Megat having the 'innocent sleep' of the KungFu masterShaolin Megat is still trying to hone his fighting skills with the other kitties as targets. He needs only to make a sudden move to send the other 3 into running for their lives. This has resulted in all the three looking peaky-eyed and wary all the time. They have catnaps instead of sleep. Bujang is becoming rather aggressive to me and has taken to biting me most times and has refused to sleep in his snugs on the bed. Instead he sleeps in the wash-basin. Last Wednesday, he was so aggressive that I had to house him in the soft orange carrier-house. That did not stop him from raving and throwing himself at the sides. He bit through the zipped sides (as I discovered the next morning) and managed to get out. Luckily he decided that he would just get some sleep and did not try to do anything else to me. :)
Toro has been slapped many times by Megat but he is still very friendly and curious about this kung fu fighter. He had had his face scratched many times and I am really afraid for his eyes but luckily, Toro has long fur and this help buffer Shaolin Megat's tiny feet that fly through the air like lightning. I have clipped Megat's nails so they would not cause much harm to Toro.
I had tried to put Megat on time-out every time he fghts with the boys but this does not seem to work very well. The cat experts advised that I should just let the posturing and sometimes the fur fly amongst them as they are fighting for space and top cat status but I am getting a lot of angst from Bujang and his very sharp claws and fangs which he uses to great effect.
The only one who had managed to escape is of course Ms Akira, who avoids Megat all the time . The good thing is the old aunty has agreed to help me feed the Wild Bunch every weekend. I managed to get someone who could speak Chinese to explain to her that I would need some time-out and she has very kindly agreed to help me feed FatBoy, Calico Mom, Little Calico and Casanova. This means I would get more time for the kitties and myself for me to do something (I do not know what though) to repair all this mayhem among the boys.
I read in dawn's blog about the fact that it is okay to feed the cats on alternate days as they would find their own food. If the sitution gets dire in the amigo house, then maybe I would not be able to feed the cats everyday as it takes me almost 2 hours to feed them and sometimes more. By that time, I would get home only at about 8.45 and I have to do complete grading and preparing stuff for the next day especially as the new term is just beginning.
I would have to spend more time with the amigos.
Toro has been slapped many times by Megat but he is still very friendly and curious about this kung fu fighter. He had had his face scratched many times and I am really afraid for his eyes but luckily, Toro has long fur and this help buffer Shaolin Megat's tiny feet that fly through the air like lightning. I have clipped Megat's nails so they would not cause much harm to Toro.
I had tried to put Megat on time-out every time he fghts with the boys but this does not seem to work very well. The cat experts advised that I should just let the posturing and sometimes the fur fly amongst them as they are fighting for space and top cat status but I am getting a lot of angst from Bujang and his very sharp claws and fangs which he uses to great effect.
The only one who had managed to escape is of course Ms Akira, who avoids Megat all the time . The good thing is the old aunty has agreed to help me feed the Wild Bunch every weekend. I managed to get someone who could speak Chinese to explain to her that I would need some time-out and she has very kindly agreed to help me feed FatBoy, Calico Mom, Little Calico and Casanova. This means I would get more time for the kitties and myself for me to do something (I do not know what though) to repair all this mayhem among the boys.
I read in dawn's blog about the fact that it is okay to feed the cats on alternate days as they would find their own food. If the sitution gets dire in the amigo house, then maybe I would not be able to feed the cats everyday as it takes me almost 2 hours to feed them and sometimes more. By that time, I would get home only at about 8.45 and I have to do complete grading and preparing stuff for the next day especially as the new term is just beginning.
I would have to spend more time with the amigos.
oh dear... good luck san, i am sure with more reassuring to bujang, he will be calmer.
ReplyDeletei am also having some issues with my brood accepting shadow. luckily, or unluckily, shadow is rather timid and avoids the adults. we'll see how long this can last though!
I find time out the best discipline method.
ReplyDeleteAny cat disobey house rule, into the cage you go for solitary confinement for an hour in a dark lonely room. Another time? Go again. And go and go and go again until the message sinks into their brain that they have rules to live by. Find this works especially well when they fight.
But you have to live by 3 key words to melt out this training method: consistent, persistent and patient.
I am the TOP CAT. All other cats are followers. So they have to follow my rule.
Harsh living with me, right?
I think just make sure each cat has his/ her own personal space...with time and discipline, they will learn to accept each other.
ReplyDeletewah kxbc, that is like a prison warden but consistency is the key I agree. Maybe I was too quick to allow him to have free run of the house and the other cats did not have any time to look and meditate on the new arrival. the time-out works for Bujang except now of cos I have to repair the orange carrier. Its quite dark once its zipped up.
ReplyDeleteConsistece! Persistence! Patience! Yes Sir!
ReplyDeletePapa KXBCY sounds like a 5-star General!!
No wonder Yuan Yuan becomes a General too.
San, maybe you've dived in too soon.
ReplyDeleteIt's much easier to introduce young cat to older cat and not the reverse. Even with young kittens among each other, there are hissing let alone a 10 years old. P the shelter owner always cages them within view and she recommended this to be the best way, which I think so. It can’t go wrong with so many new cats coming in and out of her shelter yeah?
The punishment of solitude confinement is certainly harsh or would I say cruel. They are cats you know, even kids can’t sit still and finish up a meal let alone cat; which by nature is carefree. You can’t expect the cats to sit down like an English lady sipping tea with you eh?
:) big ears
ReplyDeleteThe irony is Megat does sit with me quite still when I do drink tea :) He can sit by me for hours without moving. He just grooms quietly or he sleeps by me. He also sometimes watches TV like the rest of the boys.
Its just with the other cats that he gets understandibly nervous. But I have to make sure that they all at least understand what can be done and what cannot. You are right lah when you said I was a trifle hasty so now must do everything by the book. Its only for 2 weeks and he does get out several times during the day to sit and hang out with me away from the other cats and they do play together, except he is in the cage and the rest outside.
Haha... you lucky girl! You found yourself an Earl Grey Tea pally ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the rivalry will be over with time.
When Z first got Bluee, Tiggy (both from P’s shelter) and Mel on the same day. We didn’t separate them. We put the 3 carriers side by side and 1-2-3 we open the carrier door together. No cat fights; despite Bluee being older and looks more like a gangster and longer on the street (I guess). Though there wasn’t much of ranking at home but Blu does get jealous of the 2 younger lads from time to time.
Equal 1:1 time is relatively important. And don’t feel guilty; we are still struggling with the equal 1:1 time like most multi cats owner... haha
Thanks Big Ears :) Now Megat has graduated from having his cage near the wall in the living room to being in the centre of activity so everyone sees each other. He just slapped Toro yesterday when they were both in the kitchen for dinner and so I immediately put him in his cage and back he went to being an observer of life. :) Persistence, consistency and patience.
ReplyDelete