Expert: Ali - 8/22/2008

Question
Hello,

I have two female cats, one is a little over two years old, very gentle and the
other is 1.5 years old, a bit aggrassive.  I am cat sitting someone's 4.5
months old male cat for a week.  My own cats seem to be very unhappy about
this arrangment.  The guest tries to approach them but they immediately hiss
or groan at him.  He won't stop staring my more aggrassive cat in the eyes,
which I think makes her even more angry.  Is there anything I can do to ease
this tension.  Do male cats automatically want to dominate, even if they
haven't yet settled into to the household?  Are my female cats going to be
scarred for life after this one week?

Answer
Reheleh,

It is important to understand a few basics of cat behavior. Cats are very territorial and they will develop and defend a specific area as their territory. Cats don't typically share their territory with another cat that they haven't yet met. As far as your cats are concerned the kitten that you are babysitting is trespassing on their territory and it is perfectly natural for them to defend their own territory with behavior like hissing, growling, swats with claws extended or retracted and if things get out of hand you can also see things like caterwauling, biting and serious injuries can result. Eye contact is viewed as a challenge in the cat community regardless of gender. It has been my experience that staring contests like you describe often result in serious territorial debates that can cause injuries that need to be treated by a qualified veterinarian.

My recommendation to you is that you isolate the feline guest for the remainder of his time in your home. This kitten should be kept in a room behind a closed door with food, water, litter, a comfortable place to sleep and a few toys. It's important that you realize that just because the kitten is isolated doesn't mean that he isn't in need of attention, companionship and regular care so be sure that you don't forget to pay attention to this little one several times daily. In the future cat sitting is best done within the other cat's territory and not your home which your cats rightfully view as their territory. You may want to pick up a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a safe blend of flower essences that will help to calm and reassure everyone. You can generally find Rescue Remedy in natural health/health food stores or naturopathic pharmacies. My recommendation would be to use 8 drops per day in each water dish in your home. You should see a substantial difference in everyone's behavior fairly quickly. I hope that you have found this information helpful. If you have any further questions, concerns, or you would like to send an update or some pictures my way, please don't hesitate to contact me again.