Cat politics

[woolymonkey]

Two days running, the kittens have defended their garden from a large and magnificent spotted Tabby who seems very keen to get in through the cat flap.

It's always the same pattern.Tabby appears on the fence. Leicester defends the lawn. After a good staring match, tabby jumps down anyway and they both head for the cat flap. Once inside, Leicester turns and defends fiercely, fluffing up his tail like, well, like Humbug's tail.

Meanwhile, Humbug saunters back from wherever he's been hanging out (probably being adored by young female ape at no.17). Tabby departs just as Humbug arrives at rear of garden. No visible interaction between Humbug and tabby except that everyone is just way too casual, and Humbug's tail is the size and shape of a pygmy hippo. Exit tabby to Willis Road gardens. Humbug and Leicester make a big deal of sniffing each other and all over the garden, especially round the cat flap and generally get very excited.

Now they are practising fighting and chasing each other through the cat flap.

So far, it's all good feline diplomacy: lots of stares and fluffing, a bit of noise, but no claws or teeth. Let's hope it stays that way.

I have no idea where the tabby comes from. He has a collar mark in his fur, though no actual collar, so probably a pet that's moved into the area. Or possibly a cat who's wandered over to make sure the new boys don't get ideas about exploring his patch. I say he because he's big, but I haven't got close enough to be sure.

Comments

[lj_stowaway]

It's fascinating to observe, isn't it? My two boys would double-team the big feral tom who lived hereabouts all the time. It really looked like they were enjoying themselves. Cleo (my Leicester) would go face to face with the hissing and the rude comments and then Figaro (my Humbug) would stroll out of the bushes behind the tom and clock him one in the flank. The tom would go right straight up in the air, at which point the confrontation was pretty much over. *g*

And more than once they went after a big Rottweiler (intact male) that some irresponsible person allowed to roam free. They would show him off the place right smart, too.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

Amazing! My previous 2 (girls) never teamed up in such a visible way. More like they were both defending the same patch, but separately, if you see what I mean.

[amenirdis.livejournal.com]

I once watched our three go after a fox. Charlotte, my cat, was terribly fierce, a little eight pound dilute tortoiseshell who ruled the roost like a Wraith Queen. There was Alex, Pen's laid back medium sized black male, and Hephaistion, her gigantic enormous twenty five pound tabby who was a load of lap love. They stalked it. Like lions in the serengeti. The boys crept forward one at a time, each looking for their cues from her. When the fox watched one of them she'd move and so would the other one. They got around it three points, fully surrounded, and finally it made a run for freedom, dashing between the boys with its tail between its legs. It was something to watch!

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

So much for cats not being social! It fascinates me watching the boys interact. With Zil and Fruitcake it was mostly too subtle for mere apes to pick up on and anyway, Fruitcake preferred to stay outdoors and away from us,but these two are always doing stuff together. Occasionally Hum wanders off by himself--then Leicester comes and asks me where I've hidden him.