- Joined
- Sep 28, 2018
- Messages
- 198
- Purraise
- 347
Bit of an unusual situation I've run into. I own a total of nine cats - don't worry, I have TONS of spaces for them. I don't adopt more than I can handle and keep them comfortable. Beck and Rue are NOT getting along after five months, and I'm a bit at a loss of what to do. Mostly with Rue.
Background quickly: About ten years ago I owned a tom cat named Lead. After we got him fixed he would still spray, sing, beat up males, etc. He was MEAN. He liked to pick on my other cat, Spoon. Spoon is a bit of a wimp anyway. He'd chase her all over the house until she would jump into a basket to hide. This went on for years due to the fact I had personal issues and couldn't address it. Finally Lead passed, and Spoon was able to be herself. Ish. Now she's a wimp, but also a bully. This is where Beck comes in. Beck is about seven, Spoon is about 12. When I adopted Beck they would have an uneasy truce. Once in a while Spoon would pound Beck, then they'd ignore each other. The cycle repeats. I *can't* rehome either cat, as they are both very much attached to my brothers.
As a result, Beck - who is also a wimp, and has low self confidence - is also a household bully.
Side note: Beckie has ... Issues? She's very overweight. I have her on a diet, but she seems to comfort eat. She also hardly ever cleans herself. I've tried giving her a spray bath and it just doesn't work. I trim her fur so there's less, and it also doesn't work. It's almost like she has horrible self confidence issues. Her two sisters are fine-ish. Fiddle is a tomboy outdoor cat, and Blackie is a needy/friendly little soul who sits on a stool every night for food. Beckie just hides in a bedroom and sleeps. But she'll play with toys. Spoon hasn't beaten her up for years, so there's nothing to hide from. She's not walking around in terror. She's just... Depressed, I guess?
Rue, on the other hand, is the most sheltered cat I have EVER met. She's four years old, and was an indoor only house cat. She had no cat towers, never got an open window, no plants, etc. She had lots of toys, and was treated like a baby. They clipped her claws a lot, which has caused her to really not know how to use a cat scratcher. When I adopted her she was the sweetest, most gentle, clueless thing ever. With a temper, but that's fine. I've had to teach her not to be terrified of open windows, I still have to clip her claws because she's useless. She's been introduced to catnip, and cat treats. She LOVES to play with you, but if she gets stressed or scared she will bite HARD.
Side note: Rue is so clueless she hauls her little ball toys around with her. She thinks that in order to eat she has to put it in the food dish. Then it has to go into the water dish to drink. Then she spills her water and puts it back into the food dish. She has no idea what a bird is, noises scare her, and she loves humans. She also plays with her toys for about two hours a day, and I play with her even more. The fact that a door opens to the outside terrifies her. She'll go out, then run in when a car passes. It's weird.
Now the problem. Rue is used to a small one bedroom apartment. I have a huge five bedroom house. Rue isn't used to the space, so she stays in the downstairs bedroom most of the time. After five months she still won't come up the stairs unless I bring her.
This has caused a war in the house. Beck, who I can normally convince to leave the other cats alone, now stays in the basement. Guarding the bedroom door, waiting. As soon as Rue come out they both lock on target and stare at each other for hours until one beats the snot out of the other. I CANNOT convince Beck to do other things. She'll give up her favorite food, treats, catnip, whatever so she can stalk Rue. She will wait for HOURS until Rue comes out.
Naturally, this has angered Rue. Rue now keeps herself safe by attacking the other cats first. All of them. If I remove Beck from the area she will be in the same room as my other cats, though she still grows at Fiddle a lot.
Rue attacking my other cats has triggered Blackie, who is another wimp/bully, and Beck's sister. Though Blackie is usually harmless. Blackie now attacks Rue AND Beck, which in turn triggers Rue and Beck, Rue and Beck fight, they drag Blackie into it, rinse repeat.
With my other bully cats when the cycle starts I can stop it within days. Yelling at them, spraying them with water, a VERY gentle swat on the rear if it's really bad. They get the message because they listen to me and break it up. Not so with Rue and Beck. They can't focus when each other is in the room. Rue WILL leave Beck alone if I coax her a lot, Beck won't.
So here's my problem. How on EARTH do I get Beck to refocus? If I can get Beck to settle down and leave Rue alone, Rue won't attack my other cats, including Blackie. In turn Blackie won't attack my other cats, causing Beck to act up worse. Rue is now so terrified that she won't come upstairs unless I bring her upstairs. I KNOW if I get Beck to stop literally stalking Rue I could get them to get along. I've never had a cat so OBSESSED with stalking before.
I'm moving out in about a year and a half and taking Rue with me, just because she's useless as a house cat, but I need to keep them from killing each other until then. It's been five months, so the habits are very cemented into place. Beck now runs when she sees me and won't let me catch her. But she still hunts Rue.
Help? I've gotten eight cats to work together just fine, even with the tussles. Throwing Rue into the mix is hard. Because she's been babied she doesn't respond to being yelled at, sprayed with water, the cat air horns, etc. I'm lost, for once.
I'd rehome them, but Beck is a rescue who requires special attention, and is very attached to my autistic brother. Blackie is Beck's sister, who is also attached to my brother. Rue is useless, and I don't dare rehome her due to her biting habits. She's bit me to the bone a few times.
I know some cats just don't get along. This may be one of those situations. But I'd at least like to try before I go the drastic way of finding Rue a new home. I adopted her as a huge favor to her old owner, who was becoming homeless and needed her baby to have a home.
