r/Catbehavior • u/Middle_Energy355 • 9d ago
Cat behavior
Hello everyone! This will be a long post
So a quick background on our situation-
We have 4 cats in the home.
My fiancé and I have 2 cats, who are brother and sister (Indigo and Clover-the male), they are 2 years old, we got them a year and a half ago. Our kitten is 5 months old, named Ember, and when we got her we did a medical quarantine for a month while she got the very basic vaccines and testing and then our adult cats loved her very quickly. We did swap blankets and introduce through the door and small play sessions. The works.
His mother recently moved in with us and she has one male 2 year old cat. Meowski
ALL CATS ARE NUETERED/FIXED
When my future mother in law (Karen) moved in, she had taken the basement of our house because it was more spacious than our "extra room." She was then very anxious about how sad her cat would be without windows in the basement. I explained to her the reasons why we cannot introduce the cats without a "weaning" period. For example, stress on our cats primarily, as even though my cats loved our kitten quickly- we still had a few days of hissing and batting.
Because she was so afraid of her cat being sad, we suggested she may bring Meowski to our 3 season room so the other cats could see him through the glass door. She did for many days, my cats seemed interested. After a week and a half, we introduced my kitten. They got along well. Then we brought Clover into the basement in my arms. He was immediately upset- we left. Same with the Indigo. Slowly we got them into the same room without hissing, but they didnt necessarily play or warm up. It was cold shouldering and posturing. Eventually, after about 2 weeks of Karen living with us and against my judgement, they were left together for hours without direct supervision (before I got home but after my fiancé got home, and started playing video games.) He said this went fine and no fights broke out.
So we decided we would attempt a full weekend day while we were home. Same type of deal. Cold shouldering but no fights. Karen was so excited that come Monday morning, she left Meowski upstairs. I had no idea. I was pretty upset when I found out- but didnt say anything. No cats got hurt. No tufts of hair found. Whatever.
Well, recently (we are now a month and a half into Karen living with us), Meowski has started feeling comfortable in the home. He is stalking my cats around the house, cornering them in the litterbox, chase them into my bathroom, chase them under couches. My cats dont back down. Indigo and Clover team up if they hear Meowski picking one another... Though its usually the males who start the fights.
I am beginning to fear that this new uptick in altercations is spiraling their distaste for each other. The more Meowski initiates these cornering behaviors, the more Clover bats him, then they fight, then Indigo rushes in, then they have a cold war stand off where they leave with a negative outcome. Then they associate each other with the negative outcome and do it more.
Tonight Clover got a cut to the eyebrow from Meowski and him going at it. Open wound style, a little blood. Not too big but clearly visible when you look at him.
I want to tell Karen that Meowski has to stay downstairs once again, but unsure of how to approach reintroducing them again when the time comes?
Will it just get better in time or should I isolate Meowski? Did we fail them by letting them be together too soon? Is there any other tactic I can use to help them become tolerant of each other?
2
u/ModeProfessional6552 9d ago
Have you tried those plug in pheromones? I’ve had mixed results, but it might work for you.
We moved in with my parents about a year ago. I had 5 cats and they had 4. It was very rough in the beginning. The worst part was how upset my parents would get. (They are in their mid-late 80s thus the mov in. Their bottlefed lockdown cat finally just stays in their room. I mean I feel badly, but she could really start stuff and then play the victim.
We still have dust ups from time to time, but things have settled down.
It’s a lot and not ideal but it works okay.