I Need Advice Asap

[Curlynn]

Here are a few pictures of my babies before all this happened

 

[1 bruce 1]

Update: Bowser seems to be feeling pretty normal even after having surgery yesterday. We decided to see what she does without the cone on and she stopped being aggressive and didnt lick her stitches once so we are going without the cone unless she starts licking the stitches.

Now, as for the problems between the two cats. they were fine on the car ride home together but we made sure they never really saw eachother. Kitty was in the front seat and I was in the back with Bowser. I knoe they can smell eachother so I feel like that's some sort of progress. I noticed today after doing some sight swapping that Bowser seems to miss kitty even though she was aggressive towards her that night. Bowser would not leave the room where we keep Kitty, she slept in the spot kitty has always slept in, smelled around her litter box and never growled or howled once. She did however, hear kitty on the other side of the closed door after we swapped them and she immediately growled at the door and got worked up. So she is fine with kittys smell but as soon as she hears her its over... Any suggestions on what to do from this point? A reintroduction will be needed but only after bowser is healed up, I'm thinking maybe have them both in carriers again so prevent a fight?

Was Kitty checked at the vets, too? If one of my girls gets a UTI she's a punching bag before she shows any symptoms. If she starts getting stalked or jumped at/picked on, a UTI is impending.
I'm not sure about cats. But in dogs, UTI's in spayed girls can sometimes bring on boys with breeding intentions and create problems in an all-girl house hold because apparently the scent of a UTI can mimic the scent of a heat.
When you got home the first night was there any tiny sign that Kitty could have gotten stuck, hung up on something, or injured causing her to vocalize and bringing on an attack? It's a far shot but we had a dog that had "noise seizures" (nic name for a random bout of screaming/panicking and can't be "brought down" for a few minutes from it) whenever something noisy happened abruptly (vacuum cleaners, food processors/blenders, any kind of construction equipment, etc.) We had to be very careful because this dogs best bud would go into attack mode when our dog had this noise seizure. So weird.

 

[Curlynn]

Was Kitty checked at the vets, too? If one of my girls gets a UTI she's a punching bag before she shows any symptoms. If she starts getting stalked or jumped at/picked on, a UTI is impending.
I'm not sure about cats. But in dogs, UTI's in spayed girls can sometimes bring on boys with breeding intentions and create problems in an all-girl house hold because apparently the scent of a UTI can mimic the scent of a heat.
When you got home the first night was there any tiny sign that Kitty could have gotten stuck, hung up on something, or injured causing her to vocalize and bringing on an attack? It's a far shot but we had a dog that had "noise seizures" (nic name for a random bout of screaming/panicking and can't be "brought down" for a few minutes from it) whenever something noisy happened abruptly (vacuum cleaners, food processors/blenders, any kind of construction equipment, etc.) We had to be very careful because this dogs best bud would go into attack mode when our dog had this noise seizure. So weird.

Yes she was taken to the vet too. I had that same thought but the vet said everything with Kitty seemed normal, so we aren't sure what caused it.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Yes she was taken to the vet too. I had that same thought but the vet said everything with Kitty seemed normal, so we aren't sure what caused it.

That's so strange. I would imagine there was a reason that could be found easier than this! =( Good on you for jumping on this though and vetting and checking everyone and re-introducing them.
I wish I had more ideas! =(

 

[1 bruce 1]

Another idea and it's probably not plausible and would be impossible to prove (so it's kind of moot but I'll throw it out there anyway) is that Kitty has been sending subtle middle finger signals to Bowser for awhile and Bowser finally had enough.
My neighbors have a cat that spent about a year with that subtle attitude, she'd do stuff like sit just far enough away from them to not warrant any response but enough to annoy them on purpose, and one day the other cat said "enough of this" and attacked, no injuries, but it was a thing that the neighbor noticed and told this cat she was going to buy it, and she did. The cats are not together, but the real reason is the one that was attacked is now afraid because the other cat somehow got some psychological ascendancy over her and can pretty much freak her out with a look, and the other cat knows this.
This isn't a blame game of course, cats are cats!

 

[Curlynn]

Another idea and it's probably not plausible and would be impossible to prove (so it's kind of moot but I'll throw it out there anyway) is that Kitty has been sending subtle middle finger signals to Bowser for awhile and Bowser finally had enough.
My neighbors have a cat that spent about a year with that subtle attitude, she'd do stuff like sit just far enough away from them to not warrant any response but enough to annoy them on purpose, and one day the other cat said "enough of this" and attacked, no injuries, but it was a thing that the neighbor noticed and told this cat she was going to buy it, and she did. The cats are not together, but the real reason is the one that was attacked is now afraid because the other cat somehow got some psychological ascendancy over her and can pretty much freak her out with a look, and the other cat knows this.
This isn't a blame game of course, cats are cats!

