Torti holding us hostage....

dragonlady2

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We have a total of 5 cats. Two outdoor feral cats in an enclosure and 3 indoor cats. All strays. One is a calico that when she was spayed only has one kidney, one ovary and a weeping eye. One long haired cat and a tortoise shell. All are spayed. They are not friendly towards each other and the torti is the "boss" in the hierarchy. She has attacked each of the other two once. There needs to be lights on, on each floor at night. The torti must have her food at room temperature or she vomits. If there is a windstorm, thunderstorms etc, she will vomit and she is quite nervous as she comes to me for reassurance. She does not tolerate any other cat in my room at night, however, I bring in the long haired cat as I know the torti won't go after her when she is with me.
I have 3 litter boxes. Each cat has their own food dish. Presently, the other two will wait until someone is in the room before relaxing enough to move. I use a spray bottle as a deterrent. I know if the torti is getting into bullying behaviour because she will disappear upstairs if I enter the room. I am giving her something for hairballs. I am giving her a calming treat. I have tried Composure. I am presently trying Bach's Flower Essences. She is affectionate with us humans, but she is jealous of the other cats. I am now thinking of seeing if the vet will medicate her. I would rehome her, but she needs to be an only cat. If we leave the house, we lock up our calico in the kitchen for safety. I am desperate for other ideas.
I have parrots in the two front rooms so that limits the space for the cats downstairs.
Any ideas?
 

SeventhHeaven

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Hi dragonlady2     What about teaching them tricks? it stimulates them, challenges,

it helps you bond, changes the relationships keeps them busy. Less

territorial issues all equal balanced. (sounding like cesar ;)

Are the cats aggressive towards the birds?  I had to train mine to be OK

with birds and vice versa that way we could all enjoy the same space.

With your tortie wondering if she could have a hidden health issue?
 
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dragonlady2

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Thanks for your response. The cats are strictly separated from the birds. I don't take any chances regarding the safety of my birds. With regard to trick training, it may be something to look into. I used to use a laser and they would love chasing the light. However, the torti became much more aggressive. It was too stimulating for her.
After more reading, I am going to try chamomile to see if there are any positive results. I can't use catnip as it turns my calico into a devil cat. She is the one that will attack.
I guess it's a work in progress.
 

SeventhHeaven

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*writing this without trying to sound Cat crazy


Lasers are great  to burn off energy! gotta have catnip parties here and there 
  I would separate the tortie from the two focus just on her

train her a few tricks even leash walking....just bonding more makes them feel more secure.  For me medications, scents, potions etc.

are just bandaids, getting closer you're getting into their world invading their space = better communication.
 
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sprin

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Separating her into another room and doing interactive play (with a fishing pole type toy or laser) everyday for around 15-30 minutes could tire her out so she doesn't turn that energy as much on the other cats. Also, playing with the other cats when she's seperated can make them feel more confident. My cats can't play together without fighting, but separating and playing makes things more peaceful all around here.

Might be worth it to expand how much space the cats have with cat furniture like a cat tree or just setting upsitting areas for them in windows and high up spaces. That might give them more space to distance themselves.

How violent is she? Has she caused injuries to the other cats?
 
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Columbine

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Some cats do find lasers frustrating, because they're not able to truly catch the laser. A great way round this is to end the game by having the laser land on a suitable toy for the cat to catch and 'kill'. Following play sessions with a meaty treat/snack/meal completes the hunt-kill-eat cycle, leaving the cat truly satisfied and ready to go into grooming and sleep.

Daily interactive playtime is vital for burning off excess energy,and directing it in a positive way. It's also a wonderful way to increase self and territorial confidence, something that the calico and the longhair would really benefit from. I'd play with the torti on her own, away from the others, but the other two could potentially play together (provided they're both happy with that ;) ).

Your torti sounds like a very anxious little girl, and a lot of the 'bullying' and aggression is likely stemming from this anxiety. She's clearly finding the other two very hard to cope with, and they her. Stop using the spray bottle now. All you're doing is increasing her anxiety and so feeding into the problem.

I know it's a lot of work, but the best way forward is probably to separate the torti from the other two, give them all time to decompress (maybe a few weeks) and to slowly reintroduce them, as though she were a total stranger. That's your best chance of breaking this cycle. You also need to be aware that it's possible that they will never accept each other, but I certainly wouldn't want to look at rehoming until I'd exhausted every other option.

Whilst I agree with SeventhHeaven SeventhHeaven that calmers etc are never a solution on their own, they can be invaluable during reintroductions and retraining. There are also some animals that, just like some people, need a little extra help long term to stay balanced. In these cases, calmers (or even anti anxiety meds) can be invaluable.

Definitely get your torti a thorough vet check, and be sure to discuss her anxiety/bullying. Sometimes there's a physical cause for this kind of 'acting out', and I always want to start behaviour training knowing that the animal has a clean bill of health.

Opening up vertical space is a wonderful idea too. If you do that, you're effectively increasing their living space, which can really help with territorial issues. Go round the cats' living space looking at it from a cat's perspective too, and use vertical space to remove anywhere any of them can get cornered. The more escape routes there are, the easier it will be for the other two to start to relax.[article="32390"][/article]
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dragonlady2

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Separating her into another room and doing interactive play (with a fishing pole type toy or laser) everyday for around 15-30 minutes could tire her out so she doesn't turn that energy as much on the other cats. Also, playing with the other cats when she's seperated can make them feel more confident. My cats can't play together without fighting, but separating and playing makes things more peaceful all around here.

Might be worth it to expand how much space the cats have with cat furniture like a cat tree or just setting upsitting areas for them in windows and high up spaces. That might give them more space to distance themselves.

How violent is she? Has she caused injuries to the other cats?
I do have cat furniture and have expanded the window sills to create sitting/sleeping areas. I like the idea of separating her and playing with her separately and may give that a try.Thanks
 
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dragonlady2

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Thanks Columbine. Some great reminders for me regarding escape routes. I think I can increase those and I will definitely check out the other links you have posted. Rehoming for me is a last resort and only if I know the home she would be going to. I think that I have a few ideas now that can change the dynamics.
 
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dragonlady2

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Thanks for asking. I have arranged litter boxes differently, added more water bowls. I use the Bach's flower essences and chamomile tea and I have arranged areas of " safety" for the other cats. So far, so good. I can see that her "territory" is my bedroom and I have arranged the litter box and watering area differently. She is still not happy about the other cat sharing the bed, but is less hostile and will sleep at the head of the bed with the other cat at the foot. I am reading her differently now and that has helped. Thanks for some good ideas, it helped me get out of "box" .
 

Columbine

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So glad that things are moving in the right direction :D Great work :high5:

:cross: that things continue to improve, and that your torti settles and mellows very soon. I'm sure you'll get there :hugs::vibes:
 
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