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LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
Oh, she's beautiful! I love me a white tortie.
May Kasahara
take me to the feeling
Donut has been on a fucking mad one since we got back 
Me76
Not very good lurker
I was away last night and had such a lovely reception when I got home today.
Ozzie greeting me at the door like a puppy, she does that quite a lot anyway, but then meowing when I stopped stroking her and then I went into the bedroom where Orson was sleeping and he jumped up and shouted and I got lots of stroking.
Ozzie greeting me at the door like a puppy, she does that quite a lot anyway, but then meowing when I stopped stroking her and then I went into the bedroom where Orson was sleeping and he jumped up and shouted and I got lots of stroking.
chainsawjob
Kipping in the dunes
We're feeding a friend's cats while they're away on holiday.
May Kasahara
take me to the feeling
Rhodes was much the same
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
at soggy kitteh
Not that
My old BD used to love getting soaked because he would come-in, get a lot of fuss whilst being dried, then he'd demand out to go and do it all over again and again! It helps a holiday a lot I found, having local cats.
It's kind of like going to the local supermarket chain... it is comfortable because you know what to do, but at the same time different so it's a bit exciting.
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chainsawjob
Kipping in the dunes
Special treat day, some cat milk.
Puddy_Tat
🐈⬛
are they quite as thrilled as they look?
Not that
the mogs i used to live with didn't seem to mind being out in the rain - i used to have to keep a kitty towel in the kitchen
chainsawjob
Kipping in the dunes
Oh totally
They're both pretty shy cats, and whilst my daughter knows them a little, I don't. Must be boring for them though, they're staying indoors while our friends are away, cos they have a tendency to run off and get stuck up trees. And they just get a visit from us once a day. I think after day 5 they may be getting taken to grandparents for the remainder of the holiday.
haushoch
Well-Known Member
Sorry, long post…I could do with some cat advice, please.
So I have two cats, 12 year old Molly, who has lived in my house for 10 years and was adopted from Battersea. She’s always been the only cat, and clearly hated all other cats that came anywhere near the house. She’s also extremely timid around other cats and is usually the one who ends up being bullied.
She loves people and is very sociable.
Earlier this year a stray tomcat turned up in our garden. Much to our amazement Molly seemed ok with him, she was more just intrigued and there was no aggressive behaviour towards him whatsoever. We named him Louis.
He stayed in our garden for 1.5 months, after which time we managed to trap him. He then spent one month in a cat shelter, where they did all the health checks, microchipped him and neutered him. Then we brought him back, as we had grown very fond of him and most importantly Molly seemed ok with him.
We kept him in a separate room to start with and then let him out after a week. He is a very laid back, zen like cat, he likes cuddles and sleeping and eating. The cat shelter people think he’s around 2 years old.
At first they seemed ok with each other.
Then Molly’s behaviour changed and she started to be quite aggressive towards him, like growling at him and swiping at him when he was close to her.
She’s also been grooming herself like mad and has licked herself bald around her tummy (this started earlier in the year, when we were doing a lot of decorating), but hasn’t improved at all.
At the same time she also withdrew from us, and spent most of her time away in other rooms, whereas Louis would always hang around with us.
Molly then started to be even more timid, and I felt so sorry for her. So I decided to keep Louis in the living room overnight, so that Molly could safely have the rest of the house to herself, and also come for cuddles again. It did seem to help her to calm down.
However now something else is happening suddenly and that is that Louis has started to chase Molly whenever he sees her, and she’s clearly very scared of him.
She’s always on the look out and when she sees him and needs to get past him she kind of slithers past him, like really low down. I think he now treats the living room as his territory and defends it. But he will chase her up the stairs too.
I’m not sure what to do. I feel desperately sorry for her, I don’t want her to suffer and be unhappy. Louis is such a nice cat and he’s otherwise very friendly and not really aggressive at all.
I want him to have a nice home and be safe, but I don’t want to do that at the expense of Molly’s well-being. Some people say that it can take up to a year for cats to get on.
Is that true? Or are some cats just never happy with another cat in the house? Is there something that can be done to improve things? I tried Feliway, but it made no difference.
