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Written by Wendy Christensen
Q: I have had a male cat, Boots, for 2 years. He is neutered & declawed. About 2 weeks ago, I found another kitty, a female. I brought her to the vet and found out that she is an expectant mother. We are very excited. Anyway, separately they have great personalities. The problem is, that Boots will not leave Lilly (our mommy kitty) alone. He doesn't seem to want to fight mean, but he is always pouncing on her, making her cry and hiss. They just can't seem to get along. My fear is that the stress is going to affect her pregnancy. I also worry about when they are born, if Boots will also go after the kittens. Is this a concern?? Is there anything I can do to make them get along? Should I isolate her in another room until she has the kittens?
A: Two weeks is a VERY short time for two cats to become acquainted! I suspect you just put them together and hoped for the best, right?
I suggest you get a copy of my book ("The HSUS Complete Guide to Cat Care," now out in paperback) and read the section on introducing cats to each other.
For Lilly's health and safety, I strongly urge you to treat her to a "private suite" for at least the term of her pregnancy and while she's nursing her babies. Once the babies are weaned, be sure to get her spayed without delay, too. Your veterinarian can advise you of the best time to do the surgery.
Fit up a spare room or guest room with everything Lilly needs: litter box, food and water, a comfy bed, toys, scratching post, and places where she can "nest" when she's ready to give birth. I know this might sound weird, but fitting out the room with a screen door can be extremely helpful! Lilly and Boots can see and smell each other and get to know each other at their own speed, without the dangers of all that pouncing. If the hissing gets to be too stressful for either cat, just close the "real door."
As for Boots going after the newborn kittens: Some male cats have been known to attack or even kill kittens. But this is not universal by any means; some male cats enjoy babysitting and helping out Mama. Personally, I would not take a chance because Boots has never been in that situation before, and I wouldn't know how he would react. So keep Mama and babies in their own suite until the babies are either adopted out (at least 12 weeks old, ideally) or fully weaned (if you are planning to keep them).
Once Lilly is all done with mothering and has been spayed and is fully recovered, you can "reintroduce" Lilly and Boots more gradually.
Q: My Kitty, Angelface has been with me for about 7 or 8 years. I adopted her, a gray tabby, from Adopt-a-cat; she was a spayed, declawed (front paws only) adult when I got her. She is truly the most "stand-offish" cat I've known. Nevertheless, we have become great buds. She doesn't much care for anyone else, and she tolerates me only on her own terms. But she does consider me "her human".
Fast forward to last summer. My elderly and ill Mom comes to live with "us". Mom and Angelface are becoming a little more accustomed to one another, but a far distance from "friends". Now enter, last winter, the newest member of the family, Blessing. Gotta tell you, this little Siamese truly has lived up to her name- a great companion for Mom. She had been left in a hotel room where we stayed and the previous owner chose to let us have her, rather than come back to get her. And her name was actually Blessing, when we got her. She had been declawed (all 4 feet) and recently spayed. Now the challenge: the girls STILL don't get along. Angelface defends her territory and often crosses into Blessing's "wing" of the house to cause trouble. There are two litter boxes, but Angel has decided to use the one designated for Blessing, and ignores her old one in her own room (my room).
Blessing "plays" in Angel's territory when she thinks Angel isn't watching-eats her dry food, drinks her water. She goes in the kitchen, and if Angel discovers her, Blessing jumps over the kitchen sink, through the bar and around the corner, spilling everything not tied down!
In fact, Blessing gets on the tables and dressers much too often. Angel was never a climber, but Blessing thinks she can go anywhere…and does! I know that people recommend a watergun spray at the offending moment, but I can't catch her on the table long enough to squirt her. Mom says yelling at her in the act does no more than make her terrified of me.
How can we get the girls to respect, if not like, one another? And how can we keep Blessing off the coffee tables, end tables, and dressers?
A: It sounds to me like Angelface and Blessing were introduced much too quickly. Cats -- especially one who has been an "only cat" for a long time -- are creatures of habit and can be very slow to accept ANY changes in their environment -- especially another cat! Sharing what was once a private territory with another cat is a BIG change. And cats do NOT like change!
I think it might be useful to go back to "square one" and re-introduce the girls to each other much more gradually. Is there any possibility of installing an indoor screen door or some other kind of barrier between the girls' "territories?" This would cut down on the conflicts considerably, giving each cat plenty of time to feel secure again in her own piece of turf. And the screen would let them see, smell and communicate -- from their own secure turf.
To help them get re-acquainted on better terms, allow them to share fun and pleasant experiences together, supervised by you. For example, feed them right by the screen door (each on her on side) so they will come to associate mealtime with the other cat's presence. After awhile, you can let them together in a fairly neutral area to share interactive playtime, followed by some tasty treats.
Exchange cat beds and other items between the territories so the girls can become acquainted with each others' scents at their own pace, in a non-threatening environment. Another trick to try: When you bring them together for playtime or short supervised visits, wipe them both down first with a damp towel that carries a neutral scent-- perhaps vanilla. This will help them smell more alike to each other.
Using a "Comfort Zone" plug-in might also help. This device diffuses a chemical mimic (called "Feliway") of the pheromone cats deposit on familiar items in their territories when they rub with their cheeks and head. This scent tells a cat: "Everything's OK here." It has been shown to be useful in reducing the stress of introducing new cats to one another.
As far as the climbing on dressers and counters and running around: Others may disagree, but I am very permissive about my cats. They are allowed to go just about anywhere they want -- counters, bookshelves, dressers, wherever. I have long since put away breakables and dangerous items, either in glass-fronted cabinets or in a few rooms that are designated "cat-free zones." I really believe that lots of running and leaping is very healthy for them, psychologically and emotionally as well as physically. Since my cats enjoy an indoor-only lifestyle, I try to provide for them as much of the "wild experience" as I can.
Your Mom is right: yelling at the cats not only doesn't work, it just makes them wary and afraid of you. I also think spraying with water is ineffective, and likely counterproductive. Redirecting their behavior to a more desirable alternative is always a better idea.
Part of the "getting up on things" may have to do with the territorial conflict. Cats naturally seek heights both for protection, and to better see what's going on around them. Getting up high lets Blessing keep better tabs on Angelface's location and activities. When they become more comfortable with each other, this will seem less necessary to her and the behavior should naturally become less frequent.
But cats DO love to climb and leap. Providing at least one tall cat tree or cat tower (with scratching surfaces) will given them their own space to exercise and make your furniture seem less attractive.
Herding Cats at Home - May 2004 1
Herding Cats at Home - May 2004 2
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