THE NEW CAT ROOM! (or the Cat Room #2)

Funny moment when they both stop and look at the camera Smile

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I have a cat sociology question...

We have three large indoor cats. We also have three large litter boxes for them to use. We've noticed that they've designated two of them as pee boxes and one of them as a poop box. There's very little overlap of box usage. I find this strangely interesting. We've also noticed other sociology-type behaviors over the years (there's definitely a pecking order among the cats, for instance).

For folks with multiple cats -- have you noticed any socializing behaviors within your cat families?

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@JPB,

There was a very thorough study done of barn cats in Britain...cant think of the name of it but if you go to your library they might be able to track down a copy. It is surprisingly interesting reading.

I cant say for sure, but cats like to mark their territory and another cat marking on top means it accepts the boundary. They also scratch not only to sharpen claws but also to mark boundaries. That they use one for scenting and the other for poo I think just means they are trying to poo in their own territory where the family do it and are reinforcing territory by weeing in the other.....I would certainly entertain other thoughts on it though.....

I always have two cats in case I get a flat. I have noticed a pecking order and I have seen it change as the younger one grows and the older one starts to think they had better show this increasingly large cat some respect. But in general the younger has the less rights.

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@Ionus,

After Spackle (neutered male) died, Rascal (spayed female), up until then a quiet little kitty, became much more assertive generally - friendlier, more playful, more vocal, and so on. Similarly, after Cinque (spayed female, the mother) was (sob) kidnapped, Spackle himself became more assertive.

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@JPB,

Hell yeah!

Cats have pretty complex bonds...especially mother and daughters...the males, in a natural state, tend to get run off.

There have been ethologists interested in cat group behaviour who have studied groups of barn cats in the UK and Coliseum cats in Rome.

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@ossobuco,

Are you sure it was catnapped ? I had a cat as a child that adopted an elderley lady around the corner. I saw it on the way home from school several weks later and it ran up to me when I called its name. She was devastated so I let her keep it much to her relief. Also one study in th UK found there were about 20% more cat owners than cats. I currently have one that likes the guy who lives alone next door. Perhaps Cinque is out doing good in the world.

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@dlowan,

Miranda is due to turn 16 on the 19th November...next Friday, in fact.

Sadly, she will be going in to be boarded the next day...possibly for 2 weeks without a break...depending upon which bloody aircraft is scheduled to bring us home for the following weekend, and take us back to the back of beyond on Monday. A frustrating situation, I have to say.

Her fur looks ratty, and I have actually seen her fail to jump onto a chair, only the other day... but I did distract her. Otherwise, she is happy, hungry and very affectionate.

Sixteen years.

I was living in a different home. I was working a different job. In that time I have had two fairly major relationships....and kissed a few frogs who didn't turn into princes.... (not that I want a prince!...) When she came I had never thought of having a computer and certainly never imagined I would have online friends to visit overseas!

I thought she'd die two years ago...yet here she is.

She's the most beautiful, tiny, delicate little thing imaginable....with a will of iron, nerves of marshmallow, the voice of Stentor, a hairy eyeball like your most terrifying image of the headmistress from hell, the loveliest soprano purr, a loving heart bigger than her body.

Some cat.

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@JPB,

JPB wrote:

I have a cat sociology question...

We have three large indoor cats. We also have three large litter boxes for them to use. We've noticed that they've designated two of them as pee boxes and one of them as a poop box. There's very little overlap of box usage. I find this strangely interesting. We've also noticed other sociology-type behaviors over the years (there's definitely a pecking order among the cats, for instance).

For folks with multiple cats -- have you noticed any socializing behaviors within your cat families?

Most definitely JPB. Cats are pretty amazing critters. I had one cat that always wanted to be everyone's momma. It didn't matter how old the kitten was, Katarina would nurse it, clean it, and love on it. She was awesome to have when I had my cat shelter and abandoned kittens would come in.

I have never experienced the cat litter box situation you describe. But, when it comes to cats, I am not really surprised by much they do anymore.

I have a black tortoise shell cat named Pepper and she and my mule are the best of friends. The horses all seem to like Pepper and Pepper has absolutely no fear of those big animals.

I have noticed the dynamics of pecking orders when you have cats and dogs together can become a bit crossed. I have seven dogs, six big ones, and one puppy. The dogs are pretty good with the cats but they do chase Pepper. But I have one cat the dogs absolutely will not bother in any way at all. Mimi is a skinny orange tabby but she has those dogs in their place.

1 Reply

@Ionus,

Ionus wrote:

There was a very thorough study done of barn cats in Britain...cant think of the name of it but if you go to your library they might be able to track down a copy. It is surprisingly interesting reading.

