Loving cat turned aggressive toward sibling

[lostdrifter]

Im in a real pickle here. My girlfriend and I live a large apartment and decided to pick up some cats for pets about a year ago today. The two cats for simplicity sake we will refer to as the white and black cats; as those are there primary colors. As reported by the shelter, both cats arrived together so we brought them home together. Both are 3 years old and up until recently both cats are very loving and perfect together. Over the last year. Both have shared the same space, toys, food and water dishes, litter, everything and have never even hissed or attacked each other.

Well on the way to bed about 8 hours ago, the white cat found a stray plastic bag and decided to play with it. In the process getting stuck (its front leg) in the plastic bag and of course like most cat, when in stuck in a bag ran. So as the white cat ran around the house the black cat to our guess was running behind it as it thought they were playing a game. Well in the end after catching and freeing the white cat, it turns out it now hates the black cat. We pulled the black cat into our bedroom but after a few hours, the white cat would not stop crying at the door to get in so we decided that it might have finally calmed down and we decided to let it in... Big mistake, it instantly looked for the black cat and as soon as it saw it, attacked! They have never done this before.

We stayed up for a few hours holding the black cat and letting the white cat roam the apartment freely. But in the end the white cat simply waited till it though it had a chance to attack the black cat and did so again. Now we are concerned. A few months (around 6-8) our upstairs neighbors cat found it way into the house (we will call this one gray). When gray found its way in, it ended up attacking our white cat as it was curious. Ever since, whenever the white cat hears the gray cat at the back door it instantly goes into patrol mode. Right now both my girlfriend and I are concerned that based on prior actions of the white cat, that the two (white and black) cats will not be best buds/sisters anymore and will continue to fight. We really need advice here!

Currently we have the white cat shut into its our spare room with food, water and liter for the night. But we are scared to leave the door open as the white cat has become so aggressive. We both work the same shift and can not stay home to keep tabs over the next few days either. It is even hissing at us when we were in the room together setting it up for the night. Completely strange really, it will let us pet it but if one person left and came back it would hiss. We are also sure it wanted out to hunt down the black cat. In total we had 3 fights between the white and black cats. We have no idea what to do. The white cat is easily the more dominate personality and aggressor. 

Any advice would be awesome. Both my girlfriend and I are huge cat lovers and absolutely love these cats, we don't want things to end up with one returning to the shelter.

 

[jmljml19]

my guess is that the white cat thought that the black cat was attacking it when the white cat was in a panicked state from being stuck in the bag, and now it associates the black cat with something bad happening to it. i'd keep them separated and then slowly introduce them again, thru a gate or closed door where they can hear and smell each other but can't see and give the white cat some treats whenever the black cat is around so it associates it with good things rather than bad. it might take awhile though for them to get used to one another again

 

[lostdrifter]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]jmljml19, thanks for your reply. We woke up this morning to check in on the white cat and while she never hissed or attacked either of us she was still very cautious. It appears that her main goal was to mainly tag us with her scent as all she did for the longest time was rub on us. As for the door/gate trick we sadly the apartment we live in is an old duplex building and many of the doors have shifted so the bottoms can be easily seen under by the cats. We put some towels under the door over night so the cats couldn't bother each other.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]When stopping in to see our white cat this morning she at one point looked under the door and I think she started to get upset because she started to stare under the door and breath heavy. But later on when by girlfriend placed treats outside the door for the white one to grab, she was fine. In both cases we know the black cat was on the other side of the door. Maybe its just optimistic but we hope everything can get back to normal.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]We had though about getting some baby gates for the doors so we could open a door up but still allow for the cats to see each other. Not sure if its too soon for that or not.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]If you could, could you please list out a more detailed process, I understand the jist of what you are saying but im not sure if I'm approaching the wrong way. Should we keep the white cat from seeing the black cat for like 2-3 days? Do we then remove the towels from the doors? [/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Any advice is greatly appreciated. [/font]

 

[catspaw66]

Greetings, lostdrifter and welcome to TCS. Here is an on-site article that tells the best way to introduce cats to other cats.

www.thecatsite.com/a/introducing-cats-to-cats

If you follow the suggestions in there, you should have a peaceful house once again. The articles section, accessed at the top of the page, is like an owner's manual for cats. There are articles on just about every subject you need to know.

