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Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/Sibling kitten returned from vet visit
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Question
We recently adopted 3 female kittens who are extremely loving and playful with no rivalry. However, this weekend one of the sisters got hit by a car and spent 2 days at the vet. She is fortunately ok, only sustaining some fractured ribs and contusions, but she spent 24 hrs in ICU and in an oxygen room. We took her home last night and now her 2 sisters are hissing and treating her like a stranger. What happened in the 36 hrs that she was away to make the other two dislike her? Many thanks for your insight.
Kathy
Kathy,
I'm glad your kitty is OK! Unfortunately when you have cats things can happen, even to house cats.
Your other cat's behavior is normal for a lot of cats after one comes home from the vet or animal hospital.
Cats go by smell and not by sight in recognizing other cats (with humans, they go by voice...not by sight#. Your cat that was at the vet brought home MANY different smells: anesthetic, medicinal smells, and smells of other cats, etc....all clinging to her fur and skin. The other cats thinks she's another cat because she doesn't smell the same!
When the hurt cat grooms herself she will be replacing her regular scent. You can also rub the cats 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 transferring the vet's office smells to the other cats.
A trick that I've heard a lot of people use in that situation #though I have never tried it) is to put a drop of vanilla on each cats forehead so they smell the same.
Things will settle down when the smells are gone from the female that was at the vet.
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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* One of the top 50 Experts Of 2008 *
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