Redirected aggression emergency: need advice.

[eljuna]

My two boys, Tyger and Tavi, saw a cat outside, I think it came up to an open window they were close to. It sparked an immediate cat fight. There were some issues with aggression and territoriality as teens, particularly with Tyger, but that's 99.9% under control now (they're 7 yrs.). Well, until tonight. They take CBD for IBD, and it helps tremendously with Tyger's aggression. I gave him a couple of extra drops. I put vanilla extract between their shoulder blades. I've taken turns isolating each in the same small room for a little bit. When I crack the door of the room to let them smell each other, they seem perfectly fine and eager to be reunited. One to several minutes after the isolated cat is let out, a new fight breaks out and I have to separate them again.

Is there anything else I can do? I remember trying that comfort zone spray and the plug-ins years ago and they never seemed to make any difference. Any advice appreciated!

 

[eljuna]

Figured out what the problem is, I still don't have a solution. Tavi is absolutely terrified of Tyger right now. He's fine for a couple of minutes, then he suddenly remembers that Tyger attacked him and gets into a defensive position and makes that "woo woo" sound at the back of the throat. This seems to be the trigger for Tyger's current aggression. He then goes after Tavi again.

I'm keeping Tyger isolated for the night, not sure what tomorrow will bring. I could use any reassurances or suggestions. Thanks!

 

[eljuna]

Forgot to mention that they were both neutered as kittens, just in case anyone was wondering. I've also given them their favorite treats a couple of times while they were near each other. I'm all out of ideas.

 

[di and bob]

These things just really take time. It can take days to weeks for them to get over this. Redirected Aggression is a very common occurrence in cats. A good thing to do is to take a blanket one has been sleeping on and rub it on the other cat and vice versa to combine their smells. I have to take all my cats in together at once to the vets so they don't do this. You might try combining their scents, letting them have a FEW moments together, and then separating them again, before they start fighting. you might also try a large dog kennel and let them take turns in it so they can get used to the sight and movements of each other. make sure there is a small box, etc. inside so they can hide if they want. Like i said this will resolve in a few days, they got along before and they will again!

 

[ArtNJ]

Yeah, your taking the temperature too soon. A couple of hours would be the minimum for a reset, and if there is still an issue, I wouldn't test again till a full day of isolation. It may take several days or longer if you are unlucky.

Going forward, think about keeping the shade down. One poster bought full window stickers at Walmart that let a little light through and look kind of nice. If that is impossible, there are motion activated sprinklers you can find on amazon. YMMV with those.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. Along with the above suggestions, you can also use a brush to try scent swapping - brushing one cat and then other and then back again. I would be careful with the idea of putting one of them in a crate to expose to the other - sometimes this can backfire as the crated cat feels trapped and can react badly, out of fear. If you try this approach, it might be better to use two crates, so that each cat is on 'equal footing' so to speak. You may have to do an abbreviated reintroduction between them if this goes on for too long (see link below to a TCS article about introductions).

Is this cat they saw a new one in the area, or even a stray? I'd try to see if you can find out about that and if you can pinpoint who it might belong to, you might inquire about it to the owner. Depending on how the conversation goes, you could tell them what happened and ask for their help in coming up with ways to deter the cat coming so close to your window. It's a better approach before you think about setting up motion sprinklers as the owner might take issue with that if there has been no previous conversation between the two of you. If it turns out to be a stray, you might consider contacting some local rescue centers for assistance on trapping it. If it is intact, TNR could be a solution to the whole problem. Or, if this window is situated so you could place chicken wire on the outside ledge - and, perhaps even on the ground below the window, you could do so as that is one of the things many cats tend to hate to walk on.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles

 

[eljuna]

I just wanted to say a quick "thank you so much!" to everyone who's replied. I thought perhaps they'd forgotten that they're friends, but one cat is always moping around, hanging outside the cat isolation room and crying for the other. They're best buds when I open the door, but as soon as Tyger sniffs Tavi or tries to play with him, Tavi stiffens, starts hissing, and goes into defensive mode. It triggers a fight response in Tyger and then I have to separate them all over again before they get into it. Being isolated from each other overnight didn't change anything.

