Strange Machines

Last night Wolf was fussy from 11pm-midnight. It is almost as if he knows his bedtime is midnight, so don’t try to con me, Mommy. After 2 failed attempts to put him to bed, third time was a charm after feeding extensively on both boobs.

He woke at 5am, fed extensively from both again and fell asleep quickly after a diaper change, burp, and a hug from Mom. I couldn’t sleep. Mind buzzing about work stuff. Finally I fell asleep close to 8 and had a strange but telling dream.

Wolf cried to be fed again at 8.30am and he ate and dozed till 9.30am. His Dad put him to bed then and us parents got up to have breakfast. I worked on my site while he studied a little.

Meanwhile, I decided bibs are better than milk towels for better absorption per square centimeter. They smell less bad too. This comes from someone who washes them daily, even soaking them in Dynamo and boiling water the night before. It just makes them smell like boiled milk.

He cried again at 10.30am, suckled a little but preferred to be entertained by an adoring Mom and Dad who sang and danced to him along to Allan Sherman’s comedy ditties. He laughed so much – we were so delighted. I brought him to his gym (he burped spontaneously en route) and he played a bit before getting fussy. His Dad carried him and he dozed almost immediately.

Kaku came to visit me in the loo! I petted her happily and told her I missed her. How was she, I asked. She meowed in return. Her tail section looked like it’d grown back some. Sam took his turn too and then scurried off. Back at my computer, Boy is dozing contentedly on his new fave spot – the coloured mat that I use to cover the wires. I am so happy things are getting back to normal.

Wolf just fed and is napping on my lap now. We best get dressed soon for lunch.

Last night Wolf slept from 1230-530am (5 hours) and 620-950am (3.5 hours)! The night before, he slept from 1230-530am, woke again at 830am and again at 1115am. I think his sleep cycle may be stabilising. Oddly enough, he’s been napping in the day too (like right now, with Boy napping just beside him) and yesterday evening from 630-930pm.

This morning, he fed, got a diaper change, and I played him his favourite Mozart CD and he began cooing. After I fed the kids, put in the laundry, and made breakfast, I sat and talked to him. He was so delighted, smiling and cooing. He even laughed ‘Hahaha’ at one point!

Finally at 11am, when I put him down in his stroller to go hang out the laundry, I was so surprised not to hear any crying at all. I returned to find him napping! Boy came to nap beside him too on his gym mat. Tux just walked past, looked at the pair rather amusedly and walked to the kitchen.

Finally having put Wolf down on his stroller for a nap, I found Boy napping on my work chair. I pondered if it would be a good time to trim his claws. So I sat beside him and began trimming and also petting his head. Shocked that he actually allowed me to finish one paw, I got greedy. Usually he only allows two, three trims at most.

I carried him and began on the other claw, amid soothing words and ear scratches. The poor boy had mangled his ears again but the tummy bites were now healing. He had two claws that had a lot of overgrown and I wanted to redo those, but that was the limit of his patience. He leapt off but followed me to the kitchen. I soothed him and petted him and then returned to the computer.

Interestingly enough, while I was away, one of the other cats (no prizes for guessing who) had marked his couch head. He had been avoiding it since I returned and a quick sniff confirmed my suspicions. Last Friday I got it washed with white vinegar (to kill off any markings). Lo and behold, today I saw him leap up to his couch head toward his favourite spot, but alas, the cushion was still drying… I’ll try to get it fixed tonight when his Dad comes home.

After reading quite a bit online today about multicat family conflicts, I have learnt much.

This evening, all were well-behaved till close to supper time. Tux sat on the couch head in the living room with me and had a nap. Buffy on the floor although she ran in and out of the room. Boy remained on his chair next to the shoe cabinet and took a nap. Sam walked in and out without disturbing him at all.

At one point, he leapt up to lie with Tux but Tux wasn’t in the mood. He left Sam there and went to lie on the floor. Could that be the problem? Rejection from the object of his affection? Shortly after, the movie ended and I turned off the TV and started packing up. All the cats came into the living room then and I called to Kaku while Boy jumped off his chair and wandered near the door.

Sam didn’t hesitate to rub himself against the chair legs and understandably, Boy leapt up again onto the chair. Sam immediately swatted his legs and Boy jumped down. Boy moved into the doorway next to Tux and I walked through to go to the bathroom.

When I returned, Boy leapt to the ledge under my computer table where he likes to rest, probably feeling safer even a few inches off the ground (vertical territory). Sam paused and stared at him briefly as he walked past and then walked away.

Clearly Sam tried to claim Boy’s territory and then remove him from it. It is also possible that rejection from Tux (yes there was something in one of the cat psychology books I read last night about gay cats, although they never engage in sexual activity) caused him to vent his frustration on Boy (or Buffy, which he is doing right now).

Both are possible as I noticed that Tux, especially recently, is usually the one who ends their physical contact, leaving Sam high and dry.

Solutions I discovered online and pieced together:

* I should keep a close eye on their interactions from now on. With new insight, I understand better what is going on.

* I should give Boy more attention, but preferably away from the jealous eyes from Tux, Buffy, and Sam.

* I should give Sam more attention to distract him from his spurned or short-lived and unsatisfactory advances towards Tux.

* I should use a towel and rub Tux, rub Sam, and then rub Boy to mix all their scents up.

* I should bathe all the cats (at least the boys) to mix their scents up.

* Should none of the above work, separate Boy from the rest for a while to give him some peace and quiet.

After a spate of chasing Buffy, he just went up to Boy, sniffed Boy’s nose and then ran off. It is evident it isn’t a perpetual conflict. Just only when he is most likely feeling unloved and unimportant.

Reviewing the evening, Boy makes me smile. While I watched telly and he sat on the chair, he looked at me most lovingly, blinked, and I blinked back. Who says cats are incapable of love has surely never lived with a cat.

This morning it was Sam’s turn to block (from entering the kitchen), swat, and get the better of Boy… twice. Boy just edged into a corner and winced. I felt terrible for Boy but he didn’t hesitate to jump up onto the counter as always to have his breakfast. I have him half a can of Merrick’s and the remainder to the rest. No one bothered him right up to till the end of his meal and he was contently licking his paws when I saw him.

I remember reading somewhere that cats are less territorial when they have sufficient food to go round and don’t have to fight for food. Could this be primarily a breakfast thing? Is that why Boy never comes into the bedroom when I open the door? Perhaps Sam can’t battle Tux (his lover) and Buffy (more aggressive) for territory so he has to vent his frustrations on Boy. He does seem to be very insecure, probably because he lost his natural mother so young.

Why didn’t Boy fight back this morning? It wasn’t that he wasn’t bothered. He was. What made him fight back last night? Confidence or nonchalance? How can I raise his confidence without the rest’s ire? I must study more cat psychology I think. The eternal conundrum of balancing the attention I shower to all the cats (or rather lack of) and giving Boy the confidence he needs to fight for his rights. The solution must be out there.

Kaku attempted a little territory grabbing after breakfast. I suspect Sam stole her food again while she was eating and edged her out. She sat on the bedroom ledge for around 5 minutes, even allowing me to pet her albeit warily, before jumping off. She seems to be gaining confidence these days and I am just so proud that she is not a bully like Sam.