Cat's fighting & Peeing

Hello All,

I am hoping someone here might be able to help me! I have had 2 cats for
about 4 years now they were purchased one year apart but they have always
gotten along throughout 4 years. One is female and one is male, both spayed
and nutered, and up until a few months ago they were best of friends and
always hung out together slept together, basically everything.

About 3 months ago, I noticed something strange with the younger male cat's
eye, so I decided to be safe and take him to the Vet. The Vet looked him over
and said that he had an upper respitory infection and he and my other cat
would need to take medicine for about a month for it.

I brought my cat back from the vet (I only took one) and put him in the room
where both cats stay during the day, all looked to be ok between them and
they were getting along and I went off to work. When I got back from work, it
looked like the cats had gotten into a fight as both had some minor scratches
on them and both were in their own corner. After watching them for awhile I
decided that they seemed to be ok, but decided to leave them in their room.

About a week passed by and finally the one I took to the vet started coming
out from under the bed and started acting more normal. This cat is horribly
sckiddish since I got him and it is hard to get him to come out from under
somewhere until he feels comfortable. That night he actually came out and
acted normal although both cats were staying on their own side of the room.
That night I heard screaming and I got up and came in to find the female cat
on top of the younger one biting him.

I immediately pulled them apart and took the younger one with me into my room
with me. I kept them separated for most of the next few months, hoping that
they would start to be nicer to eachother. I brought the younger one back in
each day for about 2 hours to see if things will get better and each day he
still hisses at the other cat and seems scared to be left in the room. The
female seems to be interested in the male cat and will come up and smell him
but get scared when she notices the cat hissing at her (The female cat is
deaf.)

Last night I decided to put them in the same room again and hope that they
would just get used to eachother and start to be nice again. But one of them
peed on the bed, and the male was once again under the bed hiding for the
most part.

So I am really worried, the biggest issue is that I work alot of hours, so
they no longer have their playmates to do something with during the day. Both
are starting to act strangely lonely and I dont know what to do. For the last
couple of months I have tried to split my time between the 2 rooms I live in
and hang out with each cat equally. But right now I am living with my parents,
and I am moving out in 2 weeks to a new place and am not sure what I am going
to do. I am sure the stress of moving will cause this to get worse and I
don't want to have to get rid of one of my cats but I cannot keep living with
them in separate rooms. One problem with the place I am living now is that it
is just 2 bed rooms, and the cats have to stay in one of those rooms, so
there is not a way I can leave a door open for them to explore on their own,
I have to bring them into the room and try to expose them to eachother myself.


Does anyone have a suggestion, I have tried to give them richards organics
pet calm, and tried everything I know how to do. Or do you think when they
have the chance to be in a bigger open environment that they will start to
get along better as they can retreat to their own terrirtory a little better?
Thanks!

I think the one cat smelled like the vet's office and this is what may have
triggered the problem. If they are restricted to a small space, this will
only exacerbate the problem. I think once you move and they have more room,
the problem may go away. If it does not, you may have to slowly integrate
them together. Try using Feliway dispenser to help calm them down. I think
in time they will be fine.
Gail
"ryan43615" u35133@uwe wrote in message news:73da36b743135@uwe...
Hello All,

I am hoping someone here might be able to help me! I have had 2 cats for
about 4 years now they were purchased one year apart but they have always
gotten along throughout 4 years. One is female and one is male, both
spayed
and nutered, and up until a few months ago they were best of friends and
always hung out together slept together, basically everything.

About 3 months ago, I noticed something strange with the younger male
cat's
eye, so I decided to be safe and take him to the Vet. The Vet looked him
over
and said that he had an upper respitory infection and he and my other cat
would need to take medicine for about a month for it.

I brought my cat back from the vet (I only took one) and put him in the
room
where both cats stay during the day, all looked to be ok between them and
they were getting along and I went off to work. When I got back from work,
it
looked like the cats had gotten into a fight as both had some minor
scratches
on them and both were in their own corner. After watching them for awhile
I
decided that they seemed to be ok, but decided to leave them in their
room.

About a week passed by and finally the one I took to the vet started
coming
out from under the bed and started acting more normal. This cat is
horribly
sckiddish since I got him and it is hard to get him to come out from under
somewhere until he feels comfortable. That night he actually came out and
acted normal although both cats were staying on their own side of the
room.
That night I heard screaming and I got up and came in to find the female
cat
on top of the younger one biting him.

I immediately pulled them apart and took the younger one with me into my
room
with me. I kept them separated for most of the next few months, hoping
that
they would start to be nicer to eachother. I brought the younger one back
in
each day for about 2 hours to see if things will get better and each day
he
still hisses at the other cat and seems scared to be left in the room. The
female seems to be interested in the male cat and will come up and smell
him
but get scared when she notices the cat hissing at her (The female cat is
deaf.)

