Newly tamed feral getting more aggressive after intros with 2 senior cats (one very sick)

[Vanda’s Mom]

I am having a really hard time trying to introduce a new cat into our household. We already had two fourteen year old calico cats. They are sisters and have lived with us for four years. The situation is complicated because one of our current cats, Miss Cooper, has just been diagnosed with late stage cancer and not expected to live very long (1-3 months since the cancer is in her liver, spleen and lymph nodes). Of course we are devastated to get this news and want to make her remaining time as pleasant as possible. She’s on steroids and B12 which have helped.

It’s already been a bit challenging to keep Cooper’s sister, Vanda, from bullying her (I suspect this was going on long before we got them). They get along in the morning but at night Vanda is very territorial. Feliway Optimum has helped and the cats have agreed on their territory.

The new cat is a feral we took in for TNR, who is about 1 or 2 years old. Before we could trap him he developed a limp so we had the vet check him out. Apparently he’d been hit by a car and had a shattered hip. They said they could amputate but he was a good candidate for an FHO surgery and then would regain total use of that leg. We got the surgery which did go well and he seems to be able to use that leg normally. He’s also tamed up nicely and definitely prefers to be an indoor cat - he loves his bed and toys and being brushed and loves to be around us.

It’s been four months since his operation. He recovered in our laundry room which is a decent size. We went on his schedule and very gradually he went from feral to what seems like a sweet inside cat. It took him until two weeks ago before he wanted to leave his room, and he slowly got used to the den/kitchen/living room area when our other two cats weren’t there. He’s been aware of our two cats since he was feral, and we let them smell each other between a door for weeks before meeting face to face. We used a screen door for the meet and greets, and after a while they would eat together on either side and no cat seemed bothered.

About 10 days ago he started coming out into the living areas while our other cats were there. (This is a new area for him, the den/LR/kitchen is mainly just Vanda’s territory. Her sister Cooper mainly hangs out in the bedrooms on the other side of the house.) During the day the new cat is usually shy and is happy to hang out in the den, which is great because neither Cooper or Vanda have ever spent much time there. But once it gets dark out, the new cat starts getting more aggressive and wants to run at the older cats, or especially he loves to ambush them. At first I thought he was wanting to play, but I don’t think that’s it anymore. He especially targets Cooper, cornering her whenever he can and swatting at her. Last night he pushed her down on her back. This behavior has just escalated a bit every day. I just can’t stand that Cooper has to deal with this when we only have a few more weeks with her. I feel bad for this new guy that he’s feeling so agitated and aggressive being around the girls.

He has been on Gabapentin since his surgery, for pain and to help him keep calm. It’s never knocked him out like it can most cats, but it did seem to relax him sometimes. Now we are wondering if he could be reacting to it differently or it’s just not working at all anymore. We did put him back in his room last night after he pushed Cooper down. We gave him the full 100mg of Gabapentin (instead of the 50mg we had weaned him down to). He did seem to relax and slept very well eventually.

Does anyone with experience taming ferals or introducing cats have any insights into what’s going wrong here? I want him to be happy long term, and also Vanda and Cooper really shouldn’t be living in such a high stress situation, especially Cooper. I have also read the suggestion about using vanilla but am hesitant to put that on Cooper - I don’t want to overpower her with a scent she may not like.

 

[stephanietx]

There is nothing wrong. They are working out the hierarchy in the home. It's painful for us to watch, but the best you can do is run interference between them by diverting with play, using a towel to guide the offender away, and things like that.

 

[Vanda’s Mom]

There is nothing wrong. They are working out the hierarchy in the home. It's painful for us to watch, but the best you can do is run interference between them by diverting with play, using a towel to guide the offender away, and things like that.

Thank you for replying. We weren’t sure what was happening. Having a toy worked great on him until the last 2 days, when he’s been getting more determined to challenge Cooper. We have a foam cushion we can put between the cats but we are older and that little boy is fast.

Vanda is a diva and wont shy away from him and he will back away from her. So maybe he’s determined to be “above” Cooper. I think we’re just going to try and keep Cooper away from him, she’s too sick to be pushed down.

Any idea why the issues at almost always at night time? I feel like if I could figure out what’s different at nighttime then I could ease the situation. But maybe this is just how a multi-cat household works? We have never had more than one cat at a time before. Thanks again for taking the time to read all that and reply.

 

[eevans3373]

Separate the cats at night. Since Cooper's time is limited it's pointless to continue to subject her to the stress of trying to integrate a new cat.

