Cats going through something?

by Catie
(Kelowna BC)

Hello,

We had three cats up until a week ago, when we had to put our oldest "skittles" down :( Our two youngest, Dora (female, spayed) and Felix (male, nutered) have lived in the same house for over 2 years now. From the moment that Felix entered the house as the last and youngest cat he was the leader, I am assuming because he is the only Male. Dora and Felix have always tolerated eachother and if anyone's nose is out of joint it is Dora's. Last night however, we came home and say Felix's fur all over the house as if they had been in a fight. Then, later that night I watched as Felix layed on the ground and growled, hissed and spat, and talked menacingly to Dora from across the hall. She wasn't doing anything but sitting there and not reacting to him, and she seemed to want to come up to him to see what his problem was-but not in a threatening way. The whole night we dealt with this, and they even went at it a few times screaming and hissing and fighting into the night. In the end we had to separate them and today when we left for work I put them in separate rooms with food, water and litter. I dont know what to do about this or what could have caused this sudden hatred. Please help!! We don't want to let them work it out because I think Dora could get really hurt.

HELP!

RESPONSE:

Felix is upset about the loss of Skittles and is taking his frustration out on Dora. Dora is likely also upset and may be taunting Felix. And, in the cat world, it is not always the male (or the oldest) that is top cat. Dora may actually be the top cat and Felix is challenging her. Bach Flowers can help in this situation. Try Mimulus, Star of Bethlehem and Water Violet to beging with. Add it to their water and mix them together in a small bottle and add a few drops to your hand and rub it around their head and ears up to 4 times a day. Try this for a week or so and see if it helps. Check out our section on Bach Flower and Spirit Essences to learn more about these and how they work. Do not give them directly by mouth. You should also add more play time so they can burn off the excess energy caused by stress and help them build their confidence back up. The Esssences and play together should help.

Donna - House Full Cats Mom