Who Is The Dominant Cat?

[MaxineYamazaki]

Hello!

I'm new here, and decided to register because I love reading threads on this site and have found them helpful in the past. I had a question about my two boys, Luigi and Angelo:

Who is the more dominant cat in my household and how can you tell? They were born and adopted together from the same mother and litter. They (of course) have their own unique personalities and experiences, but they've lived with me since I adopted them at 8 weeks old, and they are 4 years old now. They have never been separated! Luigi is much more dependent than Angelo. He always needs to be snuggling next to me on his favorite spot on my bed and if Angelo is in his spot, he will come and bite his neck or scare him away. It makes me sad because I cherish my cuddles with Angelo, but I don't get them as much because of Luigi's jealous behavior. So this makes me think that maybe Luigi has some anxiety (not sure why if he and Angelo have had the same lifestyle and I've treated them the same). When Luigi gets jealous I try not to get angry, but I just show him that I can love them both at the same time!

Luigi also usually lies in the "higher" position. If he is on my bed, Angelo is lying on the floor. If Angelo is on my bed, Luigi is on a higher dresser or shelf. But... Angelo always gets to eat first (I refill their dry food bowl in the mornings) and if Luigi tries to get at the food bowl first Angelo will meow him away.

They both mount each other pretty equally, but Angelo usually bathes Luigi more.

So how can I tell who is the dominant kitty, if there is one? And how do I work on Luigi's anxiety issues?

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Welcome!!
It does sound a bit like Luigi is jealous and Angelo is a bit more dominant, because food is one of the super-basic needs. Are they neutered?
Do Cats Get Jealous? (and What To Do About It When They Do)

 

[KarenKat]

Not sure about dominance, but our boys Trin and Gohan are like this with my boyfriend. Gohan is very bonded with him, and always comes in for special pets and attention. When Trin is getting snuggles or attention and Gohan comes by, Trin gets up and leaves. Even if you give Trin love after that, he doesn't accept it and walks away. Gohan always seemed more "dominate" in that regard.

However, Trin is also more food obsessed (no one really eats first though), he door dashes and is the first to greet strangers at the door. So I think there isn't really "alpha cats" and maybe more of a mix of personality traits, like people?

 

[vince]

I have the same problem. Sir Eats-A-Lot initiates the grooming sessions and often is the one that makes the neck bite that escalates things into a jiu-jitsu match. He's usually the winner at those, too. Chesterfield, on the other hand, is more aggressive with food, often nipping the other's ear to get him to pull his head out of the dish, allowing Chester to eat (maybe I named them wrong).

There aren't many other cues I have as to dominance. they both get along very well, but after several years, there doesn't seem to be an "alpha" kitty.

 

[rubysmama]

I've only ever had one cat at a time, so I can't really help with your question. But I did want to welcome you to TCS.

Feel free to jump into any thread you find interesting.

You can also introduce yourself, plus Luigi and Angelo in our New Cats on the Block forum.

We love pictures, BTW. And have a forum just on Fur Pictures and Videos Only!

How To Add A Picture To Your Forum Post

 

[MaxineYamazaki]

Hi! Welcome!!
It does sound a bit like Luigi is jealous and Angelo is a bit more dominant, because food is one of the super-basic needs. Are they neutered?
Do Cats Get Jealous? (and What To Do About It When They Do)

Yes, they are both fixed and got fixed at the same time!

 

[danteshuman]

I'm guessing here. I think Luigi the neck biter might be more dominant. You can tell who owns the middle of the room, is the dominant one.

My boys are pretty evenly matched but my bully is a bit more dominant then my other cat. He does the groom the nip thing, the between the shoulders bite and eats the wet food first. I tried to plates but it barely made a difference.

I think it might be easier to see what you can do to get them to get along better. About things like food, it makes more sense to spread the resources around so no one cat can guard /hog it. Also play built up my shy cats confidience. Play also drains my punk's energy so he quits hunting his brother. Good luck.