Help with territorial cat

Things have been going well. I know there is a little stress in the house not associated with the cats. My mom and I are the only ones working at this point. I try my best to keep my stress levels down and whenever I do I always try to calm down by playing with the cats or petting them and telling myself and then everything is going to be okay and everything will work out. Scent swapping is going pretty good still. I just pet Honey with an old tshirt since she doesn't have a specific area she really hangs out. I try to get them up high, but no cat tree yet. Should I get that first as opposed to the scratching posts?

Very good. Your parents really are great to be supportive so please let them know you appreciate them. Sincere words are sometimes more important and meaningful than "stuff". True love is more powerful than anything. With a positive attitude and a good work ethic things do work out in life. Hang in there.

Great that you are doing the scent swapping with Honey. That will help a lot, you are doing the exact right thing.

I would probably get them the cat tree over the scratching post if possible. They should be able to scratch on the stalks of the cat tree so it should help them scratch and be able to go high.

I try a lot with scent swapping. It's a little more difficult than anticipated because Honey still goes outside. I did talk to my parents about transitioning her once I can get everything. They said that was fine, but I have to buy and install everything myself. I'm fine with that.

As far as everything else goes.... I don't see a lot of improvement yet. Gabriel saw a cat last night through the window. I have no idea if it was Honey, but he is still reacting the same as he usually does when he sees another cat. This morning I put him in my parents room and they gave him crunchy food. I left my bedroom door open and Patchy had no problems going up to my bedroom door and eating her treats. Honey had more of an issue and only came halfway up the hall (I think part of the reason was my dog). Would it help to get feliway diffusers for the house? I have the spray and have had a lot of luck with it for spraying kitties in the past. Maybe it will help them all feel more secure?

Just keep up the scent swapping. Even with Honey going out it should help. Always try to associate the other scent with good things (food, play, if possible love).

It is not uncommon not to see improvement yet, sometimes it takes a little longer.

Do you have a lot of cats around the house from neighbors or ferals? We need Gabriel to feel confident that he owns his territory. Keep building his confidence with play, food, height and love (even if the love is eye kisses or sitting by him and talking calm and confidently to him). Anything to build his trust and confidence and ownership. He acts out out of fear and insecurity most likely.  

Great that you did some site swapping. How was Gabriel in your parents room? Do the other cats spend a lot of time in their room? When he was in your parents room were you able to play with him and feed him? So glad Patchy did well with the site swapping. Honey just needs to get trying and building her confidence and trust. The more she goes into "his" room without incident the more confident and secure she will feel. Sometimes it takes time.

I personally don't use feliway. I know some people have success with it. Since you have had success in the past as long as you feel it is worth the money then it might be worth a try.

I think we really need Gabriel to feel safe and secure and that he is accepted and loved and that he belongs and owns the home. I am guessing he had a tough start to life so he hasn't felt as secure as others. If we can build his confidence I think we'll see him be more accepting of the others. Play and food will help a lot and any love you can give him (even if it is just eye kisses and talking to him) it should help.

If you feel time constraints try to focus on building his confidence. A lot of play then food. Get him up and try to give him as much love (without putting yourself at risk of being hurt) as possible. Even if it is just sitting with him and talking to him calmly and confidently. Anything to give him confidence and security and for him to feel that this is home.

Hang in there, if anyone can do it I know you can.

We do have a lot of strays around. Gabriel does fine in my parents room. My parents fed him and pet him when they were in there. I wasn't home for the ordeal the other night. So, not sure who he saw. All I know about his past is he was probably born to a feral and neutered at a feral clinic as the tip of his ear is missing. My roommates when I lived in Utah found him meowing in the snow around Christmas and I came back with him to Vegas not long after. He's still pretty young, but probably a year and a half by now.

My dog was literally up Honey's butt this morning and I'm not sure why, but Honey doesn't like loud things or sudden movements. Since she was a baby she's been like that. I'm hoping the cat tree I ordered today will help her and I'm going to get a toy called Da'Bird to see if that peaks her interest more than other things since it mimics a real bird.

The strays could be causing some issues fueling his insecurity. Tough to keep them away but there are some solutions.

GREAT that he did well in your parents room and that they did such a good job with him. VERY helpful in his progress.

Hopefully Honey will build more confidence as it will help. Hopefully when Gabriel gets more confident and more secure he'll be more likely to accept the girls and that will help Honey feel safer and more secure.

I'm not sure which solutions there are. I've been trying to feed Honey inside because of that. Usually when the strange cats see my dog they run away. It's really sad that people just dump their animals and that there are strays/feral cats. I actually had to dispose of one that was run over by a car. That's a reason I want Honey to be inside.

I'm hoping once I get this cat tree and set it up by the window that honey will come in and lounge on it more often. Patchy has problems climbing and jumping because she's old (shoot, Honey will be 13 in May), so the next thing I'll be purchasing are shorter cat condos she can hang out on. Maybe along with the diffusers for the feliway. The spray really seems to help a lot, but I forget to use it every day.

UPDATE! Gabriel is eating his crunchy food on patchy's towel! I couldn't get him to do that before. He only ate next to it or was so focused on the towel he wouldn't eat. 

There are a few things that can help keep ferals/strays away. There is an ultrasonic solution, a motion activated water sprinkler, and some cat repellent fragrances. Here is a link to Alley Cat Allies that suggests some solutions. http://www.alleycat.org/resources/how-to-live-with-cats-in-your-neighborhood/

We can talk more about the above and if it is necessary.

