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Tabbytudes Cat Behavior Column - February 2003
Written by Amy Shojai
February 2003
Dear Readers,
I am delighted to be writing the TabbyTudes Column. I look forward to hearing from you about your feline's foibles, and hope to offer useable advice and insight that will improve the lives we share with our special felines. Although I can't answer every letter in detail, where possible I will try to offer some general advice at the end of each column, to address readers' concerns that have been raised. And of course, lots more information is available in my books.
Purrs,
Amy
Letter of the Month: Our Cats Hate Each Other!
Hello to you,
I have quite a problem and I hope you can help my daughter and me work this out. We had a four-cat home, all are fixed and totally indoor cats, and all was fine. We have fostered many kittens through the house for a cat rescue and adoption program through Petsmart. All cats did well with having other kittens in the house. Then four months back we found a kitten, half dead beside the road. We isolated it until it had a health check from the vet. My youngest daughter wanted to keep him but my cat Suki hates this kitten with a passion. She is what my vet calls the alpha leader? She has attacked him many times and we tried the squirt gun at first to make her stop. But the vet said she won't kill it, let her have it and see what she does. It didn't go well. Suki put a puncture in his head and it had to be drained lots of time at the vet's office.
We have tried everything, but for some unknown reason, Suki hates the poor little guy. He on the other hand, is scared to death. He stays locked upstairs, so that Suki cannot get him. And when we try to put her upstairs and let him have time downstairs, he is paranoid and so frightened that he tries to scrabble upstairs to his safety zone. I feel it's best to place him for adoption, I hate to think of him having to live his life out in fear and I think he is going crazy (does that make sense?) The lady who runs the cat adoption center told me that chances are, that for whatever reason, Suki will probably always torment this kitten and she advised me try to place him asap. But my daughter wants to try different things to see if it will get better. I don't want to upset my daughter, but feel guilty having this poor dear be a prisoner in our home.
Do you think that Suki will quit tormenting him? Knowing cat behavior, do you have any opinions for us? We sure could use your expertise. The adoption lady said that since he is soon due to be neutered, she can have that done at her vets and then place him and he would soon find a good home. If not, then we have to have him fixed, which I wouldn't mind IF we thought things would change and Suki would stop trying to kill him. I had thought maybe when he was fixed, he would not anger Suki so much. But the vet told us that Suki has hated him ever since he was a tiny kitten, so fixing him won't change her attitude. Please please help us? And not trying to be a nag, but if you could get back with me as soon as you could, that would be great. I need to make a decision and feel either way that I will end up the bad person in my daughter's eyes, as it's my cat that attacks the kitten. But I told her when she asked if she could keep it, we would have to see. Thanks so much for reading this long mail and I will await your advice.
Kind regards, Donna Marie
Amy Shojai's Reply:
Dear Donna Marie,
First of all, bless you for rescuing this needy kitten-and for all your fostering work over the years. That experience has no doubt given you a good feel for cat behavior and interactions, particularly as they apply to your four resident cats. Thanks for your letter and detailed history of the situation-I'll do my best to offer some suggestions. From your description, Suki does appear to have definite ideas on who is to be welcomed into the family. And as you know, sometimes we make a heart-connection with a kitty waif-as has your daughter-and then must struggle to make the rest of the furry clan accept the newcomer.
I know it's frustrating to have fostered kittens with no problem in the past, and now have Suki protest. Some of that may have to do with Suki's age. You don't mention how old she is, but cats often are quite forgiving of intruders and more emotionally flexible earlier in life. The older they get, the more they seem to cling to the religion of "status quo at all cost!" You should also know that cats tend to reach social maturity between two to four years of age-prior to that age, they may have been very accepting, but once they hit this magic period their tolerance quotient may narrow. Just as it may be love at first sight, there's an equal chance cats will dislike each other on sight.
Also, cats allowed to indulge their anger to the point of reaching attack mode tend to develop a sort of toggle-switch reaction to the mere sight of a hated one. Suki doesn't need to be aggravated by the kitten, nor does she even think about the situation-her lil' kitty brain just remembers that, "when I see him, I hiss and attack" and so she does. It's become a habit, she's almost trained herself to react in this way. In fact, every time the boy has visited the vet clinic, he's come home smelling "foreign" all over again, and that may have also prompted Suki to continue throwing her fits.
Now to the nitty-gritty: Will Suki ever accept this kitty-boy? Is it fair to segregate him? Can anything be done to curb Suki's aggression and integrate the kitten into your household?
