Showing posts with label bad cat behavior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bad cat behavior. Show all posts

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Deputy Barney Reporting for Duty!

Photo from thelastdrivein.com

We've often wondered what goes on around the house at night with the cats after we've gone to bed.  We know that Phantom is very bad and extremely territorial, so he gets locked downstairs every night in the Boy's area which is now his area since the Boy's at school.  Cadence and Ed get free run of the house.  Sometimes in the morning Ed is hiding underneath the couch upstairs and refuses to come down even for breakfast.  He is very old and declawed and isn't much of a match for younger, hyper Cadence, but we usually don't see Cadence acting aggressively toward Ed. 

 He's sneaky that way.

We have been increasingly suspicious of Cadence's behavior toward Ed when we aren't looking and wonder what exactly happens between the two of them that makes Ed take cover under the couch on some mornings.

Last night we got a clue.

The Murph is still getting over the cold I shared with him and now has a terrible hacking cough.  It was so bad last night that he got up from bed and went to sit on the couch so he wouldn't wake me up.  During this time, he noticed Cadence circling the rooms in the house at a fairly fast pace.  It looked like he was a cat on a mission.  The Murph said it looked like he was "patrolling" the house.  He did this for a little while, just circling among the different rooms, until he seemed satisfied and left.  Then he came back an hour later and "patrolled" again.  All he needed was a doughnut and a deputy hat to make the picture complete.

Ed wanted nothing to do with this and ran upstairs and hid.

That's why this morning Cadence's new nickname is Barney Fife, named after the fictional character played by Don Knots on "The Andy Griffith" show, a sitcom from the early 1960's.  Barney was sort of a bumbling idiot who tried to do everything by the book, but constantly screwed up.

Cadence aka Barney Fife Reporting for duty!

Photo from tumblr.com

See the resemblance?


Monday, October 22, 2012

Oh, The Humiliation!

See the little bell


There's been a problem in the house ever since Phantom moved in.  Ed was here first, but he realized quickly that Phantom was the dominant male.  He backed down.  Became submissive.  He clearly wants to be friends with Phantom, but Phantom wants none of it.  He loves nothing more than sneaking up on Ed and pouncing on him when Ed least expects it.

That's why Phantom is the owner of a new collar with a bell on it.  When I first put it on Phantom the other day, he got scared and ran when he heard the jingling noise.   Only problem was he quickly discovered the jingling followed him.  All through the house.  Up the stairs, down the stairs.  Everywhere.  We knew exactly where he was running, because he was jingling the entire way.

I haven't laughed that hard at Phantom since that time when he was a kitten and got a plastic grocery bag handle around his neck.  He got scared and took off through the house with a little "parachute" flapping behind him.   It took forever to catch him so we could get it off of his neck.

I thought the bell collar would be great.  Now Ed would know whenever Phantom is trying to sneak up on him.  After the initial humiliation, Phantom seemed resigned to the fact that he jingles and can no longer sneak up on poor Ed when he's napping and scare the bejeezus out of him.

It's clearly no fun for Phantom when he can't stalk his prey (Ed).  Phantom loves stalking Ed almost more than eating cat snacks.  We haven't had any sneak attacks since I put the collar on him. I was patting myself on the back at how clever I was when I noticed Phantom suddenly walking around the house without jingling.  Then I read an article that said cats can actually learn to walk around (and stalk) in such a way that the bell doesn't jingle - until it's too late.  The collars are made to warn birds, but they don't work( the article said. )  Cats are too smart.

This could turn into a terrible situation if now Ed lets down his guard, thinking Phantom will jingle every time he comes near and them BAM!  Sneak attack!  Fur flying!

But....



is Phantom, the 30 pound bully cat, really smart enough to figure out how to walk without jingling?  I really don't think so...

Can he?