Redirected cat aggression in my two males

I'm having a problem myself with what I think is re-directed aggression in my two male cats who are fixed and who I adopted together as shelter cats last February 2013. They were perfectly fine for a year. They were even together in a big catery unit at the shelter because they got a long so well there. I was looking to adopt two after my 14 yr old cat passed away a few months before. 

I've never had two cats myself (although my 14 yr old cat and I lived with another cat and a dog for 6 years, everything was always fine between them, although we did go to great pains to introduce the cats before we moved in together. The usual - in crates, with treats, for a few minutes at a time over the course of several weeks until they eventually were just fine).

Last night, I was sitting in my  bedroom watching tv. The cats were in the living room, and I suspect near the front door. We have side lights on our front door and it was dark (about 9:30 PM). Suddenly I hear this gutteral scream. I don't know which one it was. I suspect it was either a neighborhood cat at the front porch, another small animal or maybe even their own reflection. I'm not sure which was was the aggressor, but one definitely was more in control at the time I was able to break them up. 

At any rate, I jumped up to break them up. They were tearing around the house so fast, I couldn't catch them! I had a towel waiting to throw over one of them so I could separate them. Mind you, this has NEVER happened before to these two cats. They have both been very friendly toward one another for over a year in my home. When I finally got one in the towel (Leo) and separated him to the spare bedroom, he decompressed very quickly. He wasn't aggressive to me or my boyfriend. He was quite normal all night afterwards. Leo was the one I suspected was more in control. 

The other cat, he's a different story. We separated him to our bedroom, and ultimately the bathroom for a few hours. I wanted them to be on opposite sides of our house so they could have complete quiet.  My cat Vincent, who is the really freaked out one, was hissing and growling at me, I left him alone. He hissed, growled and lunged for my boyfriend, who is his best friend in the world! We left him alone, do let him decompress. I ended up sleeping in the spare room with Leo, who acted normal all night. My boyfriend slept in the  master bedroom with Vincent, who came out of the bedroom and was acting completely normal by about 3 AM this morning. Not hissing at us, acting sweet, laying on the bed, rubbing on us. I even smelled like Leo since  he slept with me in the spare room all night and Vincent was fine with me.

I wanted to also mention, Vincent pooped and peed a little out of fear during this episode, too. 

I called my vet at 7:30 AM and the suggestion of the vet tech was to re-introduce slowly for about an hour. I took Leo in the bedroom with a towel over the crate and set him on the floor, this was about an hour later-- I waited until about 8:30 to do this. Vincent acted ok for a few minutes but then went up to the crate  then and hissed and growled after I pulled back the towel a little. He ran under the bed. It's been about 45 minutes with Leo sitting quietly in the crate, not hissing, only chirping and meowing softly, and Vincent under the bed. I put the towel over the crate fully. Even thought he's under the bed, we're leaving Vincent alone during this. He's not hissing or growling or charging the crate, and we're only go to give this a few more minutes before removing Leo and separating again. 

We'll try again later.

We're heartbroken about this. We've become so very attached to these kitties. It was very traumatic losing our 14 yr old cat and we adopted these two with such high hopes. I've had cats my whole life and never dealt with this before. 

Does anyone have any steps for reintroduction that we can follow to try and make this better? I think I'm doing it as best as I can, but how long might this take?

It seems like once this happens, most people's cat never recover. I'm terrified we may have to re-home one of these cats. How do you choose?  I feel like I made a big mistake adopting 2 and no I have no idea what to do. 

Now it's been 45 minutes, I've removed Leo again, he's separated with his stuff in another room. Vincent came out briefly after I moved Leo but he hissed and growled at me. He seems to only be fine after several hours and being sure that Leo isn't anywhere in the room.

I'm devastated to say the least. We're both devastated. My boyfriend is so upset he won't let me talk about re-homing Vincent. I don't want to, but I can't stand that he might be miserable forever in our home if we can't get him to be ok with Leo again. He might be better off as an only cat in a different home because at this point it's only Leo setting him off. 

I'm just sick over this. I need some help.  

First thing first - take a deep breath.  Now take another one.

