Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/3 males attacking alone female

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 10/29/2008


Question
Hi! I have a serious problem that has started in my house! I live with three male cats all neutered, who are between the ages 5-12 yrs old! I also have a female cat that has been declawed and neutered for a long time now who is 12 yrs old! They have always generally gotten into fights but nothing to serious until now! My poor female cat is getting attacked constantly on a regularly basis, it has become a full time job for me to keep them apart! I have tried seperating them, spraying them, yelling at them everything I could think of! Now it has gotten so bad that the poor female has started peeing on them... Is there anything you can suggest for me to do because this has become a stressful situation and I'm running out of solutions to this problem! Please help!

Answer
Julee,

At 12 your female is 64 years old. Sometimes cats sense illness or death (I know it sounds morbid, but it's true), and other cats will attack one because of it. I would take the female to a vet that specializes in geriatric cat care and conditions (not all vets do) and have an "older cat checkup" done on her. She may have something wrong that you are not aware of.

Meanwhile I would put her in a room by herself, like your bedroom (so she has company), with a litterbox, food, and water, and keep the door closed. An older cat cannot take stress like a younger cat can and what she is going through now can cause health problems and behavior problems even if nothing is wrong with her. She needs to feel calm again and safe from attacks.

The peeing could also be medically related, not just a reaction or behavior problem.

Being prepared and knowledgable about elderly cats will make things easier for the cat and for you. I am including some very good links about elderly cats:
(Copy and paste, or type, the whole links into your address bar)

http://www.sniksnak.com/resources/geriatric.html

http://www.messybeast.com/towards-end.htm

http://www.2ndchance.info/oldcat.htm

Give her lots of love and reassurance. She needs it now more than ever.

Tabbi  

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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