Help please!!! I am desperate!

(sorry this is so long)

OK first let me give some background on my cats. I have 2 cats (sisters) called Bailey who is a Ragdoll Siamese kinda cat and her sister Oakley is a domestic short hair. I guess this happens with 2 different fathers. They are 2 years old. I used to live in the Middle East (where I got them when they were 3 months old – the mother was poisoned and died). I lived in an apartment so they were inside cats… I had a small balcony where I kept the litter… they could not go outside further that. Bailey has always been more loving and required a lot of attention. Oakley was cuddly but not as much as her sister. I moved to Texas in February. So thinking it would be a good idea I started letting them outside. And they LOVE it! Problems started a few months ago when Bailey was bitten by a raccoon (we have tons here) – she was then kept inside with a collar on and antibiotics etc. and an operation to drain the puss – this happened twice! So therefore Oakley was not allowed outside also… This caused very bad feelings by Oakley….. she started hissing at her, growling and even giving Bailey a few swipes… I managed to let Oakley out sometimes but I guess she was mad coz her sister was keeping her inside…. And from there its gone from bad to worse! I started putting the cat door on “IN†evening time.. so that they would come in and then stay in till the morning till I let them back out. This was working fine till Oakley caught on to the idea and being a bit of a rebel – started to not come home at night at all…. This was very upsetting for me and was not sure of what to do… Then today (after Oakley not being around for 24hrs) came home with a cut/hole near her tail and puncture wounds on her right leg.. I have just come back from the vet – she has antibiotics… The vet suggested I should keep them in permanently or just let them out in the day time. The problem is that when I keep them in Oakley HATES Bailey and the growling is terrible. They both want to be outside. I think Bailey would adjust to being an inside again as she loves to be around me…. And is here in/out most of the day…. But Oakley wants to be outside desperately…. She even growled at me a little today…

My questions that I need help with are:

1. Do you think they would become inside cats again and be ok with that? Or would they continue to hate each other…. Also trying to keep them from running out the door when you open it is hard too.

2. Or maybe I could let them out in the day and HOPE they both come home… The vet suggested not putting out food in the day time so that when its evening they are hungry and come home.

I would really appreciate any help/suggestions…. I have no idea what to do about it.

Thanksssssssssssss

Well, if you have a large raccoon population in your area then I would say that keeping them indoors is the best thing. They may not like it, but their safety is the most important thing. I would consider leash and harness training them and taking them for supervised walks outside. If you have a house, you can also consider building them an enclosure that would keep raccoons out and them in. It's hard to retrain them to be indoor cats once they have experienced the outdoors, but it's for their own good, and with time they will adjust. My kitties are strictly indoors and I take every precaution to keep it that way. There are just too many dangers outside for domestic cats. Good luck.

Originally Posted by MusicTeacher

Well, if you have a large raccoon population in your area then I would say that keeping them indoors is the best thing. They may not like it, but their safety is the most important thing. I would consider leash and harness training them and taking them for supervised walks outside. If you have a house, you can also consider building them an enclosure that would keep raccoons out and them in. It's hard to retrain them to be indoor cats once they have experienced the outdoors, but it's for their own good, and with time they will adjust. My kitties are strictly indoors and I take every precaution to keep it that way. There are just too many dangers outside for domestic cats. Good luck.

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I agree!!

Build a cat enclosure to let them be out in during the day (attached to the house so they can come in and out), and just lock them inside after dark.

This is what I plan on doing for my six once we get moved.

Almost lost a cat myself once to getting mauled by a coon.
Really dangerous animals.