Then set about introducing the cats as if they've never met each other.  In a way, they haven't.  They do not recognize one another - due to the stress of the sighting of whatever set them off, or maybe due to the ensuing fight.

You may be rushing rehoming one of them.  It sounds like you may have been apprehensive about adopting two and are trying to "correct" that.  Remember, it may take a few days or even a few weeks for things to get back to normal.

Sometimes, cats are like people.  Sometimes one gets grumpy for no apparent reason and takes it out on the other.  That, by itself, is no reason to end the relationship.   It is a reason to examine the relationship and see how things can improve.

Our oldest cat decides once in awhile that he's going to push the others around.  At the first sign, I ask him if he wants a time-out.  He's learned that means about 10 minutes alone in a huge crate we have.  He usually calms down after that, although not always.  But usually just the threat is enough now.

Thank you. I am willing to do the hard work to try to make this right. First things first, I'm keeping them separated so I can get the one freaked out cat to the vet this afternoon to see if there's anything medical going on. 

Here is a link on introducing cats.  Just take the time and don't rush the steps.  http://www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

Ask the vet for some suggestions too.  It sounds like the neighbor cat set one of the cats off and he/she took it out on the other cat.  This is more common than you think. 

I would get a couple feliway diffusers to help diffuse some of the tension.  You might also try some Composure feline treats or liquid.  Give it to both cats.  It' s calming agent that doesn't sedate, just calms the cats. 

Try looking at Jackson Galaxy's site.  He has lots of ideas about cats that show redirected aggression. 

Thank you!  I am going to try the diffuser. It came highly recommended by someone else who has had this problem. I am about to go to the vet appointment, so I'll ask first.  I was reading Jackson Galaxy's web site, but it had trouble loading in my browser so I didn't get to read it all. 

Thank you all. I'm feeling more hopefully, I know it's important to be as calm as I can. It's hard, but I know I need to be for them. 

I took Vincent to the vet. Turns out he had a bad bladder infection. So he's still isolated with some meds and such, clean litterboxes just for him and lots of water around. I'm hoping once he's back to normal from sickness then we can start some reintroducing.

My vet said his pee might have started to smell weird and different, could be why the other cat may have picked on him and could be the source of his anxiety and fear. Poor guy was in pain!

Anyway he is still a bit hissy right now so I'm just trying to respect his space and not let the other cat get in his business until the antibiotics start to work. I guess time will tell if they go back to normal or if this constitutes a full on intervention and reintroduction. The vet seems to think once he's feeling better and if his urination habits go back to normal they will recognize each other.

I'm cautiously optimistic. And I emphasize caution. I don't want to pull anything out too soon.

Oh - although it's too bad poor Vincent is sick, this is actually good news!  The vet is correct - his pee smell probably frightened Leo.  Once Vincent gets better, reintroductions are bound to go better.  Thanks for the update!

I am so glad you took Vincent into see the vet and he will be as good as new soon.  Leo most likely picked up on something different and it through off the balance.  Hopefully reintroductions will go smoothly once Vincent is feeling better.  Thanks for updating us.

Vincent is still pretty upset. He still won't let me come near him. I'm worried that I won't be able to give him his meds since he's not letting us touch him. Even getting him to the vet was hard. Although I think getting him into the crate surprised him because he went in fine but that's because I have him a treat and scooped him up mid chew to put him in a top opening cardboard crate that works next for him.

But I'm still worried about having to give him meds. I shut him in our master bedroom because it's bigger and has more room for him to find a hiding space. I don't want him to feel trapped. I think that frightens him more. I don't officially have to try to give him meds int the AM but I also have pain meds I can give him but he won't let me touch him to give them to him. It's in a little syringe but I have to really hold him down for that. I wonder if that might be way more traumatic.

I might have to call the vet first thing in the morning to see if I can take him in for another shot of antibiotics.

Is the meds a pill or liquid.  If it's a pill, you can buy pill pockets that are like a treat.  It the pill is large you can cut it in two and use multiple pill pockets.  Cats just love it. 

If it's liquid, you can try mixing it with Gerber stage 2 chicken or turkey ( no added spices, just meat and water).  Most cats love it.  You can also mix it with tuna or tuna juice.

