Like I said, I have 3 cats....2 are my roommates, the other is mine. Mine is 5 years old, hers are 2. Mine is fixed, hers are not. Recently, the girls have become very aggressive towards my cat, to the point where they have him afraid to come out of my room to use the kitty litter and to eat. Every time he does, he's attacked. My room mate and I don't see eye to eye on how this issue can be resolved without one of us giving up our cats, and thats the last thing we want. Is there anything we can do to stop the cats from being so aggressive with each other?
2007-09-19 15:42:05 · 8 answers · asked by amaipeach 2 in Pets ➔ Cats
All cats are territorial, and the two females will be more so because they have not been spayed. Could your friend be persuaded that it's in the best interest of her cats' health to have them spayed. She may not be worried about the risk of pregnancy, but not spaying them puts them at greater risk of developing ovrian or mammary cancer later in life. It won't change their personalities, but it may help them be more tolerant.
Not all cats like sharing either, so introductions have to be made slowly in order for the cats to accept each other. Who lived there first and how long have you been sharing the home? As the original cat(s) was used to the home being their territory, they will feel threatened by the arrival of a newcomer who they think is trying to steal their territory and evict them. The fairest thing to do is allow the cat(s) who lived there first to have the run of the home, while the newcomer is confined to a separate room for a week or so with litter, food & water. This will give them all chance to calm down a little bit. (Obviously if your cat was the last to arrive in the home then he is the one that's confined, but if he was there before the females, then your friend has to confine them to her room).
Cats rely very heavily on their sense of smell and because the females don't recognise the scent of your cat, this is why they react to him in a hostile manner. The females need to "meet" your cat by smell before they meet him face to face again. You can help mix-up their scents by wiping a soft cloth or hankie over the females' cheeks and then wiping it over your cat. A Feliway plug-in diffuser might help, as they emit a scent similar to the one found in cats' cheeks, which they find comforting.
The web articles below offer really good advice on helping introduce cats to each other.
http://www.tulsa-animalshelter.org/tips/intro%20cat.htm
http://messybeast.com/first-impressions.htm
You might also like to inform your friend that unspayed females are more likely to scent mark territory as a way of defending it, which is a possible scenario whilst the cats are getting used to each other. If her cats begin scent marking, this can be a difficult habit to break, so getting them spayed a.s.a.p. will have many benefits for the cats and yourselves.
I don't know how long the three cats have been living together, but the longer they have, the slower the introductions need to be. Be very patient and let the cats dictate the pace, don't force them to be together if they don't want to. If all three can be in the same room without any hissing or fighting, reward all of them with food treats. This will make them associate the other with good things and help them realise that there are benefits in learning how to share.
Absolute worse case scenario, that your friend doesn't have her cats spayed and that the hostilities continue with no signs of any improvement whatsoever. Then you'll need to reach some kind of time-share arrangement for the cats, whereby they take it in turns to have free run of the house whilst the other party is confined in a bedroom.
Hope you find a happy solution for all. Good luck.
2007-09-20 06:01:35 · answer #1 · answered by Michele the Louis Wain cat 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Having a cat that is not fixed is the same as having an unpleasant cat, so that is a major problem. Having her cats spayed will do a great deal to defuse the situation.
The second part of this is time. Time will resolve the pecking order, and who is the alpha cat. Then, there will be a truce. But if her cats keep going into heat, this situation will only get worse.
For your cat, make sure he has access to his own litter box and food supply. Cats don't like to eat next to where they do their business, so make sure there is a separation of those two areas as best you can in a small space.
2007-09-19 15:55:38 · answer #2 · answered by cat lover 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some "cat personality" disputes are not resolvable. It might help to get her cats fixed though. (She should anyway). One incentive might be that toms don't generally attack females - but nearly all of them have a breaking point. A large tom of mine put up with attacks from a giant (she weighed 26 pounds) female for some time - and then pasted her to a wall.
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2007-09-19 15:50:46 · answer #3 · answered by amoggery 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Loose your roommate! Get a new one that sees eye to eye with you on cat care. Her cats are long overdue for a FIX!
2007-09-19 16:01:38 · answer #4 · answered by Pinyon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Judith, Beatrice, and Imogen :) i think of those sound like ideal sisters. i'm prepared on the call Beatrice and that i'm additionally particularly prepared on Judith, yet i for my section dislike Imogen, notwithstanding, it in positive condition so splendidly with the different 2 and it particularly is a mind-blowing call. This mixture of names seems faultless. so some distance as middles pass, i like: Judith Vesper Beatrice Tamsin Imogen Dahlia
2016-10-05 01:09:09 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Has she ever thought of spaying her cats? It might help to keep the peace!
2007-09-19 15:47:50 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just let them duke it out.
If he won't come out of your room, then get him his own kitty litter and food.
2007-09-19 15:49:51 · answer #7 · answered by Starieberry 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
http://www.softpaws.com/
2007-09-19 15:57:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