3 cat household

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conversationpc - 13 Dec 2006 00:21 GMT

We have three cats: a 13 year old female, an 8 year old male, and a 2 year
old male.

We only just got the 2 year old male less than a year ago. He gets along
with the other male the majority of the time. Being the youngest, he does
like to play more and the two will chase each other. However, the other
male gets tired of playing but the 2 year old will not quit. He continues
chasing and biting the other cat until he hisses and growls at him.

The 2 year old does not get along with the older female at all. She will
hiss and growl any time he comes remotely close to her. When her back is
turned, he will viciously attack her, resulting in all kinds of ungodly
noises throughout the house. He hasn't drawn any blood yet, that we know
of, but he will often end up with a tuft of her fur sticking out of his
mouth from where he has bitten her. He will not attack her if she is
watching him. Some of the sneak attacks seem to be getting worse lately.

I'm afraid he's going to end up trying to kill her one of these days. The
only thing we've done so far is to put him in one of our cat carries for a
period of time every timet his happens (...and when we're actually able to
catch him aftwards).

Does anyone have any ideas???

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tension - 15 Dec 2006 05:26 GMT

> We have three cats: a 13 year old female, an 8 year old male, and a 2 year
> old male.
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Does anyone have any ideas???

What is the situation regarding spay/neutering between the
three of them? If any of them are not "done" then that might
be an option for reducing aggressiveness. I am coping with
the same problem at the moment with a fourteen year old
female (spayed) and a five month old male kitten-brat
who is not yet neutered. Taking him in next week if I can.

You may have to separate them from each other, taking
sure to isolate the "naughty one" in a way that makes him
feel it. In other words, put him in the bathroom for an hour,
not her. As long as it is immediate feedback, and you caught
him red-handed (pawed, i suppose), it should get through
to him soon enough.

I would also take her in for a full physical with labs if she
is elder, to make sure that her medical status is at
maximal so nothing interferes with her ability to cope
with a nuisance naughty boycat. Mine has been
diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, and thank God we
started treating her right away, as the little boycat
is already heavier than her, and she is trying to
catch up so he cannot throw his weight around at
her quite so successfully.

Good luck.

--tension

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country_cinderella - 20 Dec 2006 21:15 GMT

>We have three cats: a 13 year old female, an 8 year old male, and a 2 year
>old male.
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
>Does anyone have any ideas???

I agree with tension, if the animals are not fixed that could be part
of the problem as well as the solution.

If they are already fixed they isolation imediately after each offense
is a good idea.

Also it might be helpful to keep spary bottles of water scattered
around the house, that way if you are too far away from the attack to
break it up before it gets too bad, but close enough to spray the
young male you can squirt him to discourage the behavior.

I have found with some of my cats that if they are squirted when
caught doing each repeated offense they start reducing the number of
times they misbehave. They also get to a point where I only have to
show them the squirt bottle and they know what it is and stop what
they are doing.
(This really comes in handy when I am trying to do some kind of
cooking and the cats want to get on the counter and help. Most of my
cats are so well aware of the squirt bottle that I just have to sit it
on the counter near me and they do not even try to approach me and the
food. Some of them are still learning and have to be squirted when I
first start cooking, but then they stay away.)

Good luck and wishes for a new year of well behaved, and healthy
kitties

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