- Joined
- Sep 23, 2005
- Messages
- 364
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My oldest cat, Thisbe, has never forgiven me for adopting (rescuing) her two younger "sisters," Cushie and Marnie. The way Thisbe seems to see it, she was here first, and those other two should just drop dead. She's never stopped hissing at them and Marnie, who is still basically a kitten, exploits Thisbe shamelessly by messing with her and getting up in her face. Thisbe is declawed and the other two aren't, which means that her aggressive stance has earned her some scratches on the nose that she can't reciprocate. (BTW, I didn't have her declawed; she came to me that way).
Is there such a thing as a "one-cat" cat, who needs to not have any other cats in the household? I feel terrible, like I've ruined her little life, but obviously I love my other cats too and would never give them up.
Yesterday I had my annual open house, with about 30 people crammed into my apartment, and Thisbe just FREAKED. lol Anytime people tried to pet her (which happens quite a bit, since she is beautiful if I do say it as shouldn't), she would tolerate it just barely, then rear up and yowl and bite. She's that way with me sometimes, too, especially since the other cats came. I used to love to pick her up and cuddle her, and nowadays I can't do that unless I catch her when she's asleep and pick her up before she's fully awake. She fights like a tiger to get back on the floor or wherever. It's like she doesn't trust being held, she has to guard herself from the other cats all the time.
Does anybody have any answers for me about how I can get back the cuddle bunny I had before Cushie and Marnie arrived? Or should I just give it up and let Thisbe be herself?
Is there such a thing as a "one-cat" cat, who needs to not have any other cats in the household? I feel terrible, like I've ruined her little life, but obviously I love my other cats too and would never give them up.
Yesterday I had my annual open house, with about 30 people crammed into my apartment, and Thisbe just FREAKED. lol Anytime people tried to pet her (which happens quite a bit, since she is beautiful if I do say it as shouldn't), she would tolerate it just barely, then rear up and yowl and bite. She's that way with me sometimes, too, especially since the other cats came. I used to love to pick her up and cuddle her, and nowadays I can't do that unless I catch her when she's asleep and pick her up before she's fully awake. She fights like a tiger to get back on the floor or wherever. It's like she doesn't trust being held, she has to guard herself from the other cats all the time.
Does anybody have any answers for me about how I can get back the cuddle bunny I had before Cushie and Marnie arrived? Or should I just give it up and let Thisbe be herself?