This is kinda long, due to their history...
I have two cats, JoJo (5 1/2) and Jack (5). I adopted JJ at 11 months old from a Humane Soc. with a large public cat room and she was nowhere near being Alpha Cat (she'd been there 5 of those 11 months). Jack, I adopted six weeks later from a rescue. He was 7 months old and had only been there a few weeks. Both are speutered.
They were fine, other than the usual hissing and tame batting, for some time. I moved a few times, bringing them with me. (adopted them both in Upstate NY, then moved to Chicago four months later, staying in one apt for two years and moving into a slightly larger apt for one year, before moving to Oregon a year ago). Occasionally, they even would nap next to each other.
Shortly before moving to Oregon last June, they started fighting more. I get Feliway plugins (used constantly, or there will be bloodshed), as well as calmants to add to their wet food. I have some Bachs, and it doesn't seem to work as well as the other stuff I use (from Petco).
Now, here's the other factor: For most of this time, Jack was a smaller, sick cat. He had stomatitis and gingivitis, and eventually had all teeth behind his fangs removed. For ages, I struggled to get him over 9 pounds. He's now a healthy (urf, that's my bladder you're jumping off of, cat!) 13.25 pounds. (JoJo is 15 pounds).
The only thing i can think of is that Jack is now trying to assert Alpha status over JoJo and she's not having any of it!! Since moving here, the aggression is worse. I took them recently to a cats only vet, (I'm not entirely happy with them), who did urinalysis on both. Jack has some crystals forming and JoJo's pH (I think that's what it is) is a little low...
I asked them about meds, like Kitty Prozac or the like. They said that's a last resort and won't do it until I do other things. Problem is, I've done everything I know possible. I don't have a ton of money to buy huge cat trees and get a bigger apt. I can't give either of them their 'own room' as it's a small 2 bedroom place. It's crammed to the hilt as it is. For me, I'm already at last resort. I tried containing Jack in the office (larger of the two bedrooms) one day when I ran out of Feliway and they really went at each other... I came home to a trashed room with things knocked over blocking the door. (I was able to push them out of the way). He went nuts in there (I had food, water and an LB for him).
Now that Jack is healthier, it's like he's in a second kittenhood, as he was sick through a fair chunk of his first one... so he goes bonkers regularly... JJ does her usual crazies in the evenings and mornings...
Any tips?
Amanda
I have two cats, JoJo (5 1/2) and Jack (5). I adopted JJ at 11 months old from a Humane Soc. with a large public cat room and she was nowhere near being Alpha Cat (she'd been there 5 of those 11 months). Jack, I adopted six weeks later from a rescue. He was 7 months old and had only been there a few weeks. Both are speutered.
They were fine, other than the usual hissing and tame batting, for some time. I moved a few times, bringing them with me. (adopted them both in Upstate NY, then moved to Chicago four months later, staying in one apt for two years and moving into a slightly larger apt for one year, before moving to Oregon a year ago). Occasionally, they even would nap next to each other.
Shortly before moving to Oregon last June, they started fighting more. I get Feliway plugins (used constantly, or there will be bloodshed), as well as calmants to add to their wet food. I have some Bachs, and it doesn't seem to work as well as the other stuff I use (from Petco).
Now, here's the other factor: For most of this time, Jack was a smaller, sick cat. He had stomatitis and gingivitis, and eventually had all teeth behind his fangs removed. For ages, I struggled to get him over 9 pounds. He's now a healthy (urf, that's my bladder you're jumping off of, cat!) 13.25 pounds. (JoJo is 15 pounds).
The only thing i can think of is that Jack is now trying to assert Alpha status over JoJo and she's not having any of it!! Since moving here, the aggression is worse. I took them recently to a cats only vet, (I'm not entirely happy with them), who did urinalysis on both. Jack has some crystals forming and JoJo's pH (I think that's what it is) is a little low...
I asked them about meds, like Kitty Prozac or the like. They said that's a last resort and won't do it until I do other things. Problem is, I've done everything I know possible. I don't have a ton of money to buy huge cat trees and get a bigger apt. I can't give either of them their 'own room' as it's a small 2 bedroom place. It's crammed to the hilt as it is. For me, I'm already at last resort. I tried containing Jack in the office (larger of the two bedrooms) one day when I ran out of Feliway and they really went at each other... I came home to a trashed room with things knocked over blocking the door. (I was able to push them out of the way). He went nuts in there (I had food, water and an LB for him).
Now that Jack is healthier, it's like he's in a second kittenhood, as he was sick through a fair chunk of his first one... so he goes bonkers regularly... JJ does her usual crazies in the evenings and mornings...
Any tips?
Amanda
