New, Younger Female Being Aggressive

[Thrakintosh]

Hi there,

We have a household of three female cats. A 12yo, 8yo and (now) a 1yo who we’ve had for ~6 months.

The 12yo is a bit grumpy towards the 8yo but there were never serious problems. Once in a while the 8yo would try and play with the 12yo but it wasn’t long lasting.

Unfortunately the 1yo stalks and attacks the older cats but particularly the 8yo. It has gotten to the point where it is scary to listen to. It clearly isn’t playing for the 8yo. The attacks and stalking are persistent and the older cat doesn’t get a break.

We just installed a Feliway diffuser today. Is there anything else we should be doing? What else should I consider?

Thank you in advance!
A

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Some of this may well disappear with age and maturity, but meanwhile you don't want your 8 year old traumatized! Try playing hard with your younger cat, using a wand toy, several times a day. Keep her going until she just lies there and pants for a few minutes. You can also keep the wand nearby and use it to distract her from your older cat.

If all else fails, you can try one of the calming collars, which tend to be a bit stronger than a diffuser, since they are right under the cat's nose all the time.