Preventing a catfight?

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Brian Link - 17 Nov 2006 02:34 GMT

Our newest cat, Chloe, has more or less been integrated into the
household. It's not the outcome I would have wanted - she and the
other cats keep their distance - but there's no killing. Well, not
much.

Chloe has always had some behavioral problems, possibly related to her
declawing. 90% of the time she is the sweetest cat you'd ever want.
Friendly, curious, cuddly. But she will occasionally flip out and bite
- mostly unprovoked, so it's not over-stimulation.

Tonight our Bengal Louis somehow freaked Chloe out, and they sat,
tails swishing, making those horrible cat-challenge sounds. I've at
least learned not to get my own skin between these little skirmishes,
so I took a blanket, hid Louis from her view and guided Chloe back to
her neutral corner.

There must be a better way to do this. If you see two cats challenging
each other, before blows have been exchanged, how do you calm the
situation down?

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meeee - 17 Nov 2006 05:04 GMT

If there's a full on fight going on, I throw a blanket over them. They
suddenly can't see each other, and you can grab one through the blanket and
move them. For a potential fight I usually spray or clap my hands and shout,
so they look at me, not each other. I like your idea, it sounds very
effective, and I'll keep that in mind :)

> Our newest cat, Chloe, has more or less been integrated into the
> household. It's not the outcome I would have wanted - she and the
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> --------------------------
> "The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]"

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bearclaw@cruller.invalid - 17 Nov 2006 07:55 GMT

> There must be a better way to do this. If you see two cats challenging
> each other, before blows have been exchanged, how do you calm the
> situation down?

Plant mister, half-full. When our bully boy stalks our petite calico,
all it takes to break it up is a short shake of the spray bottle. Bully
boy knows *exactly* what that means, and discretely and quickly goes to
the kitchen to see if there is anything good to eat there.

Rarely do we actually have to spritz anyone anymore.

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Noli me vocare, ego te vocabo.

Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.

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Brian Link - 19 Nov 2006 00:36 GMT

>> There must be a better way to do this. If you see two cats challenging
>> each other, before blows have been exchanged, how do you calm the
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
>Rarely do we actually have to spritz anyone anymore.

That works great for Chloe, but Louis is a Bengal and thinks he's
getting a special shower treat. He loves the spritzer.

He's afraid of Chloe, but once she starts running his "moving prey"
light switches on and he'll bolt after her against his better
judgement.

Luckily most of her conniptions turn out to be lots of smoke with no
fire - howling, spitting and wrestling, but after separating the cats
nobody seems injured. All it takes is one scratched cornea though, and
then there's major damage. Oh, and full-out battles only happen once
every other month or so.

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Wendy - 17 Nov 2006 12:14 GMT

Have you tried using a Feliway diffuser? I know it might seem like snake oil
but I know I need a refill when my three cats start fighting with each
other.

W

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