Dear All,
We have a rescue cat from Istanbul, he is 4 years old. A month ago we had another rescue cat, she is now 10 months old. My husband and I have read everything we found on internet, in addition to some serious books on how to introduce two cats -so everything we did was according to protocol. Two separate litter boxes, separate rooms in the beginning, slow introduction, feliway kits on each plug, calming collars etc etc.
But it still doesn`t work:-( Interestingly, the new comer is more aggressive and beating my son. We were expecting the other way around. My 4 year old one is kind in the beginning, but after few kicks, paws, bites, hisses from the 10 month girl, he sometimes gets pissed off and attacks -and those are serious attacks. Once we had to take the little one to a clinic urgently:-(
Keeping long story short, our lives became hell. The senior one seems in depression, not eating much. Excessive grooming, keeping himself away from us (even me, he used to be with me every second wherever I go). that makes me sad. We took second cat to make him happy ironically...
We need a cat psychologist to help us beyond what is written on internet. Someone who can come and see the situation at home and give us consultancy on how to make them friends...
Do you know anyone who can help us?
Many thanks for the recommendations in advance.
Ece
Did you really ment to write that your 10 month old bites the cat?
If it is the other way around I personally would be very short of thought and follow a 3 step plan:
1. Cat attacks my kid,
2. Kid has priority,
3. Cat leaves the house.
I have the impression that there are no kids but the cats referred to as children.
Caveat: I know nothing about cats. But I do know a few things about behavioral challenges and pack integration issues with dogs - and about the importance of second, third and fourth chances.
Before taking any drastic steps I would consult an animal behaviorist. Seeing as how you are in Basel, I would recommend contacting the good folks at Tierschutz Beider Basel. One of the services they offer is behavioral advice. See here:
https://www.tbb.ch/index.php?id=152
I recommend them because they have a sterling reputation in animal welfare work. As above, my world is dogs, not cats - but for all species TBB is highly respected in the animal welfare community. And because animal welfare is their primary mission, they will be well place to understand issues your new rescue cat might bring with him.
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A quick google search brought up a private behaviorist in Basel, below. I do not know this behavorist, so take this at information only. Due diligence and all that.
http://tierpsychologie-basel.ch/inde...training-katze
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I'm glad to see you are seeking help, and will keep our thumbs (and dewclaws!) pressed that it works out.
Best of luck to you all.
Ah, my bad.
Nonetheless the newcomer would be replaced by me if the usual things did not work, Cats are like humans, sometimes they love each other, and sometimes they hate each other.
The
Kleintierpraxis Sevogel are fantastic. I used to go there when I lived in Basel.
I am sure that they will be able to recommend a cat psychologist. I went to one, she was amazing but in the vicinity of Luzern. If you'd like her details let me know.
I hope that everything works out.
You could also contact your vet and ask them for any recommendations. And Feliway may help calm things down.
https://www.qualipet.ch/p-g6612065-feliway-friends/
Hi Ece, I think the problem is by you. Trying to tame cats is something of a dream. We have 8 rescue cats between 2 years and 15 years. We all live together in our house, with very little problems. Our 2 year old was also for some time a real wild fire. Jumping on the older cats when she wanted to play and always wanted the best seat at TV time.
Ece I think you should stop running after the cats and let them come to you. Its not possible to command them like a child, treat them both the same and don't seperate them, the little one will soon learn. I must say we have a very large garden, where they are all sleeping at the preasent time.
I'm not a cat psychologist and I don't know any in Switzerland, but I do know a fair amount about cats so I'll offer a few suggestions.
It sounds like you've tried to do everything right with the introduction which is great. Have you considered doing some behavior modification techniques combined with a re-introduction?
Some questions to consider: How much do you (as humans) play with the little one? Do you have some interactive toys you can use with her alone, and with both cats together? The younger one as a kitten will automatically want to play more than a 4-year old cat. If she's not getting a lot of pouncing and predatory play with the humans, she'll pounce on the older cat and try to release her energy that way.
Unfortunately, for the moment he probably sees her as both an intruder to his nice life with you, and an attacker. Not a playmate, at least not yet.
