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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / August 2005A very diffiicult decision
I love Eli so much, he's a wonderful cat, a great mouser and was an excellent babysitter for Beatrice (before she grew so big). But he is making everyone here miserable. It used to just Abelard that he picked on, but now it's everyone except little Beatrice. Baby Eyes, Tommy, Billy, Lily and precious Abelard are all terrified of him now. Not a day goes by that Eli doesn't start at least one major fight, and it's often two or three times a day (and night). He sleeps with me on my bed, and none of the other cats except Beatrice will even come in the bedroom. Last time I was in West Plains (the closest town with a major pet supply store - 40 miles away) I checked out the Feliway stuff, hoping it would not be too expensive, however, it looks like it will cost at least $20/month for just one room. On top of that, I will need an electric outlet to plug it in, and I'm already living in a tangle of extension cords due to have just three working outlets in the whole house. If it wasn't going to be at least 5-6 months before I can move to a "real" house, and if Baby Eyes didn't have such a severe flea allergy that I have to keep Frontline or Advantage on everyone (even buying these off of eBay it's still at least $50/month), I'd rig up some way to try Feliway before giving up on keeping Eli. So I am looking to rehome poor Eli, with someone who doesn't have other cats. Fat chance, eh? :( I just wish I knew why he's so aggressive, and how to get him to tone it down. I've been getting after him every time (provided I am at home) and I know that he knows he is doing wrong, he just can't seem to stop. And since he's only 3.5 years old, it will likely be years before he settles down, if he ever does. Who's got any really great advice for me? I will never take him to any kill shelter, but something's got to change. > I love Eli so much, he's a wonderful cat, a great mouser and was an > excellent babysitter for Beatrice (before she grew so big). But he is making [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > Who's got any really great advice for me? I will never take him to any kill > shelter, but something's got to change. Have you consulted with your vet? Perhaps something is wrong with Eli healthwise which is causing him to act up? I would start with a vet visit, and an in depth checkup. Something is causing him to act this way probably something in his health. I doubt whether the addition of Bea would have brought this about. Has anything else changed - no matter how trivial? If nothing is found with the vet maybe a referral to a pet behaviourist. Perhaps you could try Bach's rescue remedy? It goes in the cats drinking water and is supposed to help stuff like this. You can also get Feliway in an aerosal spray. As bad as he is acting up if it is health related rehoming him will not help but possibly make it worse. Good luck. >I love Eli so much, he's a wonderful cat, a great mouser and was an >excellent babysitter for Beatrice (before she grew so big). But he is making >everyone here miserable. I can sympathize - the latest addition to my clowder has turned out to be very people friendly and just has much cat hostile. I rehomed the last two excessively aggressive males (all neutered), but I really want to keep CJ - rehoming his would be too much like giving up on him and he's already had enough trouble in his short life. I can offer some advice on the Frontline cost issue: buy the largest dog size and deliver measured 0.5 ml doses to the cats - the largest dog package costs only a little more than the cat package but contains about eight times as much product. I use needleless 2 cc syringes that I buy surplus.  SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > I can offer some advice on the Frontline cost issue: buy the largest > dog size and deliver measured 0.5 ml doses to the cats - the largest > dog package costs only a little more than the cat package but contains > about eight times as much product. I use needleless 2 cc syringes > that I buy surplus. This sounds like a fine idea, but is it really OK to use doggie Frontline on the cats? >>I can offer some advice on the Frontline cost issue: buy the largest >>dog size and deliver measured 0.5 ml doses to the cats - the largest [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > This sounds like a fine idea, but is it really OK to use doggie Frontline on > the cats? I don't know if Frontline can, but I am absolutely positive the formulation for Advantage is the same for dogs and cats. I use the stuff for dogs on my cats because I can get a large tube and do all my cats for less. I carefully compared ALL the ingredients myself. And Advantage didn't get rid of fleas the first month in my cats, but it did by the second month. My two cents worth. Bridget >> I can offer some advice on the Frontline cost issue: buy the largest >> dog size and deliver measured 0.5 ml doses to the cats - the largest [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > on > the cats? I don't know about frontline, but I've done this for years with Advantage. With my vets knowledge and approval. He gives me a few syringes too. You just have to really be careful to wash them out if you reuse them and the med removes the dosage marks. My cats go outside. But we don't have a flea problem. Also since I'm not crazy about using the stuff and since it upsets the cats, it is more like every six weeks and half a normal dose. Still does the trick. I don't know how stable it is after a tube is opened, so once I open one, I treat my guys and then give the remainder to my daughter who manage to treat her four cats and her dog from the same tube. Jo Hi Pat:-) Am 28.08.2005 schrieb Pat: >> I can offer some advice on the Frontline cost issue: buy the largest >> dog size and deliver measured 0.5 ml doses to the cats - the largest >> dog package costs only a little more than the cat package but contains >> about eight times as much product. I use needleless 2 cc syringes >> that I buy surplus. > This sounds like a fine idea, but is it really OK to use doggie Frontline on > the cats? yes, it is:-) It is the same frontline as for cats, but dosed for dogs. We have 11 cats and we always buy the Frontline for the biggest dogs. That saves us a lot of money and it works perfectly. For applying we use a syringe and 0,5 ml for each cat. We have a syringe with a very fine needle to suck the frontline from its package, then remove the needle and appy to the cat:-) Purrs to you Inge and the catgang SignatureCatManiacs World: http://www.gwsystems.com/inge > > This sounds like a fine idea, but is it really OK to use doggie Frontline on > > the cats? [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > We have a syringe with a very fine needle to suck the frontline from its > package, then remove the needle and appy to the cat:-) Thank you Inge! I am going to try this. I only wish I had known much sooner! >We have a syringe with a very fine needle to suck the frontline from its >package, then remove the needle and appy to the cat:-) I empty the applicator into a small, straight sided, glass bottle and just put the lid on the bottle to store the leftover. