Hissy Fits: The Case of Forgotten Identity

What do you do when one of your kittens doesn't recognize the other one?

My kittens are the best of friends, bffs, besties if you will.  For the last 2 1/2 months they have been inseperable.  They play, sleep, eat and bath together.



A few weeks ago it was time for them to get spay and neutered.  I took them to the vet together.  I had to turn their crates so they could see each other in the car because the meowing was so loud.  Once they could see each other they quieted down and were fine.

After the surgeries Charlie got an nervous stomach and I had to take him back to the vet because he had diarrhea.  When we got there the vet had to wash him and give him some medicine.  Upon returning home from the vet, Chloe looked at Charlie as if she had never seen him before.  Instead of receiving a warm welcome, Chloe hissed, growled and ran away.  As if Charlie didn't have enough problems, he now had social anxiety to face.  She behaved like he was a stranger cat who was invading her territory.  My two former best friends turned into enemies.   

This was a case of mistaken or forgotten identity!  This odd behavior I've learned is called nonrecognition aggression.  It seems that the cat left at home doesn't recognize its housemate when she/he returns from an outing.  This can be due to a new smell picked up from the vet's office, the smell of medicine, the sick smell or simply a change in behavior upon returning.  Remember this is a species that will stop eating if they can't smell that their food is really food.

How was I going to get my cat's to appreciate each other once again?  It was a slow process that took patience and little understanding, but ultimately... it was worth the sacrifice to my daily routine.  Learning how to introduce old friends was an art form.  I started by separating the kittens.  Then I took the blanket they sleep on and rubbed on Chloe and then on Charlie.  This didn't do anything.   After several hours I moved on to more drastic measures.  I needed a strong smelling odor that the cats would find pleasant...Tuna!!  I took canned tuna water and wet my hands and then stroked both the kittens.  It encouraged them to groom themselves, caused them to smell the same and covered the vet/sick smell.  The first time didn't really work, but the second time I did this (the next morning) Chloe was beginning to remember who Charlie was.  

Although it still took a few hours to get back to their normal loving relationship.  I walked into the room later that day to find them cuddled up, Chloe resuming her role of mom and offical cat cleaner and Charlie as lovable couch potato.

What have I learned from this experience?  Cats are weird.  And from now on we travel as a family.  When one goes to the vet.... We all go.

Kitten Meet Feather

So the kittens got a new toy this weekend and well....  just watch.

Kitten Games: Kick the Living Daylights Out of Each Other

This is a game where you grasp your opponent with your front paws and wrestle them into a horizontal position on the carpet. Once both of you are lying on your sides and grasping, the hind legs are brought into play, firmly and repeatedly kicking extremely hard into your opponent’s belly, or face if you can reach it.

Chloe rarely wins this game, because Charlie has the size advantage that lets him grip her body tighter and kick her harder.  She doesn’t let that bother her, however, as she has invented a new rule entirely of her own: Smaller players may bite the noses of larger players.  Thus, Charlie will Kick the Living Daylights out of her, and she will get sweet revenge by playing her own independent game of Bite Your Stupid Nose Off. She almost always wins this part of the game.

Sometimes, positions will be reversed so that the cats are playing in a top-to-tail formation, and each one is capable of kicking the other in the face.  Chloe then gets her revenge by playing her own game of Bit Your Stupid Privates off.  Charlie still usually wins these, but not without some pain.

What is a Permese and How Do I Get One?

So I bet you are thinking to yourself, "I've never heard of a Permese cat?  Did she make that up?"  My answer is kinda.

 Let me propose another question... what happens when you take a full blooded Siamese female cat and a full blooded Persian male cat?

Answer:  You get a mix between a Siamese and Persian cat, or a Permese.  These cats are known for there distinctive, exotic looks, friendly personalities and calm dispositions. The cross between a Siamese and Persian results in a cat with Siamese coloration but longer hair and Persian facial features.

Now the second question, how do you get a Permese?  So you can go to the store, go online or check the paper for Siamese/Persian mix.  Bring them home and love them, but the reality is, cats choose you. I have learned over the years of owning cats that they consider me the pet and treat as one.  

At the beginning of the year my sweet, albeit crazy, cat Cham died.  After a few months I began to think about getting another cat.  I picked up two Permese kittens from a lady in town, took them home, and wondered what might happen next. Once more, the house was filled with cat smells, cat humor, cat sarcasm. And cat games.

My two kittens are siblings and they look and act like it.  Charlie is a big boy.  He is scatterbrained, food-obsessed, and slightly crazy.  Chloe is the typical little bratty sister.  She is small, but the brains of this kitten operation.  Despite her size she can hold her own in play fights with Charlie. After a healthy session of playful feline ultra-violence  the two of them will snuggle down together for a cuddly nap.