It is very sad that people are not responsible. You may want to contact Alley Cat Allies and ask if there are some volunteers in your area to do Trap/Neuter/Release. I do it in my area and have had great success as have many others.

If they have trouble going up then you can just focus on using food and play if they can and also as much love as possible to build confidence. 

GREAT!! So glad that Gabriel is associating Patchy with good things (food). Fantastic!!  Really well done. keep up the great work!!

Gabriel is doing pretty well. I think I want to do scent swapping for another two or three weeks. Honey on the other hand, this is the second day I've shut her inside to eat. She doesn't like it. She walks around not so confidently and is always on the lookout for the dog or Gabriel. The only place she'll eat is by the back door so far. I'm hoping she'll be better with the cat tree. Patchy comes to my bedroom door without much of a problem for her morning treats. She still looks for Gabriel, but not as much as Honey. Patchy is easily distracted by food and love. Honey is a little more difficult. Gabriel doesn't seem to care a whole lot. I'm coaching my parents with how to do things and what to do as they give Gabriel his morning treats in their room.

I did TNR once and caught probably 50 cats in one summer. This is a new group of cats that I am watching closely. They're really only out late at night and I actually hardly see them. 

Great Gabriel is doing well. Keep up the scent swapping, hopefully he does well and we can at some point soon move to the next step.

Keep trying to build Honey's confidence. It is really important that she is more confident inside the house. If you can move the food slowly more into the house that will help. Anything to get her more comfortable and feeling secure will help when they see each other.

Patchy sounds like she is doing well.

Gabriel has been enjoying the extra play time and flies that come into my room (he enjoys their flavor apparently). Honey did better this morning and ate her normal food farther away from the door than she had been. She wasn't as panicky either. They cat tree should be at my house tomorrow. I'm excited to get it and get patchy off our kitchen counter and onto that!

GREAT!!  Try to speak to Honey calmly and confidently. Anything to ease her concerns and let her know she is safe and secure and loved. And use food and if possible play to expand her territory deeper into the house. You can always get her scent on things and place them around the house to help her feel more comfortable as she can smell her own scent in other parts of the house.

If you can get the cat tree by a window (as long as it wont tip into the window and do any damage) that would be great so they can look out at the birds etc.

They love things that fly around. Love to hunt.

Honey and patchy aren't too much into playing anymore. Honey will be 13 in May and Patchy is probably 14 or 15. Patchy does love strings, so I use shoelaces for her. Honey still doesn't want to seem to play with anything at all. One of her favorite toys was a laser pointer. I need to get batteries to see if she'll still play with it. Today didn't go so well. For the last couple of days Gabriel has had diarrhea (sensitive stomach requiring probiotics and something called seacure), so he's only been snacking on his wet food and not eating it by the door right away. I got Honey up the hallway with treats, but as soon as she looked in my room she took off. Patchy will now go into my room if given treats. I think it's going to be way more difficult with Honey. It's 13 years of habits and her normal personality. I think some time soon Patchy and Gabriel will be able to graduate to the next step. I honestly can't tell if Gabriel will be okay with that yet though.

Hopefully she'll still like the laser pointer. Play really helps.

Did Gabriel have a PCR test at anytime since you have taken him in? I had a cat with giardia so I am hypersensitive to that when I hear diarrhea.

I think your instinct is correct. I wish Honey would just look in the room and see he is not there and that she doesn't have to worry. But hopefully when she is not attacked each time she will get more trusting. It is a process sadly.

I am not too worried about Patchy, I think she will get along. Honey is going to some work sadly.

When we get to the visual it will be with the screen door so Patchy will not be at risk. It will take time for her to get comfortable but I think she should adjust fairly quickly judging by what I know now. Gabriel might be a bit more difficult but we'll have to try to distract him. If we can that will go a long way.

Hope Gabriel feels better soon.

He did not get a PCR test, but he had a full vet check upon bringing him back here. The vet said he's a healthy pain in the butt (Gabriel DID NOT agree to receiving shots). It went away for a while and think it can also be brought on by stress. As long as the probiotics are in there his poops are normal. Did the same thing today with the cats with the same results. I'm going to take an hour to set up the cat tree today.

Try to encourage Honey to go up on the tree and scratch it. Hopefully it will help her feel more secure and give her some ownership, something safe and familiar.

Do you think Gabriel has been stressed lately? 

Gabriel has been a little stressed out. His runny poops seem to be going away though. I've started to give them Bach's Rescue Remedy and it seems to be helping. Honey is a little more relaxed. This morning Patchy got scared by Gabriel's paws going under the door. Honey came up the hallway almost to my room! 

So glad it is going away. Stress can cause it.

GREAT that Honey came up the hallway almost all the way to your room. Every time she goes that far and there is no attack or anything negative it is a positive in her development. If you can do anything to help her feel comfortable and confident in that area it will help.

It is not surprising that Patchy got a little afraid. Hopefully the next time she will be more curious about the paws. Again, anytime they can have an encounter (now by smell but soon by visual) and it ends without a threat or an attack or they associate the encounter with something positive it will help in building their confidence and security with the area and the other cat.

Keep up the great work.

Yes. I finally got the cat tree set up and patchy is definitely interested in that (maybe I can get her off the kitchen counter for good). Honey hasn't seen it yet, but I have everything crossed for her liking it. I don't have the space for another large cat tree, but I'm certainly getting two smaller ones so they have choices. After that I'll get scratching posts. I was thinking of getting another large cat tree for when I move out. My goal is to have a room just for the cats (plus everywhere else except for where I'll be sleeping).