Cat fight!
By Becky
@StLouisMetroTutoring (678)
St. Peters, Missouri
December 30, 2012 10:51pm CST
Mylotters - I have a problem. I need your help!
Some of you may know a kitten was recently added to our family. We already had two adult cats. The adults are natural brother and sister. This is Romeo and Marble. The kitten, Oreo, was a rescue. Oreo is now free to roam the house. He lived by himself in an upstairs bedroom for the first couple of months because we were afraid for him. He was tiny when he first came home.
So now he's been out and about for a couple months. Oreo is, how shall I say, precocious. I can't honestly say that he gets along well with either Romeo or Marble. I was mostly concerned about my male adult cat, Romeo, at first. He's very territorial. Romeo though, will take only so much of his stuff. Oreo will attack him, playing of course, jump on him, swat at him, you name it, he probably does it. Romeo has learned to bite him. It's funny, but it works. Oreo stops and isn't actually hurt. But the look of surprise the first time was priceless!
But I'm worried about my female, Marble. She seems afraid of him still. Oreo doesn't even have to do anything and Marble starts growling. It's almost funny to watch. Oreo will be laying down and glance at Marble and she starts growling. When he looks away, she stops. Can always tell where Oreo is looking. Sometimes, Oreo will lay down directly in front of her. She starts growling. And he inches closer. When he does come up to her, she starts yowling. Loud! And long! It's horrible. She stays by me most of the time. Romeo, her natural brother, has taken to attacking her out of the blue. She's started to pull her hair out of the rear of her back. I'm thinking this is stress. She refuses to fight back like Romeo learned to.
What do I do? I really don't want to get rid of Oreo, but right now that's the only solution I see. Is there anything else I can do? Is there anything I can do to help facilitate the two at least tolerating each other? I've given up hope that she might mother him. He's now close to her size. I'm sure Oreo will settle down as he grows up, but he's not even a year yet. We're talking closer to years than months.
3 people like this
6 responses
@sunshinesophie (794)
• China
31 Dec 12
I think the only way is to keep them apart if you have enough space in your house now,and try to calm them down,I mean Romeo and Marble.I guess they fight for your affection.And when Orea grows up,and then you can see if they can get along well.If it still couldn't,you may have to send Orea to your friends.Good luck.
@StLouisMetroTutoring (678)
• St. Peters, Missouri
31 Dec 12
I have considered maybe turning my bedroom and bathroom into her mini kingdom. I just hate that they wouldn't be together. But maybe it is best. My landlord is a cat person - she's the neighborhood rescue person and she has 5 cats of her own plus another 5 outdoor cats she takes care of. If it came down to it, she might be able to help me find a home for Oreo where he isn't completely out of our lives. Makes me sad to think about it 
@sunshinesophie (794)
• China
31 Dec 12
Yeap,I can understand how you feel because I keep the cat and dog as well.Try to separate them temporarily,unless it's absolutely necessary,do not send him to anyone else.I guess it's hard for him to adjust to a new environment again.Keep your chin up,the problem would be removed soon.
@ZoeJoy (1392)
• United States
1 Jan 13
It is not always easy to introduce new pets to the household when there already are pets. Sometimes they get along and sometimes they don't.
Perhaps because you kept Oreo in an upstairs bedroom when he was small then Marble didn't have a chance to mother him when he was small.
Well, can you tolerate this situation with three cats in your house. Oreo may not change his ways. Perhaps Oreo can be an outside cat - it seems he knows how to handle himself. Perhaps he is best on a farm where he can chase mice in the barn.
Next time you bring in a small cat, introduce it to Marble and see if she is willing to mother the kitten at a young age. Perhaps that would work. Then Marble and Romeo would be able to put the kitten in its place at a young age. But now, you are introducing an older kitten and that may be why there is such a challenge.
@StLouisMetroTutoring (678)
• St. Peters, Missouri
1 Jan 13
Yea, I know. We really thought we were doing right. Everything we read said we shouldn't leave a kitten alone with adult cats before 6 months of age. I work every day and my daughter goes to school. So we couldn't be home all the time. We did go through all kinds of introductory steps, but it seemed like things were getting worse instead of better. The room where the kitten stayed had a half wall. So they could see and smell each other all the time. The adult male and kitten would play under the door at first. Then we traded scents by putting objects in each other's spaces. They traded spaces. We brought them together in carriers. Always had treats during this time. Eventually let him run among them for a couple hours a night, but still slept in his room. Fed them together. By the time we started physically bringing them together in a carrier, the adult male was hissing at the kitten. He would even sit downstairs, look up at the kitten, and hiss. I thought maybe because the kitten was physically higher than everybody it was causing problems. But things didn't settle down when they were together. I spoke to an animal therapist when he was approaching 6 months of age. She said the same thing. Put them together now! I'll know next time - if there is a next time. I just want to help my baby princess (well, not really - she's a 20+ pound cat) be happy again.
@scarlet_woman (23463)
• United States
1 Jan 13
that's normal-they're juggling their "pecking order".some of my cats took a while to get along,now they do.
you might try some of that "feliway" stuff.it puts out a scent that calms cats.
(NOT a referal link)http://www.amazon.com/Feliway-Plug-In-Diffuser-bottle-Milliliters/dp/B000WHUOEI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1357008222&sr=8-2&keywords=feliway
@StLouisMetroTutoring (678)
• St. Peters, Missouri
1 Jan 13
I think I will, thanks. I'm going to call my vet tomorrow or Wednesday - whenever they're open next. I'll see if they have anything similar they would recommend - if not, I'll just order some feliway. It can't hurt, right? I have no sense of smell, so odors of any kind don't normally bother me. One less thing to worry about.
@wilsongoddard (7291)
• United States
1 Jan 13
They will learn to get along eventually. In the meantime, just give Marble plenty of Oreo-free spaces to hang out in and intervene if anyone is getting too rough or too harassing of someone else; a spritz of water or an "Ehhhhh! Leave it!" should suffice.
I'm lucky in that my cats have always had to deal with a wide variety of beasts. So, when I added my youngest to the mix, they just dealt with her as they saw fit. Sometimes, that meant (and still sometimes means), a good whack with a paw. Usually, it was a well-deserved whack of the paw...
@natliegleb (5175)
• India
31 Dec 12
it is quite funny and the jumping growling etc and it happens most of the time and its so lovely to settle with oreo and relish the taste of it for sure and just keep your fingers crossed ideally
@StLouisMetroTutoring (678)
• St. Peters, Missouri
1 Jan 13
It is funny, when I don't think about it, that is. It makes me very sad that my precious baby is getting all worked up. I really do hope that learn to get along!
@mariaperalta (19073)
• Mexico
31 Dec 12
Need to keep them seperated I think. You sure dont want them to fight and hurt one another. Apart from the vet bills. Id say one needs to be outside or in another room. Umless you are there to watch them. Good luck. Hope it works out there. happy new years 2013....
@StLouisMetroTutoring (678)
• St. Peters, Missouri
1 Jan 13
I've thought of turning my bedroom space into her room. She practically lives there anyway. I've already turned my bed into a safe zone for her. I don't allow any fussing or fighting on the bed. She seems to understand that. I may have to resort to this. Thanks!
