Another day in the animal kingdom...

[spritechan]

So, at like 5:30 the cats began waking us up. It sounded like Nero was running at Grim and wapping on the cone. We didn't think it was a huge deal and had to get up in an hour anyway. But it happened a couple times so I threw Nero in the kitchen and locked him in there until we got up. I saw Grim hanging out by the door right when we were getting in the shower, and then he disappeared after that. He didn't come when called to take his medications, but I figured he was sleeping somewhere and he took his meds a little late yesterday so I decided to wait until Steve left for work to hunt Grim down.

After he did leave, I wandered around the apartment several times. I was very confused because we don't really have hiding places, plus Grim has that cone so he wouldn't be able to, say, sneak under the bed. I started to panic at some point, thinking maybe one of the windows broke and he got out somehow... or something. I was trying to be rationale because seriously , where can you hide in this apartment??I found him wedged between the bookshelves. He was tucked around the corner of the white one. I don't even know how he got back there!


I was really freaked out by this time because he didn't even make a noise when I called for him. He didn't come running, nothing. That's very unlike him. I tried to coax him out with words and pets, but he wouldn't budge. So I gently picked him up, and he was totally limp. He was very passive and let me baby-carry him into the bedroom, and he snuggled very close on my lap and had his tail tucked very tight.

It looked like he had more blood on his cone than usual, so I worried that maybe he got in a fight with Nero when we were in the shower and Nero hurt him in some way. I poked around him, which he didn't respond to, and I was able to move his tail and boost his bottom up to inspect him... nothing. In fact, his wound looks fantastic. It doesn't even appear bloody at all! So that was a relief. But Grim was pressing himself into me really hard and was shaking a little. I was really alarmed. I watched Nero creep into the room, and began staring Grim down. Grim immediately shifted more into me, and when I yelled at Nero he didn't shift his gaze. Because Grim was on my lap I couldn't shoo Nero away, so I threw a half-full water bottle at him. He didn't even move until it hit him. At which point he retreated to the other side of the room. Grim was so actively terrified of Nero I decided to separate them for awhile.

Nero's got food and water and a littler box in the kitchen/living room area, and he'll be fine there for a few days. He didn't even seem angry about it. Maybe he's not too comfortable with this role reversal, either. Obviously he doesn't know how to handle his power if he's bullying Grim. Grim NEVER bullies Nero. His dominance is mostly just a feeling, and once in awhile he used to like, mount Nero, but half the time Nero didn't even notice until we yelled at Grim, so whatever.

Grim took his medication fine, but he didn't even want the treats. I can't imagine what happened to him, and I keep checking to make sure he's freakin' alive. It's just no good. Thankfully I only have one appointment today and can monitor him. This has been his day so far:



You see the blood on his cone I'm sure. I clean it every day, but he still gets like food and litter on it and stuff too. He's tucked into the blankets because he was laying with me earlier and he loves being under the blankets. He's too adorable and pathetic for words. Look how unhappy he is right now! Poor guy :( I have no idea if Nero was tormenting him for half the night, or what! Each of them spent time walking all over me/laying with me, so I don't know when all this started. I don't like it.

Comments

[silver-tiamat.livejournal.com]

Poor Grimmy! I wonder what was going on between the two of them that has Grim so upset? He's really exessively cute under the blankies like that though. Still, you can tell that he's really unhappy. How long does he have to keep the cone on?

Also, animals can sense "weakness" like this, and the instinct to eliminate a rival for food can sometimes be rather strong. Still, it's odd that Grim was so passive and tame with you; he must really not be feeling quite right. Poor babies. I doubt either of them are dealing with this very well. =(

Good luck with the both of them. I don't know what I would do if one of my kitties was so sickly. Even when Loki got the eye infection, I was a mental wreck with fear and worry--and we'd only had them for I think a week. XD It's terrible when animals have something wrong with them, since you become so aware how scary it is to have a complete language barrier between you two. I hope this all works out okay, and Grim makes a full recovery, and bats Nero one right in the face before they kiss and make up.

[vixenofflames.livejournal.com]

By the end of the day they were able to stand each other... by pretending the other didn't exist. They've been making sure to like, be on opposite sides of the bed and not looking at each other, etc. They haven't been staring each other down in passing as much, and both are behaving more normally. Nero appears to have just been moody and needed some time by himself to calm down.

But yes, I was crazy freaked out all day, and Steve kept trying to tease me to make me feel better, but all it did was make me say, "No you don't GET IT!!! You didn't SEE how they were actingggguh~!" *whinewhinewhine* And I *am* the most worried, brow-furrowed, must-have-Grim-in-eyesight-at-all-times kind of mom. XD The language barrier is the main reason I feel sad and guilty, because you can't tell an animal WHY their life is like this :(

The cone is supposed to be on for 3 weeks, and we bring him in for a check-up sometime after the 15th and I'm hoping they'll be all "He's doing awesome his cone can come off so soon!!"

[silver-tiamat.livejournal.com]

It's just strange. They're littermates, aren't they, like our boys? I have no idea what we'd do if they started fighting for real. They don't have a relationship the likes of which I've ever seen before, even in previous prides of kittehs. They don't even seem to be aware of the fact that one of them should be more dominant than the other--they go back and forth between who is the "dom" of their relationship. I really hope that Nero and Grim go back to normal, especially when they can more comfortably lounge near/on each other.

You may want to consider that what happened was that Nero offered to clean Grim, and got into the sensitive no-no areas that hurt and startled Grim. He may have reacted poorly, and consequently offended Nero, who took a more aggressive stance toward his buddy.

I wonder what we're going to be like with real kids, if we're so worried over the pets. XD 'Cause for at least a year, you're dealing with that same language barrier with an infant. Though, at least they eventually learn how to speak and understand it, while a cat doesn't.

PS--Greatest icon ever for subject. =D

[vixenofflames.livejournal.com]

Yeah! That's the odd part. When they were kittens, neither was dominant. As they got older, Grim just gave off the vibe that he was. I think it's because Nero just doesn't have the cat IQ for such a position. But he DOES get the top tier of the cat tower, and is equally pushy for food as Grim, but there's still something about him that doesn't strike me as dominant. I imagine things will be fine after the cone of shame (http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqmz4nVoeD1qcftw3o1_500.gif) goes away, as it always has when Grim has gotten better. :)

The cleaning thing is a possibility, but my cats don't really attempt to clean each other at all. It's a very VERY rare occurrence, even when they're cuddling and preening themselves. (Whereas my parents 3 cats chase each other around the house trying to clean each other). Nero was also wappy at Grim the previous day, but only for a minute and Grim was obviously taunting him in some way. He was very smug at the time.

For real!!! I would be the mom who could never let her kid go to daycare or would be fretting all day wondering if he/she was okay D:

Aww, I heart that icon!!