Conference misery::feline

614.0. "Problem with neighbours cat!" by KERNEL::LEYLANDS (Indecision: the key to flexibility) Thu Sep 23 1993 05:09

    Hi
    
    I didn't know where else this would have fitted in so I started a new
    topic...mods if you think otherwise, be my guest.
    
    For the past week my husband and I have been kept awake by a neighbours
    cat constantly catterwalling...from about 1.30 am to 6 ish am.  At first 
    I was concerned because I thought it was in pain - now I think I want to
    kill it :-)
    
    My theory, and what I want an opinion on is that it is a female (around
    1-2 years old) don't know if it has been fixed (not sure yet where 
    exactly it lives) but it is definately after my fixed tom!
    
    1)  Do *frustrated* females try to mate with males? - this one
        has definately been seen, by my husband trying to 'mount' one of
        my fixed toms (I have two, both fixed).
    
    2)  Do you think it could be male???
    
    3)  Is this normal behaviour for a female in heat, if so how long does
        it last.
    
    I had a female once and when she was in season a male cat sat outside
    catterwalling in the same way...until he got his way that is!
    
    I got up and watched it last night and it comes round to our garden,
    starts catterwalling then runs off.  Half an hour later it comes back
    and starts again - it's almost like it is begging for one of the other
    cats to chase it but when it realises that nothing has followed it - it 
    comes back and starts again.
    
    Both me and my husband are cat lovers so we wouldn't hurt this kitty
    really but it is getting pretty desperate that we get some sleep.  Any
    hints/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  I also feel obliged to
    do something before the other neighbours think it is one of my cats
    making all the noise.
    
    All the other cats in my road are male and have been fixed.

    Well ... since you ask ...
    
    Neutered cats don't always get the message. My poor, late Lucas was
    neutered, as is Momcat. One morning I came downstairs to see them in
    the middle of the livingroom floor. Lucas was on top of Momcat, and it
    was hilarious. He had this dumb, "what do I do now?" look on his face,
    and it looked like he thought Momcat was a motorcycle and he was trying
    to "kick-start" her. Momcat lay there like a huge, black, hairy hen, 
    also looking puzzled ("Hmmm... this seems familiar, but something's 
    missing..."), lapping herself with every "kick-start." I started 
    laughing so hard I broke Lukie's concentration and the episode ended.
    
    I guess cats don't always respond to what's really going on inside.
    
                       
    ken
    
     

    
    
    It has stopped now so maybe my theory was right.  Anyway I don't care
    now...peace at last.