the cats have something to say...
Saturday, November 17, 2012
We are having a problem with Louie. He's a wonderful snuggler with humans, and very playful. But when he sees Skootch he makes a beeline for him and attacks. I know he's just a kitten, but I feel terrible for Skootch. He was here first. He also doesn't have a cat "voice: he can't meow or growl, so the only way he can stand up to Louie vocally is to hiss. Louie keeps chasing Skootch up to the highest furniture, but now he's strong enough to jump up there, too! The hissing is pretty ineffective at this point.
I feel awful to have done this to my beloved Skootch. He has always been a scaredy cat. That was fine with Lucy - she could boss him around and be the alpha cat and he was fine with her. But now he is almost 14 and I've introduced this ninja kitten. I have been using Jackson Galaxy spirit essence drops for both cats. I keep them apart at mealtimes. I let Skootch have the run of the house at night and when we are away. I play a lot with Louie to tire him out, but as as soon as he senses Skootch walking around he goes into high alert attack mode and chases him. Louie may be smaller than Skootch by quite a bit, but he now weighs almost as much. Skootch's eating problems were pretty much gone and he HAD been putting on weight before Louie showed up. Now we're into the extreme coaxing at mealtime, just to get him to eat anything. If Louie is in the area when Skootch needs the litter box, he attacks him there.
I don't know what to do.
Wah.
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You gotta play with Louie until he's PANTING. He needs to be exhausted! In the meanwhile, give Skootch as much love and reassurance as you can. Louie might do well with clicker training, he could learn to "come", and do tricks on a cat tree, and that way he could be easily distracted.
ReplyDeleteThis is a reach, but observe where the ambushes are happening and move the furniture around for better sight-lines.
So, Louie has his own room and litter box. It is on another floor from Skootch's/the main litter box. I DO tire him out until he collapses. The other night I ran him for 2 hours until he collapsed in a heap on John's lap and went out like a light. Skootch started creeping downstairs to join us, and Louie jumped up, awake and ready for attack.
DeleteI'm back to keeping them separated. It's hard to feed them on opposite sides of a door, because Skootch's usual feeding area (that he is used to) is downstairs far away from Louie's room. I could try treats there, maybe.
OH! and get another litter box.
ReplyDeleteOh, this is very tough. Sometimes kitties need to be kept separate from each other for a long time.
ReplyDeleteMaybe just smelling each other under a door (it is good if there is only a screen door between them, but that is hard to do). Giving them food and treats within sight of each other (while they are separated by a door), so they associate each other with good things. They each need their own separate litter boxes, far away from each other.
Sometimes a squirt with a water bottle is very effective to deter unwanted behavior. Just don't say anything when you squirt so that Louis doesn't associate your voice with the water.
I know it is easy to offer suggestions from afar, but after twenty five years of having cats of differing personalities, these are some things the lady has used that have worked.
Only once, after a long time of trying, did she have to return a cat to the shelter. She (the cat) would not stop attacking another cat, and caused the poor kitty to suffer from PTSD.
Sorry, I meant Louie, not Louis.
ReplyDeleteOne final thing...
ReplyDeleteI just found this website...it has some really good advice:
http://www.petfinder.com/after-pet-adoption/introduce-new-cat.html
yes, this sounds like good advice. I will go back to keeping them separated, and try slow introductions again. It does not help that my husband just wants to put them together and let the cats work it out. I am trying to work from home and give each cat all this time and attention and playtime and reassurance. I am feeling quite stressed out. I SO want this to work!
DeleteIt might be that you need to get another cat around the same age as Louie. That way the young ones would be able to play, romp and chase each other thereby leaving poor Skootch alone. This is what helped me when I had a senior cat and brought in a kitten, I had to get another one - worked wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWe've got kind of the same thing, only opposite. Star is the older kitty that we've had for a long time and Leo is the new HUGE young guy. But Star chases him every chance she gets. It's like she doesnt know he's twice his size! We're planning on trying the spirit essence stuff, but havent gotten it yet. Sometimes you just wish you could sit them down and talk it out! Goober kitties..
ReplyDeleteI have volunteered and done adoptions at an animal shelter for 20 years and I agree with Bella - the best solution is to get another young cat for Louis to play with. We make the strong recommendation that people adopt kittens in pairs when there is an older and less playful cat in the home. It just makes things easier. Louis will have a constant playmate and they will both leave Skootch alone. Look for another young, rambunctious kitty. (And you'll be doing extra extra good by rescuing another kitty!)
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so sorry to hear this--I know it's got to be heartbreaking for you. It's hard with new little cats and older cats. I agree with another little cat for Louie as perhaps the best solution.
ReplyDelete~William's mom.
I feel so bad about this as well. I read something tonight about allowing a cat time to grieve before bringing home another cat. That the human is really getting the cat for themselves instead of the other cat. Skootch is probably also still grieving Lucy. I would consult Jackson Galaxy's website and former episodes of his show where he has dealt with this issue.
ReplyDeleteOh poor Skootch. I hope he is ok. He is a highly sensitive cat, and this should be very stressful for him. Can't you ask around to see if anybody would want Louie? I think an older and calmer kitty will be a better new companion for Skootch. I really hope things work out!
