. Perhaps he wanted to leave the room. My son left and Charlie didn't bother going back he is lying on a cat toy facing the door.
I also noticed how Ollie re-positioned the way he was lying to effectively keep his eye on Charlie or the door.
I opened the door to the room and whilst all 4 sat up and noticed they've all settled back down and it looks a bit more natural. I hoped cats sleeping near each other would be a good sign. Dropping something on the floor only Charlie reacted but lay back down. Later he went up to Milo and they were wrestling. Now Charlie is kneading right in Ollie's face. So Ollie has reacted by pawing my wife's feet. I went out the door and Ollie followed me first then Milo. I came back in the room and Ollie lay down again positioned between my wife and I. Milo went downstairs and didn't come back. Archie followed out of the door passing Ollie who swatted at him.
Charlie is back on my wife's lap kneading and Ollie is clawing at the blanket pulling on it where Charlie is then ignored he's now he's rubbing up against my leg meowing and we've gone full circle. Milo is meowing downstairs.
Hopefully someone can explain the behaviour seen today. I am sure it's cat dominance and it's only been 12 days but I was hoping that all 4 cats would get on. I rarely see Archie with the bigger 3 but he's bottom of the group. I assumed that he was less friendly with them but now I'm wondering if Milo's sleeping habit change i.e. tendency to sleep away from the others and one or both of them hanging around Ollie but not playing him is some form of passive hostility.
However, I have a list of behaviour changes I've seen. Ollie is being over friendly to us humans and constantly wanting attention while the other three seem mote subdued. The three established kittens have moved from sleeping in the cat room/family room on the middle floor where my wife and I spend our leisure time to the lounge on the bottom floor. They also seem less playful when Ollie is around. I bought 4 more cat chasers and have tried to have separate playtime and that seems to have improved things. All 4 played in the same space when I is some laser pen play.
Today I noticed Ollie has been licking Archie's ears and butt so it looks like normal dominance. Charlie was kneading a blanket on my wife's lap when Ollie walked back and forth across my wife's lap and the chair and then stared at Charlie and backed him into a corner where he looked scared. I know it's probably because they are evenly sized and similar ages they haven't established a pecking order but my wife's upset to see how Charlie was reacting. Ollie has proceeded to lie down sideways wherever I sit in the room (I've moved a few times to test this). When Milo came in I closed the door to keep them all in and Charlie and Milo kneaded the blanket I put on the floor. Ollie lay sideways near by them then confidently go up pushed his way between the two of them and paused. Then he walked through turned round and walked back between them and lay down facing them.
Charlie and Archie are asleep on one of the cat trees and Ollie is on the floor next to the blanket. He fell "asleep" whilst Milo and Charlie were still Kneading. Milo has now moved and is sleeping near the other cat tree. I got up to take a photo and only Ollie reacted as he is clearly still awake and reacting to movement, noise and my turning on the light. Ollie is the nearest in this photo and lying full stretched and Milo is lying at the back.
Our older son came in to the room just now and Charlie came over from the other cat tree and was meowing. Perhaps he wanted to leave the room. My son left and Charlie didn't bother going back he is lying on a cat toy facing the door.
I also noticed how Ollie re-positioned the way he was lying to effectively keep his eye on Charlie or the door.
I opened the door to the room and whilst all 4 sat up and noticed they've all settled back down and it looks a bit more natural. I hoped cats sleeping near each other would be a good sign. Dropping something on the floor only Charlie reacted but lay back down. Later he went up to Milo and they were wrestling. Now Charlie is kneading right in Ollie's face. So Ollie has reacted by pawing my wife's feet. I went out the door and Ollie followed me first then Milo. I came back in the room and Ollie lay down again positioned between my wife and I. Milo went downstairs and didn't come back. Archie followed out of the door passing Ollie who swatted at him.
Charlie is back on my wife's lap kneading and Ollie is clawing at the blanket pulling on it where Charlie is then ignored he's now he's rubbing up against my leg meowing and we've gone full circle. Milo is meowing downstairs.
Hopefully someone can explain the behaviour seen today. I am sure it's cat dominance and it's only been 12 days but I was hoping that all 4 cats would get on. I rarely see Archie with the bigger 3 but he's bottom of the group. I assumed that he was less friendly with them but now I'm wondering if Milo's sleeping habit change i.e. tendency to sleep away from the others and one or both of them hanging around Ollie but not playing him is some form of passive hostility.
