DEAR JOAN: It’s 10 p.m. and my always indoor cat, Butter, is growling at the screen door in my bedroom. I turn on the outside light and see two huge raccoons in the yard.
Suddenly the kitty turns on me and claws my leg with both paws, leaving deep puncture wounds, then he jumps up on the bed and falls asleep, as is his normal pattern.
I saw a doctor and got an antibiotic, so I’m OK, but my question is, why would my normal, loving, mellow cat attack me when he was obviously upset by the invaders in a yard where he has never set paw?
— Susan Barkan, Mountain View
DEAR SUSAN: Butter’s perceived betrayal in attacking you was a case of redirected aggression, and nothing personal against you.
When cats are triggered, usually by the sight of another animal, there’s a buildup of emotions and because they can’t take it out on the offending animal, cats will turn that rage on someone else, which, unfortunately, was you.
Butter might not have set foot outside, but he still considers it part of his territory, and those darn raccoons were threatening his kingdom.
There are a few things you can do to avoid a repeat of the attack. Close blinds or drapes at night, and if Butter does see something that triggers him, move quickly out of the reach of those claws. Don’t try to comfort or calm him until he quietens down. It’s also a good idea to provide a safe place for him to go — somewhere comfy and soothing, such as a corner, a box or beneath a piece of furniture. Put pillows and blankets there. Cats like an enclosed space when they are upset as they feel safe there.
DEAR JOAN: One of the neighborhood crows has a distinctly different voice, or caw. It is a higher pitched caw and sometimes ends in a series of high ar-ar-ars. I am guessing it is a juvenile, because I have seen it acting like juvenile gulls do, by hanging around an adult and sort of hoping to be fed, but then being ignored (poor thing!) as, I guess, the signal to find its own dinner. Tough bird love!
But the juvenile crow’s sad-sounding (to me) caws have gone on for months. Is this normal? Is it OK?
— Jean, Aptos
DEAR JEAN: If it’s survived for several months, I’d say it’s OK. Your juvenile crow, however, might be a common raven.
Crows and ravens look very much the same, but ravens have a different sounding call, which is very much like the one you describe. You can hear recordings of both crows and ravens at the Cornell Lab’s website (www.allaboutbirds.org) and judge for yourself.
Although they might not sound very melodious, the calls of crows and ravens are considered bird songs. Unlike many other birds, crows and ravens don’t only sing as a way to announce their territory. They sing to communicate with others in their flocks, sharing secrets and insights we can only imagine.
I can’t explain the behavior you describe, although if they are ravens, they could be mates or flock-mates.
The Animal Life column runs on Mondays. Contact Joan Morris at [email protected].