Anyway, sorry for the wall of text! With the cold weather coming I foresee lots of battles with Beck.
Background quickly: About ten years ago I owned a tom cat named Lead. After we got him fixed he would still spray, sing, beat up males, etc. He was MEAN. He liked to pick on my other cat, Spoon. Spoon is a bit of a wimp anyway. He'd chase her all over the house until she would jump into a basket to hide. This went on for years due to the fact I had personal issues and couldn't address it. Finally Lead passed, and Spoon was able to be herself. Ish. Now she's a wimp, but also a bully. This is where Beck comes in. Beck is about seven, Spoon is about 12. When I adopted Beck they would have an uneasy truce. Once in a while Spoon would pound Beck, then they'd ignore each other. The cycle repeats. I *can't* rehome either cat, as they are both very much attached to my brothers.
As a result, Beck - who is also a wimp, and has low self confidence - is also a household bully.
Side note: Beckie has ... Issues? She's very overweight. I have her on a diet, but she seems to comfort eat. She also hardly ever cleans herself. I've tried giving her a spray bath and it just doesn't work. I trim her fur so there's less, and it also doesn't work. It's almost like she has horrible self confidence issues. Her two sisters are fine-ish. Fiddle is a tomboy outdoor cat, and Blackie is a needy/friendly little soul who sits on a stool every night for food. Beckie just hides in a bedroom and sleeps. But she'll play with toys. Spoon hasn't beaten her up for years, so there's nothing to hide from. She's not walking around in terror. She's just... Depressed, I guess?
Rue, on the other hand, is the most sheltered cat I have EVER met. She's four years old, and was an indoor only house cat. She had no cat towers, never got an open window, no plants, etc. She had lots of toys, and was treated like a baby. They clipped her claws a lot, which has caused her to really not know how to use a cat scratcher. When I adopted her she was the sweetest, most gentle, clueless thing ever. With a temper, but that's fine. I've had to teach her not to be terrified of open windows, I still have to clip her claws because she's useless. She's been introduced to catnip, and cat treats. She LOVES to play with you, but if she gets stressed or scared she will bite HARD.
Side note: Rue is so clueless she hauls her little ball toys around with her. She thinks that in order to eat she has to put it in the food dish. Then it has to go into the water dish to drink. Then she spills her water and puts it back into the food dish. She has no idea what a bird is, noises scare her, and she loves humans. She also plays with her toys for about two hours a day, and I play with her even more. The fact that a door opens to the outside terrifies her. She'll go out, then run in when a car passes. It's weird.
Now the problem. Rue is used to a small one bedroom apartment. I have a huge five bedroom house. Rue isn't used to the space, so she stays in the downstairs bedroom most of the time. After five months she still won't come up the stairs unless I bring her.
This has caused a war in the house. Beck, who I can normally convince to leave the other cats alone, now stays in the basement. Guarding the bedroom door, waiting. As soon as Rue come out they both lock on target and stare at each other for hours until one beats the snot out of the other. I CANNOT convince Beck to do other things. She'll give up her favorite food, treats, catnip, whatever so she can stalk Rue. She will wait for HOURS until Rue comes out.
Naturally, this has angered Rue. Rue now keeps herself safe by attacking the other cats first. All of them. If I remove Beck from the area she will be in the same room as my other cats, though she still grows at Fiddle a lot.
Rue attacking my other cats has triggered Blackie, who is another wimp/bully, and Beck's sister. Though Blackie is usually harmless. Blackie now attacks Rue AND Beck, which in turn triggers Rue and Beck, Rue and Beck fight, they drag Blackie into it, rinse repeat.
With my other bully cats when the cycle starts I can stop it within days. Yelling at them, spraying them with water, a VERY gentle swat on the rear if it's really bad. They get the message because they listen to me and break it up. Not so with Rue and Beck. They can't focus when each other is in the room. Rue WILL leave Beck alone if I coax her a lot, Beck won't.
So here's my problem. How on EARTH do I get Beck to refocus? If I can get Beck to settle down and leave Rue alone, Rue won't attack my other cats, including Blackie. In turn Blackie won't attack my other cats, causing Beck to act up worse. Rue is now so terrified that she won't come upstairs unless I bring her upstairs. I KNOW if I get Beck to stop literally stalking Rue I could get them to get along. I've never had a cat so OBSESSED with stalking before.
I'm moving out in about a year and a half and taking Rue with me, just because she's useless as a house cat, but I need to keep them from killing each other until then. It's been five months, so the habits are very cemented into place. Beck now runs when she sees me and won't let me catch her. But she still hunts Rue.
Help? I've gotten eight cats to work together just fine, even with the tussles. Throwing Rue into the mix is hard. Because she's been babied she doesn't respond to being yelled at, sprayed with water, the cat air horns, etc. I'm lost, for once.
I'd rehome them, but Beck is a rescue who requires special attention, and is very attached to my autistic brother. Blackie is Beck's sister, who is also attached to my brother. Rue is useless, and I don't dare rehome her due to her biting habits. She's bit me to the bone a few times.
I know some cats just don't get along. This may be one of those situations. But I'd at least like to try before I go the drastic way of finding Rue a new home. I adopted her as a huge favor to her old owner, who was becoming homeless and needed her baby to have a home.
Anyway, sorry for the wall of text! With the cold weather coming I foresee lots of battles with Beck.