 

[Alldara]

Kwik might have some insight for you but honestly, you have limited time with Cooper. Enjoy it and don't fuss over night intros.

Your new cat's territory has expanded, so leave him in those few rooms and worry about intros in a few weeks. It'll be a good distraction for you

He might honestly be triggered by her being sick. He doesn't want her to die nearby and bring predators.

 

[Kwik]

Hi Vanda’s Mom
May I first ask what you meant in your OP when you said you took the feral in for a TNR- I understand you opted for surgery and have taken care of him since - so are you fostering &hoping to socialize or is he staying? What is his name

Personally my priority would be Cooper,all else can wait imho- so often when a cat is sick,very sick other cats will sometimrs attack them- suddenly their long time litter mate,best pal or familiar friend has an unfamiliar scent which is disturbing and confusing to them - they may not even recognize the sick cat" gee,he looks like Cooper but it's not Cooper"- this can cause alot of stress & anxiety,as much as bringing in a new cat that has not been introduced- rubbing his body with his old blankets or even beds might help Vanda to know this is indeed Cooper- if it doesn't help I would not for
subject Cooper to any undue stress or anxiety

Also,I'm pretty sure with Vandas confusion she might be having some separation anxiety or if she does recognize Cooper his " sick " scent can also be very upsetting to her- this is not the time to be introducing new boy into the mix

The nighttime aggressions are very normal,especially for the new boy- cats are nocturnal and he is not yet acclimated to your time-its hunting time and time to active- it takes a bit of time for their clocks to get adjusted to everyone living on the inside- once he's out and about throught the house and you keep him active during the day he will start to change his nocturnal behavior

I do hope this helps to encourage you to simply hit" pause" for now- I suggest you keep Cooper as comfortable and stress free as you can,give Vanda lots of love and affection and teach the new baby how to play and stay occupies during the day,seprately- he doesn't have to be locked in a room but surely separated by something to keep him contained in an area where Vsnda & Cooper do not frequent- however,if possible I would also switch containment sides with Vanda so he can explore the other parts of the house with Cooper safely away and alternate so that Vanda is familiar with his scent as well .....if he is indeed a true feral then it's still early for intros considering he was in recovery for much of the time indoors

 

[eevans3373]

Make the most of your time with Cooper. From past experience, cats with Cancer can deteriorate fast. If you don't already make sure you have a quality of life checklist and a plan to send her on her way when she tells you its time.

If both cats are giving her a hard time consider isolating her from both of them. Set up a kitty hospice for her in her favorite room.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

YES, and YES, and YES...to Alldara 's thought that it is the illness that is causing the aggression towards Cooper. I have a very dear friend whose cat "diagnosed" her cancer. He would press his nose against one particular spot incessantly. She, thankfully, paid attention, and had it checked, and caught the cancer early. They can smell it, and react. And to Kwik 's suggestions, every one of them. AND to eevans3373 's suggestion of a Kitty Hospice, a safe haven for her.

 

[Vanda’s Mom]

Kwik might have some insight for you but honestly, you have limited time with Cooper. Enjoy it and don't fuss over night intros.

Your new cat's territory has expanded, so leave him in those few rooms and worry about intros in a few weeks. It'll be a good distraction for you

He might honestly be triggered by her being sick. He doesn't want her to die nearby and bring predators.

I had wondered about the predator thing - I had read feral cats do that. So far it’s been working out ok to take him back to his laundry room when Cooper wants to go on the patio (which is through his new area den/kitchen). Cooper likes to do that just a few times a day and it doesn’t take that long. She prefers the other side of the house. Thank you so much for the reply, it really helps.

 

[Vanda’s Mom]

Hi Vanda’s Mom
May I first ask what you meant in your OP when you said you took the feral in for a TNR- I understand you opted for surgery and have taken care of him since - so are you fostering &hoping to socialize or is he staying? What is his name

I’m embarrassed we haven’t found a name for him yet besides Baby Boy. We‘ve tried a few and nothing seems to suit him. So originally we were going to neuter him and had found him a safe cat community. (We have so many coyotes here the outside cats don’t last very long.). But the recovery for the FHO surgery takes awhile and during that time he made it clear he did not want to go back outside. We decided to see if it was possible to keep him, hoping our older cats could tolerate him. He has a very loving and sweet nature and the vet thought it would be possible. Of course that was before we knew Cooper was sick. So yes, we’d like to keep him, as long as he and Vanda can get along reasonably. I’d hate to have them both stuck in a high stress situation. Vanda is starting to have health issues as well and she doesn’t need a lot of stress.

