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Expert: - 1/13/2010


Question
We have 2 adult cats that have grown up together, One male and one female,age 15 %26 16 respectively. Recently there have been health issues w/male because he wouldn't drink. (several bowls of water placed all over house)We almost lost our male cat from dehydration. We purchased a fountain which solved the problem. Now the male cat jumps on the back of the female whenever she tries to drink from fountain. She is very passive and won't discourage this behavior. She also loves the fountain and drinks from it frequently. What can we do to discourage him from this behavior so they both can enjoy the fountain and get the health benefits from it? Please help. We would prefer not to purchase another fountain.  

Answer
Kim,

Unfortunately, I know of no sure fire way to change the male cat's behavior!!!!!. What you may try is a Feliway diffuser (available at most pet supermarkets) to see if that calms down the aggressive tendency.  If I had to guess, the male is exercising a territorial imperative with respect to the fountain.  Personally, I would ignore the behavior since it does not seem to be preventing the female from drinking from the fountain.

Making a big thing out of the male's behavior may be counter productive in that he can use this behavior to manipulate you. Also, one should try not to ascribe human motives and emotions to things cats do as they do not think like we do.  The behavior may be some sort of a game to them.  I would leave it alone as she still goes to drink from the fountain no matter what the male seems to like to do when she does.  She could just avoid the fountain altogether, if she wanted to!

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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