Hello, my name is Krystal and I am sure my story will be very similar to what everyone has heard before. We have 2 calico cats who get along fine, Missy is 13 and Callie is 9. Recently a third calico cat showed up and because it was just prior to the worst of the winter weather (unusual for February but the big storms were late for us this year), I could not bear to see this little cat starve and freeze to death. The vet said she surely would have, had I not rescued her. I know that we at my house do not need 3 cats. My mother is 91 with Alzheimer's and severe osteoarthritis and Parkinson's. I have enough trouble just caring for her needs without adding a third cat to the mix. The young one is 7 months old. I wish she had been a tiny kitten since most small kittens have not had time to develop bad habits and behavior issues. This one has them. As soon as she got a sight of her older housemates, she was immediately defensive, stiffening up and making that high pitched repetitive "alarm" sound that I've never heard a cat make before. I was holding onto her and trying to "show her" to Missy, the eldest cat, who just sat there looking surprised but not really frightened. The young cat was trying to go for her, "lemme at her, I'll kill her!" I had to quickly shove her into the pet cage I had borrowed from our vet office. After that there was some howling and spitting at the 2 older cats through the bars of the cage. I was not overly worried, thinking one day soon i would let the 3 cats mingle in the garage (cat headquarters) and after some initial bad attitudes they'd get gradually acquainted.
One day a couple weeks ago the young cat was walking around loose while I was doing some outside work. My brother came in for a visit, my mother came to the door and let Missy into the garage. The young cat immediately began screaming and attacked her. She chased the older cat behind a freezer and the battle was on, I was screaming at them to stop but they ignored me. I thought the young cat would kill Missy, she had her pinned back there. Her tail was exposed and I was able to get hold of it and pull her out, then put her back into the cage. Most people would gasp in horror at handling a fighting cat by the tail, but this young cat has been EXCELLENT with me, easily handled, quiet as can be on trips to the vet (after being cage trained I think that's why she doesn't really mind being conveyed in a pet carrier). Poor Missy was upset but not injured, she went into hiding but I was soon able to coax her out and put her back into the house. The two older ones are fast becoming "house cats" who are timid about venturing outdoors, whereas they were formerly fond of roaming outdoors (We use radio fence collars on our cats, with tiny receiver boxes, which has certainly saved lives). Unfortunately the young cat seems to be a "bully" who may have been abused or in other fights in the past. She seems to view the 2 old cats as intruders on HER turf!
For a while Missy, the one who was attacked, was afraid to go into the garage where her litter pan is, I had to force her to go out. One night she pooped in the house, something she's NEVER done before. It was probably the same night after she was attacked. She has not done this again. I have kept the old cats' litter pan separate from the young cat so that her smell is not on it, and it did seem to help the older cats feel more at ease about using it again. The young cat has a new, larger, very comfy pet cage with her own bed and her own litter box. She has to stay in that whenever the old cats are walking around in the garage, or when I am away from home and my mother could forget who is supposed to be where. I am trying to make certain that the old cats do not come in contact with the youngster again. It would just break Missy's heart to be attacked again, or she could get badly injured. Callie (the 9 year old) was never even threatened to my knowledge. They have all been sleeping in the garage with the young cat fastened in her cage.
Suddenly, this morning, Callie was acting frightened and went into hiding under some garage cabinets. It took coaxing to get her to come into the house with us. She relaxed when indoors, but I wondered how long she would "hold it" before nature would force her to go to the litter box (which again, I had set up ONLY when the youngest cat was confined and not able to get to it). I put Callie out into the garage a couple times during the day, but evidently she did not use her box. There was feces in there, but I'm sure it belonged to Missy. Tonight my mother alerted me that Callie was fidgety, running around and restless, and my mom wondered whether she had pooed in the house. I walked in and could smell the evidence. It didn't take me long to find the turds in the livingroom, also some pee stain. I had to clean all of this up while my mother harped on getting rid of the youngest one, a lecture I've heard before many times. But our humane society is always full up, no vacancies, and I'm not crazy about the idea of the dog warden coming and hauling this cat away to God knows what fate. If she has behavioral problems she will have lots of trouble getting adopted and staying in a good home, the people would probably just bring her back. Maybe Callie will calm down again, as her older sister seems to have done, to the point where she will at least use the litter box. But now, the house really smells of cat poop and pee and I fear Callie will do the same thing over again. I don't understand what happened to frighten her so much. The young cat could not possibly have done anything when confined in her pet cage.
I have been using a Feliway diffuser for over a month, but with all of these troubles, it seems my money was wasted. I considered putting the young cat on Prozac but it looks like she isn't the only one who needs it!! I got a Rx for that, but it was more money wasted, the pills were the kind humans would use, and I can't shove a pill down a cat's throat. I ground the tiny dose up to a fine powder with a pill crusher and mixed it with salmon, but the young kitty only licked at it but would not eat it. I read that Prozac can have a bitter taste. I'd like to find some that would be applied on the skin of the ear, but I'm getting really sick of spending money in vain. If I have to get rid of this cat, hundreds of dollars will be down the drain, since she has been spayed and has had all her vaccinations. I don't even know that I will be living in this house forever, since I will one day be alone without enough money to keep the place up and might have to move to a retirement center...where they might not even allow 1 pet, let alone 3.
