Cat Came Home From Vet, And Now Our Other Cat Doesn't Recognize Him

[Gregoryhouse]

I have a 4-year-old female cat and a 9-month-old male cat. Both of them are best friends and could never be separated for more than a couple of minutes

Yesterday I took the 9-month-old male cat and got him sprayed.
After coming back home both my cats are hissing growing and fighting with each other!

I need some help! what do I do? I don't want to give up on them.

I seriously need help and don't understand what to do!

 

[Norachan]

Hi, welcome to TCS.

Don't worry, this is quite normal. Your male cat has the vet smell all over him and your female cat doesn't recognise him. Cats rely on their sense of smell more than their eyesight, so he smells like a stranger to her.

The smell will wear off soon, but in the mean time get something that smells strongly of you and use that to pet the male cat all over. An unwashed t-shirt or a pillow case you've been sleeping on will work.

Keep the cats apart for now so they don't get stressed out.

 

[Gregoryhouse]

Hi, welcome to TCS.

Don't worry, this is quite normal. Your male cat has the vet smell all over him and your female cat doesn't recognise him. Cats rely on their sense of smell more than their eyesight, so he smells like a stranger to her.

The smell will wear off soon, but in the mean time get something that smells strongly of you and use that to pet the male cat all over. An unwashed t-shirt or a pillow case you've been sleeping on will work.

Keep the cats apart for now so they don't get stressed out.

thank you!! I used my old sweatshirt and rubbed it on both of them, I also used some catnip on them,
Its been over 24 hours and the strange part is the small guy cries to meet my older cat ( I call her orange) but orange doesn't seem to know who toothless is.
That's my orange and toothless before toothless got sprayed, not they act like tom and jerry. I am petrified! and I can't think of losing either one them, both are like my kids.

 

[Gregoryhouse]

Both cats were adopted by me, I found them on the streets when they were very young, Orange has been with me for over 4 years now. Toothless joined the family about 8-9 months back, he came to use when he was about 2-3 weeks old, his mom was run over by a car.

 

[verna davies]

Give them a few days and they will be back to normal. It is upsetting to see but it will pass once the strange smells have gone.

 

[Norachan]

They're so sweet! Thank you for saving them both.

It will take a while for his smell to return to normal, but eventually they'll be best buddies again.

 

[talkingpeanut]

Is your girl spayed yet?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Even once the 'vet smell' wears off, Toothless will likely smell a little differently than what he did before the neutering (hormonal), so that might possibly lengthen the adjustment time.

I have only rarely heard of a situation where two cats got along before one of them was neutered/spayed and never made up afterward - even then, I heard they ended up 'tolerating' each other. In most cases - and I am sure yours is one of them - they end up being the buddies they were before.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I think there's no aggression going on, but this article might help:
How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats

 

[Gregoryhouse]

Hello Guys!

It took a while but now they are back! I used my old undies and lots and lots of catnip and rubbed it on both of them! took over 48 hours, isolated both of them in separates rooms and when we put them back together they were happy and licking each other!

They still fight with each other buts its without the growling and hissing and making the tails fat, I guess this is the playful fights.

I can see massive behaviour changes in toothless (the little black guy), He seems to have become dull and isn't eating much or drinking much liquids, I tried wet foods, prawns, chicken soups.

 

[Furballsmom]

Have you had a chance to talk more with your vet about these behavior changes in toothless? This is concerning.

 

[petcrazy76]

This is a little late but with my previous 2 cats I used a dryer sheet on both. The smell is strong enough that it masked the vet smell and since they both smelled the same they didnt get upset. Before I started doing that it was a couple days of separation.

 

[Burts]

My Allie just came back from the vet yesterday for tooth extractions and Oliver is angry...I rubbed vanilla, didnt work, i then put tuna juice on them which made them groom, didnt work....

Should I get pet wipes or like the poster above me said dryer sheets... I parked them side by side in the strollers and they were happy but if Oliver smells Allies nose he hisses...

He was also full of anxiety and didnt eat most of the day, and he isnt even the one who had his teeth pulled...huff

 

[Burts]

Dryer Sheets Can Kill Your Cats and Dogs

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi!
Time, and maybe Earthbath wipes or pampers aqua

 

[Norachan]

I've found time and something that smells of you, unwashed t-shirt, pillow case, towel etc, can help.

Time works the best though.

 

[Burts]

You mean thyme the herb, I have a big bush outside

 

[Burts]

You mean thyme the herb, I have a big bush outside

Oh wait you mean time as tick tock lol? Wheres the edit button?

 

[Norachan]

Oh wait you mean time as tick tock lol? Wheres the edit button?

No need to edit that one, it was a gem.