Bratty Kitty
 

Hey guys, I just wanted to double check that this is normal and okay. you see, Boo is something of a bully. she reminds me very much of a two year old, with the whole 'what's yours is mine and what's mine is mine' attitude. She muscles her way in and takes everything, from treats to food to toys. I have to feed her in the bedroom because she'll leave behind her own bowl and steal Gizmo's food, but she won't allow him to eat her food either. and Gizmo lets her. He just sits back with this long-suffering look while she grabs whatever toy or food he had. I assume this is normal (she'll be 4 months the 5th of january) but should I be doing anything to curb her brattiness? I try to set her up with one toy and play with him (he likes fetch, with either his stick or these shiny foil balls and she prefers solitary play. except for the laser pointer) but the second she sees him with something, it must be hers. I've tried setting her up in the bedroom and closing the door so i can have a few minutes with Gizmo, but she cries as soon as the door is shut and refuses to play until it's opened again. And if I shut me and Gizmo in the bedroom, it's the same thing. she cries to come in until I open the door. I have multiple sticks for Gizmo, and I can get a few minutes if I just keep pulling out a new one every time Boo steals one, but he eventually just gives up on trying for any of them and goes and lays down. Please tell me she'll grow out of this or that there's something I can do to help temper her brattiness!

On the bright side, they do play well together. they seem to love tag, and they'll roll around wrestling and grooming each other and she rarely bitches at him for it anymore. And she's my little snuggle buddy. when play time is over, she loves to come over and climb my leg until I pick her up and get her settled for a nap. and if i'm up and busy, she'll curl up by either gizmo or Remington to sleep. :lovestruck::lovestruck: so cute! I haven't been able to get a pic yet, since she's super curious and the moment I twitch towards the camera she's up and investigating. but it WILL happen one of these days.

Oh I totally have a bratty kitty myself (Carrot, aka Little Lord Fauntleroy). His sense of entitlement seems directly proportional to how cute he thinks he is. He's been this way practically since birth (now 16 months old) and while he has learned some manners in some situations (he no longer barges in to eat my senior kitty's food), for the most part I don't expect he'll change a lot in that department. Some cats are just like that. And some cats are like Gizmo, total pushovers. Carrot's mom falls into that category. If I throw a treat for her and Carrot runs over to steal it, she just lets him. I try not to anthropomorphize too much and as long as nobody gets hurt in the situation, I don't intervene. Feeding time is carefully orchestrated so that Carrot can't run around eating everyone else's food when he's done his, but otherwise I let them all work it out amongst themselves.

That's rather what I suspected with my two. I suppose I just miss play time with Gizmo. Boo loves to snuggle, but she's not really into interactive play with me. She'd rather either play by herself or with Gizmo and saves most of her cuddle for me. Gizmo is kind of the opposite: he's not huge into snuggling, although I am occasionally permitted to pet him when I catch him in the right mood (very very regal;) ) but he loves to play with me. Thanks Sugarcatmom!