Finally, sunlight; and a little warm-up. I felt it yesterday evening; and it’s not quite nippy this morning. After breakfast we went walking in the garden, and it was very nice. We’ve missed our breakfasts in the garden this year.
We believe Eu-shu’s little berserker episode yesterday and for several days prior was the male equivalent of PMS: he’s about that stage when things start going on that make him kind of wired for sound: biting us, attacking Ysabel over and over and over, climbing on things, scratching things for the first time, running like mad and doing everything but chewing the carpet. [Kitty physiology is developmentally a little different from other mammals, and you may google up the differences, but say there is probably a reason male lion cubs are thrown out of the pride at a certain stage, and it has to do with the sanity of other pride members.] Then after several days of being mad as a March hare, he settled down and slept most of yesterday evening, was nice, obedient, and only got on the telly cabinet 3 times, and is mild as milk and relaxed today. Not only that, he stayed with Jane last night and did not come to my room to attack Ysabel. So we think we are over that—for a bit—and we are going to–ahem!—consult with the vet.
Not all male kittens quite go through it to that extent. Most of mine have been milder, temperamentally. But Smokey? Oh yeah. Several days of *very* aggressive behavior, worse than I’ve been through with any kitten; yet also that sweet little guy. Once he was neutered, it helped. I think he would’ve eventually settled down, without that, but I’m not sure Goober or I or the house itself would’ve put up with it, LOL. (I think it would’ve helped if Goober had put his foot down, but Goober is not that sort of cat, it turns out.) Smokey’s an awesome little cat. As time goes on, they’re settling into a team, I think.
I hope Eushu settles down fine. He sounds like a fantastic little cat. It wouldn’t surprise me, though, if Ysabel gets tired of being hassled and reads him the riot act. Might be of benefit to that overinflated rebellious pre-teen / teen male ego. Surprise, kid, you’d better not get too big for those fuzzy britches. — Besides, na Khym or ker Py might put you on some *very* unglamorous duty for, oh, about a month or so. …Go polish the outer hull with steel wool, copper scrubber…? 😉
Heh, I feel certain Eushu will survive the ordeal of puberty, as will his crewmates. Perhaps a bit frazzled for the experience, but unbowed. LOL.
It isn’t only little male cats which go through this stage, I have 3,5 months old girl and she can turn in to whirlwind attacking everything and jumping walls… Or maybe it’s her fur color causing this, same as Eushu’s only her eyes are golden 🙂
ShuShu’s are turning gold! 😀 And now that you mention it, both Ysabel and Warp9 (A kitteh my sis and I had when Elrond was a baby) were firecrackers at this stage!
My boys (Edmond and Zaphod) didn’t seem to go through that, but maybe it came from being hand-raised since they were a few hours old? Or I just got lucky with them, because the idea of them going crazed . . . not something to think about.
Congratulations on the better weather. We have a Flash Flood Watch. I swear the water is going to get us one way or another. A couple more levees broke farther south, but we’re still holding out here.
It might be, too, that they had each other. So much of what ES’s doing is just wrestling. He flies at my hand, grabs with his front paws and gnaws and kicks. It’s just standard kitten play…same as he does with his toys…and he wants a live playmate. Sometimes, he’s purring while kicking! 😀
Thinking dry thoughts for Zette! Another correspondent of mine is in the path of the Arizona fires—with scary prospects…It’s one heckuva year for weather!
Off-Topic, yet related:
It’s a good thing I have Invader with me. I was thinking of starting to read Faery Moon tonight, but it’s not on this little iPhone. Hmm…maybe I did get it loaded onto my new iPad2, though. Either way, reading later tonight if I can keep my eyes open. Looking fwd to that to relax!
Slept most of yesterday, first time in ages I’ve had more than six hrs. In a day. Still bushed, though, and no housework or bill paying got done, and no writing, despite ambitions. A little thinking on it,though. Much time spent with the cats, who (of course) thought that wasxgrand (me too).
The only conclusion that I have been able to reach re: kitteh behavior is that it’s as varied as human behavior. When I had the pride of siamese some were quiet, some were bold but they all loved to race through the house. Aloysius and Kiki love to start at the upstairs gliders race through the house, downstairs to the back of my studio, bounce off the wall there and repeat. They seem to egg each other on. Friendly is above it all. Her idea of play is to bat languidly at any toy presented. However, she is becoming friendlier towards the other two kittehs. Time and Felaway are our best friends.
@zette: STAY DRY Hope all goes well with you.
*Pondering* You did say berserker. I don’t suppose Eushu has been reading the Norse Eddas or Beowulf or some such, has he? Carrying around a big hammer and taken to wearing a helmet with horns? (Come to think of it, that horned helmet could be Celtic or Germanic.) (Horned helmet? Uh…quiet, Herr Dr. Freud….)
Maybe Eushu has been reading about Loki? :p
“I’m going to kill the Wabbit! Wif my Speaw and Magic Hewmet!” /Elmer Fudd Okay, that’s enough silliness…
I had a cat who must have read my Robert E. Howard books when I wasn’t looking. All the dogs in the neighborhood called him “Sir;” even though, I never saw him lay a paw on one. No, he did lay a paw on one, the Shar-Pei that came to live with us when I married my wife. Her he had to slap in the face once, but once was enough.
I think they all go through that stage. My half Siamese, half “Godknows” was a little ruffian even after he was neutered. He was the dominant cat in the litter and thought that was how things were. The two older cats I had at the time would jump up on places he couldn’t get to just to get away from him. He’s 12 this July, and pretty spry for his age. The girl kitty will be 7 this year and she was always a little imp. Jaks, my baby, turns 4 this year. He was a little thug as a kitten. Now he’s a big thug. Age has not mellowed him in the slightest. His favorite pastime is picking on the other two.
You want hot and dry? We here in the TX panhandle have large amounts of both and will gladly trade for cold and especially wet. We’re into our 3rd week of 100+ temps — supposed to be 108 on Saturday. Our year to date total rainfall for this year is 1 inch. Our yearly average rainfall is 16 inches, but I doubt we’ll make anywhere near that this year.
Sounds like you’ve got quite the household! 😀 I think Mr ES is going to settle. He truly just wants to play.
Wow! Sympathies! I truly can’t take that kind of heat. Hope your AC is in good working order!