Personally my priority would be Cooper,all else can wait imho- so often when a cat is sick,very sick other cats will sometimrs attack them- suddenly their long time litter mate,best pal or familiar friend has an unfamiliar scent which is disturbing and confusing to them…

Thank you. Yes, Cooper needs to not worry about this and we can keep them apart. Cooper only goes to that side of the house a few times a day for a short time.

thanks for the heads up on making sure Vanda recognizes Cooper’s scent. We will stay on top of that. So far they are still sharing the window seat most mornings.

The nighttime aggressions are very normal,especially for the new boy- cats are nocturnal ..,,.,

That’s good to hear. We are seeing a very slow shift, hopefully he’ll get in sync with us more.

Thanks so much for your encouragement- it means everything to get some experienced feedback. Today he was out for awhile in his new area and had no issue going back to his room when Cooper wanted to come through - Cooper definitely seemed more relaxed not having to worry about him jumping on her. We luckily have time to give everyone some special attention. We will try having Vanda in his room more and work on the scents. But I agree, Cooper gets to be priority now and he’ll be ok not having full house access. Thanks again for your thoughts.

 

[Vanda’s Mom]

Make the most of your time with Cooper. From past experience, cats with Cancer can deteriorate fast. If you don't already make sure you have a quality of life checklist and a plan to send her on her way when she tells you its time.

If both cats are giving her a hard time consider isolating her from both of them. Set up a kitty hospice for her in her favorite room.

Thank you. Yes, I can see the difference in her muscle mass in just this past week. Luckily Vanda has been friendly with her but we are keeping an eye on it. We talk with the vet tomorrow about Quality of Life. We’re trying to make sure she’s getting her favorite foods and she is enjoying that.

 

[Vanda’s Mom]

YES, and YES, and YES...to Alldara 's thought that it is the illness that is causing the aggression towards Cooper. I have a very dear friend whose cat "diagnosed" her cancer. He would press his nose against one particular spot incessantly. She, thankfully, paid attention, and had it checked, and caught the cancer early. They can smell it, and react. And to Kwik 's suggestions, every one of them. AND to eevans3373 's suggestion of a Kitty Hospice, a safe haven for her.

That is amazing- cats are so smart. We‘ve got a guest bedroom Cooper has taken over and the new cat doesn’t have access to it We can keep her sister out too, if we need to. Thank you.

 

[Kwik]

I'm so glad to be of help- let me also assure you ,from over 4 decades of socializing the " unadoptables" that with lots of love & patience in TIME it will work out....I tell you this not out of " hoping for the best" but with the utmost confidence

Ferals are not a different breed of cat,they are not programmed (DNA) to be wild-they are simply in a wild state- cats are domestic animals for over 10,000 years - how's thst for good news!!!It is not an easy task,not by any means,to re-condition a ferals behavior BUT " behavior " is the only difference between a feral & a housecat....These wonderful little darlings only need be given a chance by someone willing to take the time to show them that WE are trustworthy

Im absolutely tickled to know " Baby Boy" is HOME ,free to ask any questions as you go- there's always solutions for any issues and we are all here to cheer you on

Maybe his name is BB? No doubt he'll let you know what he likes to be called and you'll say" That's it- that's Baby's name"....I like Baby Boy btw

 

[ArtNJ]

Dissenting opinion here. A 1-2 year old cat starting to feel better and getting more confident in their new home? Their play drive is going to go through the roof! Your finally seeing the really youngster, and youngsters can be trouble. For whatever reason, they dont always split their attention equally, and sometimes pick one cat to play with. And at that age, they often ignore signals and dont take no for an answer. It leads to stress and problems, especially when the other cat is a senior, but is also normal.

I'd need to see a video to have a firm opinion, and acknowledge its quite possible that our other experts are correct. Just saying, I think its fairly likely its actually play. Young cats can seem like bullies when they try and play with an older cat that wants nothing to do with them. Well, arguably they are being bullies objectively -- but its just a normal thing that cats do at that age.

I do suggest linking a video. Regardless, good luck with getting things smoothed out!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

OH, BTW, re the cats being able to "sniff out" diseases and such...I cannot tell you how often we've seen the family cat being the first one in the family to know that their female human is pregnant, before she even suspects it.

