Returned After 2 Yrs With Some Bad Feral Behaviors

[mokabean]

Merlin disappeared 2 years ago and a month ago I got a call from the shelter saying my cat was found. He was living in a colony 20 miles away but the person who feeds them realized he was way too friendly to be a feral so brought him in to be scanned.

He is still super sweet and affectionate but has 2 really bad behaviors
1) He keeps pouncing on my other cats (to assert dominance?). Feliway multi-cat diffuser doesn't seem to be cutting it.

2) He gets over excited and gives "friendly" bites over any interaction.

I love him to pieces and am so happy he is home but his behavior isn't going over well with the other cats and my husband. I'm not sure if it is it's related, but he is now blind in one eye.

Any advice on behavior retraining would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[catlover73]

If you have not already done so I would suggest you take him to the vet for an exam just to make sure he did not suffer any hidden injuries while he was missing.

If you have a way to separate him from your other cats it would be a good idea to give him his own space and then do a slow re-introduction. I am going to post some articles that may be helpful to you.

How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
How To Deal With Cat "love Bites"?
Re-directed Aggression In Cats

This is not an issue I have personal experience with. Hopefully these articles will give you some ideas where to start with addressing these issues until someone with experience comes along to give better advice.

 

[jen]

That is AMAZING. After 2 years??? Thank goodness he was chipped!! What a story! As far as his behaviors it could be a lot worse.... what exactly happens when he pounces on the other cats? Can you record it? Is he stalking and then jumping out on them, is he hissing and growling, how does the attacked cat react to it? I loved when I cat would give friendly bites, love bites, but I know not everyone is like that. You could hiss at him to stop. Speak to them in their language.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Read those articles! You're starting over at ground zero, as if he were never in your home at all. AND he's been living in a colony, where he fought for resources all the time. You might want to take a look at this article, as well.

Adopting A Stray Cat

Although he is your cat, he's also been a stray now, too. So that will be a part of who he is now.

Your biggest friends right now are Time and Patience.

I'm happy beyond words that Your Boy is home again.

 

[tinydestroyer]

I think it's so fantastic that Merlin made it back home after 2 years! Thank goodness for microchip. I think these problems are fixable, but you may have to be patient with him after what he's been through. The articles listed above are amazing, and I don't really have anything else to add except that there's a pheromone spray called "stop that" which makes a hissing sound (like a cat would,) from an aerosol can. It sprays towards the cats, but not on them, and they smell the pheromone mist and hear hissing.
It broke up rowdiness when we introduced our stray cat to our resident kitty. It's good to have on hand if you think a fight might break out, since both cats scatter, but the only way to keep it from happening in the first place is patiently implementing socialization techniques like in the articles. Here's hoping your good luck continues to stick around with Merlin! Keep us posted.

 

[danteshuman]

I'm so glad he was returned to you!!!! He may have had to fight for every thing he got in the wild. I would 're-introduce him to your cat's. I would also try to give extra food, scratches, litter boxes so there is no way he can guard them all. I would lock up the other cats and let him have the run of the place half the day, while you are introducing him.
* I have one cat with some vision issues and he tries to avoid jumping, so you may want to see if he prefers caves now. I have foot stools strategically placed so he can get up on top of my dresser and computer table easier.
** I once had a cat named Merlin who ran away for two weeks and came back fatter (I assume dumpster diving since he was a trash digger sometimes.) Anyways he never wanted to go outside or wander again. I hope your boy has also lost his wander lust.

 

[rubysmama]

What an amazing story! What a miracle that Merlin not only survived, but thanks to the colony caregiver, and the microchip, found his way back to you.

After what he's been through, it is only natural that he will need time to readjust. Is he an inside/outdoor cat, or inside only. Does he even want to go outside anymore?

About his behaviour towards the other cats, I agree with the earlier posts, that you will have to do complete cat introductions between him and them.

In addition to the articles mentioned above, there's a few more that may be helpful. Good luck. Keep us posted. And, if you can, post a pic of your dear sweet boy.

Introducing Cats To Cats
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction

Cat Aggression Toward People
How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats

Is Your Cat Stressed Out?
You, Your Cat And Stress
Potential Stressors In Cats - The Ultimate Checklist
Six Surefire Strategies To Reduce Stress In Cats