Sunday, August 22, 2010

Changing of the cats

When I got back to Japan, Tetsu had about had it with the cats. Oh the messes they made to show their disapproval of the summer arrangements. No mom, and the house was hot. Tetsu did a good job of playing "changing of the cats" (similar to "changing of the guards") but a lot of frustrations got vented during the month..

In review. Velvet lives upstairs in the sewing room since Toi bullies and attacks. If Vel doesn't feel safe he reacts by urinating and defecating on the spot. Poor kitty. Patora has also joined Toi's bullying gang and joins in the taunting so Vel has two adversaries. Toi and Patora have also started attacking Cleo so Cleo joined Vel in the sewing room this summer. (Those two get along.)
(And yes, all animals in my house have been neutered and spayed... I still have aggressive behavior.)

Toi and Patora are also the biggest eaters so if they try to share a meal with any of the other cats (who are slower) then the other cats get cheated out of their food. Toi weights about 13 lbs now... Toi and Patora get fed in the laundry room which Toi doesn't mind but Patora hates. Patora regularly opens up laundry powder boxes and spreads laundry powder around the floor. One of the two cats have learned how to open the dryer (where I store cat food) and the cat food is no longer safe in there... Toi and Patora ate a large portion of the VERY EXPENSIVE cat food that Vel and Cleo have to eat.

Mi and Chip can go in and out as they please. They get along with everybody. Oh and because all these cats have learned how to open doors (sliding and lever door handles) we have rigged a nail and cord arrangement on the laundry room and sewing room. When one or two cats go into this room then one or two cats come out of that one. Yep, "changing of the cats" in the Watanabe home.

Back to the messes. Remember at the beginning of July when Tetsu re-carpeted my sewing room? Tetsu came home one day to find that Vel and Cleo had eaten the carpet! Those are heavy rubberized carpet tiles but that didn't sway two frustrated felines. The carpet in front of the door is now in shreds...

Right now Vel in enjoying sitting in the yard on a leash. NOBODY can bother him there. And many of the other cats are very happy in Tetsu's cool (as in temperature) cat house. I bought up a supply of Feliway (cat pheromones) and I'm hoping that will kick in and calm a few cat nerves. 6 indoor cats are too many. (But I love them all.)

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