# Is my cat the leader of a gang?



## ClaireSelina (Aug 6, 2013)

Sorry in advance for length!!

Hi everyone  Im a new cat owner as I have just adopted a stray that turned up at my home. I have an odd situation that I need advice with.

BACKGROUND:

I live in Tottenham (London), my garden backs onto about 30 gardens formed by a square of houses and there are many cats in the area. Until recently, I used to shoo cats out of the garden as I have a bird feeder, so I know the local cats.

About three weeks ago, a small black cat who I have not seen before turned up at my back door  very thin, with a large open wound on her back  about the size of a large strawberry. I dont feed cats normally but this one was different so I gave her some cat food (yes, had a random tin in my cupboard from when I cat-sat for a friend). She was very nervous, ate and then ran off. 

She came back the next night, wound still open. I decided that if she did have a home, they didnt deserve her as they should have taken her to a vet immediately. I fed her again and kept her in for the night  there were no protests from her  she seemed so grateful and friendly, and slept on my bed.

In the morning, I took her to a local vet who did surgery on her back (£200!!) and got her all cleaned up and well. She wasnt chipped and the vet told me she was about 2 years old and had already had a litter. I brought her home and kept her indoors while her stitches started to heal and gave her her antibiotics. Shes healed really well and put on weight. The vet and I thought she might be a proper stray.

Ive checked all the lost cat websites  nothing. She seems to have moved in immediately, and with the lovely weather, weve had all the doors and windows open but shes been very happy here and hasnt run off/gone back home. She comes when we call her (my son and I named her Selina Kyle!), she follows us around the house and sleeps near me while Im decorating, shes so cute and loving. So it looks like shes joined our family very happily.

So thats the background. 

MY QUESTION:

There are four neighbour cats (who Ive seen around):
Mr Ginger
Mr Black
Mr Black and White
Mr White and tabby
(I think they are all male because of their size but I dont know)

Since I have been looking after Selina, they come calling for her. Shes much smaller than the other cats who are healthy and presumably have a home. I dont think Selina is in heat as shes doing none of the behavioural bum waving, calling etc. The other cats dont try and mount her or anything (there's no sexy time), they just seem to want to be near her.

What happens is that I keep finding other cats in the house (not eating her food, just looking for her, calling for her), they climb in my window at night, wander in the house during the day. When they come in the house, Selina fights them and they run off.

However, when I am not visable to them, they all just seem to hang out together  I just found three of them and Selina just sitting together on my decking (but not touching). Then suddenly, Selina will get (presumably) territorial and fight them and then chase them off. The other cats intermittently fight each other too. They also hang out in my neighbours garden together.

The weird thing is that they seem to stalk her  I came down one morning with her and found a cat sleeping at my back door. They climb on the flat roof outside my bedroom and call for her. I have no idea why they want to be near her at all times  I even had Mr Ginger sitting out in the rain for her yesterday. (I just found another cat in the house!!!)

From what I can work out, possible options for this behaviour are:
-Selina is the leader of a gang of cats
-Selina is the leader of a cult
-Selina is in heat (vet didnt think she was)
-the other cats haven't been spayed
-Selina was a real stray and the other cats looked after her and now feel a bond or protective of her, or miss her.
-She fights them to establish her territory in her new home
-The other cats are strays as well (this is unlikely as they look very well fed and one has a collar)
-She is part of a pack that miss her
-Im turning into the mad cat lady from the Simpsons.

So what do you make of all that then?

Any idea how to reduce the cat-stalkers in my garden? 

Why are the other cats behaving like this? Ive never seen such attraction!

Thanks for all your help  thoughts appreciated!!

(meanwhile, Ive got her booked in to get her spayed and micro chipped in a week  had to wait for her injury to heal).


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

Sounds like she hes some friends/admirers.
The cats in our street form a close social group, and they often seek each other's company, so it is not unheard of. And some cats, including my Catweazle, will look after other cats.....


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## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

ClaireSelina said:


> ... Any idea how to reduce the cat-stalkers in my garden?


I wouldn't worry, it sound like Selina has her admirers or minions or acolytes under control. 

What a great story. Good for you for taking her in, she sounds very special. There are always big rewards for those who take in cats in need, I'm sure of it. The rewards for helping such a magical charismatic cat must be very considerable. :yesnod:


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

Hi Claire, welcome to the forum Well done for taking in this little stray cat. Sounds like she has found a really caring home for herself with you.

If all the cats who hang around her are male as you say (and probably un-neutered) then frankly I would think it is because she is an unspayed female.
The "calling" sounds they are making are very typical of males looking for females to mate with. 

You do not mention your cat has been spayed, so I assume she has not? She might not be in heat at present, but it is possible when she has been in heat in the past, the cats who hang around have been some of her "suitors". Perhaps one (or more) of them even fathered her litter of kittens. 

Basically the cats are hanging around *waiting* for her to come into heat again. Who knows, perhaps she is already giving off some kind of signal (scent or body language) that is sexually attractive to these rampant males, even if she is not actually in heat yet. 

If she has not been spayed I hope you are planning to have her done a.s.a.p.
There are so many hundreds of unwanted kittens in the Rescues at present.
Plus, your cat would be at risk of catching a sexually transmitted disease. And you would have lots of *entire* male cats spraying all around your property as well as hanging around day and night. Not pleasant.


