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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Why is one cat so horrible to the others?

17 replies

LeGavrOrf · 25/07/2013 22:42

I have four cats. A pair of 4 year old brothers and a pair of 2 year old sisters.

Three of them get one very well, all sleep snuggled up together, lick each other etc. one of the girls never is with the othes (whilst the three are snuggled up somewhere she is downstairs on her own) but she has always been like that.

Lately though she has been more aggressive, swipes the other cats, hisses at them, sits on a chair and when they go underneath claws them.

I was wondering if she is just miserable, or of this is normal, and what I need to do about it. She is a jolly cuddly cat (naughty, typical tortoiseshell) but I don't want to be miserable. And I feel sorry for the others when she goes for them.

OP posts:

Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 25/07/2013 22:42

Sorry for typos.

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cozietoesie · 25/07/2013 23:18

Are they all neutered?

Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 25/07/2013 23:24

Yes they are. I just worry that the lone cat is miserable with the others.

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cozietoesie · 26/07/2013 00:00

Sometimes cats just don't get on with each other. Individually, they can be really pleasant animals - they just don't suit cat society.

How is she with you?

Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 26/07/2013 00:01

She is lovely, such a character. Comes in first thing meowing, runs up the stairs and gets under the duvet and snuggles in purring. She is a lovely characterful cat and I adore her. But she is a misanthrope, doesn't even get on with her sister.

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cozietoesie · 26/07/2013 00:07

Oh Dear. Sounds to me as if she wants to be a one cat.

Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 26/07/2013 00:09

I know, that is what I think. Which makes me very sad indeed and I don't know what to do to fix it. I can't re home her, I love her dearly.

Thanks so much for your help though.

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Gruntfuttocks · 26/07/2013 00:13

You say you can't re-home her, but honestly, wouldn't that be the best thing for her? Multi cat households are often fraught with difficulties - a lot of cats prefer to be singletons, and once they have fallen out with the others, it is well nigh impossible to mend the relationships.
I ended up with 6 cats at one stage - loved having them and couldn't resist adding to the collection. We ended up with terrible problems - one was particularly aggressive with the others, and we had to segregate them in different parts of the house. I eventually re-homed two of them, one with a family member and the other with a friend, and they are all much happier as a result. And I'm no longer living with the stink of cat-pee and spraying that resulted from all the stress (and yes, they were all neutered - didn't stop them...)

Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 26/07/2013 00:16

On no

I would hate to lose her, she is so loved. And the aggression is a recent thing (started this week), before she was just very much a greta Garbo cat. I don't want her to be unhappy. Would felliwah help do you think (does that stuff even work?). Luckily no cat piss at the mo.

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Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 26/07/2013 00:17

But thank you for being honest with me.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 26/07/2013 07:16

Or she's getting stroppy due to the heat.

Lonecatwithkitten · 26/07/2013 08:17

You are very lucky that three get on well - they are the unusual ones. In the main cats are solitary animals. FAB has great advice on it's website on how reduce stress in multi cat households.

Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 26/07/2013 10:35

It could be the heat, she is a very fluffy cat, far more fur than the others.

It is very recent, she has always been standoffish with the other cats, but now she is aggressive. She hissed at her sister and chased her again this morning. And then she came upstairs with me and gave me a lovely cuddle. I really am upset at the idea of rehoming, she is so lovely. (Pic of her on my profile).

I wonder if she might be ill, or stressed. Does anyone use felliway or is that a load of old bollocks. I am tempted to call my vet but think they will assume I am neurotic.

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Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 26/07/2013 10:36

Thank you lone, I am looking at that site now.

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Original poster

LeGavrOrf · 26/07/2013 10:42

That link had some good ideas, such as a lot of food and water bowls in different areas of the house (they have a bowl each at the moment but it suggests extra ones in other places). Also said that aggression could be caused by change, all the cats had to go to a cattery last minute a couple of weeks ago when I had to go away suddenly, they were all housed together in a family pen so perhaps that has upset her.

I will give the food and water bowls thing a try and if it doesn't improve will ring the vet Monday.

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Fluffycloudland77 · 26/07/2013 14:23

We never re-homed our stroppy madam, she had her own room to eat in and she preferred it that way.

Could you afford a seperate pen for her next time? I appreciate it would double cattery costs.

deliasmithy · 27/07/2013 14:14

I have 3 cats all intoduced separately. The newest clan member, 8 month old tomkitten has been nicknamed The Terrorist. He likes going the extra mile in upsetting the other two. He thinks he is the boss so we've had a few chats about that. He gets put in his own room at night when at his worst to give the others a break.

Sometimes cats can have a falling out that lasts a few weeks, or, perhaps the power dynamic changed whilst they were in the cattery and she is re-asserting herself. If your cats are able to fend for themselves then I am sure they will eventually snap back at her.

I have a gumpy female nicknamed Sauron. She does awesome death stares at us and the other cats. She acts like she would rather be an only cat but she was miserable on her own and secretly likes other cat company from a distance.

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