Exactly a year ago I rescued a sweet 8 yr old spayed female from a lady in the neighborhood who didn't want her and allowed me to adopt her. I already had 5 strictly indoor cats but this sweet girl deserved a good loving home and there was no way I could take her to a humane society where a cat her age could possibly be euthanized. I named her Luna.
I've had cats all my life, have rescued many so I am very familiar with introducing a new cat into an existing-cat home.
I kept her my large master bedroom for almost 2 weeks, to get her accustomed to my house, new smells, new environment. After 2 weeks I slowly began introducing her to the other cats. (the other cats being 4 spayed female and 1 neutered male). There was the odd hiss and growl but nothing unusual. The only cat who had a bit of an issue with her was my 4 yr old female Hootie but for 2 full days everyone had free roam of the house and no issues. There were even times Hootie and Luna would both be sleeping under my bed. But then something happened, and I don't know what. Ever since then Hootie absolutely wants to kill her. It started with Hootie stalking her if in the same room then charging at her and poor Luna would cower on her side, hissing, but not fighting back. I then realized they couldn't be in the same room together. I figured that maybe the just needed more time.
It's been a full year now and Hootie still wants to kill her. I have never in my life seen a cat so chomping at the bit to attack another cat.
I have tried absolutely everything.
-feliway, feliway friends, the spray
-Jackson Galaxy homeopathic sprays (one for bullies, one for scared cats)
-use of a baby gate between them, doing a scent exchange, letting each spend time in each other's space (while separated)
-even tried buying an XL Dog Crate and would put Luna inside it (with bed, litterbox, food, water) and put it in the living room thinking maybe Hootie just needed to warm up to her this way. Hootie would violently charge the kennel. I had to scratch that idea becuz I felt it was too scary and stressful for Luna
-tried a good secure dog harness (hootie is a huge girl at 17 lbs, part Maine Coon) and a leash.....with them both in the same room but me in control of Hootie so that she couldn't charge Luna....but she was clearly chomping at the bit to go after her.
-I have 3 extra tall/extra wide Baby Gates on my second floor. Hootie camps out on the one side of the gate, watching Luna like a hawk, charging at the gate when Luna walks by on the other side (Luna no longer cares). Sometimes she's so angry and wanting to get at her that she snorts and paces.
-I have bought books from well known Cat behaviorists and followed their advice but Hootie's hatred for Luna is like nothing I've ever seen. It's like she's possessed. She's clearly a bully. Hootie was the last cat I rescued prior to Luna so to Hootie, Luna is the first newcomer.
I feel bad for Luna to be stuck upstairs all day (even though a large area with cat perches in windows, sunny spots, lots of room, she gets along with my other cats so I let them spend time with her so she's not alone) so I sometimes put Hootie upstairs and bring Luna downstairs..and let Luna stay down here for a few days. She loves to watch the birds out the living room window, play with cat toys, have a much larger space to roam.
Tonight Hootie managed to push the bottom of one of the baby gates forward at the bottom and get out and downstairs, and I didn't realize it unfortunately until Hootie had run across the living room and charged Luna and was on top of her, fur was flying. I broke them up and quickly took Luna upstairs where she'll stay now for a few days.
It's been a whole year now - a WHOLE YEAR - and Hootie still wants to kill her. Once I got my hand in between Hootie, the baby gate and Luna on the other side and I ended up with Hootie's fangs in my finger (I was trying to pet her and talk softly to her while Luna was on the other side but Hootie was focused only on Luna). Hootie doesn't just swat, she will bite. With me Hootie is the sweeties most affectionate cat. I rescued her 5 years ago as 2 month old sick, injured little kitten and sometimes I think she thinks I'm her Mom. But with Luna, she seriously wants to clean her clock. I've never in all my 30 years of having cats ever witnessed such aggression.
There is no Cat Behaviorist anywhere around where I live....believe me I've searched. Plus I don't know what a behaviorist would tell me to do that I haven't already done.
Is there any hope?
Getting rid of either of them is not an option. Luna is now 9 and has a grade 4 heart murmur and very early kidney disease, nobody would want her...and she had already been with 2 rotten homes prior to me adopting her, I have made a commitment to her.
My Vet said we could try Prozac with Hootie but I'm skeptical about it. I've read mixed reviews with regard to use of Prozac for intercat aggression and there can be long term effects from long term use of it.