Last night I decided to put them in the same room again and hope that they
would just get used to eachother and start to be nice again. But one of
them
peed on the bed, and the male was once again under the bed hiding for the
most part.

So I am really worried, the biggest issue is that I work alot of hours, so
they no longer have their playmates to do something with during the day.
Both
are starting to act strangely lonely and I dont know what to do. For the
last
couple of months I have tried to split my time between the 2 rooms I live
in
and hang out with each cat equally. But right now I am living with my
parents,
and I am moving out in 2 weeks to a new place and am not sure what I am
going
to do. I am sure the stress of moving will cause this to get worse and I
don't want to have to get rid of one of my cats but I cannot keep living
with
them in separate rooms. One problem with the place I am living now is that
it
is just 2 bed rooms, and the cats have to stay in one of those rooms, so
there is not a way I can leave a door open for them to explore on their
own,
I have to bring them into the room and try to expose them to eachother
myself.


Does anyone have a suggestion, I have tried to give them richards organics
pet calm, and tried everything I know how to do. Or do you think when they
have the chance to be in a bigger open environment that they will start to
get along better as they can retreat to their own terrirtory a little
better?
Thanks!

ryan43615 wrote:
Hello All,


I immediately pulled them apart and took the younger one with me into my room
with me. I kept them separated for most of the next few months, hoping that
they would start to be nicer to eachother. I brought the younger one back in
each day for about 2 hours to see if things will get better and each day he
still hisses at the other cat and seems scared to be left in the room. The
female seems to be interested in the male cat and will come up and smell him
but get scared when she notices the cat hissing at her (The female cat is
deaf.)

Last night I decided to put them in the same room again and hope that they
would just get used to eachother and start to be nice again. But one of them
peed on the bed, and the male was once again under the bed hiding for the
most part.

So I am really worried, the biggest issue is that I work alot of hours, so
they no longer have their playmates to do something with during the day. Both
are starting to act strangely lonely and I dont know what to do. For the last
couple of months I have tried to split my time between the 2 rooms I live in
and hang out with each cat equally. But right now I am living with my parents,
and I am moving out in 2 weeks to a new place and am not sure what I am going
to do. I am sure the stress of moving will cause this to get worse and I
don't want to have to get rid of one of my cats but I cannot keep living with
them in separate rooms. One problem with the place I am living now is that it
is just 2 bed rooms, and the cats have to stay in one of those rooms, so
there is not a way I can leave a door open for them to explore on their own,
I have to bring them into the room and try to expose them to eachother myself.


Hi Ryan,

None of the three cats I live with have ever gotten along (two of them are
litter sisters, even). But oddly, when I moved last month it actually
seemed to ease tensions among them and they're now a lot more tolerant with
each other and seem less stressed than they were in our previous living
quarters...which were substancially larger, I might add.

I anticipated in advance who would be relegated where...everyone has a small
section of the house seemingly best suited for them....and there is neutral
territory (the living room) where everyone may converge. Still, when they
are all in a mood, they just can't be around each other. sigh I guess
that's just how its always going to be.

Like you, I work very long hours and have to stretch my day to make time for
everyone. Which is why strategic placement of my feline companions has
become so necessary. Perhaps using your new place as a neutral re-
introduction point would be in order. The Feliway diffuser from the other
post was also a great suggestion. Feliway has calmed many a frayed cat nerve
in my home.

HTH

Marie

Most peculiar sidebar: The only creature that moves with ease amongst ALL
cats in the clutter, aside from myself, is our dog.

--
Message posted via http://www.catkb.com

Hi Ryan,

Personally, I would keep them out all day together, with both rooms open/
joining, and let them work it out with each other. Unless, you really think
they will seriously hurt one another or kill each other. The cat that peed
on the bed need to be checked out for any underlying medical issue like a
urinary track infection. If they are medically okay, then I would suggest
giving your 2 cats more 'fun' areas to hang out in, away from each other.
Simply throwing some med -sized to large boxes down on one room's floor
should be interesting to them and allow for retreating to, and/or hiding in.
It would also serve to give them *more space* in different 'box' areas.

Keep toys out that they especially like to play with, like toy mouse's and
a ball. I just recently bought a .25 cent (Old Navy) rubber ball in the
children's section there, and one of my cats loves to play with it and chase
it. Buy some toys mouse's because I've never honestly met a cat that didn't
at least somewhat like playing with a mouse. I like the 'rope' type so they
can bit into it and not have all the 'feathers' and or colorings and/or
fabric that they might* wind up eating and swallowing.