His pain meds are liquid and in syringes already made up for me. His antibiotics are pills cut into 1/4 pieces. I can dissolve them in water and shoot those into his mouth too. However, you can shoot liquid into the mouth of a cat that is so upset that he growls, hissed and hides anytime you come into the room. He is distrustful of us at the moment.

I tried to dissolve a pill into his smelliest favorite tuna cat food and just a little bit of food out for him but he won't touch it. I left him with it for a couple hours. He def hasn't been drinking or going to the bathroom. He hissed any all the treats I tried so far even his most favorites. I haven't tried pill pockets on him but my older cat ate around her meds and ended up not eating her pill so I already have a sketchy view of those. But I'm willing to try them. Vinny used to be very food motivated until his personality 180 on Thursday night after that cat fight.

I called the vet to beg for help. I've been a cat owner all my life and I've never been scared if handling my cat until now. I've never experienced this. Vinnys just different for sure. I think I'm going to see if they will keep him at least over night to get a jump on antibiotics and maybe see if they'll do blood work to see if anything else might be going in besides the bladder thing. I know cats systems are very connected and bladder issues and be connected to something else too. But mainly I don't think our home is doing anything but stressing him out. He lunged at my boyfriend last night when he was sleeping. He was hissing and growling at virtually nothing although I'm thinking it was pain. I feel terrible that I can't handle him enough to give him his pain meds. I've given cats all kind of meds all kinds of ways, I pet sat for 13 years and never had a cat this fearful and angry and never come down from it. He's not diffusing like he did yesterday, not since he came back from the vet. That's why I think the house is too stressful for him and we can't give him the help he needs. So I'm waiting for the vet to call me back now.

Thank you all for your help. We don't really have many friends who are cat people so there's not a lot of sympathy going around for us. To many he's just a cat. And the way he's acting illicits silly or rude comments that we should just get rid of him. Not here. You have no idea how much it means to get responses.

Thank you again.

Poor Vinny!   I am sure part of his behavior is due to not feeling well at all.  He is probably in pain and just wants to be left alone.  I definitely would call the vet.  They may be able to give him a shot that is a long lasting antibiotic that would jump start his healing.  Then you could try again to give him the meds when he is feeling better and possibly more cooperative.  Bloodwork is another good idea.  It will give you peace of mind too.

Last year when I had to give a stray/feral I brought into the house meds for 21 days I thought I would go crazy.  I could not handle him so everything had to be mixed into the food.  I had to try 3 different types of meds to get one that fit in a pill pocket and he would happily eat.  My other alternative was to hire a vet tech who would come to the house and give him the pill.  They charged $10 per visit.  That might be another option. 

All of us here love cats and know what it means to have cats as a part of our lives.  I constantly hear comments about just putting the cat outside to fend for its self or why would you want a cat that hides when people come over??  It's crazy.  We are all supportive here.

I hope Vincent feels better soon.  Keep us updated!!

Update! A vet tech came by the house and helped us pick up Vincent (we live literally a mile from the vet), which was super nice of them. I am going to have to write them a thank you card!

Vinny's bladder is engorged again. Not surprising since he didn't go to the bathroom last night.

1) I have two litterboxes for him, both open with no tops, one is his normal one and the other is a new one that's got lower sides so he can get in and out easier. How can I make them more enticing? Try to break the negative connotation of litterbox = pain so he'll use it. Cat nip doesn't seen to be a very big deal to him, never really has.

2) I want to clean up the house a bit. I think the negative association of the smells of this being the house of pain for him might be bad to bring him home to. I can do normal every day stuff like make sure there's clean bedding and vacuum and stuff, but what else should I consider?

3) the vet mentioned bathing both our cats so the smell the same. I prob can handle Leo although I'm sure he'd hate it. I haven't bathed a car in literally 15 years or more. What's the best way, some things I need and a cat shampoo I should use? How do I bathe vinny when he gets home knowing it could traumatized him more? Maybe a plastic tub in the sink and a cup to pour warm water over him?

