# And two cats who can't abide one another shall lie down together... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076 "2010-02-23T03:00:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/1 "2010-02-23T03:00:40Z")
Six years ago, an enormous orange kitty showed up in our backyard. Within a few weeks, it was apparent that he really was a stray, and it came to be that the enormous orange kitty (named Julian by my son) became part of our household. Our then-12-year-old teeny-weeny gray tabby female, Miranda, was NOT amused. Julian, a young guy, thought she was a toy. She dashed away from him; he chased. There was much hissing and spitting on her part. It took a long time, but they eventually arrived at food bowl détente, but, otherwise, she couldn’t stand to be around him. Miranda was never a cuddly kitty. Physical contact was on her terms alone. She hated being petted. If she felt like attention, she demanded it with head-butting. And if you responded to the head-butting by trying to pet her, you were likely to be rewarded by a chomp or a swat. As she has aged, she’s undergone a personality shift. She’s become a very insistent lap kitty. And she’s slowly shifted from finding Julian to be her nemesis to considering him to be an annoying pain in the ass. She’s now 18, and this very evening, Julian was behaving like a total jerk and chasing her every time she moved. So imagine my utter astonishment to see [this](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m81/fwhited/IMG_4851.jpg). Julian had curled up on the sofa, and then Miranda jump up and curled up beside him. An 18-year-old cat is on her ninth life, I reckon. If she can spend it choosing to curl up with the bad boy when she feels like it, and choosing to smack him on the snoot when she feels like it, I say,“You go, girl!” ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/2 "2010-02-23T03:39:59Z")
My god, the alpha-jerk paradigm even applies to kitties. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/3 "2010-02-23T03:41:36Z")
That’s pretty frakkin cute. I must be the first to say: SQUEEEEEEEE! Get her a plug-in pet warmer pad. Cats her age become heat-seeking missiles. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/4 "2010-02-23T03:58:18Z")
> [@SeaDragonTattoo](#): > > Get her a plug-in pet warmer pad. Cats her age become heat-seeking missiles. Is that what it is? Because our Rick (18 in April) has just in the last year started being a lap cat. Julian and Miranda – sounds like a romantic couple in one of those British movies, except yours are cuter. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/5 "2010-02-23T04:34:30Z")
Watch them both rather closely. They may know something about each other before you do, and it may not be a good feeling. Just sayin’ … ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/6 "2010-02-23T10:24:13Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > So imagine my utter astonishment to see [this](http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m81/fwhited/IMG_4851.jpg). Julian had curled up on the sofa, and then Miranda jump up and curled up beside him. That’s adorable. Why did I not get any pictures of Miranda for my [Doper cat video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSY7Ub1yj_8)? There’s one of Julian in there, but no Miranda. I thought maybe I had one but didn’t use it, and was going to kick myself silly, but I still have all the original pictures I downloaded from people so I checked my folders, and I don’t even have a picture of Miranda. That’s too bad. Duckster, what do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/7 "2010-02-23T10:31:04Z")
> [@AuntiePam](#): > > Is that what it is? Because our Rick (18 in April) has just in the last year started being a lap cat. > > 🙂 Old kitty joints and old kitty bones like the warmth. Plus they’re usually a bit thinner than they were when younger and don’t have the extra fat padding to curl up with. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/8 "2010-02-23T13:04:03Z")
Wow. That sounds exactly like what we’ve got going on right now… The female’s a 10 year old tortoiseshell (see: ‘tortitude’), and the male’s a young stray-turned-housecat… who is mostly white. We jokingly call the ceiling cat/basement cat situation. Hope our basement cat can realize the error of her ways before its too late… XD Grats on the reconciliation of your duo, though! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/9 "2010-02-23T16:56:59Z")
Our two tortoiseshell divas only get close enough to touch when one of them jumps up and settles without noticing the other. It’s pretty funny when they do this (the “noticing” is the funny part). “La la la, I think I’ll just curl up here and have a nice napAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?” If our two cats start cuddling suddenly, **Duckster** , I’ll know something’s up, alright. ☹ ETA: I like the look on Julian’s face - “Ooookay, this is alright so far - when does the hitting start again?” ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/10 "2010-02-23T16:59:16Z")
Wow, she’s become a… cougar? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/11 "2010-02-23T20:16:08Z")
Whoa… six years? So there’s still hope for Tikva and Mystery after all. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/12 "2010-02-23T20:38:54Z")
