"rage reaction"

Greetings! I was happy to find this forum. I hope someone might have a suggestion to help with my distressing problem. I'll try to keep it brief.

I have three inside cat buddies. I've had two of them for over 10 years, Ike and Satchi, and one for almost three years, Max. Max came to live with us when he was one. (about 2 years ago). He had been kind of a stray, someone had been feeding him and his littermates. He was neutered immediately. The day after he was neutered, he was at the screen door...an outside at came up to the door and he started screaming, puffed his tail out and jumped onto Satchi, and started thrashing her violently. HORRIBLE! at this point, he still didn't know ME, so he hissed and leapt at me as well when i tried to break them up...it was awful. I finally was able to put him in the bedroom. I called the vet, who said "well, sounds like a rage reaction, you can put him on antidepressants, or put him to sleep". ! i thought these were lame options, so I read a bit more on cat behavior and kept them separated during the day when i was at work, then observing them. After a month of so of this, they were all able to hang out together and Ike and max became play buddies. Great! It's been alost 2 years of peace (as long as I keep my windows and door shut). Yesterday, Max opened the inside door so he could be by the screen door...then saw the neighbor cat, Freaked, jumped on ike...i was barely able to get him into the bedroom (he doesn't hiss at me anymore, which is good)....Ike suffered scratches on his head..not bad, but he was so scared he was panting, etc.
ARGH! I tried to bring Max out again this morning...it had been about 15 hours since this fight, and he was ok...but when ike saw MAX, HE hissed...then max hissed, puffed up tail, screamed...i grabbed him and put him back in the bedroom...SIGH.

does anyone have an idea how to deal with this? If max hates other cats...i can't make him an all outside kitty - i have about three or four cats that live around the neighborhood. He is so sweet and talkative and wacky...I just hate the idea of having to find him another home...and at the same time...he would STILL have his problems if i do find him another home.

Thoughts??? Very distressing...

Melissa

Since I could post for three hours on things that could possibly help I'll give you a great link that will hopefully help you out a bit.

http://www.greatpets.com/home/cats/b...ems/aggression

With the above link the different types of aggression are listed on the side of the page, all you have to do is click on one.

It's alot more common than people think. What you are doing now, is the ideal method. Seperating them after an incident and trying to avoid exposure is the first option. The second is as your vet advised, drug therapy. The idea behind that is once they are on medication, you can work with them to try and desensatise them to the stress factor. Once you have worked with slowly showing him new cats then you should be able to wean them off of medication.
Another useful link for behavior problems is
www.catsinternational.org

thanks very much, BadHabit and Sandie...both sites that you posted offer some good advice that i haven't thought of yet. i'm sitting here at work, praying that one of them hasn't managed to open the door and they haven't demolished each other while i'm away.

who would have THOUGHT cats can bring so much stress!!!

however, i will also consult with my vet...though i'm thinking of checking with the UGA vet school...i'm lucky to work for the university and have those resources.

though i don't have a ton of money to spend either ---i think between the articles, and the vet consults, i can hopefully work it out...

i'm pretty determined...

thanks again
melissa

hey! i have a cat that lives in my bedroom because of this problem. shes better there than some where else. and do you know i'm not the only person on here with a cat who lives in a room by itself due to fighting?

7cozycats - i hear ya! i just think max is too young and spry to be contained in the smallish area. fortunately, i have a large kitchen with doors to both the bedroom AND a door to the living room (ike and satchi's hang out currently), so i can alternate giving them larger spaces to prowl in.

i've decided to get a leash/harness for max to bring him back around the others. i let max out yesterday....but ike immediately hid and looked VERY afraid. i don't want to rush it, or make it worse...so i just herded max gently back to his area....sigh.

thanks again for the suggestions and replies..

hopefully, i can find a kitty leash today - just to use for the reintroducing, not so much to use otherwise (unless max somehow LIKES it..then maybe we can take some outsides walks!..but, one thing at a time..)

cheers!
melissa

greetings all....just a happy progress report...

I posted a while back with my problem of my 2 year old kitty, Max, seeing/smelling outside cats and then violently chasing and attacking my other, older inside cats. and i DO mean violently...
(cats he has had a loving and peaceful relationship with for 2 years...

(original post)
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...&threadid=7500

Well, it's been almost a month, and I'm thrilled to report that max spend most of this past weekend hanging with the other cats happily and in a most mellow fashion.

I have been keeping him separated from the other two cats, only bringing them together with max on a leash (7 bucks, target stores). Gradually, i increased the time from 5 minutes to 10 to 20 min. and so on....

The leash was brilliant and pivotal, becoz it helped ME maintain control of max AND of the situation. I know animals pick up vibes, and i was really nervous of just turning him loose with the other two. max adapted amazingly to his leash, and will stop and sit at the slightest tug.

last week, we had the breakthrough...ike (the one who was last attacked and most fearful of max) finally came up to max and gave him a few little licks on the head. I truly pretty much burst into tears of relief! i know many people would think i'm insane...but i love my cats...they are such fine companions....

Also, Max still sees the new outside kitties from the bedroom window, so he has been slowly desensitized to them while in solitary confinement! wow. i even saw (while holding my breath) max twitching in the closed window this weekend at an outside cat while ike meandered by him. THIS wast he moment of truth. and NOTHING HAPPENED. YAY and YIPPEEE!!!!

thank you ALL for your suggestions, specially BadHabit and Sandie.

while i realize we might have another incident in the future...not htat i'm plannign for it, i feel like i now have tools to deal...instead of having to find a new home for max.....he is so smart and affectionate and ...glad to be back with his buddies...

Cheers and yay....
melissa

Thank you Melissa for sharing the happy ending! I'm glad things worked out so well with Max.

I merged the update with the original thread to keep everything together.

Great!! I'm so happy everything is working out. I'm glad I could be of some help.

Oh I am so glad you had a happy ending. Max and his friends are lucky to have you

For thinking your way through this problem and analytically trying things to see if they work or not. Max sounds like he has adjusted well and I applaud all your efforts to find this solution for him! Bravo!!

And thanks Anne for merging these together so the whole story could be presented at once.

I'm now thoroughly late for school but I had to read this through. What patience and love Melissa has. You're just wonderful. Thanks for sharing. :tounge2:

Hugs,
JoJo
mom to Dani Night Stalker