Strange behavior!!

[sima]

I have 2 4-year-old cats that I rescued at about 3 weeks of age. I believe they are brother and sister, and they are both fixed and have lived indoors their whole lives. We have been living in the same apartment for the last 3 years, and no other animals have been introduced to them. The male cat 'Romeo' has been behaving very strangely for the last couple of months. He has been meowing very loudly and incessantly, and he has been attacking his sister more frequently and viciously. I called the vet and she said that it could be a psychological problem, but I can't imagine from what. Has anyone gone through this who can give me some sound advice about what to do? I love my cats, but my husband is getting increasingly impatient with Romeo's behavior. Please help if you can.

Thanks

 

[lotsocats]

I think it would be wise to take both cats to the vet for a check-up. Whenever you see a sudden change in behavior the first thing to consider is that the cat is ill. I suggest taking in both cats because sometimes when one cat gets sick, the other attacks the sick one because the sick one's scent has changed. The healthy cat then smells a "different" cat and attacks the "intruder."

Let us know what the vet says after examining the cats. If they are both healthy, we will have other suggestions for you.

P.S. I can't believe your vet simply dismissed you by saying it was psychological without having even looked at the cat! That is just wrong!!!

 

[sima]

Thanks very much for replying and the suggestion. I thought about your recommendation before, but actually both cats are quite healthy. To be honest, Romeo acts very sexually towards Juliet, in the sense that he mounts her and bites her on the neck, so I just don't know what to think. I'm not sure if this is a hormonal phase that some cats go through despite being fixed, or if it's completely abnormal behavior. If you have any insights, they would be greatly appreciated.

Sima

 

[a_loveless_gem]

Assuming that both the male cat and female cat have both been fixed and both are healthy, it could be Romeo's way of showing Juliet his dominance. Mounting is not just a sexual act for many animals, it also shows dominance.

 

[sima]

You are probably right, but the main problem I'm having with him is the constant loud meowing. It's really very strange and I've tried spraying him with water as punishment, but now he just kind of gives me a sullen look and then goes right back to doing it again. Basically, if I don't find a solution, I don't know what's going to happen because my husband's entire family is highly allergic to cats and they can't even come to our house, so the cats' position is already pretty precarious. That's mainly why it's so important to find a way to stop Romeo from driving everyone crazy with his meowing.

 

[a_loveless_gem]

Russell meows a lot.....he loves conversations with people and you don't even have to meow to him, you just talk....though this is probably not what you want from Romeo.

Perhaps Romeo could be wanting attention or wants you to follow him to a particular area of the house that's causing him concern. Russell does that occasionally, though the trick is to figure out what is the problem.

If it is attention, try playing with him for a while or play with for a certain amount of time everyday. The amount of time varies but you and Romeo will be able to figure out how much time is enough.

Or if Romeo's bored and has nothing he can call his own to play with, try introducing a few toys for him....though if Juliet wants toys too then she's going to have to have some too...Romeo may be 4 years old but you never know he may still want to play like a kitten especially if he was played lots when he was a kitten and has decided that play=love and attention.

 

[sima]

Thanks again for the suggestions. I actually spend a lot of time with the cats since I work part-time and I'm home a lot. I grew up with cats, so I really love them and I'm used to having them around me and on me a lot. The problem with him is that his meowing has gotten out of control. I've had many cats, and they've all meowed to varying degrees, but I've never had a cat meow like this, and the cats here have very loud voices to begin with. Sometimes it's pretty obvious that he wants some attention, food or to play. But the problem is those times where it's none of those things. I was hoping that someone would have had this experience who could tell me if it's hormonal or psychological or what. Anyway, I'll keep trying to find a solution and I really appreciate your feedback.
Thanks,
Sima