Tabbytudes Cat Behavior Column - July 2003

Amy Shojai's Reply:

Mary, you are a very insightful cat lover! Of course at one year of age, Mae is on the "cusp" of adult kittyhood and therefore due for a bit of personality evolution just due to maturity. Cat play almost always slows down with age. As an "almost adult" Mae is also feeling her power and kicking a bit of furry tail to assert her place in the cat family. Mike is also at the age when he's ready to argue about who's the more dominant cat-if these two haven't yet been neutered, now's the time.

That said, your observation regarding pain and short temper is very astute. Cats usually hide mild to moderate discomfort. This is a built-in survival mechanism. Cat ancestors in the wild didn't want anybody to know they felt under the weather because that would invite attack. That's one reason our pet cats are so stoic and it's often very difficult to tell anything is wrong until something goes VERY wrong.

If Mae actually limped or held up the leg, she felt a great deal of pain. I'm not able to look into a crystal ball and diagnose over the Internet-but you might ask your veterinarian to look further into the knee discomfort. Dogs very often suffer from torn cruciate ligaments, a common human athlete complaint that can occur from running/jumping and twisting too quickly. Dogs also often suffer from patella luxation-that's when the kneecap slips off. Cats are not immune to these conditions, and there is treatment (usually surgery) available to fix it. Your veterinarian may want to refer you to a veterinary orthopedic surgeon who is more familiar with the condition and treatments.

In the meantime, if Mae sees Mike and feels inclined to chase and "discipline" the whippersnapper, but then feels pain, she may attribute the discomfort with the other cat's presence. Yes indeed, that could potentially throw a wrench in their relationship. Hopefully, once Mae's condition is diagnosed and treated so the pain goes away, Mike will stop being such a "pain" too. All the best, amy

Other letters this month talk about different aspects of feline aggression, missing the litter box, and a spayed cat acting like she's in heat. Cats that have lived together all their live-even ten-year-old sisters-can develop a sudden dislike for each other. It's hard to know what triggers the situation. It could be due to one cat getting upset about "something" outside the window and taking it out on the nearby kitty (displacement aggression). A strange smell might prompt the fur to fly, particularly if one cat suddenly smells unfamiliar as they do after visiting the veterinarian. It is NOT a good idea to let the cats "fight it out," and in fact, the best idea is to break up the fight before the cats get too worked up. Throw a towel over the pair, or gently settle a kitchen chair over top of them. That generally breaks up the fight. Cats allowed to get very wound up often learn to "turn on" the aggression just at the sight of the other feline. You can give both cats a "time out" and also try some of the Feliway plug-ins (available from pet stores) that give out a soothing, calming scent.

When cats are upset with other felines, very shy cats often act out with bathroom deposits. Other times, the cat may have had a painful bowel movement, and blames the box-so he'll urinate in the facilities but finds another place to leave solid deposits. Just adding a new litter box to the household often helps.

Cats moving into a new house and faced with a strange cat certainly can change personality to accommodate the new situation. Outgoing, happy cats may turn shy, while shy cats might become aggressive. Feline dynamics being what they are, though, cats can turn from shyness to aggression with age. That's especially true in a multiple cat home where all sorts of feline social posturing (some of invisible to us humans!) takes place. A behavior change does call for a veterinary visit to rule out a health issue. But generally speaking, the more cats in the home, the greater is the possibility that you'll see a behavior problem develop.