I had started a thread on this earlier this year, but things have gotten worse.
Short history: I adopted Minja after the death of my beloved Hershey (pictured above). Minja is a Heinz 57 tortie who had behavioral issues and was returned to the shelter because her new guardians couldn't handle her (food issues). A few weeks of one-on-one training and she no longer has these problems. About 6 weeks later, and adoption agency I was listed with for a sable Burmese e-mailed me and told me they had just trapped one. She was not quite a year old and totally feral. I decided to adopt her also. She was a spit fire, biting and clawing machine and was kept in a separate room. Minja would stick her long legs under the door to introduce herself to the new kitty. After several months and several trips to the ER, Hershey Rose, the feral, did a 180 overnight and suddenly became an affectionate, sweet kitty. I slowly opened her door a few inches so the cats could meet but not really touch for a few days. When there was no explosive reaction, I opened her door completely. It took her about an hour to work her way out into her new world. Then the trouble started. Minja started hissing and chasing her all over the house. Sometimes they swatted at each other but never actually got physical. Consulting the vet resulted in HR being put on Xanax as her anxiety level was sky high. Eventually, Minja calmed herself down a bit. I was using Jackson's Peacemaker and Feliway the entire time but it didn't seem to do any good. Minja had established the pecking order already, so I didn't understand why she kept picking on HR. One thought was that she, being 3 years old and domesticated, was trying to play with HR and did not understand why HR would not play back. HR, being a feral before coming home with me, probably looks at Minja as competition for food or thinks she is being stalked. She doesn't know what cat play is, her only experience with play is my interacting with her. I have tried to play with both cats at once, but Minja just walks away.
This is breaking my heart as I love both my babies but I can't take the stress of them hurting one another much longer. Minja is now at the point where she hides behind the wall in the foyer and waits for Hershey Rose to come out of her room, then immediately chases her back in. She will sit on the coffee table and wait for Hershey Rose to go under it. The minute HR comes out, Minja pounces on her. It has gotten so bad that HR won't come out of her room unless I lock Minja in my bedroom. Minja is my buddy. She sleeps with me, and plays with me, licks me until I am soaking wet, and shows no hostility toward me. HR is extremely possessive. She will jump on the couch and hide behind me, so she can be with me and not have to worry about Minja getting to her. She is very physical in her affection. Definitely a mama's girl. Both cats are fed at the same time, but in different rooms. Trying to feed them in the same room results in HR's running to the safety of her own room and not eating until Minja is gone. HR eats raw, Minja eats canned food, so neither will eat the others food, therefore there is no food competition. I have tried feeding Minja first so she sees I honor her as being the alpha, but that didn't help any. Since I have to pass HR's room to get to Minja's, it is only logical I drop off HR's food first. But to keep peace, I take turns three times a day. It just seems that even playing with each cat daily does not wear Minja's stalking down, and it is now out of hand. Spraying her with water (I had to get a long-distance water pistol as she runs off very fast) does not help. Hershey Rose is terrified most of the time and Minja thinks she owns the house. The chasing and fighting starts at 4:00 a.m. and goes on all day. Today I locked Minja in the bedroom while I took a shower as she woke me at 4 a.m. by chasing HR until HR started crying loudly and I had to get up and grab Minja and lock her in the room with me. Right now there is peace in the house - I put Xanax in Minja's breakfast. This is my last act of desperation. Minja has passed HR half a dozen times and no reaction. But putting Minja on Xanax is not a permanent solution. As I said, I love them both dearly and it would just about kill me to have to re-home Minja (I have never re-homed a cat I adopted) but I am at a loss as to what to do.
Can anyone out there offer some suggestions so I can keep both cats?
Lei-Ann
Short history: I adopted Minja after the death of my beloved Hershey (pictured above). Minja is a Heinz 57 tortie who had behavioral issues and was returned to the shelter because her new guardians couldn't handle her (food issues). A few weeks of one-on-one training and she no longer has these problems. About 6 weeks later, and adoption agency I was listed with for a sable Burmese e-mailed me and told me they had just trapped one. She was not quite a year old and totally feral. I decided to adopt her also. She was a spit fire, biting and clawing machine and was kept in a separate room. Minja would stick her long legs under the door to introduce herself to the new kitty. After several months and several trips to the ER, Hershey Rose, the feral, did a 180 overnight and suddenly became an affectionate, sweet kitty. I slowly opened her door a few inches so the cats could meet but not really touch for a few days. When there was no explosive reaction, I opened her door completely. It took her about an hour to work her way out into her new world. Then the trouble started. Minja started hissing and chasing her all over the house. Sometimes they swatted at each other but never actually got physical. Consulting the vet resulted in HR being put on Xanax as her anxiety level was sky high. Eventually, Minja calmed herself down a bit. I was using Jackson's Peacemaker and Feliway the entire time but it didn't seem to do any good. Minja had established the pecking order already, so I didn't understand why she kept picking on HR. One thought was that she, being 3 years old and domesticated, was trying to play with HR and did not understand why HR would not play back. HR, being a feral before coming home with me, probably looks at Minja as competition for food or thinks she is being stalked. She doesn't know what cat play is, her only experience with play is my interacting with her. I have tried to play with both cats at once, but Minja just walks away.
This is breaking my heart as I love both my babies but I can't take the stress of them hurting one another much longer. Minja is now at the point where she hides behind the wall in the foyer and waits for Hershey Rose to come out of her room, then immediately chases her back in. She will sit on the coffee table and wait for Hershey Rose to go under it. The minute HR comes out, Minja pounces on her. It has gotten so bad that HR won't come out of her room unless I lock Minja in my bedroom. Minja is my buddy. She sleeps with me, and plays with me, licks me until I am soaking wet, and shows no hostility toward me. HR is extremely possessive. She will jump on the couch and hide behind me, so she can be with me and not have to worry about Minja getting to her. She is very physical in her affection. Definitely a mama's girl. Both cats are fed at the same time, but in different rooms. Trying to feed them in the same room results in HR's running to the safety of her own room and not eating until Minja is gone. HR eats raw, Minja eats canned food, so neither will eat the others food, therefore there is no food competition. I have tried feeding Minja first so she sees I honor her as being the alpha, but that didn't help any. Since I have to pass HR's room to get to Minja's, it is only logical I drop off HR's food first. But to keep peace, I take turns three times a day. It just seems that even playing with each cat daily does not wear Minja's stalking down, and it is now out of hand. Spraying her with water (I had to get a long-distance water pistol as she runs off very fast) does not help. Hershey Rose is terrified most of the time and Minja thinks she owns the house. The chasing and fighting starts at 4:00 a.m. and goes on all day. Today I locked Minja in the bedroom while I took a shower as she woke me at 4 a.m. by chasing HR until HR started crying loudly and I had to get up and grab Minja and lock her in the room with me. Right now there is peace in the house - I put Xanax in Minja's breakfast. This is my last act of desperation. Minja has passed HR half a dozen times and no reaction. But putting Minja on Xanax is not a permanent solution. As I said, I love them both dearly and it would just about kill me to have to re-home Minja (I have never re-homed a cat I adopted) but I am at a loss as to what to do.
Can anyone out there offer some suggestions so I can keep both cats?
Lei-Ann
