Sudden unaccountable violent aggression

[islander]

Good afternoon from a small Irish island.. Seeking opinions etc on a situation with my cats. Although I have kept, bred and rescued cats for around 40 years this is a new thing to me.
Around a year ago when my dog and one of my oldest cats died, I took in three young rescues. 2 girls, one boy, I still had 2 cats, one 15 year old, the other I thought 7 although I think he may be older,
All went well with the intros. Slowly they integrated , with never any aggression. New ones ate and slept in the kitchen , old ones with me. Where I l ive they are free to come and go and when I go for walks, I would have five cats following.
A while ago I realised that Jacob, the 7 year old, no longer came on the walks. He would stand at the gate and watch us leave. Nothing else different and no health issues.

The last few days the male ( neutered) of the three I took in last year started challenging and attacking Jacob. Who is the gentlest cat there is and was terrified. Oddly Oliver, the newbie. will curl up with the 15 year old neutered

 

[islander]

Sorryl it would nor let me type more

It came to a head in the middle of the night; a full on cat fight by my bed. Screams, etc. I had a task to separate them. And made Oliver leave the house. Jacob hid for hours and his face is a mess. Deep scratches around his eyes . Now he is terrified and traumatised and I have no idea what is behind all this. Oliver is a high energy, affable little cat . I know that we rarely know what rescues have been through but all I know re these three is that they were rescued street cats. And until recently never worry that I could not sort. This is new behaviour. A few minutes ago Oliver came in, searching for Jacob and clearly aggressive. Jacob hid again, terrified at the sight of him and I made Oliver leave. any insights welcomed. For this to develop a year on? Many thanks

 

[rubysmama]

Hello and welcome to TCS. So sorry, though, for the situation that have brought you here.

Poor Jacob. I hope his scratches heal quickly. Are they bad enough to require a vet appointment. Even if they're not, it might be a good idea to get him checked out, since sometimes other cats become aggressive towards cats that are unwell. And the fact that Jacob stopped going on walks, means something may be going on with him. Jacob is neutered also, right?

Here's a few TCS articles with more info that might be helpful:

Why Do Cats Attack? | TheCatSite
How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats
Re-directed Aggression In Cats | TheCatSite

 

[islander]

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[islander]

Thank you for this care. Nothing really fits though. My cats roam free as they want so there could have been a start of the aggression way back with no marks. Jacob is so laid back and a total wuss! Not a scrap of aggression in him, I cannot understand why it is just Jacob that is having trouble and not Boycat, the 15 year old. Jacob is always a quiet cat; now stressed and sleeping a lot but eating well and very affectionate , clingy even. Just terrified of Oliver. I think I need Oliver to be an outdoor cat for a few days to see if that settles it. I honestly think Oliver took against Jacob a while ago which is wh y he stopped walking with us. He would stand and watch us go, or, of I was out before the other cats realised, he would come with me then flee when Oliver appeared. There used to be a stray tom who lived here once and had been a pest but he does not come any more and I think Oliver has seen HIM off. 2 years is teenager in cat terms? All very strange. And upsetting but reading the experiences of others helps. Thank you

 

[rubysmama]

Wish I had an answer for you. Maybe keeping them separate for a while and slowly re-introducing might help. It's no fun for you, or Jacob, to be worried about an attack from Oliver.

Here's the TCS articles on cat introductions in case there's something that you might not have tried.
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide
Introducing Cats To Cats | TheCatSite
How To Fix An Unsuccessful Cat Introduction | TheCatSite

 

[FeebysOwner]

I have to go with the health issue here. Oliver does not attack any of the other cats, just Jacob. And, Jacob stopped walking with you. Cat that are ill can smell differently - not all cats that sense the smell change will become aggressive, but in your case Oliver has.

When was the last time Jacob had a complete check up, including full blood panel? He may appear healthy to you, but that doesn't mean he is. And, the very fact that he could be older than you think means he is likely a senior. These cats should have routine check ups just to ensure there is nothing brewing. If Jacob hasn't been thoroughly checked out since this new behavior started, it is certainly worth it to do so. If there is a health issue involved, the stress that Jacob is going through is only going to exacerbate it.