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Old July 10th, 2005, 06:30 PM
James Brody James Brody is offline
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Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Philadelphia area
Posts: 1,143
Default Estrogen Wars: Daisy Mae Backs Down But Wins

Max and I shared my house for 18 months but my recent consulting meant extra hours alone for him. I decided that he needed a buddy and a friend offered her female calico, Daisy Mae.

Max reacted such that I protected the invader in a spare room. He growled when he passed her door. He growled at me for several days if he bothered to speak at all. (This cat used to spend most of my free time on my desk wrapped in a curtain or wedged between me and the back of the couch where I napped.

I eventually put him in a cage, put the cage in her room, shut the door on them, and left the house. He was more respectful when I returned several hours and let him out. I next swapped rooms for them as if each cat were a numbered tile in one of those kids' games where you slide the blocks around until you achieve a particular sequence. Growling faded like an extinction curve for Pavlov's dog spit.

Finally, I put them in the same room and watch for blood. None appeared. Max rushed over, spit, and growled but Daisy sat perfectly erect and still. He soon stomped off but circled back to make another broadcast if she moved. She slowly increased her range of movement while ignoring him.

At one stage, he growled deeply but licked her forehead at the same time. Max is neutered and she is spayed but she drugged him when he sniffed her posterior. (I was reminded of Kevin Costner and a waitress in his only decent movie, perhaps because he plays indecency so well and his one talent, therefore, finds him obscurity! The upsetting aspect of Costner's acting like Max was that his kid watched through a window blind and later wanted an explanation. Costner responded along the lines of "You'll understand when you're older." Someone please mention these effects to Galaxo or Pfizer!)

Daisy became more assertive: when Max stomped away, she let him get a five-foot lead and launched herself over his rear quarters from his right and ran past him at top speed on his left. She also, at this point, shared his snack dish in the morning but without hearing his complaints and threats.

As of one month, Daisy rules by letting him think he's head cat: she never once used a growl, claw, or fang. I use more litter and more little cans and bags of dry food. (Egad, that woman eats!) I've also lost my bedtime and nap pal but I expect practical cats: they'll love me more in winter when I'm the significant heat in the room.

Copyright, James Brody, 2005, all rights reserved.
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