Can two cats of the same sex live together peacefully in Sunnyvale?
How well a pair of cats get along is more a matter of temperament than sex -- or is it?
DEAR JOAN: I had to part with my elderly feline buddy last month. I am not ready for a new kitty relationship; however when I am, I’m thinking of getting two cats.
Do you recommend getting two males, two females or one of each? I want them to get along.
— Linda B., Sunnyvale
DEAR LINDA: Please accept my condolences on the loss of your buddy.
When you’re ready to have cats in your home and heart again, I think the personality of the cat is more important than the sex. The popular notion that two female cats will not get along is not true. There are plenty of all queen households that have coexisted peacefully. The same with all males and mixed pairs. On the other paw, some matches are not made in heaven.
I once had a male and female cat who weren’t exactly buddies, but they got along OK. But my experience also includes a male cat who was king of the castle, and when I introduced the idea of bringing in another cat, he shredded the sheets on my bed in a clear signal that he wasn’t going to share.
When you are ready to adopt, ask the caretakers about the cats’ personalities and whether they seem to get along with other cats. It’s not a guarantee they’ll get along in a new environment, but it’s pretty close. Make sure they each have their own spaces when you bring them home so as not to accidentally create a conflict.
Good luck. A house without a pet just doesn’t feel like a home.
DEAR JOAN: Last week we were thrilled to hear and see a barn owl has taken up residence in our backyard owl box.
However, last night, I distinctly heard hooting coming from the area of our box (but) the barn owl has been silent for a couple of nights.
This has never happened before. Usually, one or the other type of owl moves in and stays through the summer. What’s going on? Did the barn owl move? Do they take turns with the owl box?
— Liz, Pleasant Hill
DEAR LIZ: As we know the hooting sounds are definitely not coming from the barn owl, which has a blood-chilling screech that sounds nothing like a mellow hoot, you either have a new resident in the box or one nearby.
It could be coming from a great horned owl. Although the horned owl doesn’t use nesting boxes, its presence in the neighborhood would be enough to make the barn owls abandon their nest. Horned owls prey on a variety of small critters, including other owls.
If you think the hooting is coming from inside the nesting box, you might have a barred owl in residence. They have a face similar to that of a barn owl, and they have a distinctive hoot, described as, “Who cooks for you. Who cooks for you all.”
Hot pavement alert
Temperatures are finally starting to heat up, which is great for humans but does create a hazard for dogs. Sidewalks and pavements can quickly go from warm to hot to scorching. Avoid walking your dog during the hotter times of the day and stick to grassy paths and early morning or late evening strolls.
One way to tell if the surface is too hot is to place the back of your bare hand on it. If you can’t comfortably keep your hand there for 7 seconds, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.
Animal Life runs on Mondays. Contact Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.