4 year old female cat suddenly terrified of our male 2 year old cat.

[Jatsby]

We have two cats and they have been living together basically peacefully for two years. Wilson my male has been with us since he was a kitten and Tela our female since she was 6 months. All of a sudden my 4 year old Tela has become frightened of Wilson. She’ll go into full defensive mode and growl and hiss when he comes close. They’ve gotten into some big fights over the last few days and we’ve had to separate them. Tela is normal and cuddly with us but as soon as she senses Wilson she goes on high alert and becomes aggressive and upset.

We don’t know why this has happened all of a sudden but we have an appointment on the 30th to get her checked. Any advice or insight?

We’re pretty sure Tela has peed but not much, we don’t know what else to do and it’s upsetting.

We recently put in new flooring and the house has been slightly rearranged but nothing at all drastic. I just want my two babies to be in the same room again. It’s been 4 days of separation and they’ve had little interaction and Tela still gets tense and growls when she seems him when we trade rooms they’re secluded to.

Edit: both of them have been fixed since kittenhood.
Any advice would help.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Any chance there is a new stray or neighbor cat roaming outside your house that Tela can sense? That can cause a cat to change their behavior toward other cats in the house - sort of a re-directed aggression type issue. But, there are other things that may have gone on inside or even outside your home that we humans take for granted that will negatively impact some cats. So, it would be beneficial if you could mentally 'comb' through any and all activities/events/changes that may have coincided with Tela's change in behavior.

The other issue could be health related - especially since you don't think Tela is peeing normally. Some cats who are ill can become aggressive to their buddies. The reverse is also a possibility, in that a cat can act differently toward another cat that is sick. I think it is a good idea that Tela is going for a vet visit soon! If nothing shows up, you might consider a check up for Wilson too.

Hopefully other members will come along soon with their own input/ideas!

 

[Jatsby]

Thank you for your reply! There’s strays around our house all the time so they’re used to that. One thing that’s changed recently is we redid our flooring and got new appliances, not sure if that’s a trigger.
We’ve been experimenting getting them closer, trying to get them to smell eachother still. We have a sunroom they love to be in (even though it’s cold) and it has a screen door that closes it off as well as the glass door. I just videoed them smelling eachother through the screen and my cat Wilson desperately trying to go see his friend, and Tela just sat there casually sniffing back. When I then opened the door and Wilson walked in she ran and hid and went back to deep cautious growls. They’re both fixed but we’re wondering if Wilson has tried to mate with Tela, we’ve read that’s a possibility.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I suppose the new flooring and appliances could be a trigger for her. Sometimes, you just never know with a cat!! If that would be the case, it will subside as the new smells dissipate. You could try cleaning the floor and the appliances with products you have used in the past to diminish the 'new' smell.

Perhaps you will need to try a re-introduction process with them - such as what you are doing with the screen door. Just to let Tela get used to Wilson again with something in between them so he can't actually touch her. There have been occasions I have read about on this site that some unknown event has occurred causing a similar reaction with two cats, and the only solution was to introduce them again as if they were new to each other. I have included links below to a TCS article on introducing cats, and another one on cat behavior, just in case you might find some helpful information in it.

A more 'drastic' measure others have used is the vanilla trick - Ode to vanilla extract | TheCatSite

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles
Why Is My Cat Growling? – TheCatSite Articles

I have never heard of a neutered male trying to mate with a spayed female, particularly not when they have been together all this time.

Let us know if you find a resolution in the above information, or if something is identified in Tela's upcoming vet visit.

 

[Jatsby]

The only reason I suggest the Wilson being sexually aggressive is this article someone on Reddit gave me: What You Need to Know About Sexual Aggression In Neutered Cats

But thank you so much for the info. Her appointment is Wednesday so I will keep you all posted!

 

[Jatsby]

Brought Tela to the vet, she was a good girl and got a clean bill of health. So he thinks it’s strictly behavioural. We’re getting Wilson in next week but for now they gave us this to try: it’s called Feliway Friends. Any experience with this anyone?

 

[Jatsby]

Feliway

 

[FeebysOwner]

Glad to hear that Tela is in good health. Nice pic of her at the vets!! I have not used any of the Feliway products, but know some members on this site have been successful with them, while others have not. There are other calming type products on the market, and not all work on al cats. So, if this one doesn't seem to make a difference, you can do an internet search on 'cat calming products' to look for others you might want to try.

Now, for the behavioral side of it, you are kind of back to 'Square One' in trying to determine the source of her changed behavior. Behavioral changes are brought on by some environmental source, be that your new flooring/appliances, changes in other cats, new, unusual noises inside or outside, and/or other not-so-noticeable to human being 'goings on' both in the house and in the yard.

Word of forewarning, in case you haven't experienced it before, some cats come home from the vet smelling different and that can cause its own set of aggression issues. Try taking a towel and rubbing it on Wilson then on Tela to make them smell more like each other, just as a precaution.

Also glad to hear Wilson will be going in for a vet check up as well!

 

[Jatsby]

Update: they’re friends again. Either the Feliway worked or Tela got over it.