Expert: Jessica - 8/20/2009

Question
Hi!

I have a two year old Siamese who LOVES to play!  Often she gets bored/ over stimulated and attacks my 7 year old female cat.  Once in awhile they play, but my Siamese is SO smart that early on she learned that by attacking the older cat I would catch her and put her alone in a room to calm down.  Now I ignore her, but her attacks have increased in severity over the past several months.  We're talking fur flying and blood.  They have both been to numerous vets who assure me they are both fine.

I have tried interactive play ranging from 20 minutes to several sessions a day, but she just gets more agitated.  I've tried ignoring her, she just tries harder.  I've used spray bottles but it just became more of a challenge for her to attack the other cat before I could spray.  She is a smart girl, so I've been training her.  She comes when called, and can sit and give five on command.  We also play fetch.

How can I play with her and give her exercise without over stimulating her?  I've tried letting her calm down in a room alone but it doesn't really help.  She really likes her kennel and sometimes I'll put her in there for a five or ten minutes. It seems to help sometimes and seems to make things worse at times.  I don't want to put her on meds and don't want to declaw her.  However it's getting to the point that I don't feel this is fair or a good living environment for my older cat.

One thing that help a tiny bit was praising the older cat for standing up for herself.  After a few weeks though, the younger cat got more vicious to get a response.

Thanks for any help!!

Answer
Hi Iman.  Sometimes Siamese, with their high energy levels and A-type personalities, can be a little overbearing.  It can be hard to work around this when cats don’t have personalities that work together naturally.  But what I would start with is a product called Feliway.  I use the plug in diffusers in my own home at all times to relieve exactly this sort of tension, and while spats do still arise, it helps immensely.  Feliway works by helping to reduce anxiety, a problem that Siamese are a little prone to and which can fuel aggression over territory.  You can learn more at www.feliway.com  It’s available at pet stores, online and through some veterinarians.

Some people also use flower essences to help with behavior if they are trying to avoid allopathic treatment with medications.  You may want to try a formula by Spirit Essences called Bully Remedy.  This was formulated by a veterinarian and animal behaviorist.  I have done business with them, and it was a pleasure.  Here is a link to view and order Bully Remedy:

http://www.spiritessences.com/?action=product&act=view&id=58

In the meantime, you may want to apply some Soft Paws to your Siamese’s nails so that she is unable to do any damage through scratching to your other kitty.  These are designed to stop damage to household items from scratching, but I have used them on my cats and noticed that protection from painful scratches was a nice side benefit.  They are rounded vinyl tips that get glued over your cat’s natural nails with surgical grade glue.  They shed off every 4-6 weeks so must be replaced as they fall off.  You can purchase them through their website, www.softpaws.com, or at pet stores.  Some veterinarians and most groomers also carry them and will apply them for you.

Try to make sure that your kitties have separate areas in the household, since many of these battles are due to territory.  Tall cat trees help add vertical space, and they also allow the cats to claim a particular spot as their own territory.  This can relieve territorial behavior elsewhere in the home.  Be sure to place litter boxes in separate areas of the home (ideally, three in your home), and also try to feed them separately.  Your older kitty will also need just as much one-on-one time as your Siamese will to encourage her not to become withdrawn and more prone to being bullied.

If these things don’t work, you may need to work with a certified applied animal behaviorist or veterinary behaviorist on modifying her behavior.  Your veterinarian should be able to refer you.

Good luck!

Jessica