Opposite psychology: Friggin' cats...

"Grindintosecond" (Grindintosecond) 03/04/2019 at 21:41 • Filed to: Catlopnik

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Just a slight rustle of a bed sheet, rolling over for comfort, “Meow?...Meow! MeowMeow!” says our cat, jumping off the chair in the corner of the room. It’s 4:59am. We have had him for a year now. He’s 4. He’s an asshole.

I shouldn’t be that critical of him, to be honest. This really comes down to the hierarchy of needs, animal nature, feline pack must-haves. Where our cat wakes us up, he does not jump on the bed to do so and stays exactly one pico-atom width away from finger contact, meowing. A year of this. I humored him once and followed him out of the door. He was in a hurry . . . to make me watch him eat. He will also walk in to the bathroom with you and meow and circle while you do your business in the middle of the night, waking up the significant (-ly pissed off) other as well.

I intranetted things and am now smarted enough to know more than everyone else. I learned a cat needs to feel safe during critical parts of life. Eating and going to the bathroom are vulnerable times for any. What if someone attacked you at breakfast all by yourself half way through that glorious pop-tart? Well, you’re not ready for that. What about if your on the can, poopin’ good? You’re not ready for an attack then either. When we are awake and around he is not bothering us for these things but asleep? Quiet house? I think he is on alert for any attackers, just like any animal would be in the middle of the night - half asleep. waiting.

So it all boils down to him missing something that a pack animal usually has, and this has us probably getting a second cat for him to feel safe with. someone to watch guard and maintain safety while they alternately eat and whatever else. Some cats need a friend and this may be one of those cases. Now to find a friend for him that’s younger and female, or else we start an alpha-battle.

Any Cat shrinks in the house care to comment? Good plan? Because although the internet has made me smarter than any mortal, Internet law requires me to validate my doings with every possible social media outlet.

Now watch the second cat do the same thing and doubly piss us off.

Svend > Grindintosecond 03/04/2019 at 21:57

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We got a second cat to keep the first company. They were brothers from different mothers. Each had their own characters so while one did cute stuff, he also had super annoying traits, the other had cute stuff and super annoying traits. So we ended up having two cats to keep track off, two cats to tell off for different things, granted two cats doing their own cute stuff, but also two cats doing super annoying stuff.

Of course, a third cat adopted us, so we ended up having three lots of everything. Doh. 

Katsumoto > Grindintosecond 03/04/2019 at 22:01

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I mean my cat loves attention, but anytime he’s around the dog, he swats at him and the dog doesn’t care. I’ve had mine since 8 weeks. I found him as a poor starving cat, and sure enough he walked right in the door, and all over my life.

I suppose you could borrow a friends cat, to see how things would go. It’s better than actually getting a 2nd cat and finding out they hate each other.
My cat is more a loner and is fine with it. He cuddles with me at night, since I don’t allow my dog in the bed. (long story) So it’s just me and the cat in the bed, and the dog on the couch.

Not a cat expert, know it all, or even googled cat behavior. Just learning off my cat and his attitude.

Chariotoflove > Grindintosecond 03/04/2019 at 22:10

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Mine is a bit neurotic, but she lives in the garage. 

MrDakka > Grindintosecond 03/04/2019 at 22:11

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Poop attack

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Grindintosecond 03/04/2019 at 22:13

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Two cats are more than twice the work. You will have one cat that likes to run across the bed at 3 AM and one cat that likes to shit in your boots 

smobgirl > Grindintosecond 03/04/2019 at 22:16

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I’ve had pairs of cats who hated each other and when one died, the second was still incredibly lonely. Now I’ve ended up with four cats, none of whom are particularly friendly with each other but no one wakes me up and only the blind one follows me to the bathroom. And since she sort of owns the bathroom, laundry room, and closet (her specific territory since she hates all of my other animals) that seems like a fair bid for attention... also she doesn’t know when it’s nighttime or nap time anymore.

I don’t think the sex of a new kitty is particularly important. Most of the time, fixed males can get along fine once they know their hierarchy. Females can be a lot more particular about any company (I have 3 now, and that’s part of why none of them actually like each other). In the long run it really comes down to the individual cat.

For your sanity, maybe avoid Siamese/mixes. They can be really chatty. 

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Grindintosecond 03/04/2019 at 23:42

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This is a lie.

Cats do things because cats. Not because of what some idiot that thinks they speak cat says they do. Your cat is waking you up because you keep getting up.  

Believe me, I KNOW cats. I have been a multiple cat house my entire life. When I go to other people’s houses, even the “skittish” cats love me. If he wants you to follow him to watch him eat, it’s just what he does. Hell, he may be doing it just because he’s bored . Or because he wants attention. Or because your poop smells interesting. (Actually, it’s the last one. It’s always the last one. Trust me.) If he was actually guarding you, he wouldn’t be circling and making a racket . Because, c ats don’t make noises normally!

They’re stealthy, solitary predators. If they go to such lengths to hide their poop, why would they then make a huge racket while doing it? Uhhuh.

And that ‘solitary’ part? Oh yeah. Adding cat number two, very rarely goes well. Cats do not ‘just get along’ like dogs. Cats and dogs? Yeah, no, more like cats and cats. And more cats. Cats all the way down.

The black cat was here first. She is a loner, but she likes quiet dogs. She will head-butt them and shoulder-tap them and hip-check them. She loves me. My lap is the only one she will sit in, I am the only one who can pick her up, and I am the only one who can get her to do anything. I’ve actually taught her tricks. Which she actually does. Which blew the vet’s mind . Have you ever seen a cat sit up? Fall down on their side on command? (Yeah, it ain’t fetch, but she’s got a bad ACL anyway.)

Then the bengal was added. And introduced very, very gradually and carefully. And doesn’t matter, she hates his guts, except when she doesn’t. Which is it? Roll 1d10, 500 times. If you get three 1's in a row , she’s tolerating him for the next 5 minutes . Oh, and the bengal absolutely hates dogs, and becomes extremely violent around any cat smaller than him. Or any cat on the other side of the windows. Oh, and he’s a very chatty cat. Or as the vet put it, ‘the loudest and chattiest cat I’ve ever seen.’ He also demands you have actual conversations with him. As in: he actually converses. There are different meows for ‘I demand acknowledgement ,’ ‘hello ,’ ‘food,’ and ‘yes’ and   ‘no’ in response to specific questions (treat, play, attention, ‘picked up,’ and ‘ok?’)

And neither one will let you watch them eat. They’ll stop eating. You have to keep their food bowls separated by two doors minimum, after which time, they will trade off bowls . Gods help you if you walk in when they’re using the litter box, because I sure as hell won’t.

Cats, are gonna cat.

Best I can suggest is: ignore the bathroom thing, and pay more attention to your cat’s body language and more attention to your cat. He is trying to tell you something, but nobody else can tell you what that is.

Either that or he’s just an asshole.