4) I have a calming diffuser now, but what else should I try to have ready for vinny when he comes home? The vet did mention some anti-anxiety type meds very short term so we can manage him if he's super anxious and fearful when he comes home again. Should i ask for then to give him some before I bring him back in the house and then a shirt supply? I've heard controversial things about this but since it's short term and maybe in his best interest at least so we can keep him comfy it might be best.

They are going to keep vinny over the weekend and cath him so he can urunate freely as well as manage his pain and his antibiotics. I think Monday evening is when we pick him back up as long as the blood comes back ok. They are going to run that this AM too.

After seeing how stressed he was in our home it's hard to believe he'll come back "good as new" after the trauma I'm sure this has caused, but I'm hopeful. Also sad that he was so stressed out in his own home. I can't bear to see him miserable here, and if he's constantly in a state of fear here how can I keep him a prisoner in his own home? That's what it feels like I'm doing? I just desperately want to do right by this cat. I'm not rich and I know this is going to be costly. However we do have pet insurance so I'm going to try not to think about it and just deal later.

Thank you for reading and giving advice.

I'm so glad the vet tech came over to help you, that was very nice of them, indeed!  

1)  You might try some Dr. Elsey's litter and/or cat attract.  I got some for an older cat who was starting to go outside of the box and it really worked.  

2) Enzyme cleaners like Nature's Miracle are great for getting cat smells out of floors, walls, etc. 

3)  How about waterless shampoo if you think a regular bath would be too traumatic?  It's sort of a foam that you put on them and rub it in their fur.  I've used it on a couple of older cats.  It smells good and it's more like petting or rubbing to them so it's more enjoyable than an actual bath.  You rub it in, and dry them off with a towel, no need to rinse.

4)  we had to give our cat Jake some acepromazine short term for exactly the same thing you are going through.  Something happened over a weekend when we were gone and a cat sitter was taking care of our cats--we think a neighborhood cat got him all worked up but when we got home, anyway Jake was attacking us, the other cats--it was really awful.  I was afraid to be in the same room with him.  The vet suggested a short term of acepromazine.  It worked miracles.  He was only on it for about three days.  It calmed him down and sort of broke the cycle of agitation and aggression he was in.  After about two or three days (I don't remember exactly but it was very short term) he was okay and we didn't need to give him any more.  I still have some on hand in case he gets over-agitated or aggressive, but i haven't needed to use it.  Your vet giving Vinny a dose before he comes home may be a very good idea.

Good idea to have the vet run more tests and take care of him for the weekend to make sure he gets the antibiotics he needs.  It sounds like you're doing all the right things.  

One more thought--Jake went through another spell of yowling constantly during the day.  (Turns out he had gone deaf and the poor guy was having a hard time adjusting to his new state of being.)   I bought him a calming collar here:  http://www.calmingcollars.com.  It's filled with herbs--which also makes his fur smell really great!  :-)    It worked great for him.  He really calmed down significantly.  I left it on him 24/7 the first week.  Then he got it wet so I took it off to dry it out but he didn't seem to need it after that.  I hung it up in the room where he sleeps, mostly for the nice scent but I figure having the calming herbs in his sleep room can't hurt.  

The suggestions above are fabulous!!  I too was going to suggest the Cat Attract litter.  You can either mix it in with fresh litter or just use it all by its self.  I have used it a few times.  Make sure you start with a fresh litter box that is clean.

I use Composure feline treats and Composure liquid max.  Both are helpful, but a short term of the prescription meds might be a way to start.  You could then use the Composure and/or calming collar when you are ready to stop the prescription.

Cats don't like strong smells of cleaning or deodorizing air fresheners.  My cats are very sensitive to scent and hate when I even burn scented candles or try plug in air fresheners.  Their sense of smell is so strong that it may irritate them.  Just do your normal cleaning and don't add any strange new scents.

When my two boys were having problems with each other, my vet also suggested the bathing of the cats to make them smell the same.  It freaked me out as one of the cats was a stray/feral and I knew there was no way at all to bathe him.  I instead wiped each cat down with the others scent.  I used a clean small hand towel.  It is important to do this to Vinny before he has contact with Leo as Leo may be freaked out by the strange scents Vinny brings home from the vet.  So try to wipe Vinny down with a towel that has Leo's scent on it before you bring him home.

