My psycho territorial cat has started allowing a stray to share her food...

Hi folks, quick background...
A friend of mine runs a cattery in the moors inland from me and about 5 years ago (middle of Winter) rang me to say a female tabby had turned up freezing, skinny, with missing fur and would I like her. I fell in love with this unfortunate creature. if only because of her story as I spent 6 months sleeping rough as a 16 year old myself and she was about a year old when she came to my home.

She's as nuts as me, never properly settled and eats her food like she doesn't know where her next is coming from. She often disappears for days then comes back with rat bites, fox bites, and a body full of ticks on occasion, but never needed the vet, just a wipe of her wounds from me (or tweezers for the ticks) then a few safe days hiding in a plastic supermarket bag licking her wounds.
She is psycho territorial for our garden, I've seen her take on 3 male cats and drive them away, she'll also warn me whenever the gate is opened, looking startled at the front door, always correct when I haven't heard anything myself but checked it out after seeing her reaction.

Anyway, I came out of the house last week and I saw a scruffy black and white tail which I didn't recognise next to my cat. The stranger suddenly bolted scared by me, but my cat just carried on eating and I was actually surprised by it. Any other cats even near my garden are chased off or attacked and then watched from the perimeter wall. This cat was sharing her bowl.

I thought it was a one-off at first but remained curious as I can't speak cat and ask her, but the last three days after I've filled the cat bowl this stray cat has turned up at the daily time and my cat has not attacked it for eating her food. The cat arrives after I go inside but runs away terrified as soon as I open the door again.
I can only assume that this scruffy stray has been accepted by my cat for either being such a badass (or even possibly feral?) that she fears it, or she recognises it is pretty skinny and is willing to share her food. The fact that both of them seem comfortable enough to share a bowl at the same time raises different questions in my mind though, cat-alliances?

So, ATS folk, please share your own thoughts on inter-cat friendships and the like, although I could of course look up some cat studies regarding this (and probably shall now) I do like the anecdotal stories. Personally, I thought my crazy cat was programmed to attack other cats...now I'm beginning to think she has some semblance of sympathy for a hard luck story lol.

a reply to: grainofsand\

Is your cat spayed? She might have a boyfriend...

Des

a reply to: Destinyone
Haha yep she was spayed before I got her so probably no boyfriend.
Poor thing was already spayed when she turned up at the cattery but the veterinary surgeon there didn't know this and only found out when he opened her up again, aw, I still remember her unnecessary stitches.

When we brought our tiny Siamese kitten home to our old tomcat. (Whom we rescued from the streets) we kept them separated for a few days. Only giving them a few moments to smell and look at each other. Then finally after a few days of peek a boo we put them together. The Tom went over to the tiny kitten and put his big fat paw on top of her neck holding her down . Then he proceeded to lick her clean from head to toe like he was her mother. They've been together two years now. She is still tiny and he still treats her like she is his baby. She doesn't like the licking so much now and will hiss at him after just a few seconds when he starts in.
She is a tease. She wacks at him over and over each time doing a little jump back because she knows that eventually he's going to hit back. He is very tolerant for the most part but when she persists he will let her know she's being a pain in the butt.


a reply to: grainofsand

Really? He didn't notice the scar? I had to sex a kitten once when the vet at the shelter couldn't find me a male in a litter. I don't hold out much hope for vets who can't figure out basic stuff like that. a reply to: grainofsand

AWWWWW She's got a friend! Maybe a boyfriend? She can't have kittens so she can play all she likes. (and apparently, she likes to play). Good for her!

Cats do funny things like that. We have a recovering feral who pretty much ignored all our other cats. When the three males died, the youngest female started attacking her, so to try to bring some peace into the house, we brought another male cat in, a young one whom we hoped would play with our young female and help distract her/burn off her energy so that poor Pissy Missy (yes, her name; we just call her Missy) would be left alone like she always wanted.

Imagine our surprise when Missy bonds with Teddy Bear, and the two of them become best buds. We now have a 9-year-old cat who never cared about a friend before who plays like kitten with her "boy toy" and they spend most of their time in close proximity. Peeps is the one who gets left alone.

Just sayin'. Be careful.

Yes, that's normal . Its characters. The most popular cats on the block have the most friends and never get beaten up. So it could be that your cat is just charmed by the other cats character. But being territorial is all about food, however its like anyone when they share their food they are just feeling in a generous mood. You must be treating your cat very kindly and now she is changing into a caring and sharing type.

Yes, of course cats have boyfriends and girlfriends. Cats are comfortable in packs. Especially as they get used to this in the family home anyway. So they naturally can adapt to newcomers although at first it might be tough.

I noticed with my cats that they have different characters and it reflects on how they get along with the other street cats outside.

If you don't like this stranger cat coming in then you need to maybe shoo the cat away when you see it.

Cats who are fixed do not have any sexual desires. No desire to play. Mia is is not spayed and whitey the big old Tom is. He shows zero interest in her when she's in heat. But a cat in our neighborhood jumps up on the outside sill to look in our Windows. R reply to: FlyersFan

originally posted by: AutumnWitch657
Cats who are fixed do not have any sexual desires. No desire to play. Mia is is not spayed and whitey the big old Tom is. He shows zero interest in her when she's in heat. But a cat in our neighborhood jumps up on the outside sill to look in our Windows. R reply to: FlyersFan

I don't know about that. My Maine Coon loved to play and he was spayed.

Just saying.

a reply to: AutumnWitch657

I assume you mean no desire for sex play (although even that's not true because I've had a couple of fixed males who try to hump fuzzy things even though all of ours have been fixed).

And all of our cats play.

a reply to: grainofsand
"A cattery in the moors" That is such a delightful phrase. You could write a book with that title and it would be a bestseller, even if you quoted from your phone book. Now we know how the feline controls the human. The Egyptians were smitten by the cat, and since then it has only gotten worse, or should I say better? Why don't you ask your cat?

a reply to: AutumnWitch657
Aw that's a pretty cute story about your Tom cat licking the kitten

...and unfortunately yes, the vet didn't spot the previous 'spay scar' when the cattery took her to him.
My friend explained that he is a rural surgery and does all the work for stray or wild animals free of charge and fits them in as they turn up, she put it down to him just rushing and having a bad day.

a reply to: FreedomEntered
This made me chuckle:

The most popular cats on the block have the most friends and never get beaten up

I hadn't really thought about them having 'friends' before this stray turned up.
I'm a sucker for a hard luck story so put an extra bowl out just now when I got home from work. Stranger cat sloped into the yard, sniffed noses with my cat then they both had a feast.

When they'd finished I gently opened the door and said 'hello cat' softly, but he/she shot out under the gate obviously terrified of me. I'll see how it goes even just fattening it up a bit in the short term with some free food, but if it loses some of the fear and my cat continues to like its company then I won't have any problem having another furry creature join my household.

a reply to: Diderot
Haha, thank you, it is a rather lovely cattery as well, they are primarily a business housing cats while owners are away or whatever, but strays regularly turn up even though they are miles from the nearest village.
My friend suspects that some are just dumped outside by previous owners, but she thinks many poor condition strays turn up after hearing the noise of the other cats and hoping for some help. My Molly had clearly been stray for quite some time when she arrived meowing at the front door in Winter.

They will never turn away any cat, and will find new homes for them after providing safe shelter, arranging any medical treatment, and of course lots of TLC and fattening up.