3 "boyz" New Aggression Problem

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
Hello to all! I'm new to this board and I've searched the threads for ideas etc. I'm a mom to three "Boyz" who are struggling to get along after a redirected aggression incident. I've paid both a non-certified "cat specialist" as well as a board certified behaviorist but I have a feeling there's got to be some of you out there who've actually been through this and kept your sanity!

I have 3 "boyz" all neutered ages 17, 7 & 8 that have co-existed lovingly for 7yrs with no aggression issues. For example, while they've always had at least 3,500 sq ft of house to roam, they are always together. They have always chosen to be with one another. Then, suddenly one night in early Jan., they were all looking out a window when something walked by. Ziggy (8yr) hissed which scared Bear (7) yr old who hissed and the most horrifying cat fight broke out. Luckily (Monte 16yr old is a little slower so he didn't really react much).

After working diligently for 4wks we had them all back together with no fighting. We took our time with re-introductions, we did the play with Da Bird "hide, hunt" sequence games, fed together, used screens to separate our house, put Ziggy and Bear on Zylkene, used Plug Ins, ...everything you could imagine. It took us 6 wks until we comfortably left them alone unsupervised together when we left. Seemed that we were in the clear.

Then out of the blue, it happened again, but this time the aggression was a bit more deliberate. We were out on the Lanai (screened pool enclosure) for hours, when suddenly Ziggy bit Bear for no apparent reason. The fight wasn't immediate but it happened shortly thereafter. After separating, it only took about an hour for everyone to calm down and once again "want" to be together. Next day, again out on Lanai, again after about 2 hours of hanging out together, another fight broke out this time started by Bear. Now they are struggling to be together yet they want to be. We have started the re-introduction process once again. Today was a good one, no hissing....several "play" sessions, several "close" encounters without hissing or fighter, some "positive" interactions followed by lots of kibble treats and praiseLol

We've lived in our home for over a year with NO problems but we now have lots of critters (too many to chase away) that seem to be visiting on a more frequent basic. We are in the process of trying to deter all of our visitors (bobcat, fox and one big Stray) with all the usual methods - Cat Away, Ultrasonic Motion sensors etc. but we live on acreage so we might never win the battle. Fencing companies have been contacted but that will take months.

In the meantime, we are struggling to get Ziggy and Bear together (Monte and Bear are ok). After months of no sleep (or sleeping with one eye open) and endless hours spent on working with them we are exhausted, frustrated and are losing hope :( 99% of the people we tell our story too just don't understand? Clearly they've never seen their own "children" fight with a kill or be killed demeanor.

I was wondering if any of you have had success with re-developing and maintaining kitty relationships after an incident like ours. How long did it take? Did you have re-occurences, how many, how long in between? Did you have lots of "setbacks"?

I truly appreciate any thoughts or feedback. Our "Boyz" are our children and our family has been torn apart.

Best,
Jt
 

rubysmama

Forum Helper
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Nov 25, 2013
Messages
25,278
Purraise
62,764
Location
Canada
Welcome to The Cat Site. :wave2: Sorry it was fighting amongst the felines that brought you here. My family always only had one cat at a time, and now I just have my Ruby, so I have no experience with fighting cats. However, have heard of similar incidents to yours, where another animal freaks out one cat who takes out their aggression on their siblings.

Hopefully other members will see this thread and post. Meanwhile, I'll post links to a few TCS articles that may be helpful.
Good luck. :catlove:

The Multi-cat Household
How To Safely Break Up A Cat Fight
Re-directed Aggression In Cats
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #3

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
Welcome to The Cat Site. :wave2: Sorry it was fighting amongst the felines that brought you here. My family always only had one cat at a time, and now I just have my Ruby, so I have no experience with fighting cats. However, have heard of similar incidents to yours, where another animal freaks out one cat who takes out their aggression on their siblings.

Hopefully other members will see this thread and post. Meanwhile, I'll post links to a few TCS articles that may be helpful.
Good luck. :catlove:

The Multi-cat Household
How To Safely Break Up A Cat Fight
Re-directed Aggression In Cats
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
Thank you so much for replying to my post and for the links. They are GREAT! Everything I’ve read has helped tremendously.

