This might get long, I have a tendency to rattle and I have to give some background, lol.
I have three lovies...Toby Dixie and Churchy. Until last May, when Churchy moved in it was just Toby and Dixie for three years. Toby raised her from 5 weeks old, he wasn't always happy doing it and sometimes when he'd try his darndest to get away from her, she'd try even harder to be as close to him as possible...going as far as sleeping on him.
Ok, so he came around and truly loves her I think. They've always played chase and would play swat and that kind of thing, but never to the point of one screaming or even hissing...it was all in great fun, up and over furniture, across whatever was in their path, yadayadayada. They even bathe each other on occassion.
Enter Churchy, a 1 year old male spitfire...quick on his feet, bullyish...trying to find his place. Just a cocky kid really. He'd do fly-bys with a hefty swat to either Toby or Dixie but never really tried to hurt anybody even though sometimes he'd have them on their backs and hissing. Now Toby and Dixie have never played like that so neither one knew quite what to make of it, lol. This has been going on for a year.
I just recently had Dixie spayed and everything was nice and calm but she got to where she never left my sight while she healed. She sat in here with me all hours of the day or night, wouldn't wander or anything. Before hand, she never really showed much affection toward any of us, but now she lures me to the bed at night, she's constantly talking to me and she's always wanting to be petted. I've obliged (How could I not?) but I've noticed that she's having less and less to do with Toby.
Ok, so 6 weeks since her spay has gone by and the healing is done...she showed that by being a Dixie bullet through the house with airplane ears, fluffy tail and buggy eyed. Yet, everytime Churchy would just walk into the same room with her, she'd bolt under the nearest chair or bed and hide.
Enter Toby again...
He has taken it upon himself to fix her issues, lol. For the last week or so, he's been playing rough with her. Still not to the point of screaming but still more rough than before. Now he goes at her and bowls her over onto her back, while she's kicking and flailing but not really trying to get away either. This is endless! At first, I tried to stop it but when I realized he has no intention of hurting her, I let them go...and go, lol. His plan, if that's what it is, seems to be working because she's out and about more now, she's not sulking her way through the house and she's not constantly watching over her shoulder for Churchy anymore. She's even less dependant on me now. When she's out, Toby doesn't mess with her but if she's hiding in my room on the bed, he pesters her until she gets out of the room and then he leaves her alone again.
This is where I need your opinion...
I told my husband that I think Toby is trying to draw her out of this funky mood/attitude/whatever it is she's in but he just thinks I'm crazy. He's saying that since cats can't reason, that this would be impossible. I don't entirely fall for the "cats can't reason" thing and I honestly do think he's trying to get her to be more comfortable.
Toby has that kind of personality, he's very wise like...almost eerily. He's very mellow...I've always called him a thinker because of the way he calmly lounges and watches everything that's going on. He's never nervous, he's a lover and he's (typically) very slow reacting. He's like a dad that always has the right answers but instead of telling you, he'd rather help you find them for yourself...but he calmly steps in when he needs to. I could go on for hours about how great I think he is, lol.
What do you think? Do you think animals are capable of doing that for another? I mean, if we look at the relationship of mothers and their young, do mothers (and fathers in some cases) not do that very same thing for their youngsters? Why would it be hard to imagine a male to do the very same for one he raised?
So, am I crazy, lol?
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