I mean, that wouldnt surprise me but I really think it might be the new female cat roaming outside. Things have calmed down and tonight was the first night I actually got some sleep since Bowser hasnt freaked out everytime she hears Kitty move in the other room. Any progress is progress right now.

 

[Curlynn]

this is day 5 after her spay, is this something I should be worried about? I know there's 3 layers of dissolvable stiches... I dont want to take her on the 35 minute drive to the vet unless I need to because she's an anxious cat who stresses in the car.

She doesnt seem to be in any pain and was never given her pain medication because she has been acting like her normal active self even hours after her surgery.

I'm supposed to return back to work tomorrow but this kind of worries me because I cant monitor her licking or stop her from jumping onto the sink when shes in the bathroom. I would put a cone on her again but with the cone she still jumps onto the sink and I'm afraid she will fall because it is heavy on her head. She almost fell the first day I brought her back because the cone threw off her balance. Any advice is appreciated.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Is there anyone at the clinic that could receive this pictures via text so the doctor can see?

 

[Curlynn]

Is there anyone at the clinic that could receive this pictures via text so the doctor can see?

My vet office is closed for today unfortunately

 

[danteshuman]

I was going to suggest emailing the pics to your vet and giving them a call.

I think things will be fine but she should probably be wearing the cone. I would pile Tupperware all around your sink so she can't jump up there.

 

[Curlynn]

I was going to suggest emailing the pics to your vet and giving them a call.

I think things will be fine but she should probably be wearing the cone. I would pile Tupperware all around your sink so she can't jump up there.

We tried the tupperware trick, she seriously has some hops and still tried. She manages to get on top of any high surface she can get to, once she makes up her mind that she wants to jump, she will figure out a way to get up there...super determined.
I have reached out to the vet office and am waiting for a reply, not sure if they will reply today or maybe tomorrow once they open. They do give me a number for a emergency vet but its an hour away and those are usually very expensive... Im running low on funds after this week taking both cats in and paying for a spay, medications, and lots of tests.

 

[Curlynn]

Update on the nuggets:
Bowser is healing very well now. I made a little onesie out of a legwarmer and I put that on her when im away at work just to make sure she couldn't lick while I'm away and that helped a ton. The little open spot is now closed up and healing. The vet said it was more than likely from her being active and jumping but to not worry since it doesnt look infected and was not leaking fluids, she said its common for an edge to sometimes open like that during healing if they're active or lick a lot.

Now as for the issues between the two cats, things are getting better day by day. I've been feeding them treats with a door between them and now they both seem comfortable again. They sometimes paw at eachother under the door playfully, it usually ends with Bowser getting worked up so we try to limit that. They both seem like they want to play but we are being cautious. We are planning on reintroducing them on Saturday since we have 3 days off in a row to monitor them together. We are stuck between putting the aggressor (Bowser) in a kennel and letting Kitty explore around her, or maybe getting a harness for Bowser so they can be in the same room but we have control over her in case she goes into attack mode again. I just want to make sure they won't get hurt if they decide to try to fight. Any suggestions or tips for this? Im hoping all goes well but want to prevent either of them from getting hurt in case it doesnt go so well.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Update on the nuggets:
Bowser is healing very well now. I made a little onesie out of a legwarmer and I put that on her when im away at work just to make sure she couldn't lick while I'm away and that helped a ton. The little open spot is now closed up and healing. The vet said it was more than likely from her being active and jumping but to not worry since it doesnt look infected and was not leaking fluids, she said its common for an edge to sometimes open like that during healing if they're active or lick a lot.

Now as for the issues between the two cats, things are getting better day by day. I've been feeding them treats with a door between them and now they both seem comfortable again. They sometimes paw at eachother under the door playfully, it usually ends with Bowser getting worked up so we try to limit that. They both seem like they want to play but we are being cautious. We are planning on reintroducing them on Saturday since we have 3 days off in a row to monitor them together. We are stuck between putting the aggressor (Bowser) in a kennel and letting Kitty explore around her, or maybe getting a harness for Bowser so they can be in the same room but we have control over her in case she goes into attack mode again. I just want to make sure they won't get hurt if they decide to try to fight. Any suggestions or tips for this? Im hoping all goes well but want to prevent either of them from getting hurt in case it doesnt go so well.

What type of kennel are you using? Is there any possible way to separate the actual living quarters (one gets kitchen/living room, other gets a bedroom/bathroom/hallway), with a solid door? If not, I get that. Open floor plans can sometimes not be the best =/
I actually like the harness idea. If you use a leash, I'd drop it or keep it VERY loose 100% of the time. With that said, it's taboo in the dog world to keep one on a leash and one not unless you're absolutely SURE you're not grasping the leash and applying tension. They feel that and if you're tense, holding a leash and are giving a very slight tension into that leash, they feel it and it can actually make the situation WORSE.
(It's probably why tipsy guys in a bar LOVE being "held back" from their buddies in the face of a potential fight! And dog nerd interjection...probably why a lot of police dogs or sport bite trained dogs are trained early on to "fight" or go after the "bad guy" with a handler holding them back on a harness!)

