Enlighten me please.

[kortmann]

Hi,

I've seen some behavior that I would like to understand. I had two adult female cats (litter mates) in the house getting along fine. One spayed, one intact. When the intact female got pregnant, her sister started growling incessantly. She moved out of the house after only 2 - 3 days and has been outside ever since. This seems to be happening again with the same intact female and another spayed cat (her daughter). This time, it's after the kittens were born. There is plenty of food offered. I would like to avoid having another cat living outside. How can I understand the drama and, perhaps, avoid it?

Ken

 

[white cat lover]

It is likely due to the fact that one female is intact. Unspayed females tend to be more aggressive, and other cats avoid them. Please get her spayed ASAP, there are far too many unwanted cats in the world, and not enough homes for them all.

 

[kortmann]

Hi WCL,

1. It's the spayed cats that are upset.

2. There is nothing I would rather do than get her spayed but she freaks out when I try to put her in a taxi. Being in a wheelchair, I do not have the ability to struggle with her. And no, there is no help currently available. These are my neighbor's cats and he refused to care for them even after I offered to cover the costs. There are even more irresponsible people in the world than me. This is the only one of his (6) cats that I haven't been able to get to the vet.

Ken

 

[white cat lover]

Even if they are spayed, she may have acted aggressively to them when you didn't see, and now they fear her. (I have one old cat on the farm - all of the cats are S/N - but for years she was such a mean cat that the other cats, 6 years later, still fear her)

The spayed cats may also be reacting to the hormones.

Have you considered trying to livetrap her, to get her to the vet that way? You wouldn't have to try to force her in the carrier yourself then....for some cats that is easier. I have one farm kitty I livetrap to take to the vet, she does better in the trap than enclosed in a plastic carrier.

 

[kortmann]

WCL,

Re: hormones. Small, but finite, possibility. Cat that is upset now, was not the other time. Being in the house at all times, very little escapes my observation. I may have to resort to trap when kittens are old enough to separate from mom. Better than darting I guess.

Ken

 

[samhainborn]

I currently have a cat that has cage anxiety -- if you put her in ANYTHING from a carrier, kennel, cage, trap, carboard box, etc, she freaks out. This sounds a lot like your girl, so i want to share how we get Prissy to the vet or go on trips.

You may want to invest in a harness. There are all kinds of leashes and harnesses out there for cats, and Prissy does very very well on a harness and leash. She doesn't feel trapped, and for some reason the harness seems to make her lay down and be still and calm -- I imagine it feels like she is being held. This may not be a solution for you, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of the option.

If you want more info on introducing her to the harness and getting her used to it, just let me know. Best of luck.

 

[strange_wings]

Intact kitty's scent and slight behavioral changes make her seem like a different cat to the spayed ones. They don't know what to do with the "stranger", thus want the cat gone. Cats are very scent driven.


How good is your relationship with the vet and techs? Maybe, for a small fee, you could get a vet tech that's not working on that day to help you get the intact female into a carrier and to the vet? It wouldn't hurt to ask.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Intact kitty's scent and slight behavioral changes make her seem like a different cat to the spayed ones. They don't know what to do with the "stranger", thus want the cat gone. Cats are very scent driven.


How good is your relationship with the vet and techs? Maybe, for a small fee, you could get a vet tech that's not working on that day to help you get the intact female into a carrier and to the vet? It wouldn't hurt to ask.

great idea!

 

[howtoholdacat]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

How good is your relationship with the vet and techs? Maybe, for a small fee, you could get a vet tech that's not working on that day to help you get the intact female into a carrier and to the vet? It wouldn't hurt to ask.

That's a great suggestion. Also, I'm a professional pet sitter. No one has ever called to ask me about a situation like yours but if they did I'd be glad to go help kennel a cat for my basic service visit fee. You might try looking up sitters in your area. You can do that at Pet Sitters International's web site.

 

[howtoholdacat]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

Cats are very scent driven.

You are so right. We give them too little credit for what they can smell. They've much better noses than we do.

 

[kortmann]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

How good is your relationship with the vet and techs? Maybe, for a small fee, you could get a vet tech that's not working on that day to help you get the intact female into a carrier and to the vet? It wouldn't hurt to ask.

Ah, "my" vet...

I took the first cat to act up to the only vet in town, several years before all this started, to be spayed. He was too busy to meet me.I spent almost $200 for spay and vaccinate. When I went to pick her up, he was too busy to meet me. About a year later, I ran over her foot with my very heavy elect. wheelchair. Even though I live within a few blocks of the office and I explained my situation, I was told they did not provide care outside the office. I asked if they went out to care for sick cows (dairy country). They said yes. I said I had an injured small, furry cow but still, the answer was the same. I guess you could say I have a poor relationship with "my" vet.

I've gone out of town for the other critters but it's a little far for a cat wrangler.

Ken