- Joined
- Nov 27, 2023
- Messages
- 8
- Purraise
- 4
At the end of September my fiancé and I took in two cats that needed an emergency rehome. We are having a problem with cat introductions and territorial aggression involving one of the cats. All cats are fixed.
TLDR at the bottom.
Resident Cats:
Situation:
We have been doing the slow-introduction Jackson Galaxy method to introduce the cats. While there were hiccups in the beginning (all involving Sunny), no full-blown fight ever broke out. If any incident happened we would rewind and try again.
All four cats can eat together separated by a baby gate with no hissing, posturing, or growling. Sunny and Prax would occasionally have short swatting matches through the gate, but they were rare, slow, and didn't involve claws or vocalizations. After eating Sunny would usually walk off and groom himself. We site-swap the cats for several hours each day, and our resident cats no longer seem tense while doing so. After a little while sniffing around they usually just lay down to nap or play.
We use Feliway Multicat in three rooms of the house. There are four food bowls (scheduled feedings), two water bowls, four litterboxes, and multiple cat trees and perches in the house. All cats eat and use the litterbox like normal.
Problem:
Several days ago we let the more laid back of the new cats (Sushi) into the main space of the house. We would let her explore while distracting the resident cats. The two other times we did this, Sushi would decide when she was done after a minute or so and go back to her sanctuary room on her own.
However, this last time Sunny tried to approach her. We put up a cardboard barrier with intent to stop him and take her away, but he darted around it and chased her. Sushi ran, Sunny tackled her, and a screaming fight broke out. Sushi peed and I wrangled Sunny with a thick blanket. There were no injuries on either cat, and Sushi calmed down after a minute. Sunny was completely back to his lazy cat self immediately after.
Sunny showed no warning signs before this aggressive behavior. He hardly ever hisses as-is, and his ears never went flat nor did his growl until the moment he pounced. What's crazy is that he accidentally caught a glimpse of Sushi though the barrier yesterday and walked off without a problem. He also doesn't react negatively to the newcomer cats' scent.
Sunny never acted this way in his previous home or when we first got Nori.
This behavior is scary and unpredictable. Nori and the newcomer cats can all coexist in the same space without hissing, swatting, or fighting, so I know we did something right with the introductions! Sunny is now the only thing stopping a full integration.
We have a vet appointment tomorrow for Sunny to check him out and maybe get some anti-anxiety meds. Any experience with medication to treat this type of aggression? I know for a fact he won't take a pill. And any other tips to solve territorial aggression? The living/dining/kitchen area seems to be the biggest point of contention...
TL;DR
One resident cat is being randomly territorially aggressive while the other three cats in the home are chill. Need help getting our problem cat to chill tf out. Medication advice, training tips, or virtual cat behaviorist recc's are welcome. And success stories too, please!
TLDR at the bottom.
Resident Cats:
- Sunny- male, 7yrs old. The problem cat.
Was a street cat (not feral) until a year old, then lived with my fiancé's family with two existing cats who didn't like him for about 5 years. Fiancé and I took him in over a year ago. He's a lazy cat that loves affection and has become much more social over the last year. - Nori- male, 1yr.
Adopted as a kitten. Playful and loves food. Has never displayed aggressive behavior. Grooms and naps with Sunny; Sunny doesn't like to play with him but Nori tries anyways.
- Sushi- female, 4yrs old.
Very sweet, affectionate, and tiny. Loves to climb and explore and chase her sister. Not motivated by playtime or food. Definition of lap cat. - Prax- female, 3yrs old.
Has some serious tortitude. Loves to play and loves food even more. Fearless and brazen.
Situation:
We have been doing the slow-introduction Jackson Galaxy method to introduce the cats. While there were hiccups in the beginning (all involving Sunny), no full-blown fight ever broke out. If any incident happened we would rewind and try again.
All four cats can eat together separated by a baby gate with no hissing, posturing, or growling. Sunny and Prax would occasionally have short swatting matches through the gate, but they were rare, slow, and didn't involve claws or vocalizations. After eating Sunny would usually walk off and groom himself. We site-swap the cats for several hours each day, and our resident cats no longer seem tense while doing so. After a little while sniffing around they usually just lay down to nap or play.
We use Feliway Multicat in three rooms of the house. There are four food bowls (scheduled feedings), two water bowls, four litterboxes, and multiple cat trees and perches in the house. All cats eat and use the litterbox like normal.
Problem:
Several days ago we let the more laid back of the new cats (Sushi) into the main space of the house. We would let her explore while distracting the resident cats. The two other times we did this, Sushi would decide when she was done after a minute or so and go back to her sanctuary room on her own.
However, this last time Sunny tried to approach her. We put up a cardboard barrier with intent to stop him and take her away, but he darted around it and chased her. Sushi ran, Sunny tackled her, and a screaming fight broke out. Sushi peed and I wrangled Sunny with a thick blanket. There were no injuries on either cat, and Sushi calmed down after a minute. Sunny was completely back to his lazy cat self immediately after.
Sunny showed no warning signs before this aggressive behavior. He hardly ever hisses as-is, and his ears never went flat nor did his growl until the moment he pounced. What's crazy is that he accidentally caught a glimpse of Sushi though the barrier yesterday and walked off without a problem. He also doesn't react negatively to the newcomer cats' scent.
Sunny never acted this way in his previous home or when we first got Nori.
This behavior is scary and unpredictable. Nori and the newcomer cats can all coexist in the same space without hissing, swatting, or fighting, so I know we did something right with the introductions! Sunny is now the only thing stopping a full integration.
We have a vet appointment tomorrow for Sunny to check him out and maybe get some anti-anxiety meds. Any experience with medication to treat this type of aggression? I know for a fact he won't take a pill. And any other tips to solve territorial aggression? The living/dining/kitchen area seems to be the biggest point of contention...
TL;DR
One resident cat is being randomly territorially aggressive while the other three cats in the home are chill. Need help getting our problem cat to chill tf out. Medication advice, training tips, or virtual cat behaviorist recc's are welcome. And success stories too, please!