Hey,
I'm in Texas also and know the dangers related to rabid raccoons. If you have to take your cats outside, use a leash and harness. That will allow them outside, but reduce the risks of getting bitten by rabid animals (like the many bats in Austin)

Your cats are not getting along because one is ill and smells different, therefore making the ill cat a threat to the one who isn't injured. You need to make both cats smell the same, and you also need to keep your cats inside. Coons will kill cats-

Mine are both indoor kitties. Toby would LOVE to go outside...but he has finally resolved himself to having to look out the window.....he does`nt lay in wait for an opportunity to try to escape anymore...so he has adjusted.
Tedy WAS an outdoor cat til we adopted him...which means he was out in the cold all last winter. (Well...in a huge "cat house" with about 20 cats....but still i`m sure he was cold a lot of the time) He has never tried to get out. It was like he got in where it was warm and has decided to stay in.
Too many things for them to be hurt by out there...from cars, to wild animals to deseases from other cats ...and even fleas,worms and parasites from the ground or wild prey....I want them to live and be healthy as looooong as they can.
I used to think it was mean to not let cats experience the outside....but no longer!
We`d even thought of an outdoor enclosure...but even that scares me as other animals could come up to it and spread "something" to them...plus the "mini" creatures in the dirt etc

Thanks for all the advice... I will try and keep them inside and see how they get on... hopefully they will adjust to it... Also I will buy the harness and leash today and practice in the house... I think they might go for that too as I take them for a walk every evening...

I have talked to my fiance about building an enclosure over the back yard or something.... we are trying to figure something out... At least they can have some fresh air during the day....

I just hope they adjust to becoming inside cats again.... easily.... I dont want them to get depressed or hate each other even more and start big fights... Bailey is here now looking at the computer.... she is OK with being inside... but Oakley is walking around meowing.... but I have just given her her antibiotics and pain killers... so hopefully she will sleep now... poor thing

Thanks for all the advice! You guys are GREAT!!

Will let you know how things get on...

I had a long response typed out to you and the computer ate it! I guess it was hungry. It was late at night, so I made a shorter version and put that up-

To make them smell the same, there are several ways to go:

vanilla extract- buy the pure vanilla extract, not the imitation. Put it on in just dabs under their chins, on their shoulderblades and the base of their tail

brewers yeast- dust each cat down with brewers yeast, then comb them out gently with the same comb or brush

towel method- rub each cat with the same towel swapping scents

perfume- if you wear a certain perfume, spray it in the air, then step into it with your hands and rub your hands together, then pet both cats

also buy a couple feliway comfort zone room diffusers and burn those

good luck

I never realized that raccoons will attack a cat! I too am in the process of trying to keep my kitties inside. They are used to being allowed out for a short time each day. So far there is alot of meowing and sitting in front of the door looking so sad.! Good Luck...

Sorry about the whole computer eating thing! I hate that!! hahaha must be lunch time!

The problem is that Oakley hates her and thinks its Bailey's fault she cant go out... she goes by the cat door (which is blocked) then turns and hisses and growls at Bailey... today she has even chased her and attacked her twice... but if I am playing with them both (outside) they play with each other (rub noses & smelling bums etc)... I think she really thinks its Bailey's fault shes stuck inside... coz when they were first kept in - it was Bailey that was sick/had a collar on etc.... I am just not sure the scent thing will work coz sometimes they are ok with each other.... basically Oakley is in a COMPLETE MOOD with her.... Does that make sense?? She even growled at me today too..... Do you think putting her in the bathroom for a few mins when she does it will help? Bailey never attacks Oakley.... its always Oakley that starts.... Bailey then normally just flops on her side on the floor...

There is alot of meowing and looking sad around here too! Appreciate all you help!!!!

You are making the mistake of thinking that cats are logical like us. Oakley cannot blame Bailey for her not going out, unless Bailey was actually standing in front of hte door all the time, preventing her sister from accessing it. It is probably a smell thing, and will get better.

Originally Posted by jennyranson

You are making the mistake of thinking that cats are logical like us. Oakley cannot blame Bailey for her not going out, unless Bailey was actually standing in front of hte door all the time, preventing her sister from accessing it. It is probably a smell thing, and will get better.

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I guess so.... but today I managed to play with them together (for ages) ... and then after that they lay down on the sofa together... not touching but pretty close... then Oakley wanted to go out again (by the cat door) and the hissing and growling began again.... so I am not sure what it is..... but I will try and get some vanilla extract or something...

Thanks for all the help guys!!