Help

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 29, 2009

Ok I'm not much of s cat person but i'm guessing you people are! lol anyway. My family has 4 cats and they really hate eachother. Normally I wouldnt care, they dont cause damage to eachother, a scratch here and there but nothing serious. Anyway the reason this concerns me is because of this we're getting rid of the one that gets picked on a lot. Are there ways I can fix this? I don't want to give up on her jsut yet. another issue I have is they all pee all over the house -.- how can i stop this?

zane's pal · Jul 29, 2009

Originally Posted by fuzzygiraffe

Ok I'm not much of s cat person but i'm guessing you people are! lol anyway. My family has 4 cats and they really hate eachother. Normally I wouldnt care, they dont cause damage to eachother, a scratch here and there but nothing serious. Anyway the reason this concerns me is because of this we're getting rid of the one that gets picked on a lot. Are there ways I can fix this? I don't want to give up on her jsut yet. another issue I have is they all pee all over the house -.- how can i stop this?

I would suggest two books: THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO LIVING WITH A CAT and CATS FOR DUMMIES.

You should have one litter box for each cat, plus one, and clean each one every day. That may solve the pee problem. Also, get Urine-Gone or something similar (your local drugstore or hardware store should have it) and thoroughly spray everywhere they pee other than the litter box.

By 'get rid of', I hope you mean "find family that is willing and able to care for the creature" rather than 'drop off at the local animal shelter' or even worse 'dump on the side of the road.'

cheylink · Jul 29, 2009

I think it would be best if you found homes for all of your cats. "My family has 4 cats and they really hate eachother" says enough. It is obvious that the poor kitties are not wanted and/or cared for properly.... "another issue I have is they all pee all over the house" . I don't know what to say other then atleast you looked for advice at such a desperate time. You need to re home all of your families cats, most importantly for them.......

iheartstrays · Jul 29, 2009

It's going to take time, money and patience to deal with this issue. If you AND your family are willing to go through with it, then please keep the cats. As someone who deals in rescued animals, I can tell you that there is a very slim chance that these animals will have a fighting chance in a shelter, unless it's a no kill shelter, and by your description of their temperments, they will always be overlooked there for the friendlier cats.

First of all, you need to invest in 4 litterboxes. If you can't manage 4, then get at least 2 GIANT ones. You can save some money here by using Sterilite tubs instead of the commercial cat boxes. Change their litter EVERY SINGLE DAY, twice a day if you can manage it, and dump all litter, clean the pans and refill weekly.

Separate the kitties. If the three get along, put them together in a room with a litter box, a Feliway diffuser and some classical music (music soothes the savage beast!). Put the other in another room, preferably with humans since she/he won't have any company otherwise with the same set up. If no one gets along well, looks like you're investing in 4 litterboxes after all.

Keep this set up for a while, at least a week, and then slowly start SUPERVISED reintroductions. Come armed with a water bottle and all the patience you can muster. If there is a lot of stress in your house, you guys need to settle down. Cats pick up on emotions of their humans and that could definitely be a factor here.

If you've exhausted ALL other measures and nothing helps, it may be time to visit the vet for some...chill pills, lol. Putting your cats on medication to help a behavioral issue is frequently frowned upon, but if you love your cat and you want what's best for him/her, you'll try everything you can to make things right.

If you find that you cannot do these things, then yes, please rehome the cats. Maybe you're dog people, maybe not. Right now, you need to focus on what's in the best interest of your kitties.

white cat lover · Jul 29, 2009

Behavioral issues are often a long-term thing to work through, but it can be done.

First off - are all of the kitties fixed? How old are they? How long have they been living together?

There are many things you can try, such as feliway diffusers to help calm them down. I do suggest a re-introduction process - do any of the kitties get along with just one of the others?

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

Originally Posted by cheylink

I think it would be best if you found homes for all of your cats. "My family has 4 cats and they really hate eachother" says enough. It is obvious that the poor kitties are not wanted and/or cared for properly.... "another issue I have is they all pee all over the house" . I don't know what to say other then atleast you looked for advice at such a desperate time. You need to re home all of your families cats, most importantly for them.......

First off. **** you. Don't judge me. you don't know me or my family you don't know how I care for these animals. I asked for your advise not some prissy s*** about me not taking care of them properly jsut because I don' like them doesnt mean I friggen neglect them.

