A message to you, Rudi...

[mainecoonpeg]

I know you're very busy JoMax, but I want to thank you for these new photos and captions that made me chuckle.

Isn't it amazing how hot weather produces kitties who suddenly become more tolerant of one another.

Eppie and Rudi look amazing!
Hoping for an Otto photo soon.

Happy 50th to bf!!!

[bug]

if that's an accident, it sure is a nice one.

[August]

Hey, JoMax!  It's good to see you!  I'm glad you're doing well and look at your kitties!  Everything looks like it's working out great - even if it's due to heat exhaustion LOL!

I hope the 50 party was a smash!  Congratulations to your boyfriend!

[lesliek]

Bet you never thought you'd see them that close ! Hope your heat spell breaks soon & things calm down with work. And a Happy 50th to BF !

[catbird]

Even if they are zonked from the heat, this shows that they do have some trust in each other.  Great photos!

[JJ]

Nice they have gotten closer in this short time. Luv the rug they are (not touching, didn't notice you) laying on.

[tesla]

Great photos, love that they are getting along!

[JoMax]

Well, time for an update?  Still not all settled between Rudi & Otto - Eppie is OK cos she hisses if he oversteps the mark but Otto just gets frightened if Rudi's too close and goes submissive then runs away.
Vet now has both boys on Zylkene and they're bit more relaxed (tho my bank a/c isnt, month's supply cost £40) but I just wish Otto would bop him one sometimes.  He doesnt do anything openly aggressive like hitting out or growling etc, just sits in a dominating place & stares like he owns it all.

Vet also suggested I needed to give them more space (resisted telling her about August's kitty set-up!), separate feeding totally (already do) and get Otto an igloo so he can hide away safely, and provide more distractions for them.  This was what happened when I put igloo next too his fav sleeping place, came back later to move furniture ready to clean the room and found:


Distraction proved more successful - I got a multi-level tower and Rudi thinks it's brilliant,
(this is taken looking into the room from outside, reflections are houses opposite!)


spends lots of his time there - think it adds to his dominating  the room sense - strangely the others ignore him when he's up there - so it's as if the worry is about specifics rather than his presence per se.

[merrihart]

aw, he loves his twee   That's wonderful that he now has a spot that is his.

[bug]

Yeah, Mia has this look that gets Pip doing whatever she wants.

Mia: "Hey Pip, I see you're sitting under the Christmas tree. That's MY spot"

Pip: "Uh, OK Mia. Sorry" (gets up and walks away).

There's always an alpha cat. I like to think it's me but I've been proven wrong time and again. I'm glad he's found a happy place and the others can now be less dominated over.

[catwoods]

Sounds like there's some progress. Great photos of Rudi, they both show him off - I really like the one with the reflection in it.

[catbird]

I love the reflection picture of Rudi!  They are both such handsome boys.  I guess you have to get two igloos so that Otto can actually use one of them.  As long as Otto seems to feel OK most of the time, perhaps a balance that has been achieved.

I think dominance situations are very common.  My cats all have their own "territories" within the house, and woe be unto another cat who ventures into the area another one has claimed as her own.  (Oddly, the boycat, Linley, doesn't get very defensive.  He accepts the girls but they hate him.)  Isis is and always has been my "scaredy cat", and gets chased by others, but she's the one who is mostly on top of the cat tree, where I guess she feels safe.