 

[Vanda’s Mom]

Dissenting opinion here. A 1-2 year old cat starting to feel better and getting more confident in their new home? Their play drive is going to go through the roof! Your finally seeing the really youngster, and youngsters can be trouble. For whatever reason, they dont always split their attention equally, and sometimes pick one cat to play with. And at that age, they often ignore signals and dont take no for an answer. It leads to stress and problems, especially when the other cat is a senior, but is also normal.

I'd need to see a video to have a firm opinion, and acknowledge its quite possible that our other experts are correct. Just saying, I think its fairly likely its actually play. Young cats can seem like bullies when they try and play with an older cat that wants nothing to do with them. Well, arguably they are being bullies objectively -- but its just a normal thing that cats do at that age.

I do suggest linking a video. Regardless, good luck with getting things smoothed out!

Thank you so much. We are trying to get video but with having a little cushion divider to stop swatting and a toy for distraction etc we haven’t managed being able to film. From what I see with playing with this little boy every day is that you’re correct, he plays VERY rough. I have to be very careful to make sure he’s not stressing his repaired leg too hard when he plays - he wants to climb and jump off things and do acrobatics chasing his toys. He slams his toys down with tremendous force. We are keeping him apart from our sick cat and that has been a relief for everyone. He does share space with our other senior cat during the day a lot (they sit in different rooms that are open to each other). I did actually manage to get them both to play with a different toy side by side yesterday. But after dark he’ll start getting too fixated on her and get closer and closer until she makes him back off. If I let this go on, he will get braver and swat her eventually and she sometimes will lose confidence and hide, but she is upset by it. So I’ve been trying to limit the physical encounters. One day the little guy didnt bother Vanda and later she actually went over to smell him. I’m hoping that means something positive. We are trading blankets and rubbing each others scent and sharing spaces. I’ll try to get some video of their encounters, but I’m still trying to avoid them because if the boy gets brave and swats Vanda, she sometimes takes that out on her sick sister. Usually just be hissing but I’d rather avoid it. Luckily the sisters are being very sweet and friendly to each other right now. They share the mornings together but lately Vanda’s spending more time with her sick sister and it’s so sweet. Thank you again.

 

[Vanda’s Mom]

I'm so glad to be of help- let me also assure you ,from over 4 decades of socializing the " unadoptables" that with lots of love & patience in TIME it will work out....I tell you this not out of " hoping for the best" but with the utmost confidence

Ferals are not a different breed of cat,they are not programmed (DNA) to be wild-they are simply in a wild state- cats are domestic animals for over 10,000 years - how's thst for good news!!!It is not an easy task,not by any means,to re-condition a ferals behavior BUT " behavior " is the only difference between a feral & a housecat....These wonderful little darlings only need be given a chance by someone willing to take the time to show them that WE are trustworthy

Im absolutely tickled to know " Baby Boy" is HOME ,free to ask any questions as you go- there's always solutions for any issues and we are all here to cheer you on

Maybe his name is BB? No doubt he'll let you know what he likes to be called and you'll say" That's it- that's Baby's name"....I like Baby Boy btw

Thank you so much, the support and help I get here is probably saving me from an ulcer - ha! I honestly don’t know what I would do without this good advice. Just keeping him separated from our sick cat has brought the tension down in the house tremendously. We found a screen door we can use as a gate so he can stay in the den, and he doesn’t seem to mind staying in there while Cooper has her little visits to the patio. They actually stayed on either side of the screen hanging out together yesterday for about 15 minutes and both cats seemed very calm, so that was very nice. I can’t imagine how different things are for him living inside - he still will try to cover his food up if we don’t remove his plate immediately- such a smart move for a feral cat. So considering it’s only been 4 months he’s learned a lot very fast. I wish he had a younger cat friend who wanted to play with him but we will do our best. Thanks again for your kind support and I hope you have a happy holiday!

 

[Kflowers]

This is a side issue. I don't think the slamming down of toys is a sign of aggression. Have you ever seen a cat make a catch and kill? Rather than do the grab and swing to break the neck, many, particularly younger ones and smaller ones, make a stiff front legged pounce coming down really hard on the prey's neck to break it. I saw my laid back-never-even-saw-a-mouse- before use this method the first time he met a mouse in the kitchen. His mom taught him with roaches. It's quick and it works. I would not expect that aggression to transfer to the other cats. However, keeping Cooper separate is a good idea, since boy could just get too enthusiastic before even he realized it.