- Joined
- Aug 30, 2020
- Messages
- 46
- Purraise
- 36
Hello everyone,
I have 3 cats: Tinker (17), Fiona (4) and Ivy (4). All spayed, none declawed. Ivy and Fiona are sisters and have always been together. They were super bonded and were constantly together. I adopted them at age 7 months. Tinker is a feral cat and for her own reasons, she only occupies the top floor of my house (there are no barriers, she just chooses this and has always done that, even before I got the girls).
On August 15 I had my patio door open and a stray cat (who has recently been lingering around our townhouse complex) approached the screen door where both girls were sitting. I didn't notice and all of a sudden I just heard an explosion of a cat fight. I actually thought the other cat had gotten into the house somehow. But no, it was Ivy attacking Fiona. She cornered her several places around the house and each time, someone peed (I believe it was Fiona losing bladder control). She made it all the way upstairs where she lost bowel control too. I was finally able to separate them and locked Ivy in a bedroom and Fiona stayed under a bed. Stupidly I thought she would snap out of it, so maybe 30 min. later I let her out again. Fiona apparently also thought she would have snapped out of it and went to greet her, but Ivy exploded again, attacking her. Again, I separated them. I kept them totally separate for 3 days. I also was extremely panicked and took Ivy to the vet and had her sedated by injection and also my vet gave her 5 days worth of Gabapentin (25 mg twice a day). He warned me this could be a big problem if I can't get them through this.
In the meantime I had used static-cling "stained glass" stickers on my patio door so they can't see out and the stray can't see in. I also washed everything down and got an ultrasonic deterrent for the backyard. I still saw him once in awhile but not as much as before.
By the third day, Fiona was calling out to Ivy so I left them meet face to face (probably a stupid idea) but they instantly were best friends again. Zero tension and were playing, cuddling, etc. etc. back to normal so it seemed.
But I was wrong. On this past Friday, August 28, all of a sudden I heard an explosion again at the patio door. The stray was NOT there, so was this just a memory or a trigger for Ivy? The patio door was closed and the "stained glass" stickers are still up so she can't see out. Anyways she attacked Fiona again. Same as before except nobody peed or pooed that time. I got them separate and called the vet and got more Gabapentin for Ivy. At this point he said I may have to rehome her! However he said if the Gabapentin works she can just stay on it. Ivy has been on Gabapentin ever since then and I have been keeping them separate. However this time Fiona appears to be done with her and is wildly hissing and growling if she sees her. I keep rotating between having one in the basement (it is finished with a nice couch, carpeting, etc but also isolating and lonely I feel) and the other gets the rest of the house.
I should mention at this point that neither have taken offence to Tinker and greet her as before.
I went and bought 6 feet shelving panels and zip tied them together to make a large see-through gate but Fiona was hissing madly when she saw Ivy but at the same time constantly clawing at it trying to get through and be with me or explore the rest of the house. It is getting irritating. I am at work today and left her in the basement and Ivy has the run of the house. Ivy slept in the basement last night so I thought it fair to switch them.
I guess I desperately need advice and some comforting words....at this point I am beside myself with anxiety and worried my cats will always fight to the point where I have to give one away but I also worry about that as they aren't super social and were former ferals so I don't think either would be ok being rehomed.
Please help!
I have 3 cats: Tinker (17), Fiona (4) and Ivy (4). All spayed, none declawed. Ivy and Fiona are sisters and have always been together. They were super bonded and were constantly together. I adopted them at age 7 months. Tinker is a feral cat and for her own reasons, she only occupies the top floor of my house (there are no barriers, she just chooses this and has always done that, even before I got the girls).
On August 15 I had my patio door open and a stray cat (who has recently been lingering around our townhouse complex) approached the screen door where both girls were sitting. I didn't notice and all of a sudden I just heard an explosion of a cat fight. I actually thought the other cat had gotten into the house somehow. But no, it was Ivy attacking Fiona. She cornered her several places around the house and each time, someone peed (I believe it was Fiona losing bladder control). She made it all the way upstairs where she lost bowel control too. I was finally able to separate them and locked Ivy in a bedroom and Fiona stayed under a bed. Stupidly I thought she would snap out of it, so maybe 30 min. later I let her out again. Fiona apparently also thought she would have snapped out of it and went to greet her, but Ivy exploded again, attacking her. Again, I separated them. I kept them totally separate for 3 days. I also was extremely panicked and took Ivy to the vet and had her sedated by injection and also my vet gave her 5 days worth of Gabapentin (25 mg twice a day). He warned me this could be a big problem if I can't get them through this.
In the meantime I had used static-cling "stained glass" stickers on my patio door so they can't see out and the stray can't see in. I also washed everything down and got an ultrasonic deterrent for the backyard. I still saw him once in awhile but not as much as before.
By the third day, Fiona was calling out to Ivy so I left them meet face to face (probably a stupid idea) but they instantly were best friends again. Zero tension and were playing, cuddling, etc. etc. back to normal so it seemed.
But I was wrong. On this past Friday, August 28, all of a sudden I heard an explosion again at the patio door. The stray was NOT there, so was this just a memory or a trigger for Ivy? The patio door was closed and the "stained glass" stickers are still up so she can't see out. Anyways she attacked Fiona again. Same as before except nobody peed or pooed that time. I got them separate and called the vet and got more Gabapentin for Ivy. At this point he said I may have to rehome her! However he said if the Gabapentin works she can just stay on it. Ivy has been on Gabapentin ever since then and I have been keeping them separate. However this time Fiona appears to be done with her and is wildly hissing and growling if she sees her. I keep rotating between having one in the basement (it is finished with a nice couch, carpeting, etc but also isolating and lonely I feel) and the other gets the rest of the house.
I should mention at this point that neither have taken offence to Tinker and greet her as before.
I went and bought 6 feet shelving panels and zip tied them together to make a large see-through gate but Fiona was hissing madly when she saw Ivy but at the same time constantly clawing at it trying to get through and be with me or explore the rest of the house. It is getting irritating. I am at work today and left her in the basement and Ivy has the run of the house. Ivy slept in the basement last night so I thought it fair to switch them.
I guess I desperately need advice and some comforting words....at this point I am beside myself with anxiety and worried my cats will always fight to the point where I have to give one away but I also worry about that as they aren't super social and were former ferals so I don't think either would be ok being rehomed.
Please help!