I'm trying to give each of them a few hours out of the room and in the company of myself and the other cat in the family, Vivi (who has stayed out of everything is just completely baffled). Like I said, they pretty much act depressed and call to the isolated cat. I guess it's a good sign that they want to be with each other.

If I need to keep them separated for longer than a day, should the aggressor or the defensive one spend more time in the cat room?

 

[eljuna]

These things just really take time. It can take days to weeks for them to get over this. Redirected Aggression is a very common occurrence in cats. A good thing to do is to take a blanket one has been sleeping on and rub it on the other cat and vice versa to combine their smells. I have to take all my cats in together at once to the vets so they don't do this. You might try combining their scents, letting them have a FEW moments together, and then separating them again, before they start fighting. you might also try a large dog kennel and let them take turns in it so they can get used to the sight and movements of each other. make sure there is a small box, etc. inside so they can hide if they want. Like i said this will resolve in a few days, they got along before and they will again!

I put Tavi's favorite bed in the cat room with Tyger last night, but I'll have to try rubbing the other's scent directly on them.

I can't imagine taking all of them to the vet at once...that sounds like top-tier cat parenting and *lot* of work!

Right now it's impossible to keep them from briefly coming into contact with each other because someone always shoots out the door when I open it. The initial greetings are always fine. The trouble starts after a minute or two of being around each other.

I don't have a kennel and nowhere to put one (very small house), but it sounds like a good idea for someone with more space.

Thanks for the reassurance! They definitely *want* to hang out together, it's the fear of being attacked on Tavi's part that is preventing that at the moment.

 

[eljuna]

Yeah, your taking the temperature too soon. A couple of hours would be the minimum for a reset, and if there is still an issue, I wouldn't test again till a full day of isolation. It may take several days or longer if you are unlucky.

Going forward, think about keeping the shade down. One poster bought full window stickers at Walmart that let a little light through and look kind of nice. If that is impossible, there are motion activated sprinklers you can find on amazon. YMMV with those.

They're spending some more time apart now, so hopefully that helps.

Preventing anyone from seeing a stray cat again is actually, thankfully, a fairly simple problem to resolve. There was a stray that would sneak up, at night, behind some bushes to peer inside the sunroom some time ago, then it stopped coming around. I guess it's back. They would get highly agitated and threaten to get into a fight when it happened, but I was always able to separate them in time. I got complacent and forgot about that cat. I'll have to block access to that particular window somehow. I used to bring them in before dark when the cat was a problem- I can do that, too. I like the sprinklers suggestion, not sure if it will work for us, but that's a good idea I'll be keeping in mind for future reference.

 

[eljuna]

Hi. Along with the above suggestions, you can also use a brush to try scent swapping - brushing one cat and then other and then back again. I would be careful with the idea of putting one of them in a crate to expose to the other - sometimes this can backfire as the crated cat feels trapped and can react badly, out of fear. If you try this approach, it might be better to use two crates, so that each cat is on 'equal footing' so to speak. You may have to do an abbreviated reintroduction between them if this goes on for too long (see link below to a TCS article about introductions).

Is this cat they saw a new one in the area, or even a stray? I'd try to see if you can find out about that and if you can pinpoint who it might belong to, you might inquire about it to the owner. Depending on how the conversation goes, you could tell them what happened and ask for their help in coming up with ways to deter the cat coming so close to your window. It's a better approach before you think about setting up motion sprinklers as the owner might take issue with that if there has been no previous conversation between the two of you. If it turns out to be a stray, you might consider contacting some local rescue centers for assistance on trapping it. If it is intact, TNR could be a solution to the whole problem. Or, if this window is situated so you could place chicken wire on the outside ledge - and, perhaps even on the ground below the window, you could do so as that is one of the things many cats tend to hate to walk on.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles

I can't use a crate due to lack of space. There's enough space beneath the cat room door for them to stick a paw underneath and smell each other, so hopefully that helps get them accustomed to being close and friendly. I'll definitely try scent swapping, too.

There are so many strays and ferals in this area, I have no idea if it's the same cat we used to have problems with or a new one. I can't get a good look at it because any cat that comes close to windows always shows up after dark. It's one window in particular that's the problem, and I'm going to get chicken wire asap to block off access. Thanks for that suggestion. And for the link to introducing cats. *fingers crossed* that we don't have to do a full reintroduction.

