Expert: Jessica - 8/24/2009

Question
QUESTION: I have 3 female cats. One is 4 one is 3 and one is 1. They have always got along until recently. The 3 yr old has recently become aggressive. We lately have been having a stray cat coming to our door and when she sees it she attacks the4 yr old cat. The stray has dissapeared but now if we spook her, like rustle a bag or drop something she automatically hisses and corners the 4 yr old. She could care less about the other one. Please help my husband wants to get rid of her.

ANSWER: Hi Amy.  This is called redirected aggression and is, unfortunately, a relatively common problem.  The cat is unable to reach the stimulus that is really causing her fear, so she acts out on the nearest person or animal, which in this case appears to have been your 4-year-old cat at the time.  

Many animals also make strong associations, which is what makes them so easy to train.  Dogs associate commands with rewards, cats associate electric can openers with food, etc.  Even if she had just seen the stray while she was near your 4-year-old once, she may have come to associate the stray cat with her, and now the 4-year-old represents something fearful to her.

So what I would suggest to do is to separate the two kitties for at least a week and give them some time to distance themselves from the experience.  Then try to slowly reintroduce them with some positive things to associate with each other.  Special meals and treats fed together is something that usually works well.  If the cats enjoy brushing, see if your husband will sit down with you and you can each brush a cat at the same time side by side.  However, trying to brush them both at once with one brush can result in some jealousy, so I wouldn’t recommend trying to take this on by yourself.  You might even consider playing an entertaining video for your kitties, such as Video Catnip among many others.  This can be a form of play without the worry of any sudden movements that could be misunderstood early in their reintroduction.

Starting now, I would also recommend to begin using a product called Feliway.  I use the plug-in diffusers in my home to reduce aggression that’s fueled by anxiety, as it sounds like your kitty’s is.  Learn more about how it works at www.feliway.com  You can buy it online, but you might want to go to a pet store and pick some up, since it will be the quickest way to get it in your hands.

If all else fails, you should talk to a vet about working with a behaviorist or even the use of medications to help your 3-year-old get past this.  Most often, medications don’t need to be continued for life.


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QUESTION: I actually went and purchases the defused today. I saw it in one of your other posts. I was curious as to how long you have to use it. The box does not give many details ant it seems to be quite expensive if we need to use this for say years. Just to let you know, since we plugged it in this morning, we have seen an improvement.

Answer
It depends.  I have decided to use the product permanently, but I have a high-stress household with multiple cats and foster kitties who are constantly coming and going.  When I try to do without Feliway, tension in the home rises.  However, households with less stress may only need it for a month or two during times of strife or change.  Each diffuser should last you about 4-6 weeks.  You can see how your kitties do when your current one runs out.  If you feel you need to purchase refills, the least expensive place I have found to purchase them in multiples is www.entirelypets.com  If you buy them in a 3-pack, each diffuser comes out to less than $13, so the cost ends up being around $10 a month.