Expert: Ali - 12/11/2009

Question
Hi. I have a loving and peaceful male cat (Siamese) and my boyfriend has one aggressive and violent male cat (Bombay), both of them are about 4 years old. The problem is that we're getting married and moving into a new home with both cats. Basically we have no idea on how we are going to deal with them in order to make them to get along. So we are trying to figure out the way they can adjust to a new home and find out that this time they will have a new cat to live with. Sincerely I am afraid for my cat because for sure it will get hurt by the Bombay at some point. Personally I have been hurt by my boyfriend’s cat several times. Once while I was sleeping it jumped over me and bit my ear so hard that I thought I was going to lose it. Some other times I could just be watching TV and sense Ludwig (that’s his name) ready to attack me but not in a playful way but in an “I am going to hurt you bad” way. I have serious scratch marks on my arms and legs product of our encounters. We have tried everything, screaming at him, putting him on a different room, giving him treats, (we have never hit him) now we are trying to splash him with water on his face after he bits me. Most of the times its aggression is towards me and not my boyfriend that is why sometimes I think its because Ludwig might smell me and sense my cat’s odor, some times we think that maybe he is just jealous or bored. This aggression started about 2 years ago when my boyfriend moved out of his old place were he could play with a dog, so perhaps this could be also be the cause now that he has no one to play with but us. Any advice? we are desperate! I’m not willing to live in a new house always being afraid that at any moment Ludwig is going to attack me or my cat.  

Answer
Monica,

I suspect that what Ludwig is showing signs of is moderate play aggression along with some dominance issues. I would strongly recommend that you and your partner seek advice from an experienced animal behaviorist who specializes in working with cats who have behavioral issues. From what you describe there isn't a simple home remedy kind of fix for Ludwig's behavior, it will take time, patience, consistency and a good behavioral program to get him back on track.

I can certainly understand your concerns about your kitty's safety in terms of moving in with your partner - there is definitely a chance, even after a proper introduction that Ludwig might hurt your cat if his behavioral issues aren't treated properly by a team that includes a good behaviorist and human homeopath who is willing to treat the cats or a holistic vet who uses homeopathy in his/her practice. There are some Bach flower remedies that I think could be useful for Ludwig, since the situation with this kitty's behavior is so serious I'd really rather that you get guidance and recommendations for using homeopathic remedies from a professional.

As for properly introducing your kitty to Ludwig my recommendation would be to have one kitty set up (I'd vote for Ludwig since he's got behavioral issues and needs more one on one interaction and attention) in a room of his own with all of the usual feline creature comforts (food, water, toys, a cozy place to sleep and a minimum of two litter boxes. **You will need at least 4 litter boxes in total to minimize the risks of house soiling with these cats since one is especially prone to being nasty when things aren't going his way**) for a minimum of 2-3 weeks. You will then want to feed these cats on either side of a closed door at every meal and every time they receive special treats - this will help each cat to begin associating each other's scent, sounds, etc with something positive, FOOD! You can switch bedding back and forth between the cats to allow them to investigate each other's scent without them having visual or physical contact with the other cat.

Over time the cats will begin to accept each other's presence without hissing, spitting, growling or other dramatic behaviors, when this happens you can slowly begin introducing these two kitties to each other by placing one kitty in a large cat carrier and bringing the kennel into a neutral room to allow the cats to safely interact with each other for a few minutes. Obviously if things start off badly I'd recommend that you stop the introduction and try again another day, you always want the interactions between the cats to be as positive as possible. If you'd like further details on new cat introductions I have answered many questions on the topic, so please feel free to check out my previous answers. If you have any further kitty related questions or concerns I'd be more than happy to help you out to the best of my ability. I wish you luck and I'd certainly be interested to hear how things are progressing with the introduction process and Ludwig's behavioral program.