Aggressive Cat

Lorie22

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I adopted a male cat last May, 2018. He was a prior abuse cat, thrown against a wall which injured his back legs. He walks fine today but has a little wiggle to his walk. Then he lived outside for some time, abandoned twice by two different owners. I scooped him up and brought him to a shelter which he lived in for 6 months until I could adopt him. I spent time working with him separately and now he has run of the house. He has been living part time in the same space with my female cat Mary. They are about the same age, 2. When I am in the room with them my male cat (the newly adopted one) stares at her. If I step out of the room for a split second, he jumps on her, then Mary begins to scream. I have introduced them slowly. The intros started in September. They can successfully eat next to each other and have separate sleeping spots. I started the Male cat on Prozac 2 weeks ago under my vets suggestion to try and curb his aggression toward the female. I have this fear that even after the 6 week time period is over (time it takes for meds to work), I will be in the same boat. Aggressive male towards female cat that just wants to be left alone. I am in the process of gating off my house to have them live separately. I can't stop him from jumping on her. And yes both are neutered/spayed. Any help would be appreciated.
 

Kflowers

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You may have to keep them separate as he works through his issues. He isn't afraid of you, that means he can and has worked though that issue. He probably has a fear of losing his resources that he needs to survive. He probably has a fear of losing his home which he wants to keep. These things have happened to him before. He will need time, perhaps more than you expected. I know you've seen this sort of thing before, but he needs the time to see that you aren't going to return him to the shelter.

I wouldn't even try to introduce them until he is secure and doesn't see Mary as a threat. That is when you will have the most luck bringing them together. For now, treat him as a psychological invalid. He will heal, but it will take time.

Of course you need to give Mary a good safe portion of the house. I'd suggest you let her sleep with you at night. She's used to it, it's a measure of your relationship. He isn't used to it and doesn't expect it. Right now his life is so much better than it was, he doesn't need it and she does.

For later, they say that cats like children go through the testing you to see if you will love them if they are horrible. I don't believe that. I think when they 'act out' they are just learning to play. i
 
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Lorie22

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The shelter did offer to take him back but there is no way I would consider that. He has come along way since last May. Mary has the majority of the house and I just bought a tall gate to separate them when I have to get things done or I leave. I had a feeling this is going to be a long road ahead. Wondering if anyone has had any luck with Prozac and aggressive cats?
 

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Hello and welcome to TCS. Thanks for caring for that poor boy, and giving him a home. It breaks my heart when I hear stories of abuse. My own Ruby was taken to the shelter I adopted her from, by a woman who rescued her from kids that were kicking her. :(

It sounds like you're doing well, but here's a TCS article on How To Help An Abused Cat Recover that may be helpful.

How long ago was he neutered? Just wondering if there might still be some hormones in his system, as it can take 6 weeks for them to be gone.

I'll also post our articles on cat introductions, and aggression, which may have tips for you.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Why Do Cats Attack?
Are My Cats Fighting Or Playing?

I've never used Prozac, but a quick search found these TCS threads where Prozac was mentioned: Search Results for Query: prozac | TheCatSite

Good luck with your cats. I hope in time they are, if not besties, at least able to co-exist.
 
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Lorie22

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Thank you for the links. He was fixed last May.
 
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Lorie22

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I read the articles. I'm buying a separation gate today. I will use it in the morning when they are both at a high energy level. I guess this is going to take much longer than I thought.
 

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Yes, longer than you thought, but not longer than the love you have to give. It's good that even knowing you can give up you're not going to. I do believe with every passing hour he will become more secure that you're not going to return him and that he will always have what he needs. These are huge things for him to learn. People have a lot of trouble believing it when they are rescued and they can be told.

I never used Prozac with aggressive cats, they didn't offer it to us. However, I had a very anxious dog. What worked best for her was Clomicalm made by Novis. It was as though she'd never been anxious. It's Rx only, PetMeds has it. It works well with cats too. you could ask your vet about it. Note Novis had a problem in getting the pills into the wrong bottles and shut down for awhile, so if you use it, be sure to have an extra low dose bottle on hand to wean your cat off.
 
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Lorie22

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Thank you
 
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Lorie22

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By the time I get in the room Mary has taken off running or hiding behind something. I usually pick Marion (boy kitty) up and put him in his bedroom until Mary settles down in her perch which is up high before I let him out again. I was watching yesterday from a distance. Mary is sitting in the middle of the carpet minding her own business. Marion runs fast towards her, smacks at her or jumps on her back.
 

rubysmama

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I've never introduced cats, or had 2 cats at the same time, so all cat skirmishes sound like fights to me.

Has he ever drawn blood? Does fur fly? That's signs that it's real, and not "play" fighting.

Interesting that they will eat together. And that he only attacks her when you're not in the room.

Have you tried making her presence a "good thing"? Like giving them both treats when they're together. Playing with him, when she's in the room? Does he let you touch him, pick him up, cuddle? Does he know his name?
 
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Lorie22

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He eats, gets treats, and plays in same room with her. He has had so many names at this point, I'm not sure he understands. He had a fear of people so touching him is fine now. Cuddling... He would rather not. I can pick him up though. If you could have seen what he was rescued from and how far he has come, you would be surprised. As a kitten he was thrown against a wall by a man. Injured back legs so his balance is off. He doesn't mind my son or husband touching him, but it has to be a quick pat on the head. I think seeing how he had to fight for food and survival, this is just him adjusting. Even at the shelter there were 60 other cats around him. He would get beaten up if he left his crate. Every time I visited him he would be hiding in it. He was there 6 months.
 

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Given this, he's probably just making sure she won't attack him. Time is your friend and his. It will work with their relationship as it has with everything else since he was rescued. Good of you to rescue him from the shelter, which doesn't seem to be set up to help special cases.
 

rubysmama

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Did you name him Marion? Or was that his shelter name? Reason I ask, is because it's very close to Mary, and could be confusing to him. You know, if you say "Mary, come here" or "Marion, don't do that".
 
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Lorie22

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It can be confusing. His name is Marion but I call him Buddy
 

rubysmama

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Since you call him Buddy, start saying his name a lot. It shouldn't take long for him to learn it, and start turning his head when you say his name. Then teach him "no". And hopefully, in time, "Buddy, no" will work, when you see him about to pounce on Mary.
 

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They are going to be fine! You have done a great job so far!
keep it up!
Buddy needs a lot of love and Mary needs to know you love her more!:)
 
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Lorie22

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They are doing much better. Prozac is a life saver. 3 weeks on it now, separate them when I have to leave. When home I monitor and correct Buddy with a stern No! He seems to understand that.
 

rubysmama

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Hopefully you won't have to keep him on Prozac indefinitely, but while he's on it, it'll give Mary a chance to gain some confidence around him.
 
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