Kitty Terrorizing Other Cats

[kittymaow]

Hey everyone,

I have a bit of a situation. I have a female cat who is about two years old now I think. She was a foster fail and came in at about 3 months old, badly malnourished and on death's door. It took her weeks to get the strength to run or start to jump or anything, and it took about another three months for her to get the courage to leave the bedroom.

For about the last year though, she's been out and about like a normal kitty, BUT she is absolutely terrorizing our older two cats, and it is only getting worse. One is four years old, the other is 11, they are both males. She's been bailing them up, chasing them, being just plain mean. They were here first by a long way and the older one is an ex-Tom, so it's a little weird how they're sort of letting her get away with this.

Anyway, I'm afraid that she's going to drive one of our cats away entirely, or that someone might get hurt. I'm not sure how she was socialized before being left for dead in a park, but she's a holy terror now.

Any suggestions for getting her to not make life for our other cats miserable?

Thanks!

 

[di and bob]

She is acting like a normal female in a house of males, they tend to rule with an iron paw and will be very bossy and controlling. One day they will take a stand, but for now you should intervene, yell NO at her and even give her a 5 minute time out in a small room if it continues., no longer then 5 min. or it will turn into a punishment and not a teaching tool. She is amazed at finding herself in a home where she can be assertive after being so weak and terrified for so long. She WILL calm down in time but I wouldn't let her terrorize your boys to the point of them being scared to be in their own home. I have one like her, and when I yell, the one being chased runs towards me for protection. As long as blood is not drawn, and they are skirmishes, not all out war, it will work through in time, they will fine their own pecking order and peace will come.

 

[kittymaow]

Thanks for the advice! I think you're right about her being a bossy female with the boys, the funny thing is, they are allowing her to do it, and I am pretty sure if a male tried what she's doing, he would be smacked down pretty quick. We are definitely intervening where possible and making sure she knows she's not allowed to hunt the boys.

What's interesting is that there was a time when the younger male was being annoying to the older male and they weren't really friends, but with age and now this common foe they have become quite attached.

I definitely don't want to let her make the boys scared in their own home. She never seems to really attack them, she just chases after them and bails them up, but I think you're also right that she's enjoying the power. We have dogs and she's the sweetest thing with the dogs that are bigger than her, but tries to dominate the smaller one as well.