tips on reducing aggression between my two cats?
Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2019 4:21 am
Hello, fellow cat lovers! I was hoping to get some insight or recommendations about how to help my two cats get along. I will provide a little background information about each of my cats.
I adopted them from a no-kill cat shelter at the end of October 2018. One cat is named Blossom, female, two years old, spayed. She was a domesticated cat and was admitted to the shelter when she was still a kitten because the owners could no longer care for her. The other cat is Felix, female, five years old, spayed. I was told that she was a feral cat up until she was admitted to the shelter when she was around 3 years old. When I adopted them both together, they had never spent time around each other before. The worker at the shelter said that these two cats were the types that "would likely get along with other cats." Both cats are very sweet and affectionate around me. Blossom is more sociable, but still shy around new people. Felix is extremely shy and skittish but has opened up very well since last October. Neither cat acts aggressively toward me; no biting nor scratching.
The cats were separated in my home at first, for a few weeks, and I eventually tried to expose them to each other. When Felix was around Blossom initially, she seemed very comfortable and would roll over and just look at her. Blossom, the younger one, always took a predatorial stance and would attack Felix when they got near each other. I tried some methods to help them get more comfortable with each other. I tried using Feliway pheromone spray for Blossom, switched their living areas (Felix stays in the living room and Blossom stays in my bedroom/hallway/bathroom area; a door separates the two areas), switched blankets and bedding for them to get familiar with each other's scents, feeding them near each other or distracting them with toys (Blossom doesn't pay attention to any of these things, she is just focused on Felix). Every time they are near each other, Blossom attacks Felix. Her hair stands up on her back and her tail gets all puffy. One time, after they fought, I saw a chunk of hair in Blossom's mouth; it seemed that she tried biting Felix. At this point, after 8 months, Felix is now scared of Blossom, so when Blossom appears, Felix runs under the couch right away.
Please let me know if you have any other ideas or advice on helping my cats tolerate each other, even if it looks like they won't become friends. For the meantime, I have the convenience of keeping the door in the hallway closed between them (I never leave it open when I am gone), but I anticipate that this could be difficult later on, like if I or someone else accidentally left the door open - I worry that Felix could get seriously hurt. I am open to going to a professional, if need be, as the reason I adopted two cats was so that they could keep each other company. I feel a little strained having to set aside time for each cat separately, and strange that one of them has to be behind a closed door, alone, while I am at home. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Stephanie
I adopted them from a no-kill cat shelter at the end of October 2018. One cat is named Blossom, female, two years old, spayed. She was a domesticated cat and was admitted to the shelter when she was still a kitten because the owners could no longer care for her. The other cat is Felix, female, five years old, spayed. I was told that she was a feral cat up until she was admitted to the shelter when she was around 3 years old. When I adopted them both together, they had never spent time around each other before. The worker at the shelter said that these two cats were the types that "would likely get along with other cats." Both cats are very sweet and affectionate around me. Blossom is more sociable, but still shy around new people. Felix is extremely shy and skittish but has opened up very well since last October. Neither cat acts aggressively toward me; no biting nor scratching.
The cats were separated in my home at first, for a few weeks, and I eventually tried to expose them to each other. When Felix was around Blossom initially, she seemed very comfortable and would roll over and just look at her. Blossom, the younger one, always took a predatorial stance and would attack Felix when they got near each other. I tried some methods to help them get more comfortable with each other. I tried using Feliway pheromone spray for Blossom, switched their living areas (Felix stays in the living room and Blossom stays in my bedroom/hallway/bathroom area; a door separates the two areas), switched blankets and bedding for them to get familiar with each other's scents, feeding them near each other or distracting them with toys (Blossom doesn't pay attention to any of these things, she is just focused on Felix). Every time they are near each other, Blossom attacks Felix. Her hair stands up on her back and her tail gets all puffy. One time, after they fought, I saw a chunk of hair in Blossom's mouth; it seemed that she tried biting Felix. At this point, after 8 months, Felix is now scared of Blossom, so when Blossom appears, Felix runs under the couch right away.
Please let me know if you have any other ideas or advice on helping my cats tolerate each other, even if it looks like they won't become friends. For the meantime, I have the convenience of keeping the door in the hallway closed between them (I never leave it open when I am gone), but I anticipate that this could be difficult later on, like if I or someone else accidentally left the door open - I worry that Felix could get seriously hurt. I am open to going to a professional, if need be, as the reason I adopted two cats was so that they could keep each other company. I feel a little strained having to set aside time for each cat separately, and strange that one of them has to be behind a closed door, alone, while I am at home. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Stephanie