Where is this coming from? So confused...

I am just don't get it. Lucky and Rambo have been together now for 2 months. The first week there was some hissing from Lucky but soon she wouldn't eat or do anything if i tried to keep rambo closed away in another room. Up until now they have always quite happily eaten their wet food out of the same dish. Today when I gave them some wet food for dinner, Lucky started hissing and growling at Rambo. When the growling and hissing started i separated the food and Lucky kept trying to take rambos. After a bit of this i took the wet away and left them with just the dry.

And yesterday when I was playing with them with some of their mouse toys...lucky started hissing and growling at rambo.

I don't understand...where is this coming from? They've been living quite happily for the last few months, grooming each other, sleeping together, playing together!

I am so confused...why is this happening now? and what should I do about it?

The growling and hissing over food and over toys sounds like predator/prey behavior. When a cat catches prey, it's bad cat manners for one cat to try to get the prey another cat has. So if a cat approaches, the cat with the prey will growl and hiss. Eating and play are essential excercising predator behaviors. I'm guessing this will diminish in time once your cat learns that access to food and toys is not jeopardised by the presence of another cat.

They've been sharing food and toys for 2 months without doing this....i can't figure out what triggered it this time. It happened again this morning. Could lucky be jealous of rambo?

It actually can't be dismissed into just one behavior-

here are some possibilities:

a. It's Alpha Cat time- time to really study your cats and find out who is Alpha and put the food into separate bowls, putting the Alpha cat's food down first, then setting the other bowl some distance away.

b. If they share a litter pan, bad idea. They really need two pans, three would be ideal-

c. One of the cats is becoming ill and the scent is changing, making him alien to the other since cats are so scent driven.

d. It's kitten season,meaning that cats outside may be spraying bushes, your outside walls, even your windows. These scents can easily set off even the most mild-mannered cats.

e. Time to call the vet and see if they do early spay or neuter. Some do, some don't.

Thanks hissy...i knew someone in here would be able to clear up my confusion!

Originally Posted by hissy

It actually can't be dismissed into just one behavior-

here are some possibilities:

a. It's Alpha Cat time- time to really study your cats and find out who is Alpha and put the food into separate bowls, putting the Alpha cat's food down first, then setting the other bowl some distance away.

b. If they share a litter pan, bad idea. They really need two pans, three would be ideal-

c. One of the cats is becoming ill and the scent is changing, making him alien to the other since cats are so scent driven.

d. It's kitten season,meaning that cats outside may be spraying bushes, your outside walls, even your windows. These scents can easily set off even the most mild-mannered cats.

e. Time to call the vet and see if they do early spay or neuter. Some do, some don't.

Click to expand...

Alpha cat....well...that's always been a tough one to figure out. Rambo has pretty much ruled the roost since he arrived. Lucky seemed to accept that, occasional bats him around.

They have 2 large little boxes (and they are pretty small cats). They both seem to use them interchangeable and sometimes at the same time.

Lucky has been having some nose issues lately (see Nose discharge? thread) - could that be affecting her ability to smell rambo and making him seem foreign? Though after hissing at him she starts to groom him sometimes. ( )

I know there is spraying going on outside...but that's always going on. There is an large number of outside cats in our neighbourhood (have to debate which are feral). This hasn't changed in the last while...and should be less of a problem since the windows are now closed and the A/C is on. But i'm not sure. I should probably wash down the front door etc ...what do you recommend for getting rid of the smell?

Rambo is 4 months and is going in to get neutered in 2 weeks (why do vets try and push for you to wait till after 6 mos? i noticed they charge more after that?). Lucky is spayed.


Thank you so much for the advice. I'm going to have to try separate food dishes (though who gets it first.... ), and i'll try washing down the patio and outside doors. Lucky's nose issues seem to be clearing up with the closing of the windows and A/C so i've got that one covered. As far as sharing the toys...well...rambo is a big thief and usually steals lucky's and interferes with anything she's playing with...i'm not really sure what to do about that.

Sorry so long.....

Hey Renny, a couple of weeks after I got Lightning I bought some stuff to take away odor. You can borrow it and try it out if you want see if that cleans up some of the spray smell. I am going to spray my windows & surrounding area when I get home from work today.