 

[jmljml19]

i think you're doing a good job already. you could try feeding the cats on either side of the door and then in a day or two, remove the towel and let them see each other and keep feeding them and if there's no swatting from under the door, you could switch to the baby gate with a towel over the top with just a little bit of exposure at the bottom and gradually move the towel higher and higher until it's completely off and if there's no hissing or growling after that, you could remove the gate altogether while they eat. hopefully within a week or two they'll have associated each other with positive outcomes and they should be back to normal. you could also read the above article and see if anything in that will help you also

 

[c8rams]

Okay, don't laugh, but there's an episode of Jackson Galaxy's "My Cat From Hell" where the situation is even worse than yours, and the strategies he uses might work for you.  

Season 4, episode title is "Penny Hates Puck."

 

[lostdrifter]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]So I figured I would give a status update. seems like all of the initial work failed. Being the original event happened last Wednesday Night/Thursday Morning. We left the white cat in the room on her own till Friday. The white cat did have a crack under the door to see the black cat and letting the two see each other through the door for the day seemed to help. On Friday morning/afternoon we let the white cat out and success no problems. We were home the entire weekend and both the black and the white cat lived in harmony. Then yesterday (thursday), one week and a day later, while going to bed I was clicking my fingers calling the black cat over. The white cat heard and ran from the other room behind me to get attention. As soon as she notices the black cat she again started to cry/moan very load of course causing the black cat to do the same, and then they attacked. So seems like we are back to square one. We did try letting the two interacte this morning and it seemed fine. The white cat left the holding room and the white cat came in. Then the white cat turned right back around and approached the black cat and started again to very loudly moan and cry. So we immediately separated the two.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]This time we going to be leaving the white cat in a room for 24 hours to calm down. We are going to try and keep it so both cats don't see each other for a while (24/48) hours to let everyone calm down. After that we are going to extend the white cats territory a little bit and allow the white cat more room to play and run around while keeping them separated by a door(s). We then going to install a few baby gates infront of one of the doors where we can put both the black and the white care on opposite sides. And place their food and water on both sides. We can use wet food to get them to go to the gate at the same time. But we are hoping after about a week like this we can try to introduce them together again.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Any additional Advice will be greatly appreshiated.[/font]

 

[tulosai]

Please try scent swapping during the separation period. Please try feeding them on opposite sides of the door.  Please leave them separated for longer and take things very slowly.   The article you were linked to above goes into more detail on all of this.  It doesn't seem to me from your post that you followed all the steps.

 

[lostdrifter]

@c8rams

Thanks for the advice, we just watched the video. I think that is a little more extreme case than what we have here (or at least I hope it is). So far no cats have drawn blood (with the exception of a few humans getting scratched or urinated on the floor. But got a lot of advice. We are going to swap the cats in and out of the room ever few days. We also have a nice setup where our offices are connected independently with its own door. So the car that is being separate the one of the cats into the offices without worrying about them being to cooped up. Of course the section swapping should help the cats get a smell for each other again. 

We have also ordered a calming deffuser off of amazon and picked up a calming collar for the more aggressive one already. He is hoping!

As normal any additional advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[c8rams]

All my fingers are crossed for you!  And I knew that the Cat from Hell episode featured cats with a worse problem than yours (sometimes it's good to know your problem just MIGHT be more "solvable" 

)  Regardless, as you've discovered, most of the techniques are the same...

I have 2 neutered boy kitties. They "play-attack" each other and it doesn't get out of control. But now the older one has started to sneak over to the younger one when he's sleeping, mount him, and "go through the motions."  I have *no idea* what to do,  what this means, or if it's a sign that even more dominance issues will rear their ugly heads (so to speak!)

Good luck -- keep us posted.

 

[c8rams]

Back when i first got them, I bought a botanical flower essence blend (Rescue Relief) for the stress of the transition, and it seemed to help. I put a dropper in their water bowl, but I also sprayed some on my fingertips and massaged it into the skin inside their ears, and their paw pads.

One more reminder:  your situation has got to be stressful. But try not to communicate your frustration around your cats; it will just make things worse. It's an Oscar-winning performance if you can pull it off, but try pretending that all this silly fighting is just soooo amusing, and it just rolls off your back. Hum a casual tune while you carry them to their separate sides of the door! 