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

Originally Posted by iheartstrays

It's going to take time, money and patience to deal with this issue. If you AND your family are willing to go through with it, then please keep the cats. As someone who deals in rescued animals, I can tell you that there is a very slim chance that these animals will have a fighting chance in a shelter, unless it's a no kill shelter, and by your description of their temperments, they will always be overlooked there for the friendlier cats.

First of all, you need to invest in 4 litterboxes. If you can't manage 4, then get at least 2 GIANT ones. You can save some money here by using Sterilite tubs instead of the commercial cat boxes. Change their litter EVERY SINGLE DAY, twice a day if you can manage it, and dump all litter, clean the pans and refill weekly.

Separate the kitties. If the three get along, put them together in a room with a litter box, a Feliway diffuser and some classical music (music soothes the savage beast!). Put the other in another room, preferably with humans since she/he won't have any company otherwise with the same set up. If no one gets along well, looks like you're investing in 4 litterboxes after all.

Keep this set up for a while, at least a week, and then slowly start SUPERVISED reintroductions. Come armed with a water bottle and all the patience you can muster. If there is a lot of stress in your house, you guys need to settle down. Cats pick up on emotions of their humans and that could definitely be a factor here.

If you've exhausted ALL other measures and nothing helps, it may be time to visit the vet for some...chill pills, lol. Putting your cats on medication to help a behavioral issue is frequently frowned upon, but if you love your cat and you want what's best for him/her, you'll try everything you can to make things right.

If you find that you cannot do these things, then yes, please rehome the cats. Maybe you're dog people, maybe not. Right now, you need to focus on what's in the best interest of your kitties.

Thankyou. This is what I'm looking for, not being told I'm a bad pet owner and i should jsut give up. I plan to get a new litter box as I thaught this very well may have been the issue. There's also 3 unspayed girls (the male is neutered) so I planned to get them fixed as well. I think it might be some kind of territorial thing or w/e...I'll try it thanks again

nes · Jul 30, 2009

FG - you're clearly TRYING to do the right thing in asking for help.

Could you tell us a little more about each one of your cats?
Is it the male beating up the girls? or the other way around?

Fixing the ladies would definitely go a long way in helping out. Some local shelters run unadvertised spay/neuter programs, why don't you try contacting them and seeing if they can help out. Spaying 3 cats will be expensive.

You also probably don't need to get rid of the cat whoes being beat up, maybe a more cat-friendly enivronment would help. Are they fighting over food? toys? or just space on the couch?

IHS had some very good suggestions.

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

The boy doesnt really beat up anyone he's just larger and is REALLY playful so he'll just be playing and the girls won't like it. Bella seems to enjoy playing now and then.

Hope is the calmest laziest cat you'll ever meet lol she won't even get up for food. She's usually fine unless one of the cats gets too close or Porkey(the male) tries to play. She's not really a problem.

Bella is the one that started the torment. She's deffinately the alpha of the group. She was the only cat for awhile and seem to get along with porkey after awhile. (he was a christmass preasent one year btw)

Baby is the one that gets beat up. She didn't used to fight back but after a year of torture she's starting to attack the other cats for no reason =/.

Anyway, I hope that helps. we didn't even want them all Hope and baby were strays we took in, they had a brother but we were able to give him to a friend. lol I think we should have kept him and got rid of a girl >.> male cats seem more laid back to me and porkey would have a sparing buddy xD

trillcat · Jul 30, 2009

Originally Posted by fuzzygiraffe

The boy doesnt really beat up anyone he's just larger and is REALLY playful so he'll just be playing and the girls won't like it. Bella seems to enjoy playing now and then.

Hope is the calmest laziest cat you'll ever meet lol she won't even get up for food. She's usually fine unless one of the cats gets too close or Porkey(the male) tries to play. She's not really a problem.

Bella is the one that started the torment. She's deffinately the alpha of the group. She was the only cat for awhile and seem to get along with porkey after awhile. (he was a christmass preasent one year btw)

Baby is the one that gets beat up. She didn't used to fight back but after a year of torture she's starting to attack the other cats for no reason =/.

Anyway, I hope that helps. we didn't even want them all Hope and baby were strays we took in, they had a brother but we were able to give him to a friend. lol I think we should have kept him and got rid of a girl >.> male cats seem more laid back to me and porkey would have a sparing buddy xD

Ok now don't tell me to F off, but, have you thought, as others have mentioned, of trying to rehome some of the cats? I am not saying you are a bad person, but you yourself say you don't like them, and didn't want all of them. Your words. There is more to being a pet owner than putting down food and water. They need love and attention, and an owner who wants them.
It sounds like you are fond of the male, perhaps finding homes for the females?
You will no doubt see a major improvement in behavior after getting the females spayed, or maybe not if the cats just do not get along.
Not every animal is a good fit for every human, or for other animals. It is just the way it is, and no shame or blame involved, sometimes the situation just does not work out.
Best of luck.