 

[ArtNJ]

Yeah, well its a sliding scale. If you are very unlucky a few days won't do the trick and you'll need to make it more of a reintroduction process. Something like setting up double stacked baby gates so they can see each other but not fight.

But right now first things first, find a way to actually keep them separate for a few days. You might need to airlock things so that you don't open the isolation door until the cat in the main house is behind a different door. PITA, but the current situation with the fights is making things worse. You certainly could skip straight to baby gates as well. Might need to go that route anyway.

 

[eljuna]

Yeah, well its a sliding scale. If you are very unlucky a few days won't do the trick and you'll need to make it more of a reintroduction process. Something like setting up double stacked baby gates so they can see each other but not fight.

But right now first things first, find a way to actually keep them separate for a few days. You might need to airlock things so that you don't open the isolation door until the cat in the main house is behind a different door. PITA, but the current situation with the fights is making things worse. You certainly could skip straight to baby gates as well. Might need to go that route anyway.

I think you're right about keeping them separated. They interacted *very* briefly today, rubbing against each other once, butting heads once, a little sniffing, and then I distracted them and would get one cat tucked away before they knew what was happening. I've also been switching them around to different rooms when cleaning litter, putting out food, etc. so they never see each other.

So they've only had positive interactions today and there was quite a bit of indignant meowing when they didn't get to say more than a brief "hello" to their brother. They've been a lot calmer, even though they're obviously unhappy about having to spend time alone. I hope this means they're starting to forget about last night.

Will definitely keep the baby gates in mind. I used to have a tall one from when they were kittens and needed to be gradually introduced to their big sister, but I doubt I have it anymore. They're both pretty athletic. I'm not 100% confident that stacked gates would keep anyone separated for very long, but it's worth having as a back-up plan.

 

[tarasgirl06]

If you haven't yet, you might look up "The Cat Daddy" a/k/a cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy, who has many instructional videos on YouTube as well as several excellent books, a social media presence and a wonderful series, "My Cat From Hell" on Animal Planet. He is wonderful at helping to resolve these kinds of conflicts and although many of his suggestions have already been mentioned by other posters, there might be something else to try. Best luck with them!!! and please keep us informed!

 

[eljuna]

If you haven't yet, you might look up "The Cat Daddy" a/k/a cat behaviorist Jackson Galaxy, who has many instructional videos on YouTube as well as several excellent books, a social media presence and a wonderful series, "My Cat From Hell" on Animal Planet. He is wonderful at helping to resolve these kinds of conflicts and although many of his suggestions have already been mentioned by other posters, there might be something else to try. Best luck with them!!! and please keep us informed!

I used to watch that show years ago. I wasn't sure if he'd shared some helpful wisdom that was long forgotten. I remembered the part about scent swapping, and how important it is to get an insecure cat to play in front of an aggressive cat. I'd joked with a friend that I might have to hire him.

 

[eljuna]

Success! Thank you again to everyone who offered advice. I started to wonder if the objective of keeping them separated was to create a new trauma to replace the original trauma because, wow, they pretty much cried nonstop when isolated in the cat room. It was worth it, however, because I put them together today and all went very well. I gave everyone the same new catnip toy at the same time and it was the perfect diversion. They weren't overly interested in each other at first because they had toys to play with. Tavi seemed a little bit leery of Tyger at first, but he was unfazed when Tyger sniffed him. They're curled up together sleeping like a couple of little angels at the moment.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Success! Thank you again to everyone who offered advice. I started to wonder if the objective of keeping them separated was to create a new trauma to replace the original trauma because, wow, they pretty much cried nonstop when isolated in the cat room. It was worth it, however, because I put them together today and all went very well. I gave everyone the same new catnip toy at the same time and it was the perfect diversion. They weren't overly interested in each other at first because they had toys to play with. Tavi seemed a little bit leery of Tyger at first, but he was unfazed when Tyger sniffed him. They're curled up together sleeping like a couple of little angels at the moment.

Excellent progress report, E eljuna and so glad that Tavi and Tyger are curling up together! May they enjoy a long and loving relationship!