 

[lostdrifter]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Thanks c8rams,[/font]

STATUS UPDATE:

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Did tons and tons of research this week/weekend on the issue! And while there are a few different variations to the methods being used they are for the most part the same.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]We have them separated at the moment. But we have opted into using baby-gates to keep them separated. This makes sure that both can see each other but neither can do harm. To be honest we have not had any hissing or aggressive noise coming from the cats (with one exception; my girlfriend had to pickup the white one initial to clean up some wet food. She didn't like this because she was locking eye on the black one. But nothing since). We have placed the food and water in front of the gates.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Since we live in a apartment there is always traffic in front of this door as it is the primary entrance for my office. We left the white cat in the office for 2 days with all the requirements and then switched the cats out and now the black cat is in the office. They will be switching back and forth for a 2 or 3 weeks maybe. Most likely we will switch them every 2 days. We want them to both get use to the sent of the other cat, but we want to make sure each cat has time to leave there scent behind for the switch. [/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Every day we are going to feed them treats and wet food right in front of the gate. So far each time both the cats have sat at the gates eating. Not really bothering each other. Also throughout the days I have notices that one will walk up to the gate and the other will in turn for a sniff or two from time to time. We have seen a few paws get through the gate but none in a violent motion (at least not in our opinion). We think its one asking the other to let them out or something playful. The rest of the time they seem to lay around the house where ever and every now and then you can catch them looking at each other from a far.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]Since yesterday was the first day with the gates, we closed the door at night to make sure that nothing happened. While we have staked two gates (will post a pic later). One of our cats (white) is a good climber and we want to be around just in case. We also closed the door while we are at work. I think if everything goes well during the week. We may leave the door open over the weekend at night while we are home. And then move toward keeping it open full time.[/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]We have also added a calming collar to the white cat just in case since she is the more aggressive. The diffuser should be in the next day or two. Once we get it I will most likely take the collar off the white cat as I think both would be a bit much. [/font]

[font=arial, helvetica, clean, sans-serif]For the most part its been fairly successful. Still not sure how we are going to introducing them in the same room. We got information from my folks that during a recent vacation my girlfriend and I were on, when they stopped down to see/take care of the cats, the white cat had hissed at them. She had never done this before. We are assuming that the cats may have become stressed when we were not home for 4 days.[/font]

 

[catspaw66]

Great bit of research and implementation, lostdrifter.  Yes, when you went away for 4 days, you interrupted their routine.  Go back to the old routine. They will sulk for a bit, but they will forgive you.

 

[gwlaw99]

Dont forget to continuously mingle their scents with a clean sock, then a brush on their face.

 

[lostdrifter]

Status Update:

We have been switching the cats in and out of the same room (offices) for over a week now. The schedual is about 2 days in 2 days out. I will add the sock trick in there. We are planning on scheduled visits starting next week. For the most part the cats have seemed fine. While neither tends to hang out by the open gate. They do go up and say "hello" to each other from time to time. They also sit and eat there treats and wet food together every day with the gate between them. So far not a single growl or hiss to our knowledge. The office door is now open full time starting last Friday. Neither cat seems to have the interest to attempt to climb or jump the gates.

For the most part what we have notices is the cats tend to be a little cautions when walking up to the gates where they both currently have food and water (on both sides). Other then that they tend to be fine. In no case have they either decided not to eat, and what we have notices, both tend to lay down in front of the door (a few feet away and look at each other). They may have some tail flickage, but again don't do anything so we are assuming they are fine. 

 

[callista]

Great! Just keep it slow, let them get to know each other again, and I think they are going to be fine.

 

[lostdrifter]

Another Status Update

Well we started some supervised visits last Friday. Cats were perfectly fine over the weekend. They were a little questionable at first but they quickly got use to each other and played a little. Then again tonight (about 8:30) walked out to kitchen and I was able to catch them right before a tussle could start. My girlfriend was on her way to the bedroom... I just don't get how everything could have changed that quickly.  No scratches but sure got a ton of hissing an hollowing.

Well the white cat will be spending the night in offices. Gates are still up and the door will be closed for night. Not sure if I want to open the door up in the morning so they can see each other. Now all 3 times it seems to have been at night. I'm starting to suspect that our white cat might have a night vision problem.

This is the longer either of them have gone without a fight (about 2 weeks). The reason for them appear to be very odd. They only happen at night and only when there is very little in the room in question.  Though, ideas and comments are very welcome... Not sure what to do.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Hm.  That is interesting that it mostly happens at night.  Cats generally know each other by scent; but if she is having trouble seeing that could make her defensive when your other cat suddenly looks different.

 

[jmljml19]

you said one cat was white, is it all white? does it have blue eyes by chance?

 

[lostdrifter]

@jmljml19.

Its kinda funny. Im using white and black just to make the posts easier to follow, but they are basically the spitting image of your forum avatar. The white one is the Calico and the Tortoiseshell is the black one. Both cats have the same yellowish color eyes.