This is Norie; mischievous, energetic, playful, curious, and a very smart black cat.
This is Sister, formerly Buster, who is a very sweet tempered, docile, considerate, affectionate kitty who loves nothing more than sitting in my lap or near me while I pet her. Sister is a gray tabby with white legs.
Sweet Sister
Sister does not want to play with toys; and she does not want to play with Norie normally. (But I have seen her chase Norie in the morning, running after her wide open down the hall.)
Norie frequently stalks Sister and scares her. She also butts in (when I’m not looking) to steal food from Sister’s bowl while Sister is still eating and when she hasn’t even finished her own food! Sister usually backs away and surrenders to Norie’s appetite. But then Sister will eat out of Norie’s bowl when she isn’t around. (The difficulty rises that Sister has medicine to help her digestion.)
I don’t know whether to impose human manners on the two cats and prevent Norie from butting in while Sister is eating; or just let nature take it’s course. Actually Norie recently helped me make a decision. Norie weighs 15 pounds now and is 6 years old. So I cannot allow her to eat more food than is in her bowl. She is on a diet! So I can no longer leave dry food out all day for them to graze on. That opened a whole new “can of cat food.”
The weirdest thing can be seen in this just over a minute video. They do this every day at least once!! I see it coming when Norie plops down and lays on her back in front of Sister and starts pawing near her face. I call it the “I’m not touching you game.”
Norie knows exactly what will happen because it has happened every day at least once for the last six years!!! Yet they do the same thing every time and it ends the same way. Sometimes I hear Norie yelp because Sister nipped her too hard. Often I find one or two small tufts of black hair lying about where the battle took place. Norie knows she may lose some hair but she does the same thing every day!
Is she just bored? Is she trying to get Sister to play with her still after all these years? Is she a glutton for punishment? Is she trying to get Sister to loosen up? Why would a cat engage in this seemingly senseless behavior?? Is she just fulfilling the old saying that “bad attention is better than no attention at all?”
I think this behavior is a form of play or play-fighting. But it sure is a curious form of play.
joyful2beeblogs 
I’ve had multiple cats for many years, though I have only one now. In the wild cats are rivals for resources, and they may carry some territorial behaviors into their domestic lives. They may ‘resource guard’ and chase other cats away from food, litter boxes, and pathways. On the video it looks like a possible territorial challenge in a ‘narrow’ space; or it may be just a bid to play. Cats are highly adaptable; I’m not saying they can’t be friends, too. Mine did those things at times, but we got it worked out. There are many books by feline behaviorists out there, and they often recommend feeding each cat in a separate location, having one litterbox per cat, and other strategies. You can consult a book, or feline behaviorist to come and help if things escalate. But IMHO it’s not abnormal cat behavior, and not insurmountable.
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Good. Your voice of experience is enough. I forgot to mention that Sister patiently sits there, also knowing what will happen at least once a day. I think Norie just wants to play. I thought about getting a kitten with energy but I can’t risk having another cat develop some sickness. I can’t afford it. Thanks for your input!!
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All that said, watch them carefully to make sure things don’t get out of hand. Never try to separate two cats in a serious squall with your hands, and don’t get too close. Make a noise that will startle them, like dropping a pan on the kitchen floor. If they do seriously fuss, the books will likely say to separate them into different rooms and slowly introduce them with scent exchange, etc. It’s hard for anyone who isn’t there to say for sure, so definitely consult some books, and get some other opinions. OK, tonight I am long-winded, LOL. Not usual for me.
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That’s alright. They have been together for 5 years and the squabbles are rapid and over quickly. I am not worried about injury really. I just find it so weird that they sit and lie and do the same thing every day. Thanks!!
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My two do the same thing. And then Trixie will growl and hiss at her sister Pixie. And now? They both are curled up on the end of my bed snuggling together.
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Ahhh. That’s what I wanted to hear. These two are not sisters but I think they have accepted that they are stuck together so are slowly becoming friends. Thank you!!!
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Sorry, I don’t have cats so I can be of absolutely no help. Interesting behavior though.
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Thank you for reading though. You helped me after all!
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All I know is that they are sweet and very quirky, and they enriched my life.
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ZuZu and Roxie do this a few times every day and it’s always when Charley and I sit down to read or talk. They show up and within a few minutes are putting on the “don’t touch me” show for us. It always ends with them chasing each other into another room, tustling all the way. When they’re done, they come back into the room and jump in our laps.
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Funny!! Good to know this is a Feline game. Thanks!!
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I used to play the “Don’t touch my side of the car”game with my sister. but we never bit each other.
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Glad to hear that! Lol
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You have adorable cats 🙂
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Thank you. Sister passed away 12-31-2018. I miss her still. Norie has been a godsend during protective isolation from Covid. She is a character but she loves me.
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I’m terribly sorry to hear that. Cats are playful if they are in the mood 🙂
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