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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

I never realised cats could be such ‘friends’

37 replies

BigmouseLittlehouse · 04/11/2019 20:14

I hate ‘humanising’ animals, but my two cats - now over a year old - really do seem to have a very close bond. They still sleep together all the time, groom each other, eat together, I even see them from the window out and about roaming together. When one of the meows ( both vocal breeds) the other jumps up and goes to find them.

It’s quite touching to see - particularly as if always very much thought of cats as only really tolerating other cats.

I hope it last!

Sorry just random kitty musing ....

OP posts:
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Gingerkittykat · 04/11/2019 20:18

You're lucky, one of mine wants to be friends but the other just tolerates him and no more.

1984isnow · 04/11/2019 20:42

It's so sweet to watch how they interract.

I have 3, all adopted at different times. Girl 1 and boy cat clicked almost instantly, grooming and playing. They randomly yowl at each other, which means they're about to start zooming around after each other. It's so interesting watching them play, how they 'know' when the other is about to jump or run off (saddo)

Boy cat also went through a phase of waking up in the night wailing, then climbing into bed with the girl, like a child waking up from a nightmareGrin

Girl 2 just about tolerates them, and doesn't seem to like any cats, but she used to be 'mates' with an old boy that used to visit the garden. They would wait for each other by a gap at the back every day, and just roam together or lie in the sun.

Toddlerteaplease · 04/11/2019 20:44

Our teenage hood cat had a best friend from down the road called Oscar. They slept together and groomed each other. If we couldn't find Pepper he was usually to be found at Oscars house!

Toddlerteaplease · 04/11/2019 20:45

Snorg and Cheddar are not 'friends' but they will sit near each other. And Snorg is extremely protective of her.

Bunnybigears · 04/11/2019 20:52

My cats tolerate each other but if one gets stuck in a cupboard or some other such cat calamity and let's out the right kind of 'oh shit help me!' meow the other two always come running to offer assistance (or maybe just laugh I'm never sure which)

ShootTheRunner · 04/11/2019 20:57

Our girl cat has been in love with one of our boys since we got her. He put up a half arsed fight but he's just as bad now - I caught them properly cuddling the other day, they were lying down and he had his arms (well, legs) round her 😻

saraclara · 04/11/2019 21:09

Our neighbours cat, mojo, used to call round to play with our Jack every evening. He'd come through the cat flap, look around the house for Jack, then they'd both come into the living room together. Jack would go behind the living room patio door curtains, and then they'd start their game. Mojo would pat the curtains and Jack would pat back from behind them. The game would get more involved and more vigorous as mojo pasted higher and higher to try to fool Jack.

They played that every night for at least a year. Then they'd curl up on the sofa for a while before mojo decided it was time to go home.

I've had cats all my life (I'm in my 60s) but never saw a relationship like that before or since.

HeatedDryer · 04/11/2019 21:15

I wish mine were friends, they rub along OK but I think they are just used to each other. We rescued them as a pair bit they're not related. I love them both dearly of course, and they have such different personalities, but honestly if one disappeared off the face of the earth right now, I don't think the other one would care!

HeatedDryer · 04/11/2019 21:16

saraclara aw that's so sweet💕

BigmouseLittlehouse · 04/11/2019 21:28

Such funny creatures cats!

Guess that’s the thing you never know if they will rub among or not.

My childhood cat ( hand reared from 4 weeks after being abandoned by her feral mother) most certainly did not like any other animal! Tbh she wasn’t overly fond of humans. We did have two terriers which we got after her and the male just loved her. In 10 years he never learnt that when he gave her a lick of a muzzle he’d get a swipeGrin. Weirdly the last year of her life she started sleeping with him - guess persistence paid off Smile

OP posts:
LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 04/11/2019 21:31

A cat thread and no kitty shots? Shame on you!

ASqueakingInTheShrubbery · 04/11/2019 21:38

One of my old cats had a mate who lived down the road. He'd call for Squirt by knocking on his cat flap, and Squirt would go out to play. For a while Squirt would come to play at our house from time to time, but once he was mean to my new kitten and my big fluffly one never let him into the house again.