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## lovemykittys (Jul 11, 2013)

Hiya, going to agree with chillminx. This sounds very like what happened with next doors cat, it was crazy to watch but what started off as just friends soon changed to a LOT of jiggy jiggy and a pregnant cat. My cats have a friend and they seek each other out and its mega cute but what your describing sounds like next doors situation. It may sound mean getting cats spayed etc but it really is the best thing you can do for them. And Kittens are cute but there are already so many looking for new homes so in my opinion there really is no need to breed cats (unless maybe its for a specific breed- If I was ever to buy a cat rather than adopt it would be a maincoon :001_tt1 There are so many benefits to having a cat spayed there really is no reason not to have it done and depending where you are there may even be help available with the costs


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

ClaireSelina said:


> ... possible options for this behaviour are:
> - Selina is the leader of a gang of cats
> - Selina is the leader of a cult


I doubt #2 very much - most cats aren't religious, except in the sense of believing themselves divine. 

However, cats DO form packs - please see the accompanying video of cowboys herding feral cats:
EDS, an HP Company 'Cat Herders' - YouTube

U can clearly see that they've combined any number of cat-packs into a massive mass-herd.


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## spotty cats (Jul 24, 2012)

chillminx said:


> Basically the cats are hanging around *waiting* for her to come into heat again. Who knows, perhaps she is already giving off some kind of signal (scent or body language) that is sexually attractive to these rampant males, even if she is not actually in heat yet.


Cats are induced ovulators, they don't need to be in heat to get pregnant - that's just the time they are receptive to males. A determined male can mate a female at any time, so she needs to be kept away from any entire cats until she's been spayed.

You may also not notice the first signs of her going into heat. Keep your doors and windows shut so the other cats aren't free to come into your home.


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Agree that these are males looking to mate her. Keep her in, keep that next vet's appointment and so pleased she has a lovely home now.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

leashedForLife said:


> I doubt #2 very much - most cats aren't religious, except in the sense of believing themselves divine.
> 
> However, cats DO form packs - please see the accompanying video of cowboys herding feral cats:
> EDS, an HP Company 'Cat Herders' - YouTube
> ...


Am being told this video is 'not available in this country'. Shame.


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## CoCoTrio (Jan 3, 2013)

[youtube_browser]Pk7yqlTMvp8[/youtube_browser]

There you go.


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## chillminx (Nov 22, 2010)

spotty cats said:


> Cats are induced ovulators, they don't need to be in heat to get pregnant - that's just the time they are receptive to males. A determined male can mate a female at any time, so she needs to be kept away from any entire cats until she's been spayed.
> 
> You may also not notice the first signs of her going into heat. Keep your doors and windows shut so the other cats aren't free to come into your home.


Very good points, Spotty Cats:thumbup1: 
I had forgotten cats have ability to get pregnant without being in heat

OP -- I am sure you don't want your little cat to be *taken by force, sexually* by one of the predatory males who are hanging around her, so I beg you to keep her indoors until she is spayed.


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## CrystalCat (Jul 28, 2013)

AAwww I love the idea of cat gangs and I'm pretty sure feral cats do have a safety in numbers and group scavenging thing going on too. At first I thought maybe these boys are the offspring of your girl, if they've been eating healthily they could easily be much larger. However, it seems to me they are indeed just potential 'lovers' and she really must be spayed urgently (I'm surprised the vet didn't insist?).

You are such a kind and caring person for taking in this cat so I'm sure once she's fixed and the boys in the hood r deterred, you will have a lovely rewarding relationship. :smile5:

My sis is under the impression her male cat brought back his 'friends' to trash her house when she was on holiday once. She came back to lots of urine, marking, and damage to furniture. It is my opinion that house cats don't normally have a group of 'friends' and it's more likely the entire neighbourhood males were scavenging and having a little turf-war. They must have decided her fellow was a real pussy!


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

spotty cats said:


> *Cats are induced ovulators,* they don't need to be in heat to get pregnant - that's just the time they are receptive to males. A determined male can mate a female at any time, so she needs to be kept away from any entire cats until she's been spayed.
> 
> You may also not notice the first signs of her going into heat. Keep your doors and windows shut so the other cats aren't free to come into your home.


I didn't know that! I knew that mating stimulated ovulation, but I did think that the female had to be receptive (in heat) in order for mating to occur. That's a very interesting snippet of information. Thanks.


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## lostbear (May 29, 2013)

CoCoTrio said:


> [youtube_browser]Pk7yqlTMvp8[/youtube_browser]
> 
> There you go.


Superb! Particularly like the cowboy rolling up a ball of wool, and the one using one of those sticky things to get the cat hair of his clothes as he sits round the campfire.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

lostbear said:


> Superb! Particularly like the cowboy rolling up a ball of wool, and the one using one of those sticky things
> to get the cat hair off his clothes, as he sits round the campfire.


i loved it. :lol: My personal favorite was the fella draping a cat across his pommel, like a calf,
& second-prize were the 'catboys' trying to lure cats down from trees & back to the herd. :laugh:


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