Mine fight 90% of the time…then do [this](http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4003/4383117794_c25b120e9b_b.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![susan\_foster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@susan\_foster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan_foster)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/13 "2010-02-23T21:48:19Z")
My two’s ratios are at about 5-10% fighting, 10% next to/on top of each other (multiple pics of the two headed cat, since they are both grey tabbies - will see about getting them linked in a later post), and the rest of the time curled up near each other. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/14 "2010-02-23T23:24:48Z")
**Duckster** , believe it or not, that thought crossed my mind. :eek: **Equipoise** , I call Miranda the gray ghost. She’s either curled up in a tight little ball or skulking/streaking from room to room, bless her heart. (Dang, somewhere there’s a gorgeous photo of her that my brother took of her when she was a sweet young thing. I’ll have to find that.) Things seem back to “normal” (i.e., hatin’ on each other) tonight, BTW. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![ProudlyDefiant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@ProudlyDefiant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ProudlyDefiant)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/15 "2010-02-24T03:34:43Z")
[My](http://www.flickr.com/photos/37909179@N02/4384021064/) [tortie](http://www.flickr.com/photos/37909179@N02/4384020724/in/photostream/), [Cobweb](http://www.flickr.com/photos/37909179@N02/4383259545/in/photostream/), is nearly two years old. When I adopted her, she was a year old and had been in a shelter since she was 12 weeks old… no one wanted the poor thing. She’s not a cat you can pick up and cuddle with; she runs, and if she consents to being picked up, it lasts 30 seconds and then you better put her down. She will, however, frequently curl up beside me on the couch, especially if I am lying down. She likes the space behind my knees. Three weeks ago I adopted a [4-month old](http://www.flickr.com/photos/37909179@N02/4384021914/in/photostream/) [cream](http://www.flickr.com/photos/37909179@N02/4384021626/in/photostream/) [tabby](http://www.flickr.com/photos/37909179@N02/4384022138/in/photostream/). Upon introduction, he strolled right up to Cobweb and touched noses (hence, he is Romeo). Cobweb didn’t know what to make of that! She doesn’t mind his presence except when he wants to play. He’s still a kitten and wants to wrestle and pounce, and she growls and hisses whenever he tries to play with her. They will snuggle up to me together, Cobweb at my knees and Romeo usually draped across me in some uncomfortable configuration (he’s very affectionate). And I have come home from work to catch them both in the armchair. I worry that Romeo is stressing Cobweb out, but she’s never been a very interactive cat and she’s not showing any symptoms of stress… never misses the litterbox, still has a healthy appetite. I figure he’ll grow out of the go-go-go energy eventually and things will be better. In the meantime nobody’s getting hurt and Cobweb’s actually getting some much needed exercise putting up with the kitten. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/16 "2010-02-24T04:10:24Z")
Since, hey, any excuse to post pictures of the ladies, here are my pests - [Feather, my little fatso,](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Family/HPIM5631.jpg) and [Max, Queen of All She Surveys.](http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s142/featherlou/Family/HPIM5524.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/17 "2010-02-24T04:39:48Z")
> [@ProudlyDefiant](#): > > I worry that Romeo is stressing Cobweb out, but she’s never been a very interactive cat and she’s not showing any symptoms of stress… never misses the litterbox, still has a healthy appetite. Aww, Romeo looks like my late buff tabby Mocha did at that age 🙂 Unless Cobweb is very clumsy, or Romeo very agile for a young kitten, I wouldn’t worry too much about him stressing her out. Big cats tend to put themselves out of reach of kittens if they’re making too much of a pain of themselves. She probably has perches out of his reach that you don’t see when you’re not home. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/18 "2010-02-24T14:18:43Z")
Kitties!!!11!!! [Lilly in a patch of sunshine.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMLkFb6y4A8) ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/19 "2010-02-24T17:16:33Z")
I’ve got similar dynamic with my 17 1/2 year old cat and our dog. The cat barely tolerates the dog, but lately I’ve caught them cuddling on our bed together. [Photo and Video Storage | Photobucket](http://s203.photobucket.com/albums/aa246/LeahandPhil/The%20Pets/?action=view¤t=P1185908.jpg&newest=1) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076/20 "2010-02-24T19:38:44Z")
> [@Shirley\_Ujest](#): > > Kitties!!!11!!! > > [Lilly in a patch of sunshine.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMLkFb6y4A8) Funny, I didn’t see your cat in amongst the cocktail-making machine. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/and-two-cats-who-cant-abide-one-another-shall-lie-down-together/530076.md?page=2)