ReplyDelete[Bassie's human here]
ReplyDeleteI'm going to suggest another kitten for Louie to play with, as a couple of others already have. I ran into a similar situation when we adopted Little Bit: she was into everything and bothering everyone until several months later I happened to rescue Bassie as well. Thereafter, they played together and left everyone else alone (for the most part).
And don't beat up on yourself so much. You aren't a cat expert and couldn't have known how Scootch would react to Louie. He was fine with Lucy, after all.
Also, look into a Feliway diffuser (http://www.feliway.com/us/). It contains a pheromone which has calming properties and should help poor Scootch.
Whatever you decide to do, I hope both you and Scootch feel better soon. And remember we are always here for you, for advice or just a shoulder to cry on.
Nellie's Mom here, we did not know what to do with Nellie and Kozmo. Nellie was 12 when we got Kozmo, she had missed Her companion Licorice so much we thought another cat would be a good idea... Wrong! Nellie wanted nothing to do with Kizmo! We tried everything (and so did Kozmo) we were going to get another cat when Cinnamon (a puppy) joined our family. It was great for both of them! Kozmo left Nellie alone and Cinnamon did not make too many demands on our older dog Bob, they (Kozmo and Cinnamon)played with each other. I agree with the other posters, another kitten might be the answer to your problems.
ReplyDeleteCiao
Nellie's Mom
Louie is young, full of energy, mischief and wants to play at that age.
ReplyDeletePoor Skootch. Purrs to you and your mom!
I am so sorry... I have only had one cat so I have no advice... it has to be so hard....
ReplyDeleteI was going to give some of the suggestions already here. Big hugs to you!
ReplyDeleteSome very good advice here! I hope it all works out for you all xx
ReplyDeleteSadly, your situation sounds very familiar. It's just like what has been going on with Hershey, only Hershey isn't staying. I don't have any pearls of wisdom to offer. It was brutal watching Hershey attack all our cats and get them so scared and freaked. Poor Rose and Willow got to hiding behind the clawfoot tub, it was awful. I can completely relate with the pain of watching your old resident feel so much stress from the new-addition.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in time Louie will settle. I sure hope so. If you find something that works, please share! About to hop the plane to Boston!
OH! Here is a wonderful site that has a ton of great cat information: http://www.wayofcats.com/blog...read through old entries or send an email for advice. Having a new kitty is a great thing; having peace in the house is wonderful too. Good luck, and give Skootch some extra hugs! And Louie is just being himself, the rascal.
ReplyDeleteall of the redirection and play to exhaust is helping, but at some point you have to realize if he isn't caring about what you are teaching you need to take the next step and teach Louie what is not acceptable. While I don't advocate 'hitting' a kitten, I will employ escalation punishment (remember, in general punishment doesn't work because they are doing what they do naturally so punishment simply makes them make you think you are crazy) Find a word or short phrase that is unique to Louie doing something wrong. Start in a stern / disappointed voice. then a louder stern voice. a third level of volume, and then a physical reprimand. Hitting is such a strong term, but a swat on the rear, or boxing of the ears. do not be harsh, but do not be gentle. Remember his mother would have taken him to task if he were bugging her. In a clowder older cats would absolutely take him down and be very rough with him. The goal is not to hurt him, but to give him pause the next time he hears that phrase in that tone. If you can't bring yourself to do this, get a can of canned air, most cats hate it and react very similar. You just need to spritz it in the air in the same room as the cat, most of them hate it so much they leave the room.
ReplyDeleteI used a snap and a point for down when my cats got up on the counters. Because I was fearful of them walking across a hot stove, I would start with the snap and a point. Then a snap/point with 'down', then escalating voice, and finally I would physically help them down either by whapping their rear, pushing them off the counter or picking them up and dropping them to the ground.
I know this sounds horribly mean, but it isn't done for fun but for their (or in your case your other cat's) safety. The point is not to hurt, but to get their attention, and have them make the association so you don't have to physically touch them in the future.
I would never recommend this as a first line of 'training'... I always recommend the play to exhaustion, the redirection and the conversation first, but I know you have tried those.
I still strongly recommend the book Cat vs Cat.
My friend Marie-Louise directed me to your site, as I am also in the throes of introducing a new young cat to my home. I have two male adult cats, Louis (!), who is 3 and Cooper whose age I don't know but he's 5 or 6, and 3 weeks ago I brought home a feisty 6 month old female rescue kitty, Milly. Milly is very full-on—she's quite wild, in fact, although she's been slowly getting more and more trusting of and smoochy with me, but my boys—especially Louis—are extremely jealous. Louis has attacked her a few times and last night drew blod for the first time. I know he needs to assert himself, but I don't want her growing uo highly strung and fearful—or any more than she already is. I've never introduced a new cat to the mix before, so I completely understand how you are feeling. I'll keep reading with interest and hope some of the tips you are getting work for my boys and the new girl as well.
ReplyDeleteWe hope things calm down there. We've got one cat scaring the other here now and it's not fun.
ReplyDeleteSassy was the same when we got Callie. Eventually, they got to the ignore each other stage. I don't know if that helps any.
ReplyDelete