I’ve found older posts similar to mine but not many new ones :(

I was hoping that someone who is going through a similar situation or who had/has gone through something like this would reply. Could really use some ideas, feedback, etc.
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,708
Purraise
64,894
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
Hello to all! I'm new to this board and I've searched the threads for ideas etc. I'm a mom to three "Boyz" who are struggling to get along after a redirected aggression incident. I've paid both a non-certified "cat specialist" as well as a board certified behaviorist but I have a feeling there's got to be some of you out there who've actually been through this and kept your sanity!

I have 3 "boyz" all neutered ages 17, 7 & 8 that have co-existed lovingly for 7yrs with no aggression issues. For example, while they've always had at least 3,500 sq ft of house to roam, they are always together. They have always chosen to be with one another. Then, suddenly one night in early Jan., they were all looking out a window when something walked by. Ziggy (8yr) hissed which scared Bear (7) yr old who hissed and the most horrifying cat fight broke out. Luckily (Monte 16yr old is a little slower so he didn't really react much).

After working diligently for 4wks we had them all back together with no fighting. We took our time with re-introductions, we did the play with Da Bird "hide, hunt" sequence games, fed together, used screens to separate our house, put Ziggy and Bear on Zylkene, used Plug Ins, ...everything you could imagine. It took us 6 wks until we comfortably left them alone unsupervised together when we left. Seemed that we were in the clear.

Then out of the blue, it happened again, but this time the aggression was a bit more deliberate. We were out on the Lanai (screened pool enclosure) for hours, when suddenly Ziggy bit Bear for no apparent reason. The fight wasn't immediate but it happened shortly thereafter. After separating, it only took about an hour for everyone to calm down and once again "want" to be together. Next day, again out on Lanai, again after about 2 hours of hanging out together, another fight broke out this time started by Bear. Now they are struggling to be together yet they want to be. We have started the re-introduction process once again. Today was a good one, no hissing....several "play" sessions, several "close" encounters without hissing or fighter, some "positive" interactions followed by lots of kibble treats and praiseLol

We've lived in our home for over a year with NO problems but we now have lots of critters (too many to chase away) that seem to be visiting on a more frequent basic. We are in the process of trying to deter all of our visitors (bobcat, fox and one big Stray) with all the usual methods - Cat Away, Ultrasonic Motion sensors etc. but we live on acreage so we might never win the battle. Fencing companies have been contacted but that will take months.

In the meantime, we are struggling to get Ziggy and Bear together (Monte and Bear are ok). After months of no sleep (or sleeping with one eye open) and endless hours spent on working with them we are exhausted, frustrated and are losing hope :( 99% of the people we tell our story too just don't understand? Clearly they've never seen their own "children" fight with a kill or be killed demeanor.

I was wondering if any of you have had success with re-developing and maintaining kitty relationships after an incident like ours. How long did it take? Did you have re-occurences, how many, how long in between? Did you have lots of "setbacks"?

I truly appreciate any thoughts or feedback. Our "Boyz" are our children and our family has been torn apart.

Best,
Jt
Welcome JT'w/3 JT'w/3 and family to TCS! It sounds as if you've already become well informed and have done several things that can be helpful, but I'm sorry they have not solved the problem completely.
I have had experience with adopting two different dominant male cats into a multi-cat family, and my thoughts are that it can take time for everyone to decide on hierarchy and adapt, just like with people in a workplace environment, etc. The first of the males I adopted, Sammi, had been an "only cat" for 14 years when he joined us. He immediately took offense at our alpha male, Calo; it took the best part of a year for them to adjust to one another, during which Sammi had quite a few "time outs" in his own room and I had to use a brook to separate them a couple of times because they were a blurry ball of fury. No permanent harm done, though, and eventually they could be found curled up in close proximity on the bed. My advice is to NEVER give up on a cat. Also, you might want to look at cat behaviorist extraordinaire Jackson Galaxy's videos on YouTube and his wonderful Animal Planet TV series, "MY CAT FROM HELL". He works with people and cats in situations just like yours. You might want to also search another great cat behaviorist, Pam Johnson-Bennett; her book, CAT vs. CAT has been very helpful to many.
Keep us informed, and all the very best to you and your beloved cats! Time, patience and love will undoubtedly result in success.
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
My first advice would be a good vet visit for both boys with a good blood work. If they're suddenly fighting it probably is behavioral, but if it's medical in nature it can be addressed. (I have a girl that will get a UTI over nothing, and days before symptoms start the other cats harass and beat the crap out of her for simply existing!)

