Tips for a submissive cat ?

My sweetest most beloved cat seems to be at the bottom of the pecking order and is being intimidated by the 2 oldest cats. One swats her if she gets too close and the other hisses at her. This breaks my heart and I do scold the offenders when I see it Mind you, she has been in the household since Halloween 2001 but I've only noticed this behavior recently

I'm wondering if *I* have caused this because they all share one litter box and their food and water. I free feed dry food so it is available all the time. I have a pet fountain for their water. I added a second bowl of food and water last night (and may add a 3rd) and I'm considering adding a second litter box. I know the "rule" is one box per cat plus one but there is NO way I can have 5 litter boxes. Even when I had 2 they rarely used the 2nd one. I eliminated the 2nd box over 18 months ago.

Is there anything else I can do to make the household more harmonious ? Pooh is recovering from a URI and now I'm wondering if this was caused by stress !

Is Pooh the submissive cat? Her illness may be making her smell different to the other cats. Try dabbing some vanilla extract on all the cats' noses, chins, and the bases of their tails to make them all smell the same.

I really think the best thing you can do is just leave it alone. The cats have set up their status levels, and if you interfere by trying to elevate the cat on the bottom, the other cats will not be at all happy, and they'll just take it out on the other cat.

Oh, OK, I just reread this again and picked up on the "recently" part and the "recovering from a URI" part. That may be a factor. But still, I'd just wait it out. If that's the reason, then things will improve over time.

You should at least have three litter pans, especially with one cat having a UTI. Also put down individual food bowls and extra water dishes. It truly does help in a multicat home

My mom used to scold her dominant kitty, Dylan, when he got aggressive with his companion, Sassy... until we finally realized that Sassy had no way of knowing which one of them Mom was angry with!

All the scolding did was scare BOTH kitties, so she gave it up. Instead, we started making calming sounds, gently putting our hands between the kitties, petting them both, while murmurring or even singing quietly to them. It seems to bewilder them, and it certainly distracts them... and they usually forget to resume the fight. :-)

My foster Sugartoes smacked Garfield today. I know she took alpha status when she moved in. She gets the sunniest window sill, etc. But to see her whack him for coming to close to the trash, that I just told her to get out of-really struck me wrong!

I just keep my mouth shut, because I don't think it helps to try to interfere too much. I do try to intervene between my outside cats, by telling Will to "be nice", or sit and pet them both as they eat quietly.

I think it is due to her having been sick. And extra litterbox may help. Even if they don't use it much, if she needs it, it will be there for her. And if she is being "abused", you could give her time outs in a separate room for a period of time.

Good luck with your babies!

Originally Posted by MeowsersMom

Is Pooh the submissive cat? Her illness may be making her smell different to the other cats. Try dabbing some vanilla extract on all the cats' noses, chins, and the bases of their tails to make them all smell the same.

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Yes - Pooh is the submissive one and you're right - the antibiotics may be making her smell different. I've seen the vanilla "trick" mentioned here before so I'll definitely give it a try. Thank you !

Originally Posted by hissy

You should at least have three litter pans, especially with one cat having a UTI. Also put down individual food bowls and extra water dishes. It truly does help in a multicat home

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Hissy - it was a URI, not UTI .. wrong end

I'm going to put food and water and a litter pan in 2 separate rooms and see how that goes. Thanks to all for your insights !

It is difficult - there will always be one cat at the bottom of the pecking order in a multi-cat house - here it is Napoleon, partly because he is so small and really timid - he is afraid to eat with the others, yet when I give him a bowl away on his own one of the others will come over at once and push him away from it. So he goes and sits in a corner until everyone has finished and then comes looking for his. I have to make sure he gets enough. Yet when I came home tonight he and Persil were playing chase each other round the living room. So he is not totally ignored. I would look after Pooh's physical needs and let the cats sort everything else out.

Originally Posted by MeowsersMom

Try dabbing some vanilla extract on all the cats' noses, chins, and the bases of their tails to make them all smell the same.

Click to expand...

I've tried this and was VERY unsuccessful with it. Beauty got sought out more. I asked my vet why and she said that most cats hate the smell of vanilla.

The vanilla trick works for some not because cats are supposed to like the smell, but supposedly because it makes them both smell the SAME. I guess if you're a cat, you can't be enemies with another cat that has the same smell as you do.

BTW, I tried this once and only ended up with two cats with sticky fur that still disliked each other.

One thing with the vanilla trick...you have to use the good vanilla. No extract. 100% pure vanilla is the only kind that will work, because the extract has so much alcohol that it will evaporate away too fast.