For the last three weeks, I have fruitlessly tried to reconcile my warring cats.
I believe it started when Mimi looked out the front window and saw another animal: maybe a cat, maybe a raccoon, but mostly likely a dog. My street is a dog-walking thoroughfare.
She turned on Walter, and the fighting began. Redirected aggression, they call it. Let me say this before I go any further, because I know what suggestion is coming: you cannot let cats “fight it out.” That method will only escalate the problem.
It’s been twenty days of playing musical cats. Mimi gets my bedroom, Walter gets the spare room. Sometimes we switch rooms. One or the other is always out, but poor Mimi is stuck in my bedroom all day when I work.
She’s taken to it pretty well, but everyone once in awhile she bolts when I open the door. Well, not so much now. A friend loaned me a baby/pet gate, and that’s firmly guarding the entrance. Usually she’s sitting behind the door when I open it. It’s her safe place. That spot used to be the back corner, behind a chair and the closet door. At least she’s come to the front.
If this goes on much longer, I’ll have to block off the downstairs so she can reign there, while Walter stays upstairs. He wouldn’t like that all, and is likely to sit by whatever blockade I’ve set up, and cry.
I was the one crying out the other day when (pre-baby gate) Walter shot into Mimi’s (a.k.a. my) room. I dove to catch him and hit my eye smack dab on the door knob. That hurt. I was, however, successful in keeping Walter out of the room.
So I went to work the next day with a black eye and absolutely no way to explain it to the majority of my 140 co-workers. “I hit my eye on a door knob”? “It was my cat’s fault”? “No, really, I’m okay.” I got several knowing looks from women who’ve barely met me.
This war must end, and I believe we are making progress. I know exactly when it will be over. The day I shell out every penny I have to separate downstairs from upstairs.
Photo credit: © Stefano Garau — stock.adobe.com
My World With Words 
Ha. Love the line about the knowing looks. Well done. As the herder of five cats, one of whom cannot abide the other four, I know your pain.
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Yeah, the looks were inevitable, I suppose. The people who know me laughed at the story. My kitties have come a long way…reconciliation may be just around the corner. Or not.
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Annie was at least remaining in the same room with them before we left, so long as they stayed at least three feet away.
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That made me laugh. 🙂
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Oh, Belinda–I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. I am so sorry this is still going on with Mimi and Walter. You know, Parker and Kitty didn’t get along but they just hissed at each other and then went to sleep next to each other on the same darn chair! Never could figure that out.
Oh, the knowing looks… **eye roll** Gotta love people who think they know what they don’t know. Did anyone offer to ‘help’ you? How everything resolves. Soon. And inexpensively!
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I think we are nearing resolution. They can look at each other through the baby gate without hissing. I’m taking it slow, but I’m hopeful!! And yes, people who think they know. No one offered to help me, but I had a friend in a similar situation who had women tell her, “you know, help is out there.” She just said, “thank you.” No sense going into it any further.
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This sure sounds tough to navigate. Wishing you patience and persistence in solving this. No one else could do it like you. Sending positive thoughts!
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Thank you…fingers crossed…I think resolution is in sight…
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I shared your blog with a good friend who has some fabulous kitty videos I think you’d enjoy, Belinda. Her videos are at this link: https://youtu.be/PxzutSTq-CM
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Thank you 🙂
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Re: Kitty video mentioned above, https://youtu.be/PxzutSTq-CM – Yes, much more than a funny cat video, more like some clever benefits for adopting one or more cats. Quirky insights you’d never thought of about the cats, and funny perks for the new owner –
Re: “Catfights” – We had adopted a pregnant, abandoned cat we named “Kitten-face.” She had her litter plus one of her kittens had more kittens before we got them all spayed. “Kitten-face” got along with all of them for awhile – the proud Mom and Grandma – but it wasn’t long before she felt her space was being invaded. She got fussy and whacked at all of them. Your “Playing Musical Cats” insight reminded me of our best choice – baby gates – especially around dinner time.
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I’m getting a second gate this weekend and will stack them to separate upstairs from downstairs. I hope this is temporary but I’m not counting on it!!
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And thank you for the video!
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