I live in a neighbourhood with a lot of cats, there’s a young half-bengal cat, who is the king of the neighbourhood and comes in when the door is left open on warm days, and there’s a fluffy posh cat who chases Molly. The half-bengal also chases Molly when he comes in or sees her in the garden.
So there’s a lot of stress in Molly’s life already, and Louis is obviously not helping. So I’m really asking myself at which point I give up and try and find a home for him? I am really torn, they are both such wonderful and adorable cats.
Does anyone know what could help to make Molly happy again?
So I have two cats, 12 year old Molly, who has lived in my house for 10 years and was adopted from Battersea. She’s always been the only cat, and clearly hated all other cats that came anywhere near the house. She’s also extremely timid around other cats and is usually the one who ends up being bullied.
She loves people and is very sociable.
Earlier this year a stray tomcat turned up in our garden. Much to our amazement Molly seemed ok with him, she was more just intrigued and there was no aggressive behaviour towards him whatsoever. We named him Louis.
He stayed in our garden for 1.5 months, after which time we managed to trap him. He then spent one month in a cat shelter, where they did all the health checks, microchipped him and neutered him. Then we brought him back, as we had grown very fond of him and most importantly Molly seemed ok with him.
We kept him in a separate room to start with and then let him out after a week. He is a very laid back, zen like cat, he likes cuddles and sleeping and eating. The cat shelter people think he’s around 2 years old.
At first they seemed ok with each other.
Then Molly’s behaviour changed and she started to be quite aggressive towards him, like growling at him and swiping at him when he was close to her.
She’s also been grooming herself like mad and has licked herself bald around her tummy (this started earlier in the year, when we were doing a lot of decorating), but hasn’t improved at all.
At the same time she also withdrew from us, and spent most of her time away in other rooms, whereas Louis would always hang around with us.
Molly then started to be even more timid, and I felt so sorry for her. So I decided to keep Louis in the living room overnight, so that Molly could safely have the rest of the house to herself, and also come for cuddles again. It did seem to help her to calm down.
However now something else is happening suddenly and that is that Louis has started to chase Molly whenever he sees her, and she’s clearly very scared of him.
She’s always on the look out and when she sees him and needs to get past him she kind of slithers past him, like really low down. I think he now treats the living room as his territory and defends it. But he will chase her up the stairs too.
I’m not sure what to do. I feel desperately sorry for her, I don’t want her to suffer and be unhappy. Louis is such a nice cat and he’s otherwise very friendly and not really aggressive at all.
I want him to have a nice home and be safe, but I don’t want to do that at the expense of Molly’s well-being. Some people say that it can take up to a year for cats to get on.
Is that true? Or are some cats just never happy with another cat in the house? Is there something that can be done to improve things? I tried Feliway, but it made no difference.
I live in a neighbourhood with a lot of cats, there’s a young half-bengal cat, who is the king of the neighbourhood and comes in when the door is left open on warm days, and there’s a fluffy posh cat who chases Molly. The half-bengal also chases Molly when he comes in or sees her in the garden.
So there’s a lot of stress in Molly’s life already, and Louis is obviously not helping. So I’m really asking myself at which point I give up and try and find a home for him? I am really torn, they are both such wonderful and adorable cats.
Does anyone know what could help to make Molly happy again?
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
I’m new to all this but I’d be looking for new owners for Louis, who does sound lovely and will make someone a great pet.
Poor Molly needs to feel safe in her own home, and not like she can’t have free access to her family.
Poor Molly needs to feel safe in her own home, and not like she can’t have free access to her family.
izz
Increased Leisure Citizen
Doubtless better cat-whisperers than I will be along for a much better informed opinion but I'm another one voting to rehome Louis, sorry. Also, I'd be having Molly checked out by the vet, sometimes I've seen aggression when a cat is weak/ill, and less able to defend territory.
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
Take Molly to the vet to have her checked over, everything you describe when looked at as a whole could point to her feeling unwell or in pain, rather than due to a problem with the other cat!
