Yoda's Catfight With His Own Father on 26.5.2021

 Yunno what? For the 1st time Yoda got into a catfight (which was not supposed to be) with his own father

another Siamese cat whom we recognized as 'Milo'.

It happened earlier this evening when Yoda managed to sneak out to the front garden, forbidden to him since he's gotten his own Side Enclosure, but knowing cats, when they want out, they'll find find a way out. I was just about to take a nap, not realising he was out, (coz I just brought him and Sam in from the Side Enclosure) when I heard Yoda's familiar voice from what sounded like a cat fight in a distant.

Then immediately Mami came rushing saying that Yoda could be outside since the front grill door seemed slightly ajar. Apparently, Bushee was also at the car porch and sure enough, it was Yoda against Milo, head-on, underneath the Kancil nearer to the gate.

For just a bit of sidenote; unlike Sam and Twinnee, Yoda was rescued from the outside at a very early age, which meant he hasn't had the time to fraternize with his father as how the twins would. So each time Milo passed the fence, Yoda would go berzerk trying to challenge this equally big cat that looks similar to him. Usually it's not so bad coz they were blocked from each other by a fence barrier, but even then, I'd ensure that Yoda would be able to see Milo being chased away so Yoda might know of the intervention and that we've got his back. I believe this is important for him because Yoda being just a year old, could be considered a young challenger to Milo, whom I believe is the current alpha male in his territory. Milo had been around this territory many years ago, as we've seen him being called by name from presumably an owner in the neighbourhood, whom since then has probably moved away, leaving Milo behind, or ran away, or lost, or something to that effect. Essentially, we never saw Milo anymore for a long time until recently. In fact, I'd have forgotten about him if Mami hadn't jogged my memory. I guess that Milo being back, explains why there's these sudden emergence of Siamese kittens starting from Yoda. By the way, Yoda's immediate siblings disappeared after Yoda was rescued from nearly being crushed by our reversing Kancil. Whilst carrying him, I could only get a quick glance at the rest of his siblings, down near the front drain. They consisted of a rounder looking Siamese and two other black kittens. Roughly six months later, the next generation, a set of newly born kittens of the same type as Yoda's generation, a kindle or litter of two black kittens and two Siamese  (which as we all know now as Sam and Twinee) appeared underneath and around our Toyota one rainy night. The rest is history.

Milo, although domesticated but now turned feral, seemed a gentle cat, you don't hear him meowing, but other male challengers would be the one making the racket during a cat fight, which ended up with him chasing the other away, that is after he's roughened the other up. I've seen and am aware of how powerful but calm he could be when confronting another male challenger or even a trespasser. But still he was the one that communicated a sign of safety to his family when we tried to feed them. It was ironical. To clarify, when we placed a bowl of food on the porch floor to feed them one night, Milo would take the first step to inch in slowly to smell the food, then turned around, walk away into the darkness, and suddenly from that darkness a clowder of cats appeared,  cautiously approaching the food, and one by one starting from the kittens, would start eating, whilst the rest would sit and observe. Finally, when all have had their fill, Milo would approach to finish whatever was left.

I've never seen this sort of behaviour before in cats. Usually they'd have an hierarchical eating order as in a pride of lions in the wild, starting from the male lion, right down to the youngsters.

But those cats, that night, moved me to this day.

Talking about seeing something for the first time - a few months ago, Yoda, already big in size, charged at Milo behind the front door grill. Somehow or the other, to our horror, he managed to swing the grill door open (the latch was faulty, but I've had it repaired since then) and wanted to fight with Milo. Mami managed to run after Yoda, bravely carried him in while I closed and secured the door. Meanwhile, Mami placed Yoda on the chair back of the couch. We were talking about what had just happened and the next thing we knew, Yoda, being at our chest level, lurched forward onto Mami's chest and shoulder and literally tore at her arms. Everything happened in a flash, she was screaming with me trying to pull Yoda away by the scruff of his neck, then shut him away in the nearest room. Sorry to say, Mami was badly bitten and scratched deeply but fortunately no serious repercussion ensued. We tended to the bloodied wounds immediately where now, it's all healed without any glaring scars.

What's important to note here is that, it wasn't Yoda's fault as much as it was ours. We now know to leave a cat to calm down quietly, no commotion, but more observations towards the cat that was in a fight, whether really fighting or not. Do not approach it but let it calm down momentarily before soothing it. But whatever it is, let it be aware that we, its humans, would provide the support it needs. These amazing felines.

Which brings me back to Yoda and Milo this early evening. They were underneath the Kancil. That time, nobody was going to approach them like before. Instead, I turned on the garden tap, grabbed the hose and got as close as I could towards those wailing fighters. What I saw underneath the Kancil were two equally big Siamese cats with heads just inches from each other. Around them on the floor, a carpet of white fur which showed that a wrestle had taken place. Due to their positions, I couldn't really figure out who was where. I aimed the water hose between them, as close as possible to the centre, turned on the water spout hoping to gush them to pry them apart. The aim was in such a way that either one would not be able to run towards the main outer gate whilst the other followed. If that happened, that'd be no way for us to stop them. As expected, one ran towards the Toyota whilst the other put up chase. This time Mami was there with a rod in her hand. She saw that Yoda was ahead with Milo closing in. But at that moment, Yoda stopped to turn towards the chaser, so Milo stopped short. Mami shouted calling at Yoda, I moved towards them, kneeled down again to aim the hose underneath the Toyota, gave it a quick burst and good thing Yoda ran past Mami straight into the house. Since Mami was in-between them with a rod, Milo dared not follow. Mami then went quickly in to close the door and Milo ran off. Everything happened so fast we couldn't see how or where Milo ran towards. Usually he would just jump the high wall towards the neighbour's, but not this time.

Inside, I reminded Mami to leave Yoda alone on the bed. Stay clear. Awhile later, after Mami had determined that he's calmed and lying down, I approached to stroke his head and shoulders and felt that a patch on his left neck was slightly damp. No blood. Good. Maybe just from the water hose jet. Later, Mami believed that the neck was bitten, but no broken skin, body temperature higher than normal, so Mami's supplement and medication would be administered, something which is daunting if the patient is prone to biting. So a suggestion was made to hide the medication in his favourite food, Mami's homemade beef & chicken jerky for cats. We were unsure whether he'd eat, but apparently he did. In fact Mami had to wake him up from his unusual sudden sleep to get him to eat. I guess its a cat's instinct to sleep off and naturally recuperate as soon as possible. And he really did just that, a good many hours of sleep after the medication.

Sleep is good for all living creatures, even human, without which, everything and everyone becomes cranky. Get a good sleep, the proper way and wake up feeling all healed, energized and happy. Now, it's very early dawn, the cats are having their daily runaround in the Side Enclosure. And Yoda seems to be doing fine, shuttling up and down the length of the Side Enclosure to do, I dunno what, maybe a territorial patrol?

Alls well that ends well. It's a good day...