Family dynamics?

by Kathy
(Austin, TX)

Two stray (feral) cats decided to make my yard their home. The female had 2 kittens, then everyone was fixed. After a couple of years, the mother cat disappeared. Since then, the father has been aggressive towards his son. They are identical looking tabby & white cats, so I think they are father/son. The kittens became tame, then I moved into the country and everyone moved with me. I wanted them to be safe, so installed a high, cat-proof fence in the backyard. Dad cat sometimes picks on the son, sometimes he head-bonks him. Boy cat is very afraid of him. There has never been wounds requiring a vet visit, but bloody noses are frequent. Lots of screaming and rolling around. This has been going off/on for 2-3 years. Both cats get along fine with the daughter.
The bullying seems to be escalating. Nothing has changed except cold weather has caused them to spend more time in the large, heated outbuilding (10' x 20'). They have plenty of room outside, and our weather varies so they are not inside for more than a few days, always having the choice to go out. Any suggestions on helping to calm the bully? Thanks
Kathy

RESPONSE:

Dad is not being a bully. His his eyes, Jr. should have left home long ago. Their confrontations will likely continue until dad is too old to fight back and Jr becomes top cat. Because Jr has been "tamed" and Dad is still pretty feral, dad will continue to feel threatened by the younger male and the fighting will continue. Also, his ability to roam has been greatly curtailed and he is now forced to live with Jr. This completely normal behavior is one reason why we don't take in ferals. A friend that does take the ferals keeps them in their own seperate section of the property and kittens and tamed or semi-ferals cats do not mix with them. Once a feral gets too old to defend himself, he is moved to the old cats home to live out his days in peace. Her set up simulates how the cats would behave in the wild. You may need to partition off part of your fenced area just for dad so the younger male won't be hurt. Or you may just have to let them keep working out things on their own. You could try using Bach Flowers or Spirit Essences and see if they help dad feel calmer but I can't say for sure they help with feral cats. I wish I had a better answer for you.

Donna - House Full Cats Mom