So, a lot to think about and some complex problems here. I have to be a lion tamer and referee to keep things in balance, and I don't dare forget something and have a disaster on our hands. I believe this young cat could take down either of the older ones, go for the throat and kill either of them. And yet she is so sweet with me it is just unreal!
Any advice or suggestions, anyone? I am really worried!
Thanks
Krystal
One day a couple weeks ago the young cat was walking around loose while I was doing some outside work. My brother came in for a visit, my mother came to the door and let Missy into the garage. The young cat immediately began screaming and attacked her. She chased the older cat behind a freezer and the battle was on, I was screaming at them to stop but they ignored me. I thought the young cat would kill Missy, she had her pinned back there. Her tail was exposed and I was able to get hold of it and pull her out, then put her back into the cage. Most people would gasp in horror at handling a fighting cat by the tail, but this young cat has been EXCELLENT with me, easily handled, quiet as can be on trips to the vet (after being cage trained I think that's why she doesn't really mind being conveyed in a pet carrier). Poor Missy was upset but not injured, she went into hiding but I was soon able to coax her out and put her back into the house. The two older ones are fast becoming "house cats" who are timid about venturing outdoors, whereas they were formerly fond of roaming outdoors (We use radio fence collars on our cats, with tiny receiver boxes, which has certainly saved lives). Unfortunately the young cat seems to be a "bully" who may have been abused or in other fights in the past. She seems to view the 2 old cats as intruders on HER turf!
For a while Missy, the one who was attacked, was afraid to go into the garage where her litter pan is, I had to force her to go out. One night she pooped in the house, something she's NEVER done before. It was probably the same night after she was attacked. She has not done this again. I have kept the old cats' litter pan separate from the young cat so that her smell is not on it, and it did seem to help the older cats feel more at ease about using it again. The young cat has a new, larger, very comfy pet cage with her own bed and her own litter box. She has to stay in that whenever the old cats are walking around in the garage, or when I am away from home and my mother could forget who is supposed to be where. I am trying to make certain that the old cats do not come in contact with the youngster again. It would just break Missy's heart to be attacked again, or she could get badly injured. Callie (the 9 year old) was never even threatened to my knowledge. They have all been sleeping in the garage with the young cat fastened in her cage.
Suddenly, this morning, Callie was acting frightened and went into hiding under some garage cabinets. It took coaxing to get her to come into the house with us. She relaxed when indoors, but I wondered how long she would "hold it" before nature would force her to go to the litter box (which again, I had set up ONLY when the youngest cat was confined and not able to get to it). I put Callie out into the garage a couple times during the day, but evidently she did not use her box. There was feces in there, but I'm sure it belonged to Missy. Tonight my mother alerted me that Callie was fidgety, running around and restless, and my mom wondered whether she had pooed in the house. I walked in and could smell the evidence. It didn't take me long to find the turds in the livingroom, also some pee stain. I had to clean all of this up while my mother harped on getting rid of the youngest one, a lecture I've heard before many times. But our humane society is always full up, no vacancies, and I'm not crazy about the idea of the dog warden coming and hauling this cat away to God knows what fate. If she has behavioral problems she will have lots of trouble getting adopted and staying in a good home, the people would probably just bring her back. Maybe Callie will calm down again, as her older sister seems to have done, to the point where she will at least use the litter box. But now, the house really smells of cat poop and pee and I fear Callie will do the same thing over again. I don't understand what happened to frighten her so much. The young cat could not possibly have done anything when confined in her pet cage.
I have been using a Feliway diffuser for over a month, but with all of these troubles, it seems my money was wasted. I considered putting the young cat on Prozac but it looks like she isn't the only one who needs it!! I got a Rx for that, but it was more money wasted, the pills were the kind humans would use, and I can't shove a pill down a cat's throat. I ground the tiny dose up to a fine powder with a pill crusher and mixed it with salmon, but the young kitty only licked at it but would not eat it. I read that Prozac can have a bitter taste. I'd like to find some that would be applied on the skin of the ear, but I'm getting really sick of spending money in vain. If I have to get rid of this cat, hundreds of dollars will be down the drain, since she has been spayed and has had all her vaccinations. I don't even know that I will be living in this house forever, since I will one day be alone without enough money to keep the place up and might have to move to a retirement center...where they might not even allow 1 pet, let alone 3.
So, a lot to think about and some complex problems here. I have to be a lion tamer and referee to keep things in balance, and I don't dare forget something and have a disaster on our hands. I believe this young cat could take down either of the older ones, go for the throat and kill either of them. And yet she is so sweet with me it is just unreal!
Any advice or suggestions, anyone? I am really worried!
Thanks
Krystal