Interesting... thanks.

dlowan wrote:

Hell yeah!

Cats have pretty complex bonds...especially mother and daughters...the males, in a natural state, tend to get run off.

There have been ethologists interested in cat group behaviour who have studied groups of barn cats in the UK and Coliseum cats in Rome.

I googled around earlier based on Ionus' post but didn't find anything. "Cat group behavior" brought up some interesting links. Thanks.

Our guys (all neutered males) have a pecking order and specific friend pairings. Typical triangle stuff like J-K and K-M, but not J-M, even though they're the litter mates. Jack and Kato are the two largest, the closest friends, and get into the most fights. Mongo is the people cat who would do well as a single family pet. I don't know what the other two would do without a brother to hang out with.

Kato, the oldest and two years older than the other two, has always been the alpha male of the group. That's changing now as he's getting older and Jack (the emotional weenie and only scaredy-cat) has begun to throw his significant weight around.

Interesting dynamics and personalities!

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@Arella Mae,

Hi Arella,

That's quite the menagerie! Made me smile to read about it.

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@JPB,

I think of it more as a zoo. Seven cats, seven horses, 1 mule, and seven dogs. Hubby said, "YOU ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE SEVEN MULES!" Laughing

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@Ionus,

Yes, I'm as sure as I can be. A fellow used to pet her every sunday after church, for some years. One sunday she disappeared, and he never walked down our street again, after, obviously, years of walking weekly down our street, until a couple of years after that. I had my running shoes on, and followed him ever so surreptitiously for some blocks, but lost him at the last block. It is long ago, in any case. She was my first cat, arrived at the house at the same time my to-be husband did.

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@dlowan,

There's a famous-to-me essay by Eleanor Clark, back in the fifties, in her book Rome and a Villa, all about the seeming eternal cat colony in piazza Vittorio Emanuele. Fascinating.

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@dlowan,

dlowan wrote:

She's the most beautiful, tiny, delicate little thing imaginable....with a will of iron, nerves of marshmallow, the voice of Stentor, a hairy eyeball like your most terrifying image of the headmistress from hell, the loveliest soprano purr, a loving heart bigger than her body.

Wonderful tribute.

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@ossobuco,

Thankee. Pretty damn fine cat. Odd...but damn fine.

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@JPB,

If you have time try :
http://www.messybeast.com/catarchive.htm
AND
The domestic cat: the biology of its behaviour By Dennis C. Turner, Paul Patrick Gordon Bateson, Patrick Bateson
not sure if a link this long will work :
http://boos.google.com.au/books?id=zBYi4NgVwCUC&pg=PA138&dq=cat+group+behaviour&hl=en&ei=y13fTIfzBIzWvQPBr9WyDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ
couldnt find any on-line studies for you.

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@dlowan,

Quote:

Miranda is due to turn 16 on the 19th November...next Friday, in fact.

Sadly, she will be going in to be boarded the next day...possibly for 2 weeks without a break...depending upon which bloody aircraft is scheduled to bring us home for the following weekend, and take us back to the back of beyond on Monday. A frustrating situation, I have to say.

Her fur looks ratty, and I have actually seen her fail to jump onto a chair, only the other day... but I did distract her. Otherwise, she is happy, hungry and very affectionate.

Sixteen years.

I was living in a different home. I was working a different job. In that time I have had two fairly major relationships....and kissed a few frogs who didn't turn into princes.... (not that I want a prince!...) When she came I had never thought of having a computer and certainly never imagined I would have online friends to visit overseas!

I thought she'd die two years ago...yet here she is.

She's the most beautiful, tiny, delicate little thing imaginable....with a will of iron, nerves of marshmallow, the voice of Stentor, a hairy eyeball like your most terrifying image of the headmistress from hell, the loveliest soprano purr, a loving heart bigger than her body.

Some cat.

Some cat, indeed, Deb.
What a lovely birthday tribute to a very special cat.
My birthday for Friday, Miranda! Smile

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Where are the cat related photographs!! Crying or Very sad

Too much text and not enough cat related cuteness!! Get a grip people!! Mad

I'll rectify this situation with the following feline based NY Times science article:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2010/11/12/science/12cats_graphic/12cats_graphic-popup-v2.jpg
For Cats, a Big Gulp With a Touch of the Tongue
By NICHOLAS WADE
Published: November 11, 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/science/12cats.html?ref=science

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Wonderful words about Miranda, Deb.

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@tsarstepan,

3/100 tsp to a lap ??? Thats burning more calories then they are taking in ! No wonder cats sleep so much, they are exhausted from eating.

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THE NEW CAT ROOM! (or the Cat Room #2)

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