I'm really glad her stitches are healing up well!!

 

[Curlynn]

What type of kennel are you using? Is there any possible way to separate the actual living quarters (one gets kitchen/living room, other gets a bedroom/bathroom/hallway), with a solid door? If not, I get that. Open floor plans can sometimes not be the best =/
I actually like the harness idea. If you use a leash, I'd drop it or keep it VERY loose 100% of the time. With that said, it's taboo in the dog world to keep one on a leash and one not unless you're absolutely SURE you're not grasping the leash and applying tension. They feel that and if you're tense, holding a leash and are giving a very slight tension into that leash, they feel it and it can actually make the situation WORSE.
(It's probably why tipsy guys in a bar LOVE being "held back" from their buddies in the face of a potential fight! And dog nerd interjection...probably why a lot of police dogs or sport bite trained dogs are trained early on to "fight" or go after the "bad guy" with a handler holding them back on a harness!)

I'm really glad her stitches are healing up well!!

Yes they currently have a door between them which works... I've been feeding them with the door between them and have been rewarding friendly behavior when they don't growl or anything when they sniff eachother under the door. I just dont trust the Bowser with the crack the door open method for reintroduction that I've read about. The kennels idea won't work, Bowser refuses to go into her kennel by herself and started hissing and freaking out just from being in it again since her spay so I feel like that would make the situation 10x worse. Im just currently waiting for my harness to come in the mail then we will try to reintroducing them. I'm excited and nervous about it, hopefully it all works out and we won't have to start this process over if it doesnt go well. I'll definitely keep updating on the situation for anyone who has been following the mess I've been dealing with lol

 

[Curlynn]

I haven't posted in a while about my situation but looking for some input... So we have to keep them separated still as Bowser is still acting crazy even after her spray. Its been over a month and the vet said it may take 1-3 months for her hormones to go down. We have short little hangouts where we have the cats in the same room and it mostly goes well. Because we saw so much progress we had them in the same room for maybe an hour and it unfortunantly went south. Bowser was laying on the floor and kitty walked past her and Bowser quickly jumped up and attacked Kitty. Since then we limit their time together again. Bowser never seems aggressive then just randomly goes after her. At our last visit after taking Bowser home after her spay, our vet gave us Amitriptyline to give to Bowser if no progress is made. Because of her separation anxiety I have to keep Bowser in the bathroom with the door shut when we are not home because anywhere else, she claws up the carpet and I'm renting so that's a no no. Shes already messed up one room and I dont want it getting worse so the bathroom is the only option but I feel like it makes her anxiety worse. Now I'm wondering if anyone on here has used this before for behavior issues and what their experiences were. Im at a loss at how to fix this issue but I also dont want to give her drugs because of that without hearing some input. The vet had nothing but good things to say about this medication but I've read awful things online... So I'm stuck on making this decision to put her on this medication or not. I would love to take her to a behavior specialist but unfortunately around here those cost and arm and a leg and I cannot afford it right now. Any advice on this medication would help, or anything on what I should do from here. Getting rid of one of them is not an option, they've been with me for 5 and 6 years since they were kittens, I could not chose between them even if I had to.

 

[danteshuman]

If her anxiety is that strong, have you talked to the vet? Have you tried other things to get her to scratch the right places? Is it separation anxiety or scratching in the wrong place? Keeping her in that bathroom is like keeping a human in a jail cell ?9? hours a day. It can cause more behavior problems.

10 Ways to Manage Cat Separation Anxiety
How To Stop Your Cat From Scratching The Furniture
How to Stop Your Cats From Scratching Furniture

 

[Curlynn]

I believe she scratches because I'm on the other side of the door. If she's in a closed room with me, then she's fine... If I'm not in the room with her, she's clawing at the carpet. She's 100% attatched to me. She is always next to me or laying on me when I'm home, she even sleeps at night all night with me laying on my back or chest. She follows me everywhere I go, almost any time I get up. But I also can't let her free roam and put the chill cat in the bedroom or such because if Bowser hears kitty then she goes to that door and they usually start off playing and reaching under the door at each other but they both have claws and its gotten out of hand before while I was home so I was able to stop them, but if I'm not home that makes me nervous what could happen if I'm not there to distract them to stop. They always stop after I distract one of them. I just don't want to create more problems then I already am dealing with. The vet just keeps telling me to keep reintroducing them and go from there, if it works then awesome, if they fight, separate and keep doing that over and over again. I just feel like thats not working for my situation and I don't know what else to do.

 

[Curlynn]

Thats also why she gave me the Amitriptyline for anxiety and aggression in case her behavior didn't change after being spayed. So I'm wondering what others who have used this medication for behavioral problems have experienced... Side effects, if it worked, what they used it to treat...