Why Did They Do That??

Posted on by Joyful2bee

This is an older blog post but I thought it might be interesting to see how Norie and her friend, Sister, played with each other. Sister passed away over five years ago, and I still miss her sometimes.

This is Norie; mischievous, energetic, playful, curious, and a very smart black cat.

I am beautiful and I know it.
I am beautiful and I know it.

This is Sister, formerly Buster, who was a very sweet tempered, docile, considerate, affectionate kitty who loved nothing more than sitting in my lap or near me while I petted her. Sister was a gray tabby with white legs.

Grey tabby with white legs.
                               Sweet Sister

Sister didn’t want to play with toys; and she did not want to play with Norie much. (But I have seen her chase Norie in the morning, running after her, wide open down the hall.)

Norie and Sister stalking each other.
Norie and Sister stalking each other.

Norie frequently stalked Sister and even scared her. She also butted in (when I wasn’t looking) to steal food from Sister’s bowl, while Sister was still eating, and when Norie hadn’t even finished her own food! Sister usually backed away and surrendered to Norie’s appetite. But then Sister would eat out of Norie’s bowl when she wasn’t around. (The difficulty arose when Sister had medicine to help her digestion.)

I wasn’t sure whether to impose human manners on the two cats and prevent Norie from butting in while Sister was eating; or just let nature take it’s course. Actually, Norie helped me make a decision. Norie weighed 15 pounds then and was 6 years old at that time. So I couldn’t allow her to eat more food than was in her bowl. She was on a diet! So I could no longer leave dry food out all day for them to graze on. That opened a whole new “can of worms,” I mean, “cat food.”

The weirdest activity of the two was when Norie plopped down on her back in front of Sister! They did this every day at least once!! I knew what was coming. She would paw at Sister’s face, who sat quite still and looked down on Norie in front of her. I call it the “I’m not touching you game.”

Norie playing "I'm not touching you."
Norie playing “I’m not touching you.”

Norie knew exactly what would happen because it happened every day, at least once for the last six years!!! Yet they did the same thing every time, and it ended the same way. Sometimes, I heard Norie Yelp because Sister nipped her too hard. Often, I found one or two small tufts of black hair lying about where the battle took place. Norie knew she might lose some hair, but she did the same thing every day!

Was she just bored? Was she trying to get Sister to play with her, after all those years? Was Norie a glutton for punishment? Why would a cat engage in this seemingly senseless behavior?? Was she just fulfilling the old saying, “Bad attention is better than no attention at all?”

I think this behavior was a form of play or play-fighting. But it sure was a curious form of play.

Take naps like a cat.

Besides they eventually became cozy when it was time for a nap and lay near each other or close.

Sister and Norie asleep together.

28 thoughts on “Why Did They Do That??”

  1. 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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    1. 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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  2. 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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    1. 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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  6. 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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