Feline Hyperesthesia and Feral cat issues

Hi all! Hoping for a little advice. In a bit of a pickle with two members of my fur family. My husband and I have one dog,a border collie/black lab mix adopted from the shelter at 8 months old who is now 11 years old. My cat Harleigh passed away a few years ago at age 19 and the house just wasnt the same after. So we made a trip to the shelter and found a wonderful 8 year old female cat named Sheba whos owner passed away and was relinquished by family to the shelter. She came home with us and had no problem adjusting to the house, the dog or her new humans. Life was just peachy We limit ourselves to two animals because honestly thats what we can afford with food vet care and grooming costs even thought id love to save them all. Cooper the dog and Sheba both have flea and regular allergies and so require a bit extra in the vet department. 

Two years ago a friend posted on social media the her neighbor was removing and old fence and found a feral kitten trapped between two boards. The kitten was only 6 weeks old. She took it straight to the vet for medical care and kept it till she could find a home for it. While in her care she had to keep the kitten in her bedroom isolated as she had two dogs that do not like cats and attempted to attack the kitten. Also she worked long hours so the kitten was not socialized.  The vet gave her a tentative date of birth of march 1st 2015. My friend put up one last plea for anyone who could take the kitten before she took her to the shelter. there are two in my area, a "no kill" shelter and one that euthanizes unwanteds. Trouble with that is that the no kill shelter while not euthanizing unwanteds sends the unwanteds to the "kill" shelter if they cant be placed. I took her home. and named her Meakha Blu.

Things went fine i thought, meakha was very playful and as sheba was getting on in years would get aggravated when approached for play and would gently swat meakha away. When Meakha Blu approached maturity she started trying to assert dominance over sheba, albeit gently at first. I also noticed something just not right after she reached her first heat (we couldnt afford to get her spayed right away) she (meakha) began to do summersaults and gently bite her back legs for a few seconds every week or so in a playful manner....over the course of two months this increased in frequency until one day she just exploded into a bizarre episode of back fur rolling and tail twitching, growling and hissing and attacking her tail and back legs. As soon as we approached her and made eye contact she attacked both my husband and I. Before this she was, and still is very close and loving with us. I took her right away to the vet and she was diagnosed with Feline Hyperesthesia. They put her on low dose valium which didnt work and is very hard on her little liver. I asked if they could switch meds and they said they would not. I got a second opinion at a new vet and they switched her to gabapentin, a seizure and pain relief drug which seems to be working fairly well.

But now my feral little girl with hyperesthesia is constantly...and i mean constantly "picking" on sheba. Sheba cant go anywhere in the house without Meakha Blu jumping on her back and taking her to the ground. Sheba still uses the litter box and eats and drinks, Meakha doesnt stop her from that, but Meakha does chase her to her destination. Sheba is so terribly stressed the she is licking her fur off. She has multiple bald spots now. We try to distract Meakha with toys and a laser pointer and that does work for several minutes but we cant be on guard 24 hours a day every minute. I work from home and that helps, but there are dishes and laundry and sweeping and dusting and...well you get my point. 

I wanted to try feliway diffusers, ive heard great things, but when i was told id need one in every room and saw the price for each starter kit i almost passed out! Please dont think im putting money above the health and wellbeing of my furry ones, im sincerely not. Truth is, we could afford the dog and one cat, but i just could not see this little baby feral get put down simply for being born wild. also, no shelter near me will even attempt to place a special needs cat. The Hyperesthesia has made her unadoptable. I take my pet parent responsibilites very seriously and refuse to put her down. But what can I do to make Shebas life better in this situation? Sheba is a very submissive cat with Meakha now. She will lay on her back and expose her belly to Meakha to say ok...your the boss! But Meakha keeps asserting dominance anyway.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Ive got to find a way to create more peace in the house without Not being able to make the mortgage payment

Its not ALL terror though.....they occasionally sleep close like this and eat out of the same bowl at the same time even though the have their own

Oh, boy! Sorry no one responded sooner - posts can get easily lost on this site! This sounds like a major dilemma! Firstly, major props to you for taking Meakha in! It takes a special person to adopt a cat so readily, especially one they weren't prepared for, and then an even more special person to keep said cat once they learn the cat has special needs (: So I applaud you! I know it's extra work; my own cat, Missy, has FIV and having a cat with a chronic illness definitely can be stressful, and draining on the wallet, haha.

I, personally, think your first plan of action, should be to protect Sheba; it will only get more stressful if there's two ill cats to deal with instead of one, haha. I am not an expert in cat behavior (just a person on a forum who likes cats a lot), so take what I suggest with a grain of salt (:

Firstly, I would separate the cats. If having them separated all the time is unfeasible, then at least do it when no one else is going to be home with them. Here is a website that provides some good tips for dealing with a suddenly-aggressive cat. My favorite suggestions were to get a food bowl, litter box, et cetera for each cat and place them at separate areas of the house. So if Meakha is hanging around one, Sheba is free to use the other. I also liked the suggestion to provide more hiding spaces and perches, as well as the suggestion to reward desired behavior (i.e. give them treats when you see them cuddling together, like in that adorable photo you shared!) The only tip I didn't like is the tuna juice on the heads -- I really don't think Meakha's teeth should be anywhere near Sheba's head, do you? Hahaha.

