Lynn, I have a foster cat right now that is a bit of a bully as well. My two resident cats are fairly easy going and she was really tormenting them. I got a Thundershirt hoping it would help. It definitely has. She still acts interested in the other cats, and even approaches them as though she might do something. But then she sort of peters out and just sits there and looks at them.My name is Lynn and I am the manager at a cat shelter. There are no cages so the cats roam free in all of the rooms. We just got Thunder Shirts for our really scared new cats and it is working really well. I was wondering if they would work on some of our cats that are "bullies" (always hissing, growling and hitting other cats). Maybe putting the Thunder Shirt on right after one of them shows aggression? Has anyone heard of the shirts being used for this type of behavior.
We're trying the thundershirt on a bully cat, too. We have three resident cats, two males and a female--all lovers, not fighters! -- and then ended up unexpectedly taking in four older cats, two males and two females. Everybody's doing pretty well except for the new 13 year old male, Jake. He has picked some horrendous fights with one of our 3-year old males. We were just keeping them separate but then decided to try a Thundershirt for Jake. The first time we brought him out around our resident cats with it on, he did just as Annette's foster did--Jake walked toward Rico, the cat he'd picked on before, but then just sat down and watched him. Yay! We only left him out for 1/2 hour or so, didn't want to push our luck.Lynn, I have a foster cat right now that is a bit of a bully as well. My two resident cats are fairly easy going and she was really tormenting them. I got a Thundershirt hoping it would help. It definitely has. She still acts interested in the other cats, and even approaches them as though she might do something. But then she sort of peters out and just sits there and looks at them.
If there is food involved, she might actually raise a paw and give a bit of a swat to their face, but that’s about as bad as it gets. This is from a cat who used to lunge at them and corner them and let them have it, growling and with all claws and teeth in use.
I am recommending her for placement in a home where she will be the only cat. But in the meantime, the Thundershirt is allowing her to peacefully coexist with our brood.
Annette
I was wondering if you are still using the thundershirt on Jake and if it is working? If so any tips on the best way to use it. I have been thinking of trying it on my bully cat.
We're trying the thundershirt on a bully cat, too. We have three resident cats, two males and a female--all lovers, not fighters! -- and then ended up unexpectedly taking in four older cats, two males and two females. Everybody's doing pretty well except for the new 13 year old male, Jake. He has picked some horrendous fights with one of our 3-year old males. We were just keeping them separate but then decided to try a Thundershirt for Jake. The first time we brought him out around our resident cats with it on, he did just as Annette's foster did--Jake walked toward Rico, the cat he'd picked on before, but then just sat down and watched him. Yay! We only left him out for 1/2 hour or so, didn't want to push our luck.
Last night we tried it again but this time he attacked our boy. Even so, the fight was much shorter and less ferocious than previously. And once they separated, Jake just sat there, calmly. He didn't try to re-start the fight or chase Rico and Jake even let me pick him up and take him back to his safe room! Last time they fought before Jake had the shirt, he was so agitated after the fight I couldn't touch him for an hour.
Maybe I didn't have the compression tight enough last night. Or maybe I'm expecting too much from it! Guess it's not a MIRACLE shirt. LOL But I am convinced it at least lessened the severity of the attack. I'm going to be keeping Jake in it more, hoping that as time goes on (he's only been here four months) he'll settle down.
We're not--we discovered that Jake's other issues, like IBD and deafness, were exacerbating his aggression that we needed to deal with. I still think they are a good idea even though it didn't really work in our situation.
I was wondering if you are still using the thundershirt on Jake and if it is working? If so any tips on the best way to use it. I have been thinking of trying it on my bully cat.