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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat neutered
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Question
I have a 1 yr old female cat that is fixed. I got a male kitten a few months ago
and when he reached the 6 mo. period I got him fixed. The cats were good
together until I got the male fixed. The female cat hisses, growls, and hits him
anytime he is near her. This isn't her character at all. Is this normal? Is there
anything i can do?
Mary Ann,
Don't panic! (smile) This is perfectly normal behavior!
Cats go by smell and not by sight in recognizing other cats (with humans, they go by voice...not by sight). Your neutered cat brought home MANY different smells from the vet: anesthetic, medicinal smells, and smells of other cats...all clinging to his fur. The female cat thinks he's another cat! She is protecting her territory from this 'intruder'.
when the neutered male grooms himself he will be replacing his regular scent. You can also rub the cat who did not go to the vet with a towel, then rub the cat who did go to the vet with the same towel to transfer familiar smells, but do not do it the opposite way because you will then be transfering the vet's office smells to the other cat.
A trick that I've heard a lot of people use in that situation (though I have never tried it) is to put a tiny drop of vanilla on each cats forehead so they smell the same.
Things will settle down in a few days when the smells are gone from male and he smells like himself again.
Tabbi
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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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