To me, it sounds like your cats just are really bored and need more
stimulation, hence, they have gotten mean with each other, feisty and
cranky. Giving them some more 'hiding places' such as a few cardboard
boxes, or plastic storage boxes, and or a large, double bagged *paper* bag
from the grocery store, should help them by giving them more areas to go to
and explore. My cats love playing in a double bagged paper* grocery bag that
I sometime put down in the kitchen for them to play in. They dive in and out
of it and really enjoy going in and out and fetching their mouse or ball,
etc. By giving them more places they can explore, it will help them to deal
with their major boredom while you aren't there. I do this for my cats and
this keeps their fight way down, although they still squabble like a pair of
old siblings, every so often. I also keep their large sized cat carrier out
out in the living room ( I live by myself), and they both love sleeping in
it, and also playing hide and seek in it. Please keep us posted on how
things work out with them. Good luck, and I hope this helps.

ML






"ryan43615" u35133@uwe wrote in message news:73da36b743135@uwe...
Hello All,

I am hoping someone here might be able to help me! I have had 2 cats for
about 4 years now they were purchased one year apart but they have always
gotten along throughout 4 years. One is female and one is male, both
spayed
and nutered, and up until a few months ago they were best of friends and
always hung out together slept together, basically everything.

About 3 months ago, I noticed something strange with the younger male
cat's
eye, so I decided to be safe and take him to the Vet. The Vet looked him
over
and said that he had an upper respitory infection and he and my other cat
would need to take medicine for about a month for it.

I brought my cat back from the vet (I only took one) and put him in the
room
where both cats stay during the day, all looked to be ok between them and
they were getting along and I went off to work. When I got back from work,
it
looked like the cats had gotten into a fight as both had some minor
scratches
on them and both were in their own corner. After watching them for awhile
I
decided that they seemed to be ok, but decided to leave them in their
room.

About a week passed by and finally the one I took to the vet started
coming
out from under the bed and started acting more normal. This cat is
horribly
sckiddish since I got him and it is hard to get him to come out from under
somewhere until he feels comfortable. That night he actually came out and
acted normal although both cats were staying on their own side of the
room.
That night I heard screaming and I got up and came in to find the female
cat
on top of the younger one biting him.

I immediately pulled them apart and took the younger one with me into my
room
with me. I kept them separated for most of the next few months, hoping
that
they would start to be nicer to eachother. I brought the younger one back
in
each day for about 2 hours to see if things will get better and each day
he
still hisses at the other cat and seems scared to be left in the room. The
female seems to be interested in the male cat and will come up and smell
him
but get scared when she notices the cat hissing at her (The female cat is
deaf.)

Last night I decided to put them in the same room again and hope that they
would just get used to eachother and start to be nice again. But one of
them
peed on the bed, and the male was once again under the bed hiding for the
most part.

So I am really worried, the biggest issue is that I work alot of hours, so
they no longer have their playmates to do something with during the day.
Both
are starting to act strangely lonely and I dont know what to do. For the
last
couple of months I have tried to split my time between the 2 rooms I live
in
and hang out with each cat equally. But right now I am living with my
parents,
and I am moving out in 2 weeks to a new place and am not sure what I am
going
to do. I am sure the stress of moving will cause this to get worse and I
don't want to have to get rid of one of my cats but I cannot keep living
with
them in separate rooms. One problem with the place I am living now is that
it
is just 2 bed rooms, and the cats have to stay in one of those rooms, so
there is not a way I can leave a door open for them to explore on their
own,
I have to bring them into the room and try to expose them to eachother
myself.


Does anyone have a suggestion, I have tried to give them richards organics
pet calm, and tried everything I know how to do. Or do you think when they
have the chance to be in a bigger open environment that they will start to
get along better as they can retreat to their own terrirtory a little
better?
Thanks!

Hello,

You've gotten some pretty good advice here, but I must disagree with
what Bluedove said about letting the cats out and together during the
day. Doing this would be a bad idea, especially for the nervous cat.
He'll only become more anxious and scared. It sounds like, once you
move into your new place, that you will need to reintroduce your cats.

I had this same thing happen in May 2006. I took Cat #1 to the vet and
when I got home Cat #2 smelled vet smells and immediately attacked Cat
#1. During the weeks that followed, it worsened. I had to separate
them and reintroduce. Start by putting one in a bedroom and let the
other one have the run of the place. Switch each day, so the cats can
smell each other but not see each other (you may need to put one in a
carrier and put a towel over it when you switch them). Feed them on
opposite sides of the door. Play with them under the door so they can
see each other's paws. Some people will use a screen door, but I
haven't. I used a baby gate with a cardboard "door" over it so they
could not jump over the gate. They could see each other but not fully
interact.

Take your time and go at their pace. It took me many months to get
things to a normal pace. Using Feliway diffusers is a good idea
(you'll need two--one for the bedroom and one for the rest of the
apartment). I also like Rescue Remedy in the drinking water (get it at
a health food store). Like Bluedove said, add toys and a cat tree for
more enrichment and territory.
Take it step by step and you'll get there.