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) >> I can offer some advice on the Frontline cost issue: buy the largest >> dog size and deliver measured 0.5 ml doses to the cats - the largest [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >This sounds like a fine idea, but is it really OK to use doggie Frontline on >the cats? There is slightly less of the egg killer ingredient, but I have had no issues in over a year of using it. If the assurances of long term users isn't enough, check with your vet. SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > I just wish I knew why he's so aggressive, and how to get him to tone it > down. I've been getting after him every time (provided I am at home) and I Have you tried Feliway diffusers? Those seem to calm some cats down. Lots of purrs. SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > Have you tried Feliway diffusers? Those seem to calm some cats down. No, Victor.... I have not tried them. Did you read all of my original post? > No, Victor.... I have not tried them. Did you read all of my original post? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be snippy. We had a similar experience when we first moved to our house. At the time we had Luna and Maya in the apartment, and we took care of Xoxo as well. Xoxo lived outside exclusively, he had been rescued by a neighbor at the condos we lived in at the time. Anyhow, when we moved to the house, we brought Xoxo along and made him into an indoor-only cat (which he loves, btw). Luna and Maya decided that hunting Xoxo was the funnest thing to do. So they did. Relentlessly. He spent the first few months living under our bed, only coming out to eat, poop and sometimes to sleep on my pillow, next to my bed. We agonized over finding him another home, but decided against it. It took him a couple of years, but now Xoxo is a very happy, very assertive cat. He'll give Luna or Maya (or anybody else) a good whack in the face if they annoy him. We're very happy for him. SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > I love Eli so much, he's a wonderful cat, a great mouser and was an > excellent babysitter for Beatrice (before she grew so big). But he is making [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > Who's got any really great advice for me? I will never take him to any kill > shelter, but something's got to change. I am so, so, so sorry. It is a difficult decision. I wish I had some sort of advice for you. I wish you all the best and hope that you come to terms with whatever decision you make. kili > I love Eli so much, he's a wonderful cat, a great mouser and was an > excellent babysitter for Beatrice (before she grew so big). But he is making > everyone here miserable. What a dilemma! I'm so sorry, Pat. I wish I had some advice to give, but all I can do is send purrs that you find a solution and/or that Eli calms down. When did he last see TED? SignatureMarina, Frank, Miranda and Caliban. In loving memory of Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki >I just wish I knew why he's so aggressive, and how to get him to tone it >down. I've been getting after him every time (provided I am at home) and I >know that he knows he is doing wrong, he just can't seem to stop. > >And since he's only 3.5 years old, it will likely be years before he settles >down, if he ever does. Yes, he's a mature young cat, so I'd think his personality will be pretty stable for years. I hope that you'll stumble on some simple solution, like you did with Abelard. It's a tough situation! > Who's got any really great advice for me? I will never take him to any kill > shelter, but something's got to change. Pat, this sounds like a very frustrating situation, and I don't have a definitive answer for you, but can suggest a compromise... If this is going to be a relatively short-term issue, because you may be able to move within 6 months, here is what I would try. I don't know the layout of where you live so don't know if this is practical... Give Eli one room to call his own, a safe room, where the other cats can't go, and don't allow them in there. If it's your bedroom, so be it. The get hold of Feliway spray - NB, this is a spray, not a diffuser - from somewhere like: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00076NPC2/104-1476263-237 9108?v=glance or similar, and treat the room. You don't need to use a lot, just in key locations in the room where he passes by - corner of the bed, on the bed where he sleeps, or wardrobe, chair leg, etc. It should last a while - certainly won't cost you $20/month. Is he an indoor or outdoor cat? If he is, or could be, an indoor cat, that would make it even better. Otherwise, when he is indoors, confine him to the room, where he can breathe the sweet smell of pheromones to keep him calm ;-) If you can get it, you can also try adding drops of Rescue Remedy to his food and water: http://www.bachflower.com/rescue_remedy.htm We often use it for timid and semi-feral cats, and it does work. It wouldn't hurt to use it on everyone's food/water, TBH. When you are able to move, the territories will redefine themselves anyway and the problem may well change. It seems such a shame to give Eli up if you have only 5-6 months left in the place? HTH Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield > I love Eli so much, he's a wonderful cat, a great mouser and was an > excellent babysitter for Beatrice (before she grew so big). But he is > making everyone here miserable. <snip> As you say, a very difficult decision. Purrs that you find a satisfactory solution to the problem, where everybody is happier including Eli. SignatureAdrian (Owned by Snoopy & Bagheera) A house is not a home, without a cat. http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk |
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