Tables have Turned

[StewartCatMom3]

We adopted a tortiseshell female last December and our resident cats (brothers, age 1 1/2 at the time) asserted their dominance over her - chasing her, etc...NOW, she is asserting her dominance over them, chasing one of the males if he even enters her space (currently the living room). My husband and I put her in our bedroom for the night, with the hope that the brothers will have the rest of the house to roam and eat, drink, whatever. For whatever reason, one of our males seems to have taken on the role she had up until recently. We dont live in a very big house, so I'm not sure how to provide extra resources (food, litter, etc.). I'm also wondering if there are any behavioral things we can do with her so that she will allow the one male to come back into the living room like he used to. Our second male is allowed to come and go as he pleases. I really don't understand what's going on or how to help her not chase and hiss. Help!

 

[vyger]

My experience is that things change, sometimes fast and sometimes slow. I have 2 orphans that I have bottled feed and gone from stage to stage with for the last year. They stuck to each other first and wern't interested in the others. There are 3 / 4 older cats that were not really interested in the kittens. Then they got bigger and things changed. We have gone through an enemy phase, a best friend phase and a go away and leave me alone phase. So things change, last time I was watching one of the kittens was working on one of the older cats ears. The older mom has stopped disciplining them so I guess they are approved by everybody. Sometimes I hear a loud schreek and bodies flying but it usually pretty short so mostly play.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Some of this is simply the fact that females are, by nature, more territorial than males. Instinct tells them to find and protect a safe area for future kittens, even if there is no longer a chance of those kittens happening. And your second male is more likely a shyer cat, a bit more timid, and is catching the rough end of things. One of the things you can do with HIM is to play with him several times a day with a wand toys, away from the other two. The successful "hunt, catch, kill" will help with his confidence and self-esteem. If he feels less like prey, he will act less like prey, and may not trigger her so much. You can also play with her, again separately, to allow her to get those fidgets out on an appropriate target.

SO...I know that this isn't a studio apartment, which means you have a living room, possibly separate kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom. You really need to find places for at LEAST four litter boxes (one per cat, plus one). There are some pretty screens you can get so that you don't have to look at them. Feed your shy boy separately IF she is giving him trouble at meal times...your bedroom, perhaps. He's a cat, and has no problem with where he eats, as long as he eats. If he's sloppy, get a rubber mat.