This is another good article that discusses sudden aggressive behavior from one cat to another. My favorite tip (though it suggested some of the tips from the previous website as well) was to buy a cat tree or cat condo, if you don't have one already. It will let Meakha feel dominant, being literally above Sheba -- or conversely, it would let Sheba see Meakha coming and give her a bit of confidence. Finally, this is another great article that goes more in-depth on how to deal with this issue. I like because it goes into "triggers" that cause aggression between cats, as well as how to solve it. It doesn't really mention anything that the other two articles didn't mention already, but it's well-written and has a good section on reintroducing separated cats.

The Feliway diffuser is a good idea as well, though I concur that it's egregiously expensive. I considered getting one and eventually decided not to because of the cost. As a college student, the expensive immune system-bolstering food for Missy bankrupts me enough as it is, haha. If you can afford it, however, at least one Feliway is better than none -- put it in the room that Sheba is assaulted in the most, or in the room with the food and/or litter box so that Sheba can at least eat in peace (that is, if you do not get another food bowl/litter box for another room).

It might be worth it to try some cheaper alternatives, however! I've tried to gather a few together for you, though I suggest you do more research on their efficacy before buying any (: There's this, which I believe you put in their food or water (the website, of course, doesn't really elaborate), and it helps calm the kitty. Then there's this, which is a spray rather than a liquid -- you could spray it in the room when Meakha looks like she's feeling a bout of aggression come on, or spray it wherever Sheba goes to lick her wounds. These are actual chews, or treats. Obviously, don't give them to Meakha when she's actually being aggressive, as she might see it as a reward, but when she's already calm to keep her calm and reward her for being calm. Last, but not least, is this calming collar, which is basically Feliway attached to the cat's neck, haha. Research this one the most, since I think I read somewhere in my google travels that cats with hyperesthesia don't particularly like collars and it can irritate them more. That could have been a specific cat though, or a misread on my part.

Ultimately, too, you should ask the vet about it. There may be meds for feline hyperesthesia that also treat aggression. Gabapentin, as you said, treats seizures and pain -- but it is not a mood corrector, apparently, and therefore it is only treating part of her problem (the main part, but part nonetheless!) It may be worth looking into it further to see if there are any drugs for hyperesthesia that can stablize the mood, maybe. Not valium, obviously (which is a benzodiazepine). But perhaps amitryptyline (tricyclic antidepressant) or fluoxetine (SSRI antidepressant).

ANYWAY I know this was super long, I'm sorry. I hope you're able to glean something out of this and let me know how it goes!!! Keep us posted!

It sounds like Sheba and Meakha Blu are very different personalities, and have very different energy levels too - something that's only to be expected with such an age gap Giving both cats, but especially Meakha daily interactive playtime could make a huge difference. It allows Meakha to direct that youthful energy in a positive way, and will boost Sheba's confidence, hopefully helping her to stand her ground with Meakha and stop being so scared. Another thing to look at is to increase the vertical space available, which will cut down on any territorial disputes and hopefully give Sheba some space and peace.

Feliway is expensive, but it is well worth a try. If cost is a big issue, start with it in the most socially significant areas of your home (ie where you all spend the most time). Places like Groupon sometimes have deals on Feliway too, so that's worth looking out for A lot of people here have had great success with Composure too, so that may be worth a try. As with any supplement, do check with your vet before using.

I strongly suggest that you separate the cats at least part of the time, if not actually starting over with introductions. If you dont want to go that far, what about setting up a sanctuary room for Sheba that only she can access? This is very easy to achive by using a microchip reading cat flap - just program it to only recognise Sheba's chip. That way she'd always be able to get away from Meakha, and this might help her relax a little. You absolutely cannot let this situation continue unchecked though - its not fair to Sheba. The sad truth is that some cats just can't live together peacefully, and in this situation you either have to accept that they need to live separately within your home or, if that can't be done, to seriously consider rehoming one of them. If Sheba is stressed to the point of overgrooming, her quality of life is seriously impacted. Supplements or anti anxiety meds may help, but the root cause HAS to be addressed to fully resolve the issue. Make sure Sheba has a full vet check too - sometimes overgrooming is caused by pain, and she's of an age where things like arthritis could be setting in.