I would also talk to your vet about the supplement zylkene if you haven't already. I only speak from experiences in dogs, but occasionally anxiety supplements and/or drugs can create the opposite effect and make the anxiety WORSE. (This isn't to say the drug or supplement or whatever someone is using is "bad", just that it doesn't agree and maybe something else should be tried. Acepromazine was popular sedative-type medicine for anxiety/stress/etc. many years ago and it has been all but replaced by other things because there were too many instances of the anxiety and stress levels taking the opposite road and skyrocketing, especially in breeds like Sight hounds.)

Also, their closeness in age is interesting as it reminds me of two high school boys with the "come at me, bro" attitude. I'm happy that the old guy is spared from this at least!

Long ago we had two cats, a male and a female, close in age. One day they got into a fight, and for the rest of their lives they would attempt to avoid one another but the occasional fights still happened. No one was ever injured or hurt, but it was loud, scary, and the inspiration for the furminator as there was hair left all over the place. They learned to co-exist much better as they hit old age and fighting stopped.

I don't envy your situation but don't give up!! =)
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
Welcome JT'w/3 JT'w/3 and family to TCS! It sounds as if you've already become well informed and have done several things that can be helpful, but I'm sorry they have not solved the problem completely.
I have had experience with adopting two different dominant male cats into a multi-cat family, and my thoughts are that it can take time for everyone to decide on hierarchy and adapt, just like with people in a workplace environment, etc. The first of the males I adopted, Sammi, had been an "only cat" for 14 years when he joined us. He immediately took offense at our alpha male, Calo; it took the best part of a year for them to adjust to one another, during which Sammi had quite a few "time outs" in his own room and I had to use a brook to separate them a couple of times because they were a blurry ball of fury. No permanent harm done, though, and eventually they could be found curled up in close proximity on the bed. My advice is to NEVER give up on a cat. Also, you might want to look at cat behaviorist extraordinaire Jackson Galaxy's videos on YouTube and his wonderful Animal Planet TV series, "MY CAT FROM HELL". He works with people and cats in situations just like yours. You might want to also search another great cat behaviorist, Pam Johnson-Bennett; her book, CAT vs. CAT has been very helpful to many.
Keep us informed, and all the very best to you and your beloved cats! Time, patience and love will undoubtedly result in success.
Jackson's videos are really cool. I've always said he changed me from a "person who owns cat" to a "Cat Person". Lots of great ideas from the POV of the cat and a lot of ways to help change things that need to be changed!
My dominance problems have always centered on girls. It's like my girls all want to be Queen Bee. No injuries but a lot of screaming, slapping, and hissing. IME girls (usually) fight and hold grudges more than boys, which is why I hope the OP will talk to their vet about possible check ups to see if there's something physical making this situation linger; either as an "I don't feel great" lasher-outer or a "I'm a target" victim?
 

Tobermory

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
9,137
Purraise
25,934
Location
Pacific NW
Hi, @JT’w/3 and welcome! I know exactly how stressful this situation can be. A few years ago, Max, 11, decided he was going to try to kill Iris, 4. It was absolutely bizarre. They had been buddies since I brought Iris and her sister, Lily, home as kittens when Max was seven. Max never liked Lily, although they co-existed, but Max and Iris slept together. Suddenly, he began to stalk her, and it was not a normal kind of stalking. He even looked strange when he did it, and Iris was completely terrified of him. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong with him, but we had to rotate them in and out of isolation for six months before they could be together again. And that was with supervision. We had Feliway diffusers plugged in everywhere. He also started spraying the walls.

I thought Max might have initially been set off by a cat outside (mine are indoor only), but what I finally decided was that he might have been reacting to my stress. My father was dying and I was making almost weekly 600-mile round trips to see him while still working at a difficult job. Max went after Iris one evening after I’d just gotten home from one of these trips, and when I snatched her up out of his way, he laid my leg open almost to the bone. He looked like a wild animal gone berserk.