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

I'm jsut not a cat person ok. Like I said I don't neglect them. I do play with them and pet them but cats jsut arent for me >.>. We've tried find baby a home but none of our family and friends want her. The only real option is animal shelter which i dont want to do. It's not even me that wants to keep them. Bella is my sister's cat and she'll never give her up, but i don't mind her, we kind of jsut stay out of eachothers way. Porkey is her baby so another no. And I don't think I could ever get rid of Hope we have this weird bond >.>

nes · Jul 30, 2009

But why are they beating baby up? When did it start? Are they trying to be playful and she just doesn't get it? (in which case you might have to re-home her, some cats are just anti-social and do better alone).

Are they fighting with her because she's coming near the food? In which case you need to set out more bowls.

Does baby maybe need some new places to hide from the other cats? (a cat tree, or even a bookcase screwed to the wall?).

It may be best to follow IHS's plan and reintroduce Baby to the cats she does get along with, like Hope. Then maybe hope will help stick up for her a little when the group is back together.

Girls & boys do have very different personalities but so do individual cats.

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

it's really jsut bab yand bella. I think bella jsut thinks baby's in her teritory. lol i dont think hope would move for a truck >.> she's that lazy

trillcat · Jul 30, 2009

Originally Posted by fuzzygiraffe

I'm jsut not a cat person ok. Like I said I don't neglect them. I do play with them and pet them but cats jsut arent for me >.>. We've tried find baby a home but none of our family and friends want her. The only real option is animal shelter which i dont want to do. It's not even me that wants to keep them. Bella is my sister's cat and she'll never give her up, but i don't mind her, we kind of jsut stay out of eachothers way. Porkey is her baby so another no. And I don't think I could ever get rid of Hope we have this weird bond >.>

You could post up a picture of Baby and her story on Petfinder if you do want to rehome her. Thank you for not sending her to a shelter.
Could you give her a "safe" room, a place just for her where the other cats can't get to her?
Some here also say putting a bit of vanilla on the cat being tormented helps.
It sounds like you may be more of a cat person than you realize. People who really don't care would not take the time to post on a cat message board! I can understand being frustrated by 4 cats acting bad and peeing all over.
The seperate litterboxes will help this, as will spaying the females. That is a MUST! Not just for the way they act, but for their health.
Feliway has been suggested, that will also help.
Changes wont happen overnight though, you must have patience.

ETA: Would your sister be willing to post here as well? Being a family situation, best to have all the members on board.

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

lol I'm really not a cat person, I jsut care about naimal.s Honestly if I could trade my cats (providing I knew they had a good home im not that cruel!) for a dog I would xD. Well we're getting another litter box this weekend. I would really rather not get 4 of them >.> there's really no room anyway.i might be able to manage 3. We've been talking about getting them spayed for a while my local shelter gives out waiver things to get it done cheap.i put out another bowl and made some cat beds in my room, I've been bringing bab yin here so she'll get used to it. I've even thaught about putting one of tose magnetic cat doors on my door so she could come in here when she needed to get away from the other cats and they couldnt get to her.

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

lol my sister doesnt even know I'm on here. She keeps saying she's going to rehome her or get them spayed but she doesnt >.>

pami · Jul 30, 2009

Hi Fuzzy, I just found this thread ...........

The first and foremost issue, above all things, is to have these girls spayed. Nothing will settle with them until that happens first.
They need to be separated, if they are fighting, until they can be spayed.

nes · Jul 30, 2009

Originally Posted by fuzzygiraffe

lol I'm really not a cat person, I just care about animals. Honestly if I could trade my cats (...) for a dog I would xD....

Ha!

My husband says the same thing, but I catch him bringing home treats for the cats all the time & petting them silly when he things I'm not looking!!

I think bringing baby into your room is an EXCELLENT idea! Give her some time away from the other cats & you may see a big change in her personality

.

I think getting a couple rubbermaids/plastic containers is a very good option for litter boxes! Occasionally you can even find ones of appropriate size at the dollar store for temporary boxes

.

fuzzygiraffe · Jul 30, 2009

Baby's a very luvable cat, she loves people I think she just thinks the cats are going ot hurt her now >.> unfortunately

white cat lover · Jul 30, 2009

They would likely get along if they were all spayed.

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