(Aggression towards the other cat, withdrawing from you, abdominal licking can be an indication of abdominal or reflected pain, hiding, Louis trying to chase her away (animals will do this to an unwell animal to protect themselves) - all sounds like it could be health related to me, so that has to be investigated as the initial priority, even if just to rule it out).
haushoch
Well-Known Member
Hi Epona, thank you for your reply. We did take her to a vet not long ago, and they checked her over and said that they think it is all due to stress. They also suggested to let her groom herself if it comforts her. She eats normally and poos and peeing is also normal. Though she grazes, whereas Louis wolves everything down immediately. So actually that’s another change. As we can’t leave her food down when Louis has access to it. At night when Louis is confined to the living room, her behaviour goes back to what would be normal for her. She comes and sleeps next to me, purring a lot and coming for cuddles. Also during the day when I am working she’s with me. I have a little space in the loft where I have a desk. Louis prefers being a ground cat, Molly likes high spaces. I am thinking more and more that we need to find a home for Louis, and what people are saying here confirms this for me, but I feel like I should at least try to explore all options if there are any. Louis has been with us for three months already though. I am just not sure how much longer Molly can cope with all of this. We’re also due to move home in October and my husband thinks that it will all change for the better once we’re in a completely different environment.
Epona
Radar 2006-2020, Sonic 2006-2022, Jakey 2007-2024
Oh that is excellent that you have already gone down the vet route and that she seems to be in good health.
Sorry that it is stress related though, that is not easy to fix.
How attached are you to Louis at this point? (I know it is easy to come to love them very quickly and this might be an incredibly difficult decision for you all). Rehoming him, if you can bring yourself to, does seem like it may be the fairest option for Molly.
Radar and Jakey never got on, we made our bedroom a Radar only zone where the others weren't allowed but it is not ideal.
What you could try is separating them entirely for a week so they don't see one another then try reintroducing them - start by feeding them either side of a door so they can hear and smell one another but can eat separately and in peace. If Louis is a guzzler and Molly a grazer, can she have an area where she has access to some food that Louis can't get to? If she likes high up and he is more ground level, that might provide something of a solution. Or maybe in your office while you are working she could have a bowl of something in there, if that is where she likes to hang out without Louis.
Best of luck to you, it is a really difficult situation.
haushoch
Well-Known Member
I am very attached to Louis, as is my husband. Louis is an easy cat to love. He's cute and funny and very talkative and cuddly. But I love Molly intensely and I love her much much more (sorry Louis). She's always been a little bit of a worry, she's so precious, she's really fussy with food and she's always been at the bottom of the pecking order in the neighbouring cat hierarchy. And she loves me back intensely too, she always wants to be with me. And now very often she can't be, because he wants to cuddle with us too, and she then just gives up and goes to another room. I like the idea of starting all over again and keeping them apart again. I think I will give that a go.
moose
like some cat from Japan
We stupidly got a 'friend' for Stan, in a fit of hopeless anthropomorphism. They hated each other on sight, and eventually she made sure he couldn't even get in the house. We put upwith it for a year before conceding defeat and taking her back to the CPL. You can try keeping them apart, and trying to split your time and trying to keep them both happy, but it's also ok to chuck in the towel for the sake of the original cat. Good luck!
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
Big day today. Lovely Skim gave us Phoebe’s lightly used cat tower, which Tim took to straight away.
It’s in the kitchen, so I did miss my Timmins all afternoon while he roosted out there. I had a nap myself and woke up to a little wet nose on my lips. Once awake he climbed on me for a long session of scritches and sleep - possibly the longest he’s ever bestowed upon me.
Then he woke up because he heard cats on the tv. I was watching the bonus episode of The Sandman, and he was thoroughly intrigued.
It’s in the kitchen, so I did miss my Timmins all afternoon while he roosted out there. I had a nap myself and woke up to a little wet nose on my lips. Once awake he climbed on me for a long session of scritches and sleep - possibly the longest he’s ever bestowed upon me.
Then he woke up because he heard cats on the tv. I was watching the bonus episode of The Sandman, and he was thoroughly intrigued.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
Oh, Tim's adorable! I love how they are at the kitten stage when they're into everything. Some cats carry on, Lilith's two but she's still endlessly curious.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
I'd be doing whatever she said!
Skim
Well-Known Member
spanglechick
High Empress of Dressing Up
It’s cos you gave her tree away to some bratty kitten up the hill!
chainsawjob
Kipping in the dunes
Waiting for my daughter to feed her.