As I said, we did the separation thing for many months and then gradually re-introduced them. In the meantime, my father passed away and I decided to leave my job for a less stressful one. Gradually everything got back to normal, and Max never attacked Iris again, nor did he ever spray again. He also never again looked like a berserker and was a sweetheart until he died last summer at age 20.

So your thought that there might be an outside trigger is certainly a possibility. It could be some creature or creatures skulking around the house or they could be picking up on stress vibes in a family member (beyond the stress of them not getting along!). It sounds like you’re doing everything you can and it’s going to take time and patience. I’ll be sending good thoughts your way.
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,708
Purraise
64,894
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
Hi, @JT’w/3 and welcome! I know exactly how stressful this situation can be. A few years ago, Max, 11, decided he was going to try to kill Iris, 4. It was absolutely bizarre. They had been buddies since I brought Iris and her sister, Lily, home as kittens when Max was seven. Max never liked Lily, although they co-existed, but Max and Iris slept together. Suddenly, he began to stalk her, and it was not a normal kind of stalking. He even looked strange when he did it, and Iris was completely terrified of him. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong with him, but we had to rotate them in and out of isolation for six months before they could be together again. And that was with supervision. We had Feliway diffusers plugged in everywhere. He also started spraying the walls.

I thought Max might have initially been set off by a cat outside (mine are indoor only), but what I finally decided was that he might have been reacting to my stress. My father was dying and I was making almost weekly 600-mile round trips to see him while still working at a difficult job. Max went after Iris one evening after I’d just gotten home from one of these trips, and when I snatched her up out of his way, he laid my leg open almost to the bone. He looked like a wild animal gone berserk.

As I said, we did the separation thing for many months and then gradually re-introduced them. In the meantime, my father passed away and I decided to leave my job for a less stressful one. Gradually everything got back to normal, and Max never attacked Iris again, nor did he ever spray again. He also never again looked like a berserker and was a sweetheart until he died last summer at age 20.

So your thought that there might be an outside trigger is certainly a possibility. It could be some creature or creatures skulking around the house or they could be picking up on stress vibes in a family member (beyond the stress of them not getting along!). It sounds like you’re doing everything you can and it’s going to take time and patience. I’ll be sending good thoughts your way.
Your post brought something back to me, Tobermory Tobermory -- I inherited a dear friend's two beloved cats after she took her own life. They were deeply bonded and I was glad they had one another in our multi-cat family and smallish house. The male was quite dominant and when he started making life uncomfortable for my beloved FIP+ Sunny, I remonstrated with him by wagging my finger in his face while talking very seriously with him. He grabbed my arm and gave me a bite the scar of which I will always carry. I never did that again, and he seemed to know that I was sorry and that I respected his space. He was better with Sunny after that, too.
 

Tobermory

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
9,137
Purraise
25,934
Location
Pacific NW
Your post brought something back to me, Tobermory Tobermory -- I inherited a dear friend's two beloved cats after she took her own life. They were deeply bonded and I was glad they had one another in our multi-cat family and smallish house. The male was quite dominant and when he started making life uncomfortable for my beloved FIP+ Sunny, I remonstrated with him by wagging my finger in his face while talking very seriously with him. He grabbed my arm and gave me a bite the scar of which I will always carry. I never did that again, and he seemed to know that I was sorry and that I respected his space. He was better with Sunny after that, too.
I had to laugh when I read this, although I know it wasn’t funny when it happened. “You are NOT the boss of me!”
 

