Update on Willow and Chunk's progress

[Traci]

See, just a little patience and time

[Tina B and crew]

Yep....you were right Traci I still say Willow at times lacks patience but for the most part she's doing great. I pretty much just had to relinquish myself to her noises. I still say something to her when she does it, like "Willow, be nice" On the days when she's growly it's usually because at every opportunity Chunk is jumping on her and tackling her. After a while he gets the message...for a while anyway. I really think Willow is just ready for summer..forget spring, she want's 80 and 90 degree temps!

Now the only real issue I'm having is figuring out how to keep Willow from eating Chunk's food...we figured out how to get Chunk to not eat Willow's but then she stopped eating it too and started going to his bowl. There is no where I can put it that she won't find it. And I don't want to fuss at her and tell her no when she eats out of his bowl because I don't want negativity placed on feeding habits. What we've been doing when we are here is putting enough in his bowl for him to eat in on sitting and giving her a few morsels of kitten food in her bowl so she feels special...LOL I think, though, I figured out that if I put her food in Chunk's bowl and his food in her bowl they will each eat their own food! We've tried it a few times and it seems to work. Not sure how long it will last though! LOL

[Traci]

Well whatever method works.

For me, when some of my cats are on their special diets, I feed them on the counter only and the others on the floor. This sometimes requires scheduled feeding though (which helps you control who gets what).

How old is Chunk again? If I remember, pretty young, but when he's around 8-9 months of age, you can transition him onto adult food.

[Tina B and crew]

He's right at 5 months....just a touch under in fact. Counter wouldn't work because we've noticed Willow spending much more time up there than she EVER did before. Seriously, before she didn't get on the counters at all when we were around (not saying she didn't do it when we were absent! LOL) but now I see her up there quite a bit. I know it's her way of getting away from Mr. Chunk...so far I have not seen him up there and I'd rather not get him started if possible. I'll keep trying what I'm doing for now and see what other creative ways I can come up with. Just want to make sure he gets the nutrition he needs and Willow doesn't get more calories than she requires!

[Traci]

Oh I know, I had a very hard time resolving to a few on the counter since I really didn't want to have to do that,...but with the number of cats I have, there was really no other favorable solution.

I too do the few kibbles trick in the bowls, works every time!

[Tina B and crew]

So the rule is, Willow growls or hisses at Chunk if he comes within 3 feet of her except at 11 at night when she decides it's Ok to wrestle with him...go figure. He has invaded ALL of her spots so she essentially has nowhere she can escape him now. Up until 2 days ago she he had not figured out how to get onto the top bunk bed but now he can. It was Willow's ONLY refuge from him. This has caused an increase in her growling and hissing. Can't say I blame her there. I think he's beginning to get the message, but at times he isn't even trying to bother her and she's growling at him. Guess she doesn't know any better

[Traci]

Are you using the squirt bottle at times when you see Chunk "intentionally" instigating something? You don't want to use it when he's inviting play, let them work that out, but other times when you know he's aggrivating her.

[Tina B and crew]

Yep...I've used it and when I do he backs away but within 30 seconds is back at it. It's tough to distinguish between play and otherwise because it seems that it's just the way he plays all the time. I think the problem is this...Willow goes somewhere to relax, gets in the tent or tube and the next things she knows Chunk is dive bombing her. He's better about not bothering when she is in the litterbox or when she is eating though...it's just when she is chilling out that he's bothersome. I think she is just fed up with him always being there in her face.