Aggression Between Cats, Needs Help Please!

[5barkleycats]

My husband has 3 cats, all more then 10 years old. I have two cats, 2 and 3 years old. When we got married, I moves myself and my cats 1,000 miles into their home so we could all be together. Because of the distance, we didn't have the opportunity to introduce the cats before the move.

The first two weeks were ok, a lot of hissing and butt sniffing but two of his cats and my two got along right away. His third cat Oreo and my two cats do not get along. Oreo was prone to stress and anxiety before we moved in. Gronk loves to play. He and the other cats chases each other, they playfully wrestle, the play tug of war with their string but when Gronk tries to "play" worh Oreo it turns into a fight.

Fast forward 7 months and now we are having major issues. My cat Gronk and Oreo fight every day. As in, cats screaming, fur flying everywhere and they bite and scratch each other as they wrestle around the house. There has also been territory issues. My littlest cat Ichabod guards the food and the door to the basement where the litter boxes are kept. She will hiss at Oreo or even chase him when he tries to go for one or the other. My cats watch him like a hawk. Because of this, Oreo has begun to pee, and poop in the kitchen (by the food and water dishes) and in two of our bathrooms.

We have tried spray water bottles, separating them into different parts of the house, and a few other things, but nothing seems to work. Last month we had a few weeks where everything was great and we didn't have any fights. But all of the sudden everything has gotten worse. We had to sterilize and mop the kitchen 5 days in a row, and had to do the same thing in the bathrooms.

Short of finding new homes for my two cats, I don't know what else to do.

 

[Columbine]

Hi, and welcome to TCS

I'm so sorry you're having these issues. Sometimes kitty introductions/multicat households can get quite fraught, and it sounds very much like that's what's happening here I totally understand your stress and frustration with the situation - I'm having issues integrating my cats right now, so I definitely know where you're coming from.

Let me see if I have this right - two of your husband's cats and both of your cats (Gronk and Ichabod) are getting on just fine. Oreo is the problem, in that he's just too stressed out and anxious about the newcomers. With Gronk this is coming out in full on fights (most likely because Oreo is too stressed to read the play signals or accept that type of play - my girl was the same with my boys), and with Ichabod it's coming out in territory and resource guarding. I just want to be clear I have things the right way round

How is Oreo with your husband's other cats? Is he totally chilled with them, or has he always been a bit of a loner? Especially if it's the latter, I think that the best solution for right now would be to give Oreo his own room, with his own litterbox, food and water, along with comfy places to sleep and a cat tree or some cardboard scratchers. He sounds like he needs a bit of a break, and have a chance to decompress. He can still have access to the rest of the house, just with your two shut away for a while. In conjunction with this, I'd get some Feliway going, and maybe consider trying Oreo on a calming supplement - something like Composure or Zylkene (it's always worth checking with your vet before starting on any supplement ). Give him plenty of quiet time with one or both of you, and daily interactive playtime, especially in the main areas of the house. This will help reassure him, give him a positive outlet for all that stressed out energy, and help him regain confidence, both territorially and in himself.

Alongside this, I'd make sure to give your guys daily playtimes too (and your husband's other cats, if they're interested). For them, this will give them a positive outlet for their youthful exuberance, and help Ichabod 'own' the territory in a positive way (hopefully reducing or removing her need to resource guard).

As far as the house goes, try to find some more locations for food, water and litterboxes. If things are more spread out, Ichabod won't be able to guard everywhere at once. Consider opening up more vertical space, too, particularly with an eye to turning dead ends into escape routes. This will help Oreo not get cornered or feel so trapped. If he always has a way out, that alone may greatly help with the fighting between him and Gronk.

Once Oreo has calmed down and is more like his old self, you can start reintroducing him to your guys. Take your time, and don't rush things. The best time for meetings is after Gronk and Ichabod have had a good play session - that way, they'll be calmer and so more likely to chill and give Oreo a chance to regain his confidence with them. Food, especially extra yummy food, can be invaluable at this stage - just make sure you and your husband work together with this. One pair of hands can only do so much The idea is to have one person for Oreo, and one person for your guys. Maybe even do the introductions with one of your cats at a time, so your attention isn't split.

Above all, remember to give it time. Cat to cat introductions can easily take months, and rushing things can backfire later on. Time taken at this stage is never wasted.

If all of this isn't enough, you also have the option of anti anxiety medication for Oreo. This should be a least resort, but it can be a real game changer for the cats that need it.

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[sweetblackpaws]

"Oreo was prone to stress and anxiety before we moved in"...
I would consult with a vet about possible meds for Oreo. I do not think you should give up any of your cats, I think you would really regret it. I have a cat like Oreo who does not get along with the other cats. One of the cats is very hyper and aggressive and she wants no part of it. He is currently on meds (the hyper cat). So far, the household is calm. Do not give up!

 

[5barkleycats]

Lily, Skittles, Gronk and Ichabod get along fine. They sleep in our bed together and play with toys together. Lily is getting older and she cannot see a hear as well.so if she get startled then she will hiss at the other cats but other than that everyone gets along just fine. Oreo gets along fine with Lily and Skittles. But they have all need together for more than 10 years. The issues are solely with Oreo, Gronk, and Ichabod.

Thank you for your advice. We will definitely put it to use!

On another note, we just found out we have a stray cat hanging out on our porch and Ichabod has sprayed the front door. She is constantly guarding the front door and windows since we've seem the cat. We were told that this could add to the issues with the indoor cats.

 

[Columbine]

A strange cat hanging around outside will definitely increase tensions. Little Ichabod sounds like she's the most territorially insecure (resource guarding etc) so I'm not surprised she's the one who's marking to 'guard' the house against the intruder.

First of all, take a backlight outside, and check the outside of the front door. Its very likely that this stranger cat has been marking the outside of the door, which would definitely trigger marking indoors as retaliation. If I'm right, clean the outside of the door with an enzymatic cleaner (just like you'd clean 'accidents' inside). Then look at humane cat deterrents, to discourage this other cat from hanging around your house. A really old (and cheap) trick is citrus peel scattered outside (cats hate the smell of citrus), but there are a number of purpose made cat deterrents on the market these days. Sonic deterrents and motion-activated sprinklers are two of the most popular types.

 

[danteshuman]

Cats are territorial. You should see my boys watch with laser focused stares if our semi-feral enters "their" room. (He used to come in to steal food. I solved it by leaving a bowl of food in the hallway.) Chester is a known acquaintance/friend and they are still territorial. If he wasn't the top cat/fighter I think they might have batted at him. So magnify that aggression & stress by 100 for how upset your cats are about there being an intruder outside.