Sudden redirected aggression

[blumarine916]

Yesterday when I came home from work I saw a cat about 10 feet away from my door. She’s the cat who got into my house last year and created a havoc to my cats. I believe she once lived at my apartment with the previous tenant and probably given to someone else to care for her now. I ignored her as usual, opened my grill gate and inner door. My cat Meffy was always at the door to greet me first. She must have had eye contact with the cat outside. Within the seconds before I could shut the inner door, the outside cat charged at my grill. Of course Meffy retaliated. Thank god for that extra wire net I put up! I shooed her away and shut the door.

Meffy was already all poofed up and agitated by now. My other cat Meimey was also nearby, just laying on her chair. Meffy turned around and just attacked her in a full blown angry yowling catfight and went into the bathroom. I ran after them to separate, managed to wedge a big cushion between Meimey’s safe room entrance to block Meffy.

So...it’s been like that since last night. I hope it passes soon. My bf and I already dealt with this for 6 months last year before both of them finally got along again. We just can’t do it again this time. We just fought over it last night when he got home. He said to just leave them be, not to separate them etc etc but I can’t.

 

[ArtNJ]

Its definitely best to separate them for a time, because if allowed to fight, then the memory of the fight is an independent thing that can last longer than the redirected aggression. Its just like when a human couple fights. Sometimes it doesn't matter what started it -- the hateful thing that was said afterwards lingers long after the origins of the fight are forgotten. Of course, if there are merely growly and don't appear likely to fight, then its safe to let them work it out. Usually, anyway -- six months is a long time. What is your sense of what happened?

 

[blumarine916]

I really think it’s just redirected aggression from Meffy after the outside cat charged at our door. I can’t get rid of that cat because I don’t know who is caring for her and she comes every once in a while.

Yeah it took them about six months to be friends again. I was doing reintroductions over and over, failed, restarted, it was just a long process of separating them, making barriers....when one cat is too aggressive and the other is too timid. Which is why now bf insist he will no go into those 6 months again. He thinks the process is too long and incorrect. I can’t deal with it either.

 

[blumarine916]

I know everyone’s going to say I have to do the whole reintroduction thing again. It’s hard when the other doesn’t agree to this and we start to fight over cat issues.

 

[blumarine916]

I just left for work. He’s not working today and insist I leave the safe room open. So I did. The safe room is also where we store our clothes. Let’s I don’t come home to a disaster

 

[Hellenww]

Try not to think the worst will happen. The incident that brought on the 6 mt process was violent this wasn't. Hopefully your bf being home today and treating it as a non-event will convince Meffy all is ok.

 

[blumarine916]

Try not to think the worst will happen. The incident that brought on the 6 mt process was violent this wasn't. Hopefully your bf being home today and treating it as a non-event will convince Meffy all is ok.

Yeah last year’s case was worse because the cat got in when we werent home for god knows how long. This time was just a ....redirected aggression. I really hope things will be okay.