This morning Bugsy ate a little. Fang choked down his pill. Eventually. DING!
The boys are on the move. Fight-fans, this new kid’s paw-work owes it all to Muhammed Ali. Bugs isn’t buying it. He’s got Fang on the ropes. No – Fang wriggles free! Bugs stalks off to his corner. Fang runs around.
Repeat I don’t know how many times.
Here’s Bugs on Fang’s scratcher in Base Camp. Hard to get him to hold still for the shot, because Fang was prowling the other room.
Here he’s looking tragically put-upon. With good reason. Shortly after, Fang charged him full-out – you know the move I mean? where the front paws, outstretched to catch the prey in a fearsome clap, are flung out to either side.
Bugs was cool with it!
But not for long. After various thunderings-around, pausing with Bugs raring up in the prairie-dog posture, leaving front paws free for the whap-fest, and Fang bowing to his will –
The boys made full wrestling contact. I ran into Base Camp to find them writhing around in a deadly embrace. I broke things up –
But the match went on into the other room. Bugs had Fang pinned under the credenza. When Fang cried out – with fear? I don’t think with pain – that was a time-out call. Fang back in Base Camp and Bugs back in Fang’s bed.
Where Bugs remains at time of writing. I’m glad to see more life in him today.
But that new bottle of Peacemaker better get here fast, I’m thinking.
Fang is stretched out on my chest at the moment, making writing this post extremely difficult. Will he ever stop wiggling?
Here he is in a rare quiet moment, on the cube again. It seems to be his place to do this.
He’s still biting – got me good a minute ago. But he also licked my hand.
A mouthy boy.
catself 
I FORGOT to mention this–put a few pebbles or coins in a small can, and when the rassling gets out of paw, give it a good shake to startle them. I find this works even better than the squirt bottle.
Great suggestion. I have just the thing, actually. An African rattle made of a gourd and seed-pods. I use it to flush the grackles, during that (appalling) migration through these parts. Scares the guano out of em and trust me, that is one heck of a lot of guano. Oughta be just the ticket for the boys too.
Yep – wild crazy teenager antics. 🙂 We are fostering an 11 month old male kitten right now. What we discovered is that the 5 minute time out works well. Martin gets over excited and mom shuts him in the bathroom for 5 minutes. When he gets “released” he may not know what he did, but he seems a little sorry….sorta. But it is enough to flip the switch in his brain back to calm.
This is great. Sort of like a re-boot. I might need one of those myself.
SOOSOSSOSOSSSOOOOO glad to learn Fangie and Bugs are getting along so well…haven’t been on the computer for almost two weeks, so this is GREAT news!
How bout that. Can’t wait to catch up.
I think I’d stick with either water or physically breaking them up.
The brief isolation works too, just long enough to let the adrenalin to pass.
But nothing that might be scary, since you don’t want to add to the total anxiety of the situation.
Nor cause them to associate scariness to the other guy.
Thankful to see this now, Laowolf, even at this late unspammed date — a light touch is called-for, with these sensitive and imaginative beings, isn’t it so. Gosh. I love cats. (I can say that now, t’other side of the mountain so to speak.)
I call that meow “Crying Uncle”. It tends to result in the top cat letting go so they can relax, or start over. I find that if you imitate it, it works if they are sticking you with something sharp in play.
My human does the same thing – a meow/squeak – when I get a little wild and hurt her, and it startles me so much that I immediately start giving her a little cat bath. I highly recommend it for the Bean.
Good stuff, guys. Thanks! (I wanna bath, Pedro. Come over?)
I usually clap my hands or, stomp on the ground when Suki & Hiro are wrestling, and things seem to go too far, It works fine for them. It startles them, especially if one of them is holding the other in a deadly embrace, and bunny kicking the other one in the head.
I’m sure the wrestling will continue for a few days. 😮
But hey, no hissing, blood or growling. 😉
Had to laugh (ruefully) at that bunny-kick to the head bit. Really conveys the ferocity of it all.
Sometimes I’m not sure whether I have cats or bunnies in the house. 😉
SNORT! I so know what you mean.
Coins or pebbles in a can is a great idea. And that cry was probably a cry uncle cry. No blood, lots of chasing, wrestling, all expected. I know it’s nerve wracking while you’re in it, but before long you’ll have two playful boys romping together and it’ll be great for all of you!
Bugsy looks healthy enough, but if he’s truely not eating much, is there something you can tempt him with? Something he loves? Tuna? Treats? I know the boys are sharing treats, that might be why he’s off his regular feed? As long as he’s not losing weight, he’s probably ok, maybe even trying to make you feel guilty, dont let it ok? You’re doing great, and they’re doing so well with sorting each other out!
It is nerve-wracking, Andrea, for me and for Bugs too, I think. I am really hoping that’s what’s “bugging” him, and not some foreign-species real-bug. I just fed him chicken baby-food and he ate that right down and then went to sleep — so maybe it’s nerves? May it be nerves, please, let us pray together.
When Harley gets to relentless with me, he gets put into “time out.” It only lasts for a few minutes, just enough for him to stop focusing on chasing me all around!
Sounds good! Hope I remember to try it.
Ditto what everyone else said. 😀 It’s going to be OK – they just need to work out a few things. If it seems too intense for you, the best thing to do is get Fangie back in Base Camp and give everyone some time to unwind. I still get sent to my “Base Camp” Bathroom when I get too rowdy with Kitty… Granted, I do outweigh her by 12 lbs…
Oh Pedro that is some handicap! Course she has it all over you in (anti)disposition, does she not.
I know that deep, down inside Kitty really loves me, at least when she remembers who I am… Humans make horrible matchmakers, and my human was insane if she thought Kitty and I would ever be best friends. Who brings home a GIANT, clawed, young, rowdy cuddle-bunny of a cat as a companion for their geriatric, frail, declawed, teeny-tiny cat??? Bugs and Fangie are much more suitable for each other, and I think that’s going to make life a whole lot easier for you!
And, no, he will never stop wiggling.
You got that right.
A sharp hiss gets their attention. Btw, your comment today at our blog was purrfection and I’d like to add you to our blogroll.
I am totally, totally honored. Wonderful!
purrs 🙂