I live with two grumpy old cats. The one above is Pumpkin, who adopted me. The first time I met her she was feral and wandering on the edge of the forest behind our house. I began leaving her food on the other side of the fence because I was worried about her. She was small for a cat and looked rather pathetic. I fed her daily, but she never approached when I was there. I’d watch as she waited for me to disappear inside, then from my window, I’d observe her eating the food I left.
Then one night many years ago, I had set an alarm to get up in the middle of the night to go outside and watch a large red moon. I felt something making figure-eights around my legs. When I glanced down, I was startled to see this cat (and so glad it wasn’t a raccoon!). She’d come to trust me, and slowly, she went from being a skittish outdoor cat to being a cat who refuses to step outside. She now lives in my bedroom, taking up the space on my recliner.
Tessa is the other elderly cat who inhabits my space. The two cats despise each other, and if they meet in the doorway as one comes back from the food bowls and litter box, they howl and spit at each other. Tessa inhabits the pillows at the back of my head when I lay down, and her purring is what puts me to sleep, although her yowls, when she gets mad if I roll to my side and disturb her sleep, are quite grating. If my hands are outside the covers, she nudges them for me to pet her—incessantly. So, I hide them under the covers when I’m done and wait for her to give a grumbling meow before she flops behind my head on the pillow and goes to sleep, snoring.
Right now, they both want to follow me into my office, so they are crouched on the floor, berating each other, waiting for the other to walk away, but that never happens. I have to break them up, picking them up to put them where they belong—one on the chair, one on the pillows.
This has been going on for years now. There is no peaceful resolution. They are sworn enemies who are jealous of the attention I pay the other. They will never be besties although they occupy the space of my bedroom for most of the day and night.
We live together, me being the buffer between them. I don’t know why I’m telling you about them this morning, except that Pumpkin is still trying to jump into my lap as I type. I rarely allow that because she doesn’t stop demanding pets and never settles—and I have work to do!
Betta fish are so much easier to care for. Feed them, keep their water the proper temperature, and enjoy the show. Not so cats.
So, for fun, have you ever had pets who were sworn enemies? How did you manage to keep the peace? Answer in the comments below for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card.
P.S.: I just wanted to let you know that I had no discernable side effects from my immunotherapy infusion last Monday. Not one. I sat for an hour while they dripped the medicine in my IV. Then I went about my life this past week without any nausea or pain. It’s so lovely. I’m still recovering my energy level after so many months of chemo, but I’ll get there!
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Yep. Scully and L’il Cat never got along. Both were rescues but we had Scully first so she resented L’il Cat. They figured out what to do themselves. Each claimed their own territory in a part of our apartment and then when we moved our house.
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Thanks for the cat story!!
I don’t have pets anymore at age 77 but always cats & dogs, fish when younger.
Good to hear chemo is more tolerable !
I went through that as well in 1996.
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Thanks for the cat story!!
I don’t have pets anymore at age 77 but always cats & dogs, fish when younger.
Good to hear chemo is more tolerable !
I went through that as well in 1996.
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Not really except for our Queen Kitty was queen bee and refused to deal with another of our cats, Sasha who was like that annoying younger sibling and she just didn’t have time for it. lol
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Our two dogs are not enemies but they do get jealous if one gets more attention than the other. We try to give them each one on one time or treats to keep them happy.
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Not really sworn enemies…but it took awhile for my older cat, Jackson, who was 11 at the time to accept the new 3 month old kitten we brought into the house. They’ve finally become used to each other & do play, run after one another & sometimes sleep together. On the other hand, though, the kitten, Peaches, did not care for my daughter’s St. Bernard, Rio, when he’d come to visit…which was daily. He passed over the Rainbow Bridge on January 7th….& to that day Peaches would always spit & hiss at him. Even though it was over a year they would see each other.
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I have never had two at one time to contend with.
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The closest I ever had was our neighbor’s cat knew our dog hated her so she would sit just outside our window and flicker her tail at our dog. The cat would hiss. The dog would growl. Idiots both of them.
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I’m glad to hear things are going well!
I’m living the tale of two dogs.
I’ll save the story, but I will say that my Ally and Finnie were not always best buddies. In fact, if pressed, one would be quite happy for the other to walk out the door and never come back. I’ll leave you to guess which one…
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no
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None that outright disliked like each other. Jealous, pull stupid stuff to move in if I am loving in one and not the other? Makes no difference I have just given one loving, petting and playing ball for 20 minutes. When it’s the next one’s turn you would think the first one is ignored 24/7. Drives me bonkers.
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We did keep them separated but at times it was really funny. One was trying to sleep under a chair and the other was on top of the chair. All the chair cat had to do was show a paw and the other would try to bat it.
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No, I don’t remember any pets who were sworn enemies.
Just mostly jealous boxers who each believes that they deserve all the attention. If you pay attention to one the other will arrive quickly there after. Thank God I have to hands. To give attention, and they go back a lay down as soon as they have had enough.
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My feral cat that adopted me now has to deal with a large needy puppy… the puppy chased her once and now my poor cat had PTSD… we have a gate to keep the puppy away from the 2nd story… anytime my cat hears her near the stairs she hides… I feel so bad.