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Reintroducing littermates… after years. Complicated!
I’ve got a cat-on-cat aggression problem. I’ve read the cats.com article on cat aggression, and all of the factors it suggests seem either inapplicable or uncontrollable. I’m writing to see if anyone has additional suggestions or insights before I look for professional help.
Squeak and Sylvie are littermates. When they were young adults, Sylvie pulled a stunt that endangered her own life and also put my wife at risk of serious injury. My wife then exiled her to an empty bedroom, where she lived in the company of one of our other cats, Lady May, for years.
Late in 2023 my wife died. Early in 2024 Lady May died. After a while I decided that I had to get Sylvie out of that room, where she now was alone except when I came in to feed her twice a day. She’s almost 15 years old, and sooner or later she’s going to get sick and die. I don’t want her to do that alone in a room.
I knew I couldn’t make the change quickly because of an incident that happened a few years before: at my wife’s urging, I took Sylvie and Lady May into our master bedroom to get them used to being in other parts of the house. Lady May was OK with it; Sylvie was terrified. She hid under the bed, and I couldn’t get her out for a half hour.
Therefore I followed a gradual program. First I put a baby gate up in Sylvie’s room’s doorway and left the door open for short periods. I lengthened the periods until the door was open from the start of breakfast to bedtime. Then I started taking the gate away for short periods, which I gradually lengthened. Finally I left the doorway open from the time Sylvie finished her breakfast until I fed her dinner.
Early in this process Sylvie started coming out… at first just a few feet away from the door, but she extended her range until she was spending some time in my office (formerly the terrifying bedroom). She’s there right now, lounging on my desk and nudging my hand as I type. Typically she’s accompanied by Squeak (who is lounging on a second desk chair), me, and sometimes another one of my cats, Micro.
A few weeks after I reached this stage, the aggression problem began. Every few days my attention is attracted by growling, punctuated by yowls. Squeak chases Sylvie out of the office and back into her own room, corners her, and crouches there, growling. I haven’t seen any evidence of physical conflict, but I’d be surprised if there hasn’t been some.
Now, what is going on?
Too-sudden introduction? Not given the baby gate protocol I described. Squeak showed no signs of agitation through the whole process. Also, when I added Micro to the household last year I did it much more rapidly, and had no problems.
Inadequate socialization? Squeak has been living in a multi-cat household her whole life, and has no history of aggression. You could make a good case for Sylvie being inadequately socialized, but she isn’t the aggressor. (There was a little aggression between Sylvie and Micro, but it resolved itself quickly. Typically Sylvie would approach Micro saying hi, let’s be friends, but didn’t respect Micro’s boundaries and didn’t get the hint when Micro asked her nicely to back off. Eventually Micro hissed, Sylvie backed off, and that was that.)
Too many cats in too little space? Not counting Sylvie and Sylvie’s room, at one point we had six cats in the same amount of space where I now have three, with no problems. The house is pretty big.
Territoriality? That would explain Squeak chasing Sylvie out of my office, but then she chases her into her own room — her territory — and stands there growling. And it doesn’t explain why Squeak has no problem sharing space with Micro, or — usually — with Sylvie.
Competition for food? Not possible. When I feed the cats, all but Squeak are separately confined. Conflict or no, I don’t want them eating each others’ food.
Feeling threatened or distressed by the presence of a new cat? Why? Again, there’s no sign that Micro caused Squeak any distress, and nothing in Squeak’s history suggests that she feels threatened by other cats, or by anything else. (She’s a tortie. Torties don’t get upset, they get their way.)
I wonder whether Sylvie smells like a competitor because, being a littermate, she smells too much like Squeak.
I wonder whether I can solve the problem with Felaway, even without knowing what it is.
I wonder whether anyone else has ideas.
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5 Replies
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Hi Jonathan
Thank you so much for getting in touch again.
Your cats are truly fortunate to have such a caring and dedicated cat dad like you. It’s clear how much you love them, and that makes a world of difference.
I understand that you’re facing some additional challenges, and I want to let you know that while Feliway can be helpful, it will not fully address the conflicts you’ve described.
I highly recommend reaching out to a qualified cat behaviorist. Having someone come for an in-home visit can offer personalized insights and tailored strategies to help your cats coexist harmoniously. They can guide you through both environmental adjustments and behavioral modifications, ensuring that all your furry companions not only survive but truly thrive together. You’re doing a great job by seeking help for them, and I’m confident that with the right support, they can find peace in their home.
