Cat fights and girls

Ever really think about why we describe squabbling amongst those of the female gender, "cat-fights"? Or why certain individuals may be described as being, "catty" and we may even add in a little simutaneous snarl, "reaaaar," with our forearm raised and our fingers formed into a claw-like demonstration?
I know I have used this simile frequently to desribe situations I have witnessed and people I know. But in actuality, I live with it everyday. We have three female cats in the house. Believe me-it's at least one too many. In fact, several times in the course of Ming-a-Ling's young life (she's three) we have decided we could not keep her and was determined to find her a new home. You see, cats are very territorial. And they are not pack animals. Therefore, the whole idea that one is dominant and the others fall into their respectiful submissive places does not apply here. If they fight, they will always fight. And Ming-a-Ling is an all around instigator. And it's not at all as if she can dish it but can't take it. She certainly can take it too. Our little Sabrina finds Ming-a-Ling as the perfect squeeky toy and loves to chase her, pounce on her, and even take her entire head into her mouth.

Ming is just plain obsessed about MeiMei. It's pure, deep rooted, uncontrollable jealousy.

If we put MeiMei in the office, Ming sleeps outside the door. If MeiMei is sleeping on the couch, Ming will sneak up on her and pounce her. If MeiMei is in the litter box, Ming waits for her outside to ambush her. If MeiMei has slept on our bed, Ming will pee on the exact spot where she laid. Her obsessive, jealous behavior has driven us to purchase water bottles to spray at her when she is stalking MeiMei. Riley hates it as much as we do and will try to scare Ming off before she attacks.
When you experience a cat fight, it not only does your heart jump out of your chest, but your blood curdles and your nerves shake. There is no other way to describe it...it's evil. Riley cannot tolerate that kind of distressful behavior.

Yesterday, Ming-a-Ling got MeiMei good. We were set to send her off today. But of course, we couldn't do it. So we've set up a new plan of attack.

I went to Especially for Pets and looked through all the training products. This is what I got:


It's supposed to be a blend of simulated feline pheromones that create a sense of well being. Supposedly great for stress and tension. I wish I could spray it all over my poor MeiMei (heck I wish I could spray the stuff all over myself!). And if this doesn't work, then we've got strategically placed spray bottles of this stuff around the house:

It's the "most bitter stuff on earth." I tried it. Yeah, it's pretty bitter but not the most bitter substance I've ever tasted. Still, it's pretty nasty. The bottle says it protects anything that pets can chew, lick, or bite. I suppose it kinda applies to our situation of pouncing, clawing, and biting. The good thing is, it is safe to be sprayed directly on dogs and cats so we can spray away! So I came home and sprayed all the common living spaces with the calming spray, hoping to distill some calm, happy, energy: the couch, the cat tree, the rugs, the seat cushions, etc. And when Ming got within 2 feet of MeiMei, we sprayed her with "Fooey" for target practice. The house has been quiet since.

So if you ever want to get a clear picture of why we compare fighting females to cat fighting...please, come visit it first-hand in our home.