For those of you that have 2+ cats, how does the Alpha cat display his/her dominance?

Question

I have a male and a female (I had the male about a month before I adopted the female). I've noticed that every time I pour them a fresh bowl of food, the male chows down while the female sits idly by and waits for him to finish before taking her share. I feel like giving her an ERA speech, but I think it's useless. Anyone else have similar stories about kitty dominance?

Answer 1

Hi there...biting the scruff of the neck and mounting is what my two boys do. And it's always the smaller kitty doing the dominating (the one shown in the avatar).

Answer 2

Well first of all, they should each have their own dishes.

My cats are mother and daughter and the mother cat asserts herself by growling a little, but only if she's really comfy and doesn't want to move off my lap, for example. Or if she has a nice spot under the covers, she won't give it up.

At the same time, if the daughter is sitting on the warm cable box, and the mother wants to sit there, she'll just go take it over. The daughter just walks away.

When I feed them, the mother cat chooses which dish she wants, and the daughter takes the one that's left over. Sometimes the mother will even change her mind halfway through eating and go to the other dish, and the daughter moves without making a sound.

Answer 3

I have 4 cats, 2 males, 2 females. The eldest female is the alpha. She is very mannerly and lets the others eat before her. She prefers to be alone when she eats. But she gets to choose where she sleeps and when the others are carousing(? spell) they NEVER mess with her. I have 1 who constantly misbehaves until the alpha walks in and then she just stops and gets out of whatever she was into. I've seen the others turn over a toy they were playing with to her. It's like she's their "Queen".

Answer 4

The alpha cat tends to be the one who was there first. It's funny though, I've had older cats who will be the alpha cat and then when they hit 12 or so they pass the buck to the younger cat. Now with a new cat it's interesting to see the new cat trying to be the alpha cat, when my other cat has been here longer but is so skittish. I feel like telling him to stand up for himself. I don't think it would help though.

I guess they'll figure it out. I have two cat bowls. Every time I've had more than one cat and just one bowl I've had bad luck with both of them being able to eat.

Answer 5

I have 3 cats right now. 2 of my own and my aunt's cat. My oldest cat Star. (9 year old female.) Now waits for my other cat Smokey. (2 year old male cat.) to eat. I got mad about this because she has always been a cat who never waits for anyone. Shes always just done as she wishes. So I had got another cat bowl to fix the problem. Now with a 3rd cat I had to do it again. Because I dislike that fact of my cat is waiting to eat. When she never waited for me to even get her food. If I did not get it fast enough she would start biting me. Its vary annoying when your cat does this-_-*, if your like me when you think they should be eating not watching the other cat eat. The best thing is to get two bowls. I just used an old bowl I had around the house.

Answer 6

There are four cats in my house, all girls, and one cat eats first while the three others watch. I often questioned their patience, but when I saw the alpha kitty bury her claws into her sister's head and just leave it there without even stopping her eating, I saw why. This is a behavior seen in primates, canines, and felines, as well as other animals. Your male cat is obviously the alpha.

Answer 7

I have two MALE cats. The older is of course the alpha. He exerts his dominance by once in while by grabbing the younger cat by the scruff of its neck with his teeth and mounting him. The younger cat is not at all harmed by this ritual - he just expresses his submission by lying still.

Have you considered getting separate food bowls for your two cats? That way the more submissive cat does not need to wait for her share. If the more dominant one tries to "steal" the other cat's food, then feed them in separate rooms.

Answer 8

I have two girls who are about 2 months apart in age, but there's no clear alpha. I had hoped that the second cat would serve as a playmate for Poppy, and that Poppy might be alpha to her. I was thinking that might help her self-esteem issues.

But no. Sophie was too spunky to play second fiddle.

I have two litterboxes, but both of them use either of them. They don't have issues at feeding time, although Sophie likes to eat out of Poppy's bowl, and Poppy doesn't make a fuss about it. Poppy tends to be my girl, and Sophie is Daddy's. Which means she gets the living room and Poppy gets the bedroom. But here again, although they have their favorite spots in the house, there's no territorial issues going on.

Answer 9

Why not put down two bowls? Why make her wait?

Anyway, my Shadow is 21, and he has been with me since he was a three week old abandoned baby. I have ten cats, and they all respect him. He never growls, spits or hits. But the others will lay down in front of him and push their heads down and forward under his face, so that he will give the top of their heads a lick or two. There is something about his presence that commands respect. He is so proud of himself and it shows in the way he walks and his posture. He has never even spit at a newcomer. He is the strong, silent type, and they all defer to him.

I could go on...they are all different...but, as cats go, the lack of display, I think, is remarkable.

Don't you just love those guys? Cats are incredible.

Answer 10

I have two female cats (they're sisters), and they're 3 years old.


I recently got a male cat (he's 6 months old) and he's already bigger than the two females.

For the most part, all he does is attack them, and generally piss them off.

The bigger of the two females beats the crap out of him, and then he lets them alone.



Personally, I find it kind of funny. Because then he comes and lays on my lap like I should pity him. Lol.



He's actually at the vet getting neutered today. :(

Maybe once he comes home things will be different.