Litter mates had encounter with outside cat, now hate each other

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frenetic mango

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Did you run out of the Ssscat you were using on him, or did he just get used to it? If you ran out, get some more. It seemed like it worked for a while there.
I have to turn it off during the day because my neighbor has a dog and we share a courtyard. My landlady got frightened by it this morning.
 
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frenetic mango

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Did you run out of the Ssscat you were using on him, or did he just get used to it? If you ran out, get some more. It seemed like it worked for a while there.
Moving seems a bit extreme, and likely wouldn't help any with the cats as they would have yet another thing to upset them.
We don't like this house anyway and were already planning on moving. I don't have a lot of confidence that the outside cat will stay away, and can't install doors here because it's not my house. So every time we need to move a cat or get anywhere in the house, we have to move and replace a stack of 3 gates. It would just be much easier in a place with more doors and maybe on the 2nd floor.
 

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So every time we need to move a cat or get anywhere in the house, we have to move and replace a stack of 3 gates.
That is why I offered the idea of the DIY shelving so that it could be opened/closed easily - copied post below.
... just in case this would work for you (see pic below), you can DIY a folding door with shelving from a home improvement store, that can normally be purchased in lengths up to the height of a doorway, then hook pieces of it together with zip ties that makes a hinge of sorts. The 'folding door' can then be opened and closed as needed, and you can still place a blanket over it (or, even affix cardboard to it by punching holes in the cardboard and using zip ties to fasten it to the shelving) since that worked before your partner fast-tracked the movement of the blanket.
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I worry that this wouldn't hold during one if their episodes, there's no way to affix it to anything.
You could try using something like this (see below) - it's a simple repair job when you want to remove them - with a bit of spackling and a spray can of paint unless your walls are some odd color. If that were the case, use command strips on each side of the opening and a bungee cord stretched across the shelving and hooked to the command strips.
 
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frenetic mango

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You could try using something like this (see below) - it's a simple repair job when you want to remove them - with a bit of spackling and a spray can of paint unless your walls are some odd color. If that were the case, use command strips on each side of the opening and a bungee cord stretched across the shelving and hooked to the command strips.
LOL. The trim in my house is all a weird green. But thank you for the suggestion
 
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frenetic mango

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Whoever is in the kitchen inevitably yells about it all day, is this stressing them further? The living room is the usual chill spot. The one in the living doesn't seem bothered by it (usually).
 
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frenetic mango

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You could try using something like this (see below) - it's a simple repair job when you want to remove them - with a bit of spackling and a spray can of paint unless your walls are some odd color. If that were the case, use command strips on each side of the opening and a bungee cord stretched across the shelving and hooked to the command strips.
How do you manage to get through without a cat slipping between? We've been using a window screen as kind of a shield thing. But we have to distract whoever is on the other side to get through, which requires someone on either side of the door. So if we were both on one side, with a cat trying to get in in either direction, how do you get through the door without them seeing each other or getting through?
 

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How do you manage to get through without a cat slipping between? We've been using a window screen as kind of a shield thing. But we have to distract whoever is on the other side to get through, which requires someone on either side of the door. So if we were both on one side, with a cat trying to get in in either direction, how do you get through the door without them seeing each other or getting through?
You can't use that same process for the folding door-shelving? You said you were swapping their locations, so neither has to be in the same location all the time - how do you do it then? Can neither of them be picked up?
 
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frenetic mango

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You can't use that same process for the folding door-shelving? You said you were swapping their locations, so neither has to be in the same location all the time - how do you do it then? Can neither of them be picked up?
When we switch them we put one in a carrier. One likes to lay in the carrier as long as I'm not nearby, but if I come near she knows I'm going to close it and hops out. Neither likes being placed in it and they are becoming increasingly resistant, so I would like to not have to put them in it if I can avoid it. I am nervous to just hold them while we do the switch in case they start freaking out and I get turned into hamburger.
 

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I am nervous to just hold them while we do the switch in case they start freaking out and I get turned into hamburger.
I wouldn't hold them in the immediate area when they are being switched. Pick one up and walk away, while the other of you moves the division and takes the other cat to another area, then come back the put the cat in the swapped area. That can even be done with just one of you, as you can always move the cat temporarily to another room with a door.
I have never had a cat that would try to scratch and/or bite me to bits when I would pick them up. They knew that I was going to win that fight in the end, so they understood that it was a lost cause for them to fight me. You can always put on an old sweatshirt - and, use gloves to protect your hands while you pick them up. But, swapping them between the locations frequently is important to this whole process.

Perhaps, some member who has trouble with this aspect will speak up and offer you some ideas. This problem is truly foreign to me. Sorry.
 
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frenetic mango

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I wouldn't hold them in the immediate area when they are being switched. Pick one up and walk away, while the other of you moves the division and takes the other cat to another area, then come back the put the cat in the swapped area. That can even be done with just one of you, as you can always move the cat temporarily to another room with a door.
I have never had a cat that would try to scratch and/or bite me to bits when I would pick them up. They knew that I was going to win that fight in the end, so they understood that it was a lost cause for them to fight me. You can always put on an old sweatshirt - and, use gloves to protect your hands while you pick them up. But, swapping them between the locations frequently is important to this whole process.

Perhaps, some member who has trouble with this aspect will speak up and offer you some ideas. This problem is truly foreign to me. Sorry.
My house is basically one long room, with the only door to the bathroom at the very end of it away from the front door. To switch them, they have to pass by each other. There is nowhere to stash one while the other moves into the area. If I was to hold them, they would definitely see each other and (based on their recent behavior) throw a fit. This is why we use the carriers. We can close them up so they can't see anything that way, even though we have to move them past each other. I can hold them just fine under normal circumstances, in fact they enjoy being held.
 

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What if you trap that outside cat and take him to the TNR group?
 
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Update, we did a couple feeding sessions this morning. The first consisted of caterwauling and bottle brush tails pretty much immediately, and only lasted a few seconds. I think I am figuring out who is the aggressor as well. We did another a few hours later, after their meds had kicked in. This one had some hissing and a bit of puffing, at which we lowered the blanket. They calmed very quickly, however, so we decided to try once more while they were still eating. This time, though both still pretty alert, they looked at each other warily and both went back to eating. We ended the session a few seconds later. Small progress. Should we move them back farther from each other, or is this level of OK enough to stick to this distance?
 
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Just some extra info I guess... They are completely normal otherwise besides being a bit sluggish from the meds. They know not to jump on the table or counters, the urine issue has not occurred since the orange cat last came back, they are completely comfortable with me and my partner.
 

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Should we move them back farther from each other, or is this level of OK enough to stick to this distance?
Sorry if I missed it - so, exactly how far apart are they kept when eating? Whatever the distance, I don't think it sounds too bad. But, it is hard to gauge when they are being drugged. Good to know the urine issue goes away when the orange cat is not around! It is progress I think.
 
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We tried again at the same distance, lots of wary glances but no overt aggression or hissing, and no bottle brush tail that I noticed. I think we'll keep it here for a few days. Now I just need to figure out how to deal with them while I'm at work.
 
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