thefiresidecat

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2017
Messages
928
Purraise
2,626
Location
Tacoma, Wa
when we've had this problem we take everyone to the vet together. even if it's just for a nail trim. it seems to always resolve these issues. they bond on the way there. make it so they can see each other. and they are all out at the vet together. I suppose it doesn't even have to be a vet trip a car ride would probably suffice but we always go to the vets for something. our vet will even let us just unpack and use a room for a few minutes and have a tech say hi. they believe in getting the cats used to nothing bad happening at the vet or car ride
 

tarasgirl06

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Messages
24,708
Purraise
64,894
Location
Glendale, CATifornia
scan0024.jpg
I had to laugh when I read this, although I know it wasn’t funny when it happened. “You are NOT the boss of me!”
How ironic, Tobermory Tobermory , that his name was Tomo and his mom and I always called him Tomo-Taisho, which means Tomo "the Boss" translated from Japanese. He truly was.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
When you say bit do you mean blood drawn? Where? If no blood was drawn it was probably a dominance thing (which they have to sort out themselves.)
No biting as I’ve been able to separate them quite quickly. Neither Ziggy or Bear back down that’s the problem. I’m afraid if they sort it out
When you say bit do you mean blood drawn? Where? If no blood was drawn it was probably a dominance thing (which they have to sort out themselves.)
No blood just the kill or be kill crazed look, the circling, hissing and and the weirdest cry/scream sounds. No one backs down and theres always the wild chase! Again, just Bear and Ziggy. If the old guy is in the room he's easily controlled picked up (he hisses but that's it).
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #15

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
when we've had this problem we take everyone to the vet together. even if it's just for a nail trim. it seems to always resolve these issues. they bond on the way there. make it so they can see each other. and they are all out at the vet together. I suppose it doesn't even have to be a vet trip a car ride would probably suffice but we always go to the vets for something. our vet will even let us just unpack and use a room for a few minutes and have a tech say hi. they believe in getting the cats used to nothing bad happening at the vet or car ride
Love this idea...believe me...I'm so exhausted by the non-sense, I thought of making them both where the "collar of shame" Lol....Seriously though, do you think they would associate each other with the bad experience of going to the vet?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #16

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
Hi, @JT’w/3 and welcome! I know exactly how stressful this situation can be. A few years ago, Max, 11, decided he was going to try to kill Iris, 4. It was absolutely bizarre. They had been buddies since I brought Iris and her sister, Lily, home as kittens when Max was seven. Max never liked Lily, although they co-existed, but Max and Iris slept together. Suddenly, he began to stalk her, and it was not a normal kind of stalking. He even looked strange when he did it, and Iris was completely terrified of him. The vet couldn’t find anything wrong with him, but we had to rotate them in and out of isolation for six months before they could be together again. And that was with supervision. We had Feliway diffusers plugged in everywhere. He also started spraying the walls.

I thought Max might have initially been set off by a cat outside (mine are indoor only), but what I finally decided was that he might have been reacting to my stress. My father was dying and I was making almost weekly 600-mile round trips to see him while still working at a difficult job. Max went after Iris one evening after I’d just gotten home from one of these trips, and when I snatched her up out of his way, he laid my leg open almost to the bone. He looked like a wild animal gone berserk.

As I said, we did the separation thing for many months and then gradually re-introduced them. In the meantime, my father passed away and I decided to leave my job for a less stressful one. Gradually everything got back to normal, and Max never attacked Iris again, nor did he ever spray again. He also never again looked like a berserker and was a sweetheart until he died last summer at age 20.

So your thought that there might be an outside trigger is certainly a possibility. It could be some creature or creatures skulking around the house or they could be picking up on stress vibes in a family member (beyond the stress of them not getting along!). It sounds like you’re doing everything you can and it’s going to take time and patience. I’ll be sending good thoughts your way.
First of all, thank you for the response and sharing your experience. These guys have been inseparable for 7 years! The "strange" looks are going both ways. I'm thinking of buying Feliway stock I have them pulled in everywhere. Six months of isolation! Yes, that's the type of honest but awful feedback I was looking for Lol and I can persevere 6months for these guys...Did you try to reintroduce a lot during those 6 months?

When they were little and I did the introductions, I purchased two doors from Lowe's and connected them in the middle with four hinges. I now have multiple screens up throughout the house and I move them around to separate rooms, it keeps it "safe" yet allows viewing if they want. Right now, Bear can't get enough of Ziggy. He lays by the screen doors. Ziggy will come visit Bear (only if I give him kibble). Do you remember how you did the "reintroductions"? We are just starting supervised "Play Times"...with feathers, kibble etc. for about 15min then separate on a good note. We do this about 4x a day.

Did you have any "re-occurrences"with Max and Iris after the 6 months?