SlothRunner · 04/11/2019 21:39

When ever i come back from the vet with one of the cats, the other one always rushes over to the carrier and lets out little chirps ☺️ When one was groggy from GA and was just sleeping in the carrier the other one was quite concerned and kept peeping in and making sure she was ok. They are both rescues that we got a year apart but do get on well.

eurochick · 04/11/2019 22:10

We have two sister kittens. They love each other. Here they are sleeping snuggled up together.

I never realised cats could be such ‘friends’
LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 04/11/2019 22:23

Thank you 😻

TrainspottingWelsh · 04/11/2019 23:00

One of mine is very sociable, she genuinely loves other cats. Her early friend is now very elderly and doesn't go further than it's garden, but she still calls round and sits with it. Another friend moved. Current playmate lives nearby, they call for each other, play, and sunbathe together.

Another is an ex colony queen, so she's very tolerant of all other cats. But very different with our cats, she insists on doing nose bumps with them if she's not seen them for more than five minutes, and is obviously distressed if either of the other two are in anyway off. Doesn't ever play with toys, prey or other cats, but has hunted and brought gifts for the other two the odd time they've been off colour. Not at all territorial and doesn't fight, but has gone to the defence of the other two.

The old man hates all males, doesn't like anything on his territory or in his space and tolerates the girls. He probably thinks he'd prefer it if they weren't here, because nobody has told him that sooner or later a younger male isn't going to back down to his posturing alone and he's going to need the girls as back up.

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 04/11/2019 23:43

I've only ever had one pair of cats that were really bonded. They were inseparable and always slept curled up together. When the grey tabby died aged 17, Monty (pale ginger) used to wail at night for him. He managed to keep going until he was 20 but was never quite the same after his brother went.

A few typical pictures enclosed.

I never realised cats could be such ‘friends’
I never realised cats could be such ‘friends’
I never realised cats could be such ‘friends’
Sparklfairy · 04/11/2019 23:47

My cat and dog were best friends. Would play and sleep together and cat would groom dog. Dog passed away and I moved out, leaving cat stuck with DM. She's turned into a totally different cat loving the one on one human attention and more cuddly than she's ever been.

It's backfired a bit on me though, I'm currently looking after her while DM is away. She woke me this morning pawing at my face telling me to get up. There was no escape. Id had 4 hours sleep Hmm

Later when she was fast asleep and looking a little too comfortable I tried to get revenge by irritating her back and gently poking her face. She opened one eye, closed it again and ignored me completely.

Twat

AutumnRose1 · 04/11/2019 23:49

“ When the grey tabby died aged 17, Monty (pale ginger) used to wail at night for him.”

Oh no, I’m crying now.

OP I need cheer up pics immediately! I have to say, most pairs of cats I know tend to be a bit “meh” about each other.

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 04/11/2019 23:51

Yoga cat? Not mine but this always cheers up.

I never realised cats could be such ‘friends’
I never realised cats could be such ‘friends’
Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 05/11/2019 00:05

Basil and Sybil aren't bonded, they happily rub along with each other but I suspect neither of them would even notice when one of them goes. However when my previous two were still around they seemed to act as a magnet for Basil and Sybil and it wasn't unusual to have a pile of four cats Grin.

AutumnRose1 · 05/11/2019 00:28

Yoga cat is supuuuurrrbb (sorry)

Now I want a pile of cats!

LordProfFekkoThePenguinPhD · 05/11/2019 07:35

Yoga cat is, I believe, Japanese and has quite a social media following. I’ll need to have a dig as it’s madly cute and yes, it is a real live cat!

DobbyTheHouseElk · 05/11/2019 07:40

Snorecat had a BBF. He lived next door. They would call for each other in the morning and run off to spend the day together. They were always together it was so lovely to watch. When we first adopted SnoreCat NDN cat welcomed him and showed him all the short cuts through hedges into gardens and how to get back home again.

Sadly he died very suddenly and unexpectedly. I knew where he was because SnoreCat was guarding over him 😿. He misses him terribly and keeps walking into NDN house checking he hasn’t come back.

stucknoue · 05/11/2019 07:45

My fil boy cat hangs out with the dogs, sleeping in the bed with them whereas girl cat ignores boy cat and spits at the dogs. They (the cats) and litter mates so you would think they would be close but no