There's no way to predict if Suki will change her ways. The lady from the adoption center is right that the odds are not good. Is it fair to segregate the kitten? Right now, YES!!! Stop beating yourself up, Donna Marie. In the current situation, the very best thing you can do for your resident cats AND for the newcomer is to keep them separated. Believe me, Suki is happier not to see him, and he's much happier to feel safely sequestered on the second floor.
Can anything be done? Well-yes, I do have some suggestions. There are no guarantees that they will work in this situation, since it has been going on for quite some time, but certainly you may want to give them a shot. Why not make a deal with your daughter to give these suggestions a try for a month or so, and then if it doesn't work out, find him a new home. You can remind her that after all, your first responsibility must be to your resident pets.
1) Get the boy neutered. Getting those male hormones out of the mix often helps level the playing field. An intact male cat would be perceived by the top cat in the household as a threat to his/her authority.
2) Try using scent to help smooth the relationship. Cats identify friendly family members as safe because they all smell alike-they share scent when they sleep together, groom each other, cheek-rub, and are petted by you. The "vanilla trick" can sort of fool Mother Nature by making the kitten smell like Suki (and like YOU, her favorite piece of territory!), so Suki identifies the kitten as part of her safe family group. Use vanilla extract-or better, your favorite perfume-and dab just a bit on the fur at the back of the neck and base of the tail of ALL the cats.
3) I'm a big fan of Feliway products. This is an analogue of the cat's natural cheek pheromones-scent chemicals-that tell the cat to "calm down, chill, be cool, everything's fine." Feliway comes as a spray or as a plug-in product, is available from pet products stores, and can take the edge off of feline aggression. Try spraying the bottom of the door where the kitten currently lives as a calming influence when Suki explores the area.
4) I also like Bach Flower Remedies, an herbal homeopathic-like product that works on the emotional level. These are often available in human health food stores. Rescue Remedy is a combination of several that could help both the kitten get over fearfulness, and buffer Suki's aggression. You can apply this remedy directly to the underside of the paw pads or the inside of the ear for absorption, or drip a few drops in the cats' water for all-day sipping.
5) After a week, open the door to the kitten room. Don't force an interaction, allow the kitten to come and go as he wishes-and allow Suki to do the same. Try feeding them on opposite ends of the hallway, or playing with a fishing-pole-style toy to keep their attention focused on something other than each other. Help Suki learn to associate the kitten's presence with GOOD THINGS for Suki. Watch the older cat for a first sign of aggression, and toss a towel or blanket over her to stop it and safely separate them. Do not allow her to get "revved up" into attack mode. Very short sessions multiple times a day work better than one long marathon session-and always allow the kitten the option of staying safely in his room.
Good luck! Please let me know what happens.
Best wishes, Amy
Other letters this month included questions about feline pregnancy and breeding issues. It's true that a male kitty may develop a strong attachment to the kitty-girl-of-his-dreams. If she's been spayed, there's no chance of a pregnancy happening. However, if in heat at the time of the surgery, her scent may for a short time trigger the boyfriend's interest. Although male cats don't go in heat, in the Northern Hemisphere, all females are receptive at the same time from about February through October. Therefore, a male calling and chasing of one spayed female he particularly likes could be prompted by OTHER attractive girls in the area being in heat. They will continue to cycle every three weeks until they become pregnant or are spayed. Consequently, a girl cat could become pregnant as early as four months of age! Immature mothers may have problems delivering or caring for kittens.
But in any case, unwanted births should be prevented by spaying females and neutering males as early as possible. The American Veterinary Medical Association endorses spaying/neutering (speutering?!) kittens at four months of age and many animal welfare organizations safely perform sterilization surgery once the kitten or puppy reaches two pounds in weight-as early as six weeks. When a cat becomes pregnant before spaying can be done, some veterinarian will go forward with the surgery, before the babies have been fully developed.
TabbyTip of the Month:
Cats do not urinate inappropriately out of "spite" or to get back at an owner. Cats use bathroom deposits to communicate with us. Using an alternate location, such as the bed or couch, tends to happen as a result of stress. Kitty finds the safest, most treasured spot (one that smells like a favorite human) and urinates to use that self-scent to calm down. In a way, that's a compliment to the human! Screening for urinary tract problems is important, since a condition called idiopathic cystitis often causes these symptoms due to stress. Such cats may have no crystals or other identifiable causes. Stress relief is therefore important-using Feliway or Rescue Remedy mentioned above, adding extra litter boxes (one per cat, plus one), and counter-conditioning for stressful situations (giving a treat during grooming, for instance) may help.
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