You make a good point about stress and its impact on them. My husband travels a lot right now and its a been a stressful time. Maybe they are feeling that as well. Also, we did catch either a fat wobble cat or a raccoon on our night cams so an outside visitor is also causing us problems.

I'm sorry hear the news about your Max. 20 Years is a long time to share with someone.

Thank you again for sharing your experience and by giving me hope that if I put in the time we may have a shot and working things out. Best, Jt
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #17

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
My first advice would be a good vet visit for both boys with a good blood work. If they're suddenly fighting it probably is behavioral, but if it's medical in nature it can be addressed. (I have a girl that will get a UTI over nothing, and days before symptoms start the other cats harass and beat the crap out of her for simply existing!)

I would also talk to your vet about the supplement zylkene if you haven't already. I only speak from experiences in dogs, but occasionally anxiety supplements and/or drugs can create the opposite effect and make the anxiety WORSE. (This isn't to say the drug or supplement or whatever someone is using is "bad", just that it doesn't agree and maybe something else should be tried. Acepromazine was popular sedative-type medicine for anxiety/stress/etc. many years ago and it has been all but replaced by other things because there were too many instances of the anxiety and stress levels taking the opposite road and skyrocketing, especially in breeds like Sight hounds.)

Also, their closeness in age is interesting as it reminds me of two high school boys with the "come at me, bro" attitude. I'm happy that the old guy is spared from this at least!

Long ago we had two cats, a male and a female, close in age. One day they got into a fight, and for the rest of their lives they would attempt to avoid one another but the occasional fights still happened. No one was ever injured or hurt, but it was loud, scary, and the inspiration for the furminator as there was hair left all over the place. They learned to co-exist much better as they hit old age and fighting stopped.

I don't envy your situation but don't give up!! =)
Thank you for the response and especially your comments about the Zylkene! After being on it for nearly 2 months I felt like Bear was actually getting upset quicker, was more reactive and wasn't feeling well. I brought him to the vet last week for a check up and he's all good. Also I stopped the Zylkene and he went back to normal. Ziggy has always been hyper and to be honest I think the Zylkene might have helped him. He's been off it for 3 days now and seems a bit more sullen, grouchy, reserved etc. so maybe it was working for him? Hard to say. I can't find ANYTHING negative online about Zylkene but I'm so glad you addressed this.

You are right about them being "boyz".... Ziggy is more of a loner but he seemed to always enjoy his wrestling matches with Bear. It used to be all in fun :( Both Ziggy and Bear seem to miss each other but can't quite figure out how to get over what has happened. Not a lot of trust there. Hopefully, with time? We went through this in January but after 6 wks of slow and steady we had them back together. This time things are going so quickly and I'm starting to panic a bit. What if they can't be best buds again....before this all 3 were inseparable!

The Behaviorist seems to think Prozac will do the trick but I'm hoping it won't come to that. I asked the Vet and she said some people are looking for the quick fix and others really need it. Both the Vet and the behaviorists' pets are on meds. I'm willing and able to put in the time to try and "re-condition" just worried I'll do something wrong.

When your guy and gal fought, after the hair stopped flying, what did you do to get them back together?
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #18

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
Welcome to The Cat Site. :wave2: Sorry it was fighting amongst the felines that brought you here. My family always only had one cat at a time, and now I just have my Ruby, so I have no experience with fighting cats. However, have heard of similar incidents to yours, where another animal freaks out one cat who takes out their aggression on their siblings.

Hopefully other members will see this thread and post. Meanwhile, I'll post links to a few TCS articles that may be helpful.
Good luck. :catlove:

