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Cat Forum / General Topics / February 2004aggressive behavior...please help
We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one cat (Maurice). He is about 4 years old and was born here (his mom was a pregnant stray we took in). When we got our last cat Maurice's behavior changed. He used to be docile and easy going. But now is very aggressive. He attacks the new guy as well as several other residents. The attacks are unprovoked. Just this morning we had to take one of his victims to the vet. Thank heavens the attack only produced a scratched eyelid but it could have been much worse. I've tried giving Maurice extra attention so he won't feel neglected. He don't punish him for this behavior just try to keep him seperated from the cats he attacks. Checked Flippy's cat page for help. We don't want to find him a new home he would be terrified since he has lived here his entire life and tends to be high strung. We can't keep him seperated from his victims 100% of the time it's like playing a game of musical chairs. I am at my whit's end. I don't want any of the cats to end up with injuries. My hubby thinks we should find another place for him to live but the idea of taking him to our non-kill shelter seems cruel. Please we need help. > We have 14 cats. That's the problem right there! We were okay with 13 but number 14 seems to be what sent Maurice over the edge. The last cat is not aggressive and Maurice is in perfect health. Look at it like we are providing a loving home to those without one. The large number isn't really any different then someone with a lot of children. > > We have 14 cats. > > That's the problem right there! > We were okay with 13 but number 14 seems to be what sent Maurice over the > edge. The last cat is not aggressive and Maurice is in perfect health. > > Look at it like we are providing a loving home to those without one. The > large number isn't really any different then someone with a lot of children. Yes... I understand...but not all of your cats do. If they don't settle in pretty soon one of them will have to go or you will have to figure out a way to keep them apart >We were okay with 13 but number 14 seems to be what sent Maurice over the >edge. The last cat is not aggressive and Maurice is in perfect health. My problems occurred at the same population level, but I don't think that's the problem since it continued after the population dropped by two (one rehome and one disappearance) and I've had that level before without trouble. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) >We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one cat >(Maurice). He is about 4 years old and was born here (his mom was a pregnant [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > >Please we need help. I've had two like that - I think the second learned aggression from the first. I rehomed them both: the first for the good of the rest of the colony, and the other for his own protection since he had taken up the hobby of getting beaten up by the ferals in the area and was becoming a scared mess with new bite wounds before the older ones healed. Both are better of and happier as indoor cats in smaller households. Both have kittens for company and since neither ever attacked a cat that entered my colony after they did, I'm not worried about future aggression. My other cats are much calmer now too. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) Wow! 14 cats? Maurice behavior changed just like people. 14 is just tooooooooo many. I would be curious to know the square footage of your house that those cats are allowed to roam. With this, I assume they are INDOOR cats? How many litter boxes and water containers are provided? ...and in separate rooms? You are pleading for help ...so is Maurice ...or is it the other thirteen? In short, "philo" is correct with his/her reply. Rich -- > We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one cat > (Maurice). He is about 4 years old and was born here (his mom was a pregnant [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Please we need help. Our home is about 1800 square feet. We live outside the closet town on an acre surrounded on 3 sides by empty pastures. The cats go outside during the day only. If need be I can isolate a cat or two in a room with food, water, a litter box and toys. One room is a "kitty room". Full of cat furniture, food, water, litter box and toys. An very large enclosed patio besides the other 6 rooms they have access to. Six litter boxes and four water bowls are currently inside for them. There are five scrathing posts scattered throughout the house. I spend about two hours a day giving attention to the cats (playing and attention). > Wow! 14 cats? Maurice behavior changed just like people. 14 is just > tooooooooo many. I would be curious to know the square footage of your [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > > > Please we need help. Have you asked your vet for suggestions? Maybe a physical for Maurice may uncover a medical condition that you are unaware of? I foster for a local shelter, they use feliway on their toys and in the kennels to help keep the cats calm and make their adjustment a little better. You can find feliway on-line or your vet may have it - there is a plug in version and spray. I wish you luck, with all the fostering I've been doing I've had 15 cats/kittens at once. Do they all get along? No, but no big altercations either. Good luck I hope everything works out! > Wow! 14 cats? Maurice behavior changed just like people. 