You can find a cat consultant by heading to https://iaabc.org/certs/members
All the best
Melina
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OK… I was hoping to avoid that, but your advice that it’s necessary is appreciated.
I want to add one further insight, just in case it prompts any other thoughts.
Squeak and Sylvie both jump up on my desk at times. On Monday evening they were both there at the same time: Sylvie to the right of the monitor and Squeak behind it, where they could see each other but there was no unobstructed line of sight (or line of attack) between them. Squeak clearly thought that Sylvie was invading her territory, and was looking at her intently: “We’ll be watchin’ you, stranger!” Sylvie was standing her ground and growling repeatedly. Each time she did that I distracted her by petting her. When I stopped, she growled again.
This made me see the problem in a new light. I thought that Squeak was the aggressor, as when she chased Sylvie back to her room and cornered her there. I thought Sylvie was being the wimpy kid who folds like wet cardboard when pushed. But apparently Sylvie is feeling some aggression too, and I now suspect that when the two of them have a confrontation, they mutually escalate until a fight breaks out!
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Hi Jonathan
Before you proceed with an in-home consultation, I wanted to mention a few things:
1. It is not advisable to pet any cat, such as Sylvie, that exhibits negative behaviors like hissing or growling. Doing so may reinforce these behaviors, rewarding them for their aggression.
2. Consider placing a webcam or recording videos of the cats’ interactions. This can be helpful for both you and a cat behaviorist, as it allows you both to review the cats’ body language and identify any signs of passive aggression.
3. You may find these articles beneficial for understanding cats and the subtle conflicts that can arise between them. https://cats.com/how-to-tell-which-cat-is-dominant and https://cats.com/reduce-conflict-between-cats
Wishing you all the best with the kitties—they are very lucky to have you!
Melina
cats.com
How To Tell Which Cat Is Dominant - Cats.com
Why do some cats act dominant? In this in-depth guide, you’ll learn all about the causes and meaning of this cat behavior.
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Sending you love and blessings at the loss of your wife. I have 2 cats who squabble. The older (Aurora) probably should have been an only cat, but we had another cat when we got her and stuck it out. When that cat died, we got a kitten (Cliocatra), who is now fully grown. Clio still tries to play Aurora but Aurora isn’t interested. They often sleep on the same bed when we are in it, though not always. I do use Comfort Zone (not sure what the difference is between this and Feliway besides the brand name), but only in the kitchen, where they’re fed. I can tell when it needs to be changed because Aurora gets more aggressive, so probably worth a try. I reward both cats for good behavior (nose touching without a fight and other things). I’ve learned that rewarding good behavior is a thousand times more successful than punishment. If you can find a way to reward them when they’re peaceful and calm, this might help. Good luck!
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I have an 8 yr old girl cat and took in a girl kitten 8 months old that was coming to my deck. We trapped her and after a Vet visit and being spayed we took her in. Now, my older cat knew this cat from my deck, and she talked to it through the screen door and smelled her. We listened to all the expects, not putting them together. Well, we did not listen. You must have 2 or 3 litter boxes. We have 2. I did feed them in separate places in the beginning. My older cat would growl and hiss at this 8-month-old kitten all the time. The kitten learned her place and would give my older cat room and would even lay down away from her. Then one day, the kitten had enough and gave my older cat a good hit with her paw. She wacked her , Of course my cat reacted, and they swiped at each other. I yelled and they broke it up. The kitten was getting more aggressive. Hiding in wait to jump on my older cat. Getting in punches when she can. We found getting the smell of both cats on each other works great, plus your smell on both of them. After 2 months it is calmer. They smell each other’s butts as they pass each other. They all have their own space. I bought 2 very nice cat trees and threw out my older cats trees. They were new to both of them, so no fighting over territory. New toys for the kitten even though she plays with the older cats toys. My older cat got mad and would stay in a bedroom, but now is out taking spaces she wants and making the kitten move. I recommend getting Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Calming Care Cat Supplement and sprinkle it over both cats’ food. It will help. It takes a bit to work, but you will see a difference. It tastes like liver, and cats like it. My older cat gets it at every meal. You can put it on dry or wet food. I make sure the food is covered. I do not use the whole packet. Maybe one every 3 days. You will see results.
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This reply was modified 4 days, 1 hour ago by Hi Me.
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