Cat isn’t too fond of other cats

Bambalamb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Mar 23, 2023
Messages
3
Purraise
5
Hello! First post, I have a cat about 3 years old, her name is Bambi and she isn’t too fond of other cats. We keep her in her own space most of the time, due to her disliking of other cats. She’s really good with people, dogs even. But cats? She’ll go feral the moment she sees one, often charging at them and leading to breaking up violent cat fights. Just wondering any steps I could take to make her feel ok around our other 4 cats. I’d like her to be able to roam freely around the house but I fear for my other cats because of how aggressive she is. When she’s not around other cats she’s the sweetest thing imaginable. Any advice ?
 

Mamanyt1953

Rules my home with an iron paw
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Oct 16, 2015
Messages
31,173
Purraise
67,765
Location
North Carolina

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
22,429
Purraise
33,188
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
Is Bambi a relatively new addition to your family? If so, did you use any introduction process to get her acclimated to the other cats? Even if you did, you might want to check out the article links above and develop an introduction plan based on the information included.
 

tiggerwillow

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Sep 6, 2022
Messages
713
Purraise
1,315
I know it's not what you want to hear, but some cats just don't do well with other cats. Is it possible to keep her apart from the rest of the cats and scent-swap between her and the other cats so she gets used to the smell of them all, then gradually allow her to actually see the other cats?
 

maggie101

3 cats
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 20, 2014
Messages
7,883
Purraise
9,879
Location
Houston,TX
How old are the other cats? How long have you had Bambie and the other cats? I have a territorial cat,a very sociable cat that does what she wants when she wants and a cat that is very timid but very friendly she scares easily my territorial cat also gets jealous sometimes
 

flybear

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Nov 13, 2018
Messages
212
Purraise
280
I have to be completely honest ... I do not think the situation is going to improve ... I have a LOT of experience with cats living in groups, fostered for many years, and had to learn the painful way that sometimes- forcing cats that are not compatible to live together can lead to horrible consequences. Our case was way less extreme than yours- we never had outright fights but more of a cat that annoyed everyone else and caused stress ... We tried for almost two years with every trick we could think of to make it work between one of the boys and the rest of the group ( who lived together very peacefully, snuggling and allogrooming) ... It escalated one day with one of the cats getting sick - a very expensive trip to the emergency room and a lengthy treatment for UTI trouble and the start of stress licking and such ...With a heavy heart, we started looking for a new home for the little stinker and ... found him a home with a wonderful family where he can have an entire place to himself and plenty of attention ... I cried, I was worried, I felt terrible BUT ... All of our cats are SO much more relaxed now ... the trouble maker cat is now a confident, healthy boy getting spoiled rotten in his family and the other cats eat more, drink more and are a lot more relaxed and at peace ... While cats can be quite social ... and I have 4 that are - some cats do NOT enjoy sharing their territory at all ... and they WILL get stressed and potentially sick along the lines - while you can get to the point where you do not have outright fights or injuries ... the stress usually remains ... and my vet has many stories of cat indoor groups that have stress related health issues ...
 

cmshap

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 21, 2019
Messages
1,490
Purraise
3,531
Location
Milwaukee, WI
I have to be completely honest ... I do not think the situation is going to improve ...
While I agree with everything you said, we haven't heard any major updates yet from the original post. And just from my perspective while reading the story, we don't know if "every trick" has been attempted yet.

But your point is a good one to keep in mind, if there really is no improvement here.
 

BluOnyx

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
176
Purraise
208
Some cats don't like to share their space. That is just a reality.

This doesn't mean Bambi is one of those cats but it is likely based on what you have said. Females in general are more prone to territory issues than neutered males in my experience. You can try to get her used to the smell of the other cats. Allow the others to scent mark some toys and lay on some blankets or towels and then put them in the room with her. Put some of their used litter in her box as well. Do this every day. When it is time to eat, have her eat with them right on the other side of the door. Once she is used to the smell, her reaction shouldn't be so harsh when she sees them and you could try playing with them all as a group and see how that goes.

It is possible to have her tolerate the other cats but it can take a while.
 

suh

TCS Member
Young Cat
Joined
Jul 13, 2017
Messages
52
Purraise
58
Some cats don't like to share their space. That is just a reality.

This doesn't mean Bambi is one of those cats but it is likely based on what you have said. Females in general are more prone to territory issues than neutered males in my experience. You can try to get her used to the smell of the other cats. Allow the others to scent mark some toys and lay on some blankets or towels and then put them in the room with her. Put some of their used litter in her box as well. Do this every day. When it is time to eat, have her eat with them right on the other side of the door. Once she is used to the smell, her reaction shouldn't be so harsh when she sees them and you could try playing with them all as a group and see how that goes.

It is possible to have her tolerate the other cats but it can take a while.
Oh, I didn't know that females are more prone to territory issues. We have a gang of 3 old ladies who always have each other's back, introduced them to 2 dominant neutered males at different times with no problems. However, our most recent introductions did not work out at all even though we did it exactly the same way as the previous 2. They won't stand the new neutered male. No matter which one of our girls is in the room with him, they will charge and start a one-sided violent attack. The new male is both cat and ppl friendly so I'm not sure why he is the only one they won't accept.
 

BluOnyx

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
176
Purraise
208
Oh, I didn't know that females are more prone to territory issues. We have a gang of 3 old ladies who always have each other's back, introduced them to 2 dominant neutered males at different times with no problems. However, our most recent introductions did not work out at all even though we did it exactly the same way as the previous 2. They won't stand the new neutered male. No matter which one of our girls is in the room with him, they will charge and start a one-sided violent attack. The new male is both cat and ppl friendly so I'm not sure why he is the only one they won't accept.
That is the unfortunate thing with cats. You just don't know how they will react to other cats. Time can change things but it may take trying a new approach. Once cats establish territory and a hierarchy of sorts, they don't like to include new members. Males without the desire to mate are far more passive and accepting typically. Females, even after being spayed, retrain their instincts to protect their space even if they never had kittens. It makes sense from a survival perspective.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #14

Bambalamb

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Mar 23, 2023
Messages
3
Purraise
5
Sorry for the long wait on ann update. We have tried scent swapping and having her smell the other cats but she just doesn’t want to interact with the other cats outside of fighting. We recently got a new kitten, and tried introducing her to see if she’d be interested in befriending a baby, but no. Same old story
 
Top