14 is just > tooooooooo many. I would be curious to know the square footage of your [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > > > Please we need help. I have one more suggestion, if you do decide that Maurice needs another home, you may be able to do a "home to home" foster, some shelters will allow that. I know you don't want to give him up, but something has him upset. He may benefit being an only child, it's hard to say. No kill shelters are sad, but they do the best they can to find homes for them all. And I think they are a better alternative to the others. Again, best of luck > Wow! 14 cats? Maurice behavior changed just like people. 14 is just > tooooooooo many. I would be curious to know the square footage of your [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > > > > Please we need help. > We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one cat > (Maurice). He is about 4 years old and was born here (his mom was a pregnant [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Please we need help. Try the Bach remedy Holly which is for aggression and jealousy - you'll be able to get it at health stores. Put 4 drops in the cat's drinking water - if the others also drink from it - no problem. Do this every day with fresh water until there is a change in behaviour - shouldn't take more than a few days in a cat, unlike in humans where it can take weeks because our emotions are so deeply buried. > We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one cat > (Maurice). He is about 4 years old and was born here (his mom was a pregnant [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Please we need help. Yes you do need help. Having 14 cats has absolutely nothing in common with liking or loving cats. At least 12 of your cats would be better off not living with you, please start to find good homes for them. Babba. > > We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one > cat [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > Babba. Why would you say that at least 12 of our cats would be better not living with us? Do you tell people with more then 2 children the same thing? > > > We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one > cat [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Why would you say that at least 12 of our cats would be better not living > with us? Do you tell people with more then 2 children the same thing? It does sound like Maurice has lost his cool from stress. Still, it's really kind of you to try to give that many cats a home. Maurice's problem could be this particular new cat's personality or just that the presence of one more cat has really reduced Maurice's sense of security and comfort. It's sad, but I would consider finding a new home for the newcomer cat. If the newcomer has formed a bond with another cat, maybe you could find some home for both together...? (Easier said than done, I know). Another possibility that would take some effort would be to create two separate living areas, each populated with cats who seem to like each other. Maybe this wouldn't work for some types of houses. I've always dreamed of this arrangement for cats: kitty-access doors from the house to large outdoor spaces that are surrounded and enclosed from top to bottom with chicken wire fencing. To lower stress due to crowding, you could make two sections with some sort of divider in the middle. Trees and wooden cat playgrounds could be installed. Another idea is to work with the vet to try one of the kitty calming agents for Maurice. But if he doesn't like pills that could create more upset. In any case, good luck and give Maurice a hug for me! Alt. http://www.lovethatcat.com > > > > We have 14 cats. All male and all neutered. Everyone gets along but one > cat [quoted text clipped - 38 lines] > Alt. > http://www.lovethatcat.com A rough estimate is that 2/3 cats can cohabit happily in a 3 bedroom house. Cats are orginally solitary creatures and have territorial issues to think on. If you have a gigantic house then 14 cats will be fine, especially if they are all very sociable cats. However, the newcomer has clearly intruded on Maurice's territory and he cannot be accepted into the household. It would be less cruel of you to find a new home for the newcomer in the long run. At least you know the sanctuary does not kill the animals after the initial period. Someone else will pick the newcomer and love him too. | A rough estimate is that 2/3 cats can cohabit happily in a 3 bedroom | house. Cats are orginally solitary creatures and have territorial | issues to think on. Today I was so proud on our Micky: he visited our lonely rabbit (it has lost its mate 1 month ago), and the two of them stayed happily beside each other, no attack, no hostility! The rabbit lives in a hut but can go in/out as it pleases. Mostly cats like to chase the rabbits, but today it was all different, so peaceful! But: rabbit was scratching itself - has she got Micky's ear mites now too (the dog has already got its share as well)? :-( Carola Maurice has gone two days now without any problems with the other cats. I am beginning to believe that it is just taking him an usually long time to adjust to the new comers. But there has been peace around here for the last two days. > | A rough estimate is that 2/3 cats can cohabit happily in a 3 bedroom > | house. Cats are orginally solitary creatures and have territorial [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Carola |
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