Sorry for the long post but just wanting to really paint the picture. this is the worse case of intercat aggression I have ever seen in my life. You'd have to truly see it to believe it. It's like Hootie is totally possessed.
PS - I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Thanks
I've had cats all my life, have rescued many so I am very familiar with introducing a new cat into an existing-cat home.
I kept her my large master bedroom for almost 2 weeks, to get her accustomed to my house, new smells, new environment. After 2 weeks I slowly began introducing her to the other cats. (the other cats being 4 spayed female and 1 neutered male). There was the odd hiss and growl but nothing unusual. The only cat who had a bit of an issue with her was my 4 yr old female Hootie but for 2 full days everyone had free roam of the house and no issues. There were even times Hootie and Luna would both be sleeping under my bed. But then something happened, and I don't know what. Ever since then Hootie absolutely wants to kill her. It started with Hootie stalking her if in the same room then charging at her and poor Luna would cower on her side, hissing, but not fighting back. I then realized they couldn't be in the same room together. I figured that maybe the just needed more time.
It's been a full year now and Hootie still wants to kill her. I have never in my life seen a cat so chomping at the bit to attack another cat.
I have tried absolutely everything.
-feliway, feliway friends, the spray
-Jackson Galaxy homeopathic sprays (one for bullies, one for scared cats)
-use of a baby gate between them, doing a scent exchange, letting each spend time in each other's space (while separated)
-even tried buying an XL Dog Crate and would put Luna inside it (with bed, litterbox, food, water) and put it in the living room thinking maybe Hootie just needed to warm up to her this way. Hootie would violently charge the kennel. I had to scratch that idea becuz I felt it was too scary and stressful for Luna
-tried a good secure dog harness (hootie is a huge girl at 17 lbs, part Maine Coon) and a leash.....with them both in the same room but me in control of Hootie so that she couldn't charge Luna....but she was clearly chomping at the bit to go after her.
-I have 3 extra tall/extra wide Baby Gates on my second floor. Hootie camps out on the one side of the gate, watching Luna like a hawk, charging at the gate when Luna walks by on the other side (Luna no longer cares). Sometimes she's so angry and wanting to get at her that she snorts and paces.
-I have bought books from well known Cat behaviorists and followed their advice but Hootie's hatred for Luna is like nothing I've ever seen. It's like she's possessed. She's clearly a bully. Hootie was the last cat I rescued prior to Luna so to Hootie, Luna is the first newcomer.
I feel bad for Luna to be stuck upstairs all day (even though a large area with cat perches in windows, sunny spots, lots of room, she gets along with my other cats so I let them spend time with her so she's not alone) so I sometimes put Hootie upstairs and bring Luna downstairs..and let Luna stay down here for a few days. She loves to watch the birds out the living room window, play with cat toys, have a much larger space to roam.
Tonight Hootie managed to push the bottom of one of the baby gates forward at the bottom and get out and downstairs, and I didn't realize it unfortunately until Hootie had run across the living room and charged Luna and was on top of her, fur was flying. I broke them up and quickly took Luna upstairs where she'll stay now for a few days.
It's been a whole year now - a WHOLE YEAR - and Hootie still wants to kill her. Once I got my hand in between Hootie, the baby gate and Luna on the other side and I ended up with Hootie's fangs in my finger (I was trying to pet her and talk softly to her while Luna was on the other side but Hootie was focused only on Luna). Hootie doesn't just swat, she will bite. With me Hootie is the sweeties most affectionate cat. I rescued her 5 years ago as 2 month old sick, injured little kitten and sometimes I think she thinks I'm her Mom. But with Luna, she seriously wants to clean her clock. I've never in all my 30 years of having cats ever witnessed such aggression.
There is no Cat Behaviorist anywhere around where I live....believe me I've searched. Plus I don't know what a behaviorist would tell me to do that I haven't already done.
Is there any hope?
Getting rid of either of them is not an option. Luna is now 9 and has a grade 4 heart murmur and very early kidney disease, nobody would want her...and she had already been with 2 rotten homes prior to me adopting her, I have made a commitment to her.
My Vet said we could try Prozac with Hootie but I'm skeptical about it. I've read mixed reviews with regard to use of Prozac for intercat aggression and there can be long term effects from long term use of it.
Sorry for the long post but just wanting to really paint the picture. this is the worse case of intercat aggression I have ever seen in my life. You'd have to truly see it to believe it. It's like Hootie is totally possessed.
PS - I live in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Thanks