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Thank you both so much for your replys and advice! Ive now got a 6 foot cat tower, litter boxes on oposite sides of the house, three food bowls and four water bowls all in different areas of the house. I also purchased two sergents pheremone cat calming collars, one for each of my girls and have set up a "safe room" for sheba. She loves the laundry room ive discovered and meakha is afraid of it for some reason. I took sheba to her vet and she has a clean bill of health. Most important, the vet said meakhas aggression could be a fear or stress reaction. After putting the calming collars on both cats i was shocked at the almost immediate difference! Sheba is a lot less stressed and walking more confidently around the house. And there has not been a single attack of aggression from meakha in days! She has this comically puzzled look on her face when sheba walks past, she will lift her paw to swat but never does like "i think i wanna get sheba... .nahhhh, i dont" lol! Its pretty peaceful here now, i cant praise both of your advice enough!

Sheba out and about being social for the first time in two weeks!

ifsogirl said:

Thank you both so much for your replys and advice! Ive now got a 6 foot cat tower, litter boxes on oposite sides of the house, three food bowls and four water bowls all in different areas of the house. I also purchased two sergents pheremone cat calming collars, one for each of my girls and have set up a "safe room" for sheba. She loves the laundry room ive discovered and meakha is afraid of it for some reason. I took sheba to her vet and she has a clean bill of health. Most important, the vet said meakhas aggression could be a fear or stress reaction. After putting the calming collars on both cats i was shocked at the almost immediate difference! Sheba is a lot less stressed and walking more confidently around the house. And there has not been a single attack of aggression from meakha in days! She has this comically puzzled look on her face when sheba walks past, she will lift her paw to swat but never does like "i think i wanna get sheba... .nahhhh, i dont" lol! Its pretty peaceful here now, i cant praise both of your advice enough!

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I'm SO happy! You have no idea, I am genuinely grinning. I felt so bad for both your poor kitties and I felt for you as well, since I know it's super stressful to deal with a chronically-ill cat without having to worry about problems secondary to that as well! Comically-puzzled is such a good descriptor -- I can definitely imagine the look on her face, haha. I hope this solution continues to work for you; I don't see why it wouldn't, and at it's cheaper than Feliway at least! Perhaps someday, once their behavior is properly modified, you'll be able to ween them off the collars. At the very least, they both get a respite for now from the stress and fear. I hope you continue to see many more cuddles between them! <3

I'm really happy for you all too Great work :high5:


Sheba is just gorgeous, btw :heart3:

Foiled! Ughhhh....so dissapointed [emoji]128542[/emoji] the calming collar has failed for sheebs and meeks. Sheba is still calm but after two weeks meakha is back to attacking sheba. Ive had to resort to keeping meakha confined to a room at night while we sleep. But that seems to just make her more aggressive towards sheba. Any advice? I have TONS of resources thruout the house for both cat and a safe room for sheba, but whenever i isolate meakha, sheba immediately wants to go in the room where meakha is.... confused....profoundly [emoji]128530[/emoji]

ifsogirl said:

Foiled! Ughhhh....so dissapointed [emoji]128542[/emoji] the calming collar has failed for sheebs and meeks. Sheba is still calm but after two weeks meakha is back to attacking sheba. Ive had to resort to keeping meakha confined to a room at night while we sleep. But that seems to just make her more aggressive towards sheba. Any advice? I have TONS of resources thruout the house for both cat and a safe room for sheba, but whenever i isolate meakha, sheba immediately wants to go in the room where meakha is.... confused....profoundly [emoji]128530[/emoji]

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Oh noooooo! I'm so sorry to hear that!

The first question I have is one you've probably already answered for yourself, but I'll ask it anyway: Are you certain there was nothing wrong with Meakha's collar? It didn't fall off at all, or move out of place, or run out of fragrance or anything? I figure that's not the case, but it's worth a shot (:

Secondly, is Sheba upset about being attacked? Is she being wounded? Has she stopped eating or drinking or using the litter box because of it? There's a chance that they might just be playing again!

Before, Meakha's "playing" was giving Sheba severe anxiety, and was having an adverse effect on her. However, you said that Sheba is still calm and more than that, she's been seeking out Meakha's company.

My mother has two cats that play very aggressively. They tussle, they growl... but the claws are never out (though the teeth are, but they don't bite down hard). A victor is eventually determined, they separate, and they'll snuggle later on.

So to be honest, I'd leave it alone for now? Leave the calming collars on both of them and just monitor (closely, of course). See if Sheba resumes any of her old stress-related activities. Check for any wounds. If there aren't any, in my opinion, they might just be having a bit of fun. Maybe not Sheba's ideal type of fun, haha, but if she's not stressed or harmed by it, I wouldn't consider it a cause for worry!

hno: I'm so sorry

I don't know a lot about calming collars, but it's possible they're not as effective as either an environmental treatment (eg Feliway or other diffused treatment) or an oral treatment. Maybe look at trying one of those next?

Just to reiterate what I said before - make sure to give Meakha plenty of interactive playtime every day. The more energy you can drain this way, the less energy she'll have for going after Sheba

As nighttime seems particularly problematic, make sure to give her a really good play session (as always, followed by a meaty treat/snack ) just before bedtime. This will prepare her for sleep, hopefully giving you all a more peaceful night.

Hang in there There WILL be a solution - it just may take a little time