I think a re-introduction is worth considering, where they are separated again for a short time and each getting some play time with you. Put a blanket or shirt with his smell in her room and vice-versa. After a week or so, put up a tall baby gate or two in the doorway to the room where the kitten is located - so they can look at, sniff and paw each other but not get into brawls. When you put them together again, play with interactive toys with both of them so they take turns stalking and pouncing on the toy instead of each other.
My older cat was only two when I got the younger ones, so he was still pretty playful and liked having pounce buddies. My mom's cat was four when she got a new kitten and he was not thrilled, although he didn't attack to the extent that the younger one needed a vet visit.
Hope you can work it out to where the two cats are buddies soon.
Thank you very much, this is helpful🙏🏻🌸
Thank you very much! Actually our apartment turned out to become a cat heaven with all the toys, cat trees, food stations every corner etc. but what you have written opened my eyes to the fact that I was trying to make my senior cat happy all the time so that he doesn’t become jealous. But it makes sense, young one has a lot of energy where she ultimately directs that energy to beating the senior one as she sees him as a prey. I’ll try to reintroduce them with your suggested behavior modification techniques. Thanks for the tips & good luck wishes.
Thanks, you are right. Problem is me probably. I just try to make them friends but no success so far (after 1 month). That’s the reason I initiated the thread. I need someone who can give expert opinion to us after seeing our set up & the cats. You say I should stop chasing them but on the internet & the books they say don’t let them fight and separate each time they fight. It is confusing, what works for some cats seem not to work for others...Both of my cats have been through the hell (rescue cats with the real meaning of rescue😢 so maybe their socialisation behaviors are impacted by their past... I don’t know...
The photo you’ve shared is lovely & a big dream for me. If I manage to make these 2 friends, more cats will follow for sure😂
Wow, I had no idea Cat Psychologists even exist! Good luck with all of this.
It exists. Animal behaviorists with specialisation in cats. In Anglo-Saxon countries, it is more wide-spread then here though... Each year more & more people study it but unfortunately I haven’t come across one in Basel yet:-(
One of our three cats kills baby rabbits and brings them to our house. She probably found a nest somewhere, today she brought a dead rabbit for the third time. These rabbits are quite large, and we have no idea where the cats takes them from. None of our cats have killed rabbits before, and I am wondering if this is behavior is normal?
Totally normal, cats like to kill and eat birds, mice, rats, rabbits and anythnig else they think maybe tasty.
Think Food Chain
As this is an old post...
EceErgin, did you ever find a Basel-based behaviorist to work with you and your cat?
If you are still looking, I can highly recommend Dr Maya Bräm:
https://www.mayanimal.ch/mayAnimal.ch_en/About_me.html
She will do house calls in the Basel region.
Robin Goodfellow and I have been working with her for some time now. (Robin is a... challenge... to put it mildly.) Dr Bräm has been a godsend, we are making progress.
As one might guess, we are working on canine (and canine owner) behavior. But I believe she also treats cats (and their owners).
FYI, for others who might be interested, Dr Bräm also consults at the Tierspital in Zürich:
https://www.tierspital.uzh.ch/de/kle...gie/braem.html
Well I noticed that when I took my cat to a cat home ( holiday time ) they were all sitting quietly together. No sign of any violence.
Lucky you! It didn’t work with us at all and we had to rehome the 2nd cat.
well we once tried to have a cat from Swiss farmers. They were so to say "wild"( the cat I mean ). It ended up very bad. So aggressive and it took a few pieces of flesh out of me. Had to give it back.
well, my 2 cats are "room mates" and never became friends in now more than 10 years, because my female cat, who is not aggressive at all, simply doesn't like other cats.
This is just to say that cat have personalities that may not be "compatible".
Also, a 10 month old cat needs a lot of interaction and may just try to get it form your other cat. So get him interactive toys, places to get up and down and play with him.
Good luck!
Exactly.
One of my mates has always had cats. Of her current pair, the male was first into the house, then the female came about a year later and she's a little git. All sweetness and light with the couple, but a total git with the male cat to the point where they haven't been in the same room at the same time for about 4yrs now.
Also, the first cat I cared for (whilst the owner was ill) refused to live in the same house as her litter mate sister. Their personalities were completely opposite with the cat we cared for being an outdoor free roamer, and her sister being a proper prima donna that chose to live indoors.
My primary concern would be the overgrooming of your first rescue cat. Just when he thought he was in a safe and secure environment....