Female cat bullying neutered male in household

by Victoria
(Spain)

We used to have five cats, all strays, and all got on well. in November 2010 we lost Scruffy, he died of a heart attack, and then in February 2011 we lost Scully to FIV. Poppy, who was fourth cat in, has now taken to bullying Pantera (second cat in). So, Poppy arrived well after Pantera, but she is now giving him a terrible life, he is too scared to move. I have tried shouting and sending her to bed, she has had a smack (well, light tap), but she is so mean with Pantera, she dive bombs him, she is a real minx. Pantera is a gentle boy, and she has him so scared, it is sad to see.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Scully - 1st in, top cat(Rainbow Bridge)
Pantera - 2nd in
Scruffy - 3rd in (Rainbow Bridge)
Poppy - 4th in, now the bully
Cassie - 5th in

I am wondering if Poppy feels insecure becaue of Scruffy and Scully both dying within three months of each other. I know they need time to regroup, but this nastiness and bullying was never Poppy. Always a bossy little thing, but nasty no.

Tanks ina dvance for any suggestions you might have.

Victoria

RESPONSE:

It's hard to say exactly what has triggered this change in Poppy but she is definately feeling insecure and stressed. She has discovered that attacking Pantera helps to relieve this stress so your goal is to redirect Poppy's behavior toward a more positive outlet for her anxiey.
Play with her more often. Use a string toy or fishing pole type toy and play with her until she is tired. "A tired cat is a happy cat!" Play will help her to burn off the excess energy created by her anxiety. Give the cats treats when they are together and behaving. This will help her to associate positive things with Pantera. Don't react to Poppy's bad behavior physically or verbally. This only serves to reinforce the bad behavior. Instead, pretend like you don't notice anything and pull out a toy, toss a ball, etc. to distract Poppy from Pantera. After play, give them treats. This type of behavior is quite normal in cats - they can often act like bratty children and pick on each other when they are upset about something. The key is to use positive reinforcement techniques to redirect their energy toward more positive behavior. Try the suggestions and see how it goes. Good Luck!

Donna - House Full Cats Mom