Expert: Jana Connell RVT, CVT - 11/8/2010

Question
Hi Jane,

I recently adopted what I believe to be a 2 year old male cat from a shelter.  I also currently have 2 dogs and a female cat about the same age.  While we tried some slow integration, a few mishaps resulted in some pretty nasty cat fights (about 5).  At first, the newcomer male seemed to want to eagerly and peacefully meet the other cat who interpreted this as aggression, ran away, which in turn kicked in the newcomer's hunting instincts.  The female cat is significantly smaller and is now extremely stressed and often won't come in from outside without significant time and effort on our part.(she was an outdoor stray and is miserable if kept inside all the time).  The female also evacuates her bowels and bladder during these fights.  I know sometimes that's considered marking but I get the sense it's just outright panic.  I know that even some vets recommend letting them work it out but if I do, I think I'd really have to force it (like put them in a bathroom and close the door) otherwise the female cat would just hole up somewhere and never come out.  We've been keeping the cats seperate but that's just not a solution for the long term for us.  Hopefully, rehoming one won't be either.  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Well this is a tough one but not insurmountable. I am going to assume that this cat you adopted is neutered. A cat running away from another one doesn't necessarily kick in hunting instincts. Cats don't normally 'hunt' other cats as prey.

What you have here is a typical fight for dominance more than anything. Now male and female cats rarely fight like this in a household to begin with. Normal cats will hiss at each other but rarely are there scraps.

So there is something about this male cat that isn't right. He either isn't neutered, or wasn't neutered correctly, or he is just a very aggressive cat that does not like other cats. This should have been noted on his cage and in his files.

One thing you can try is a product called Feliway. It is a pheromone that you spray around the house that makes cats think all is wonderful in the world. Many people have used it to home new cats and have had wonderful success with it.

Amitriptyline is a anti-anxiety drug that is also used for this problem. It is very safe and doesn't have to be used forever. It also makes the cat happier thus eliminating the cause of the stress (in their mind). I used it on my dog for a year and she was less worried about me going off to work. My Mom used it for cats that were spraying in the house due to a tom cat that got in through the cat door and sprayed. It worked well and they all stopped spraying.

So those are the best choices you have. Ask your vet if there is anything else on the market that is newer. You need to get the Amitriptyline from the vet.

Bowel evacuation during a fight is from fear, not marking a territory. Spraying is what accomplishes that.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.