Cat freaked out by bully cat next door

DEAR JOAN: I have two cats and my neighbor has two. One of her cats is aggressive to only one of my cats.

Now my cat won’t come out of the room and she is peeing all over. I leave the balcony door open for them to go out. Are there any suggestions you can give me?

— Violet R., Mountain View

DEAR VIOLET: Cats can be highly territorial; male cats are more so, but females will fight to protect their territory. Cats, like humans, can also take a disliking to another cat for reasons known only to them.

Because it’s the neighbor’s cat that is the aggressor, you can’t really do anything about it. You can, however, make sure your cat isn’t getting bullied and attacked by keeping it indoors and away from the aggressive cat.

It sounds like your cat was seriously traumatized by whatever happened between the two, and will need some extra attention and care from you. Make sure the cat has a safe place to go, such as a box where it can hide out, or a cozy corner. Cats like to be in small places when they’re upset.

If the cat remains frightened and timid, talk to your vet about medications that might help. You also can use a Feliway Diffuser, which mimics natural soothing pheromones, reassuring the cats that they are safe and all is well. It should stop the cat from peeing everywhere, and calm everyone in the house. Well, the cats anyway.

DEAR JOAN: There’s an interesting bird nest in a rosebush, maybe 40 inches off the ground.

It’s made entirely of fluff, feathers and fuzz. it’s not resting on a branch but appears to be almost suspended by a couple branches near the middle. There’s not a stick visible at all and there’s nothing inside.

There’s an opening at the top of one side, a little over an inch in diameter and maybe 4 inches high.

We’re curious what bird built it. We’ve had hummer nests in our yard, but this is six to eight times the volume of material.

— Jim Kelley, Milpitas

DEAR JIM: A few birds sharing spaces with us in the Bay Area build these amazing sock-like nests. The list includes hooded and Bullock’s orioles, American bushtits, and Hutton’s and warbling vireos.

You might have noticed orioles in your yard — the males are bright orange, providing lots of eye candy. The bushtit and vireos are far less showy so you could have them in your garden and never know it.

The shape, size and placement of the nest makes me think it was most likely the work of a warbling vireo. These are small, fairly plain looking birds, but they have great skill at weaving bits of plants, lichens and animal hair to create a rounded nest, suspended usually from two crossing branches.

Kitten season

Shelters and animal rescue groups are up to their ears in cute kittens looking for their permanent homes. If you’re thinking of adopting, now’s the time. And if you have a few extra dollars, these groups could use them to help pay for necessary care.

The Animal Life column runs on Mondays. Contact Joan Morris at AskJoanMorris@gmail.com.