I’m desperate. I’ve been trying to reintroduce my cats for nearly 6 months now. I can’t bear the thought of rehoming the aggressor but I don’t know what else to do. After six months she is still trying to go right after my other cat’s neck. I can’t believe this is still not working because of one visit to the vet in December. They’ve been living with each other for more than 4 years and then my Tortie had to go get a dental cleaning. I’ve introduced them successfully before but back then the little one was a kitten. I just couldn’t live with the guilt giving either one away but this is unbearable. My husband and I have been sleeping in two different rooms because of this.Theycare fine at the gate but a few mins in and the stare down will start and Piti (the aggressor) goes right for the neck. It’s never been like this.
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My cat still tries to bite the neck of my other cat after vet visit
- Thread starter mjw
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- #2
Did anybody here have success with letting one cat stay somewhere else for a longer period and then reintroduce them from scratch again? I really don’t want to give her away but I also don’t want Tortie to get injured.
Hi. You can simply re-start introductions now and act as if they are 'new' to each other. Neither cat has to stay somewhere else to start over.
Are you sure there isn't anything still going on with the dental issues your Tortie had before? Or is she on any medications? Some cats attack others that are ill or smell differently and that can even be from some medication they are on. On the flip side, the attacker can also be ill and be aggressive to another cat.
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles
How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats – TheCatSite Articles
Why Do Cats Attack? – TheCatSite Articles
Are you sure there isn't anything still going on with the dental issues your Tortie had before? Or is she on any medications? Some cats attack others that are ill or smell differently and that can even be from some medication they are on. On the flip side, the attacker can also be ill and be aggressive to another cat.
How To Successfully Introduce Cats: The Ultimate Guide – TheCatSite Articles
How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats – TheCatSite Articles
Why Do Cats Attack? – TheCatSite Articles
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- #4
The problem is we’ve been through ALL of that already. It’s been 6 months, neither one of them is ill or on medication. I even believe they recognized each other. It’s just one of them is very territorial and dominant now. The other one is shy. They’re fine at the pet gate but if Tortie would slip out I know Piti would go right after her. It’s just so frustrating.
You've tried different calming products? There are chews, sprays, wipes and plugins.
Cat Music could help the shy one relax a little.
Granted in your case you'd think only the dominant one would need to be removed from your house but I'm wondering if that might backfire when it comes back home due to feeling insecure...? A lot of calming spray might help that though....
Cat Music could help the shy one relax a little.
This might be a possibility, especially if you were able to take each cat to a seperate place (for example, one at a friend's and one at your parents) at the same time, so that each cat smells completely different when they're brought back and hopefully this way neither feels like it has "the upper hand" territory-wise.
Granted in your case you'd think only the dominant one would need to be removed from your house but I'm wondering if that might backfire when it comes back home due to feeling insecure...? A lot of calming spray might help that though....
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If any one step was rushed at any point in time of the introduction process, that can essentially put you back at 'Square One' each and every time. Maybe they just need more time with the gate separation, if Piti is fine with that set up and doesn't go after Tortie when he can't get to her? Are you swapping spaces too, so Piti must deal with Tortie's smell throughout the home? If so, does that negatively affect Piti?
Ever consider some calming products (just mentioned above) for PIti for a while to see if that will calm him down as you stay at the 'gate' step? This might even have to be some sort of prescription medication for a while. Talk to your vet about what is going on and if they have some products they think might help.
The other thing you can do is reward Piti when he 'behaves' at the gate with a treat (Tortie must get them too!), and then be prepared for a problem by trying again to have them close to each other without the gate. Stop the attack (if it happens), pick Piti up and either say 'No' or hiss at his face (pick one and stick with it), and then put him in time out (behind a closed door) for no more than 2 minutes, then let him out. And try the whole process again the next day. But this 'corrective' routine has to be done each and every time for it to have any chance of working.
Ever consider some calming products (just mentioned above) for PIti for a while to see if that will calm him down as you stay at the 'gate' step? This might even have to be some sort of prescription medication for a while. Talk to your vet about what is going on and if they have some products they think might help.
The other thing you can do is reward Piti when he 'behaves' at the gate with a treat (Tortie must get them too!), and then be prepared for a problem by trying again to have them close to each other without the gate. Stop the attack (if it happens), pick Piti up and either say 'No' or hiss at his face (pick one and stick with it), and then put him in time out (behind a closed door) for no more than 2 minutes, then let him out. And try the whole process again the next day. But this 'corrective' routine has to be done each and every time for it to have any chance of working.
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- #7
I have abductee Feliway here but honestly, I don’t think it makes a difference. They are absolutely fine with each other at/through the gate. There has been improvement from where Piti was very agitated and pacing to now where they touch noses through the gate and seemingly paying no attention. I just don’t get how it could still be such a problem without the gate. I guess we’ll just keep trying. We’ve been living like this for quite some time now.
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- #8
I know it might seem crazy but I kind of want to give it a try. Leaving Piti with my in-laws and then bringing her back home to reintroduce. I have a suspicion that she thinks she’s the boss here and owns the territory. I want the shy cat to feel like she owns it.
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It's heart breaking, and you're amazing for not giving up!
It happened to us twice, and more than anything it's our mental health that suffered..
I've learned two things:
1. Don't be afraid to try again, and do it by the book, don't try to rush things
2. Build their confidence, especially the aggressor, with lots of games
You can also try the vanilla trick, it didn't worked for us, but some people say it worked like magic.
Here's a link to an older TCS thread with more info: Ode to vanilla extract | TheCatSite
Lots of luck!
It happened to us twice, and more than anything it's our mental health that suffered..
I've learned two things:
1. Don't be afraid to try again, and do it by the book, don't try to rush things
2. Build their confidence, especially the aggressor, with lots of games
You can also try the vanilla trick, it didn't worked for us, but some people say it worked like magic.
Here's a link to an older TCS thread with more info: Ode to vanilla extract | TheCatSite
Lots of luck!
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what D_H said 
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I don't know about positivity.. I was willing to give away either one of the cats, and my fiance*, after less than 24 hours** so... 
The fact that you're sleeping in different rooms tells me a lot about you, and how much you care. My friends, even the pet owners, didn't understand it (I never mentioned it to my family because I knew what their reaction will be like).
Let us know how it goes
* We're still living together, all four of us lol
** It was the most stressful day I had in the last decade..
The fact that you're sleeping in different rooms tells me a lot about you, and how much you care. My friends, even the pet owners, didn't understand it (I never mentioned it to my family because I knew what their reaction will be like).
Let us know how it goes
* We're still living together, all four of us lol
** It was the most stressful day I had in the last decade..
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- #13
Well, I’m glad to read you’re still all living together! I feel very bad for my husband having to sleep on the couch. He only does it for me. I hope that slowly we will be able to progress to a state where they at least tolerate each other. They used to be so cuddly with each other it’s a shame.
What else happens besides neck biting? Because cats do that quite often in play. It doesn't necessarily happen in play between equals, because they are too active for it. But when one cat is willing to submit and take it, play bites are routine. And not such a huge issue. If there was hostile intent, there would be damage.
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- #15
I’m used to them playing rough but after Tortie came back from the vet it was different. She also never used to cry out loud or lose fur. It really looked and sounded aggressive. I’m sure it hurts and is not just rough play or dominance.
Well, you are probably right, but on the other hand, this is how cats kill prey in the wild, and if there was true hostile intent there would be bite wounds. Is the biter hissing or growling? Are there roots with the pulled out hair?
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