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From: dave@quest.UUCP (David Messer)
Newsgroups: net.pets
Subject: Re: what sex cats?
Message-ID: <320@quest.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 15-Jan-86 02:40:59 EST
Article-I.D.: quest.320
Posted: Wed Jan 15 02:40:59 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 20-Jan-86 04:25:12 EST
References: <111@rruxa.UUCP>
Organization: Quest Research Inc., Burnsville, MN
Lines: 63

> I am about to buy two kittens.
> Regardless of their sex, I am planning
> to have them fixed.  Is there any particular
> combination of sex (2male, 2 female, 1 of each)
> that will have a tendancy to get along better?
> Is it better to get two cats from the same
> litter?  Any other considerations that make
> one sex better than another for housepets
> that will spend the working hours of the day
> alone?   Thank you for any help.
> 
> Joanne

I live in a household with seven cats (5 male, 2 female) they
all have distinct personalities regarding the other cats.
All have been fixed (one more than the others do to FUS -- don't
ask...)  Here is a list of the cats and what they do to each
other.

Sukiyaki, Oriental Shorthair Male -- the Boss; beats up on the
other cats at will, except for the females of course.  Attacks
Popper at least once a day to keep him in his place.

Popper, Oriental Shorthair Male -- Sukiyaki's sidekick; helps him
beat up on the other cats when he isn't under attack himself.

Calista, Oriental Shorthair Female --  A very nice cat but once in
a while will strike out at random when she is having a bad day.

Yin-Yang, Domestic Shorthair Female -- high strung and unpredictable;
sometimes swipes at the other cats for no good reason -- the other
cats avoid her.

Greymist, Himalayan Male, declawed (before we got him, I don't
believe in declawing; although I've never had to choose between
that and saving the drapes) -- withdrawn usually although he will
sometimes play with the other cats.

P.T., Siamese Male -- Paranoid.  He is so afraid of the other cats
that if they come up to him he hits them.  So they beat him up of
course thus justifying his fear.  There is a permanent state of war
between him and Sukiyaki; so bad that I have had to isolate him in
my bedroom.

Winky, Siamese Male -- Oblivious to the whole pecking order; has
been known to start playing with the tail of Sukiyaki just when
he is about to do battle.  Never fights.

All in all, I would suggest that either getting two females or
a male and a female would work out the best.  I haven't noticed
any correlation between fighting and how closely the cats are
related (the Oriental Shorthairs and the Siamese are all related
to one another to various degrees, although none of them are
litter mates).  Getting them fixed is a good idea however, all
of our cats mellowed-out considerably when we had this done.

Sorry about the length of this posting, I do tend to run on a
little when I talk about my cats.  ;->
-- 

David Messer   UUCP:  ...ihnp4!quest!dave
                      ...ihnp4!encore!vaxine!spark!14!415!sysop
               FIDO:  14/415 (SYSOP)