Please help!!

[t3bc333]

Hi everyone!

I've recently moved house with my three cats. I haven't allowed them to go outside since we moved house about two months ago. Today I felt that they were ready and installed a cat flap.
Shortly after they got outside my female cat began relentlessly chasing my youngest male cat with her tail puffed out.
Now they're both back inside I can't keep them in the same room. She will stare and yowl really loudly at him and then chase him around the room nearly smashing everything in her path.
She isn't doing this to the other cat in the house. I'm so confused!!! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[2Cats4everLoved]

I'm sorry I have no experience with outdoor cats.  

I take it while the cats were indoors for the past couple of months she didn't act aggressively then?  Only since the outting?

I'm sure a more informed member will chime in with advice regarding this behavior.

Keep us posted.  

 

[t3bc333]

Yep, that's right. She's acting as though he's a stranger so upsetting.

Thanks for replying

 

[moorspede]

It sounds like redirected aggression, have a look at this article and see if you can see your cat in it. 

[Article] Re-directed  Aggression  in Cats

It often clears itself up after the cat as had time to feel less stressed and more like itself but it seems not to have happened for your cat.

Feliway may help your cat to feel less stressed.  

Your cat has had time to get used to the indoors of your new place but outside must feel huge and foreign to her. Cats are so dependent on their sense of smell, none of it smelled like her and she may have even been able to smell another animal which scared her and she lashed out. 

What you need to do is build the relationship again but that can't happen until they are able to be in the same room without attacking and chasing. Some people crate their attacking animal, allowing it out for exercise and interaction when the other cat is not around. Some people place the attacking cat in a small room.

Which ever way you choose to do it the idea is to get to the point where the cats are able to interact behind a cracked door without growling, hissing or lunging you let them out for short, supervised visits. Jackson Galaxy has a vid on youtube titled "How to stop cats fighting" and another called "Best way to introduce your two cats." In the first video he talks about why the cats have to be re-introduced. In the second he goes into specifics. 

He uses food on each side of the door, gradually placing the meals closer to the door so that the cats associate good things (the food) with the other cat.

Here are some articles on introductions from this site. Hopefully, you will get some useful tips here:

[Article] How To Successfully Introduce  Cats: The Ultimate Guide

[Article] Introducing  Cats  to Cats

You need to go slowly, if they continue to fight their relationship will continue to deteriorate. 

As for taking your cat outside again. Hopefully, the cats will be ok with each other before you try to take your cat outside again. It would have to happen very slowly, I would place a box, a tunnel or other toys close to the door and play with the cat there for awhile and gradually move it all out the door but again, it would have to be done very slowly. 

Or you could make your cat an indoor cat and she will be safe from vehicle accidents, other animals etc. 

 

[t3bc333]

Amazing, thankyou for that. I've kept them indoors since and she seems to have calmed down but still sniffing him a lot and watching his every move but no aggression so far!
I live in a rural area so hardly any cars but neighbouring properties do have a few cats that I've seen around the fields so I think you may be spot on with the redirected aggression due to other animals. I did briefly read about it on the day but because she wasn't acting the same with our other cat I thought maybe the one she was chasing had done something to her!

Thankyou very much for replying

 

[moorspede]

No problem. It's great that she's calming down. Keep a close eye on them, though and try feeding them treats when they are together and playing with them both (if she does that). If she looks like she's about to pounce, distract her with something, clap your hands or tell her to stop in an authoritative voice. If they are getting along give them lots of positive feedback, treats, and affection. .