So glad you were able to get him to the vet and he can stay there and have proper care all weekend.

Such great suggestions! I use dry human shampoo on occasion but I didn't even think they would have that for cats. I've also seen the calming wiped that have a calm scent to them. Don't know how that'd work but maybe?

My cats like feline pine pretty well. I haven't used other litter with them ever. I'm weary about changing his litter but maybe I could use a little cat attract with his pine.

Should I clean the boxes again? I usually wash them about every 2 weeks with warm water and a tinge of apple cider vinegar which is what I use to clean my house with too. After they dry the cats love to get in as soon as I put in fresh litter they both usually poop and pee in them both. Then usually come running out of the bathroom squiggling their tails straight up in the air, that's their excitement tail.

How long would you suggest I keep Leo an vinny completely separated after I bring vinny home? I was thinking until I'm sure he's ok with us (his humans) and def using his boxes ok and back to eating. Then I can start reintroductions? During his calm time is when I should rub Leo's scent on him? While still isolated and before I have reintroduced them?

Some things are going to be trial and error.  For example, calming treats work great for some cats--but mine won't touch them!  You'll have to try a couple of things and see what works.  

I wouldn't switch litter entirely to a new kind while he's gone--maybe mix the old kind with some of the new.  However, I think I've read that the cat attract doesn't work with wheat or pine based litters--I'm not positive about that, you'd have to read up about it.  Cute about your cats being excited about the clean litter boxes!  It certainly wouldn't hurt to clean them before Vinny gets home.

It's hard to say how long the separation will need to be.  Waiting until he's okay with his humans and seems calm and more back to normal (eating and using box) is a good idea.  It sounds like you've got a pretty good idea already of what to do.  :-)

I wouldn't switch the litter either since you use Feline Pine.  The texture is just too different and it might just cause another issue.

I would keep the boys separated until Vinny is ok with you and seems to feel better.  If he seems relaxed and content you can start the scent swapping, but if he's agitated I would wait a bit and allow him to adjust to you and his home again. 

I would just make sure the litter box is clean and it's what he is familiar with. 

Hopefully it will all go smoothly when you bring him home next week.  He should be feeling better by then too!

I'm trying to put pen to paper tonight to do some research and come up with some plans of action and some alternatives if plans don't go my way.

I decided to vacuum the entire bedroom, master bathroom including baseboards, the cat tree, wash all bedding (human and cat) and opt for warm water and alcohol to clean the tub as it was one of vinny hiding spots when he was upset. It was suggested to use something with a mild odor that dries quickly on a website I looked at.

Leo has feline asthma so I can't burn candles or use deodorizors anyway. I tend to clean my kitchen with vinegar and water anyway but I thought maybe the vinegar would be too much for vinny. Although they are used to it, I'd say with the way he's been acting anything he's used to goes out the window a bit.

I bought a feliway diffuser too but I'm not sure if I should start it before vinny comes home or after. I kind of feel like it'd be for Leo anyway. It's not recommended in a bedroom so I was thinking our great room since that's where they spend most of their time when they are actually together.

Then I'm going to look into the calming treats, the liquid drops too. If I have to give him med, I'm going to grab pill pockets and as far as food goes, I wonder if I should buy a few of the smelly flavor wet foods he loves. Generally speaking Vinny was very very food motivated and not a picky eater. Leo is pickier and a more daintiest eater but very treat motivated. He has been trained by treats to sit on top of a vertical cat scratch post to encourage him to stay off the counters. Vinny never tried to get on counters and generally he was better behaved and less mischievous than Leo. He was shyer and perhaps less confident.

I'm so worried about bringing vinny home. Does anyone think taking him to the bathroom where one of his litterboxes is and bringing in some enticing food when I bring him home and shutting him into that smaller space with me for a little bit would be ok? Maybe for an hour before we open up into the master bedroom? Or based on how he reacts? I was thinking a little snack in carrier with a light sheet over it for a bit, see how he does and then remove sheet, wait, then full bathroom over the course of an hour? I don't want to go too quickly.

And should I be sure to not wear clothes that Leo has been wallowing on me in? I am not sure about that. I guess it could be good but it could also set him off.