Friendship Gone Sour

Dear Greyce, We are handsome cats, Taro (age 3) and Yoshi (age 4), and have been together splendidly for three years.


Yoshi is a cuddler who is initially fearful of human visitors but soon becomes friends as long as children are not involved. He prefurrs to be up high on his favourite cat tree.


I have more leadership skills. I’m not a lap cat – though I love to be petted. I’m a man of action; I initiate our mutual play (though he is the first to stop). I prefurr to be closer to the ground and underneath things; height is not my thing. For example, I like to nap underneath the table or inside cardboard boxes.

Yoshi is much more playful when I am not around. For example, I hide from the dreaded vacuum cleaner and he doesn’t. Instead he takes the opportunity to find his spring toy and chase it!


I like attention from Themselves and tell them when it is time to play with me. And if I see them giving Yoshi attention, I will stop what I’m doing and encourage them to attend to me.


Basically, Greyce, things have gone well between us.


We Got Along Well Until . . .

Design Ideas Help Cats Become Friends Again

Dear Greyce, Remember us? The Tonkinese who started to fight after seeing an invading cat (Tonkinese in Trouble - August 5, 2010)? Well we took your advice and it worked!

Within day of the dreaded incident, we had gotten to the point of being fine together – sleeping together, grooming each other, eating together - as long as we were not near the scene of the crime. Then you suggested that we get desensitized to that area.

Tiggy's Trial

Dear Greyce,

I am an almost-two-year old, female tortoiseshell who has lived in a one-bedroom apartment in the city since I was six months old. I shared my home with an elder feline (eight-year-old male) named Oli who stayed with us for a year before returning to his purrsons. The day before he left, a hooligan named Nala joined the household. She is a feisty, three-year-old female. Since then my life has been hell.


For a few days, Nala lived in the bathroom. When she returned from visiting the vet, she was given the bedroom and I had the rest of the place. Themselves installed a screen door at the entrance to the bedroom; it was used when they were at home to help us two cats to get used to the sight of one another. But it was too much for me. I was terrified when I saw Nala and so I hid behind the TV cabinet for hours even when the door was shut!

Is Nala A Nuisance?

Dear Greyce,

I am a healthy three-year-old, female tabby who is feisty, playful and curious – what you call a high-energy girl who just loves to tear around. I like to wrap a plastic dry cleaning bag around my cat tree and then attack it with my whole body; sometimes I just run around the house with it in my mouth; but my folks take it away from me when they are not around. Sorry . . . I get so excited about play that I forget the purpose of writing you in the first place! So let me get back to telling you about my situation.

While I have a tattoo by which my identity and household can be traced, none of my former humans in the several households in which I’ve resided wishes to have me back. And now I have joined a new home (one-bedroom apartment in the city, actually) after living as a stray.

Getting Used to Someone New

Dear Greyce, I am a beautiful, six-year-old female Ragdoll. I prefurr not to be touched by most people (though I do enjoy a morning massage from Herself). I fear loud noises (like when our roof was re-shingled) and get upset by changes in my routine. I used to live with an older cat (who was bossy especially when it came to food) but she is no longer here.


My Lovely Life: For a time, I had the house to myself. It has an open concept design (meaning that there are very few fully separated spaces, especially on the main floor). It has three floors: an upstairs where there are bedrooms, a main floor and a basement which houses my two litter boxes. On the main floor there is a kitchen, family room, dining room, living room and office which has a glass French door.


My routine revolves around my two favourite spots. During the day, I spent a lot of time in my first favourite spot: on the floor in the living room under the window between two potted plants. A cat tree used to be there but I no longer use it so it was moved upstairs (but I don’t use it there, either). When Herself goes upstairs in the evening, I follow her to my absolutely favourite space: her bedroom - and I jump on the bed. I don’t have access to this room during the day because Herself doesn’t want me to isolate myself which I am prone to do. In the morning, she gives me a long face, ear and tummy rub; I really like this time together. And if she has an afternoon nap, I get to join her again!


I don’t remember the last time I played on my own. Recently Herself bought Da Bird (a fishing-pole type toy with feather at the end) and I love it. We have a great time playing together.


So Greyce, I had my routine and everything in order and then another cat arrived!

Tonkinese in Trouble

Dear Greyce, We are two-year-old Tonkinese brothers named Zeus and Ukko. Usually we are incredibly affectionate with each other (though Zeus is more the alpha cat). We were fine until two nights ago when a strange cat entered our backyard and came up to the screen door where we were sitting. We started hissing, growling and attacking at each other.


Ukko has been the main aggressor so he is now confined to a spare bedroom. It’s really hard on him because he likes to be out with everyone; but he keeps on attacking me (Zeus) whenever I get near him.

We both love being with our humans. And we used to love being with each other.

How can we reconcile? I've read that this could take months. Does that mean Ukko has to be locked away for months? We are dismayed! Zeus & Ukko

Introductory Disaster

Dear Greyce, I am a 14 years old Burmese-cross and managed to tolerate another of my species in my home until she died last year. All was going well until Herself returned from a trip - with another cat!  I was furious! I gave Herself the cold shoulder for several days.

When I finally consented to acknowledge Herself, she rewarded me by letting the intruder out of her separate room on a leash. You’d think the hooligan would be grateful but instead she attacked me. Himself pulled her off me and took her back to her room. I ran under the bed of my room.

Since then, I have not been feeling my best and I haven’t used the cat litter. Will this nightmare ever end?

You’d think they’d get the message but over the past two weeks they have persisted. They continue to bring this intruder out on a leash. We hiss and then I retreat to my room. To add insult to injury they have given her a name similar to mine: Lola.

Wait for it Greyce, it gets worse: Last night they decided to let the hooligan out without her leash. She pounced on me hard. They broke it up. Again I hid under the bed.

Believe me Greyce since that pest came into my home, I have been feeling unwell. While I’m youthful for a senior, I do have problems with my kidneys and my urinary tract and thus have days when I am not feeling my best. Did I mention that the intruder is a two year old Bengal? To add to the problem, they really don’t want to give this hooligan back though to their credit, they are afraid that I may not defend myself and will end up badly hurt. Why me, Greyce?

What are our chances of making this work? Lula