Background-
I have two brother cats and one unrelated. They are all going to turn six years old next month. The brothers were adopted when they were eight weeks old and the unrelated one was adopted when he (and they) was four months old. They are all neutered and vetted regularly.
The brothers have always been extremely close and viewed the unrelated cat as an outsider, but they all peacefully co-existed for about five years. Approximately a year ago the brothers started picking on the unrelated one by chasing him. Initially I think the brothers wanted to play but unrelated boy doesn't seem to know how to play with them. As they kept chasing him he began to get defensive and would growl if one came within about 10 feet or so. We co-existed in this manner relatively well for a long time- it was annoying but no one got hurt.
In July unrelated boy experienced a urinary blockage and was in and out of the hospital a few times and every time I brought him back home the fighting was worse. As he felt bad, was eating different food, and I needed to monitor his litterbox usage I kept him separated from the brothers in a hospital room.
He is all well now but the fighting has increased.
So currently the brothers spend 12 hours a day upstairs with unrelated boy downstairs then I switch them for the next 12 hours so that everyone gets decent social time with the rest of the family (husband and two dogs).
And so now they will even fight through the crack under the door.
As I carry unrelated boy at switch time he hisses and growls if he even sees a brother. He is bigger than both the brothers put together and looks as if he could defend himself well but he always just runs.
If we make a door or switch time error they are on him in 0.01 seconds- I will literally have a ball o' three screaming cats crashing its way around my home. They are all clawed and while I clip nails every couple of weeks I most certainly do not want them hurting one another, never mind that screaming ball o' cat sets off the dogs.
I have four litter boxes.
I have Feliway.
I have two floors, four cat trees, multiple perches and catwalks overhead- I have done everything I know to provide as much territory as possible.
We exercise each cat individually nearly every day.
I have done the vanilla thing, the sock thing, used cans of Feliway and am at my very wits end here.
As the stress of living among the brothers undoubtedly contributed to the unrelated boys urinary issues I feel it is crucial to figure this thing out, especially as the door used to separate them must remain open during heating season for air exchange.
I am now gating off one section of the house for unrelated boy and am planning on doing an entirely new introduction period as per Pam Johnson-Bennett in her Cat vs. Cat book.
I will be using three gates stacked in a hallway, so the cats will be able to see and hear each other.
I will use Feliway.
In short I will do anything possible to get these cats to a point where they can tolerate one another. But I cannot have unrelated boy being stressed simply walking around in his own home.
My brother cats just seem to hate the very sight of him.
All three of them are wonderful, people oriented, very social cats and each of them is my heart
.
I cannot fathom having to rehome unrelated boy although my head tells me he would do well as a singleton cat. But he has never been outdoors (while I am in a rural area that considers that cruel), has the medical issues, is happily spoiled and quirky and I seriously doubt I could ever find a home for him that would suit me.
He is too special, as they all are.
And I am his mommy.
So what else can I do, attempt, rearrange, or change?
I have got to make this work before the stress kills me.
I have two brother cats and one unrelated. They are all going to turn six years old next month. The brothers were adopted when they were eight weeks old and the unrelated one was adopted when he (and they) was four months old. They are all neutered and vetted regularly.
The brothers have always been extremely close and viewed the unrelated cat as an outsider, but they all peacefully co-existed for about five years. Approximately a year ago the brothers started picking on the unrelated one by chasing him. Initially I think the brothers wanted to play but unrelated boy doesn't seem to know how to play with them. As they kept chasing him he began to get defensive and would growl if one came within about 10 feet or so. We co-existed in this manner relatively well for a long time- it was annoying but no one got hurt.
In July unrelated boy experienced a urinary blockage and was in and out of the hospital a few times and every time I brought him back home the fighting was worse. As he felt bad, was eating different food, and I needed to monitor his litterbox usage I kept him separated from the brothers in a hospital room.
He is all well now but the fighting has increased.
So currently the brothers spend 12 hours a day upstairs with unrelated boy downstairs then I switch them for the next 12 hours so that everyone gets decent social time with the rest of the family (husband and two dogs).
And so now they will even fight through the crack under the door.
As I carry unrelated boy at switch time he hisses and growls if he even sees a brother. He is bigger than both the brothers put together and looks as if he could defend himself well but he always just runs.
If we make a door or switch time error they are on him in 0.01 seconds- I will literally have a ball o' three screaming cats crashing its way around my home. They are all clawed and while I clip nails every couple of weeks I most certainly do not want them hurting one another, never mind that screaming ball o' cat sets off the dogs.
I have four litter boxes.
I have Feliway.
I have two floors, four cat trees, multiple perches and catwalks overhead- I have done everything I know to provide as much territory as possible.
We exercise each cat individually nearly every day.
I have done the vanilla thing, the sock thing, used cans of Feliway and am at my very wits end here.
As the stress of living among the brothers undoubtedly contributed to the unrelated boys urinary issues I feel it is crucial to figure this thing out, especially as the door used to separate them must remain open during heating season for air exchange.
I am now gating off one section of the house for unrelated boy and am planning on doing an entirely new introduction period as per Pam Johnson-Bennett in her Cat vs. Cat book.
I will be using three gates stacked in a hallway, so the cats will be able to see and hear each other.
I will use Feliway.
In short I will do anything possible to get these cats to a point where they can tolerate one another. But I cannot have unrelated boy being stressed simply walking around in his own home.
My brother cats just seem to hate the very sight of him.
All three of them are wonderful, people oriented, very social cats and each of them is my heart
I cannot fathom having to rehome unrelated boy although my head tells me he would do well as a singleton cat. But he has never been outdoors (while I am in a rural area that considers that cruel), has the medical issues, is happily spoiled and quirky and I seriously doubt I could ever find a home for him that would suit me.
He is too special, as they all are.
And I am his mommy.
So what else can I do, attempt, rearrange, or change?
I have got to make this work before the stress kills me.