The Multi-cat Household
How To Safely Break Up A Cat Fight
Re-directed Aggression In Cats
Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
Welcome JT'w/3 JT'w/3 and family to TCS! It sounds as if you've already become well informed and have done several things that can be helpful, but I'm sorry they have not solved the problem completely.
I have had experience with adopting two different dominant male cats into a multi-cat family, and my thoughts are that it can take time for everyone to decide on hierarchy and adapt, just like with people in a workplace environment, etc. The first of the males I adopted, Sammi, had been an "only cat" for 14 years when he joined us. He immediately took offense at our alpha male, Calo; it took the best part of a year for them to adjust to one another, during which Sammi had quite a few "time outs" in his own room and I had to use a brook to separate them a couple of times because they were a blurry ball of fury. No permanent harm done, though, and eventually they could be found curled up in close proximity on the bed. My advice is to NEVER give up on a cat. Also, you might want to look at cat behaviorist extraordinaire Jackson Galaxy's videos on YouTube and his wonderful Animal Planet TV series, "MY CAT FROM HELL". He works with people and cats in situations just like yours. You might want to also search another great cat behaviorist, Pam Johnson-Bennett; her book, CAT vs. CAT has been very helpful to many.
Keep us informed, and all the very best to you and your beloved cats! Time, patience and love will undoubtedly result in success.
Thank you for the kind welcome and for sharing your story about Sami and Calo. Ziggy and Calo seem very similar as Ziggy unfortunately is the one in isolation as Bear and the Old Guy Monte get along. Jackson Galaxy is amazing and fun to watch but I've really been getting some good info. from Pam Johnson-Bennett's books - like you mentioned :)
Thanks again for your kind words.
 

Tobermory

“What greater gift than the love of a cat.”
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Dec 13, 2017
Messages
9,137
Purraise
25,934
Location
Pacific NW
First of all, thank you for the response and sharing your experience. These guys have been inseparable for 7 years! The "strange" looks are going both ways. I'm thinking of buying Feliway stock I have them pulled in everywhere. Six months of isolation! Yes, that's the type of honest but awful feedback I was looking for Lol and I can persevere 6months for these guys...Did you try to reintroduce a lot during those 6 months?

When they were little and I did the introductions, I purchased two doors from Lowe's and connected them in the middle with four hinges. I now have multiple screens up throughout the house and I move them around to separate rooms, it keeps it "safe" yet allows viewing if they want. Right now, Bear can't get enough of Ziggy. He lays by the screen doors. Ziggy will come visit Bear (only if I give him kibble). Do you remember how you did the "reintroductions"? We are just starting supervised "Play Times"...with feathers, kibble etc. for about 15min then separate on a good note. We do this about 4x a day.

Did you have any "re-occurrences"with Max and Iris after the 6 months?

You make a good point about stress and its impact on them. My husband travels a lot right now and its a been a stressful time. Maybe they are feeling that as well. Also, we did catch either a fat wobble cat or a raccoon on our night cams so an outside visitor is also causing us problems.

I'm sorry hear the news about your Max. 20 Years is a long time to share with someone.

Thank you again for sharing your experience and by giving me hope that if I put in the time we may have a shot and working things out. Best, Jt
I didn’t try to reintroduce them during that time, but that was mainly because I was gone so much—either on the road to see my dad or at work which was very intense and event heavy. Also, Max continued to demonstrate extreme aggression toward Iris the one time the spouse let them out together...as evidenced by the gaping wound in my leg! I just rotated them in and out of iso. I hated to do it and I wish I could have rigged up screen doors like you did.

When we did the re-intro, we let them be together for short periods of time and completely supervised. Max’s violent episodes just seemed finally to stop. We were lucky because I can’t tell you that I did anything special other than take it slowly and be patient, kind and loving with Max. And my life slowly got back to normal which had to help everyone. It never happened again.

You probably know this, but there are two kinds of Feliway, the Classic and the Multicat. If you aren’t already, you may want to consider using both. I’m using both right now because I adopted a new kitty a few months ago and Iris and Lily are both struggling with this interloper. The Classic is supposed to mimic the facial pheromone to calm and comfort. The Multicat is to address aggression and tension by mimicking the appeasing pheromone to strenthen social bonds. I have one of each plugged in the two rooms where they spend majority of their time. It’s helping. I can tell when one of them runs dry!
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #20

JT'w/3

TCS Member
Thread starter
Young Cat
Joined
Mar 17, 2018
Messages
38
Purraise
56
I didn't have luck in the past with Feliway but the new Multicat one seems to work great. One of the behaviorists had a good idea of "rotating" the refill cycle so they never run out. Also, have you heard that even though there might still be some liquid in the diffuser that after 30 days it loses it's Mojo?
 
Top