Feline Friday: Bullying Behavior

Let me tell you a little secret about Lily: As sweet and smart as she is, she's a bit of a bully to Tinsel. She never bites or hisses but rather bullies Tinsel by intimidation. For instance, if Lily sees Tinsel doing X, she wants to do X, too -- even if she has no real interest in it. It could be watching a bird out the window, sitting on a special chair, playing with a certain toy, or especially EATING -- she slinks up to Tinsel and moves in on poor Tinsel's territory. Tinsel does not stand often up for herself, so Lily generally gets her way.

And so it goes in the daily struggle to be the Alpha Cat at our house.

Recently I happened to catch this bullying behavior with my camera.

Tinsel was sound asleep in The Sunny Spot and Lily was nowhere in sight.

But Lily had followed me to the family room. She immediately spotted Tinsel in The Sunny Spot and wanted it for herself. She sauntered over to Tinsel and started moving into her space.

Tinsel growled and hissed at Lily. Lily batted back. This little back and forth continued briefly until...

Lily took The Sunny Spot.


Poor Tinsel sat in The Shady Spot, defeated and dejected.

I immediately picked Lily up and moved her from The Sunny Spot to The Fuzzy Bed. (It's currently sitting inside The Big Box which she has also claimed as her own.)

And I returned Tinsel to The Sunny Spot.

So peace was restored at our house.

(Until I left the room, at least.)