Anyone taken on more cats when one of yours is aggressive?

[Toomuchtea]

At the moment, I have two cats. One is a peaceful soul and his brother is too for about 95% of the time. The 5% he leaps on his brother from on high and is generally an arse. Brother only rarely fights back. We have never managed to work out what sets him off. We tried Feliway but it didn't make any noticeable difference.

But we all survive ... the problem is that there are two cats in my family who need a home because of bereavement and there aren't any offers yet. I have put off offering to have them because of Cat B, and his little ways. He's about 6 kg, and the other two possible new cats are about half that.

Has anyone else ever taken on more cats when you've got one that is tricky? Am I mad to even think about it? I love these other two cats dearly and I don't want to make their lives miserable by rehoming them with Cat B, who I also love dearly but who I do know has his problems.

We have one that is aggressive..both towards me and the other cat. It was a mistake keeping the other cat (she was a stray, there were no spaces at any rescues and by the time there was we had obviously fallen in love) 5 years on aggressive cat is very jealous and possessive of me and attacks the other cat a lot too (although its much worse in the winter as she just loves being outside) I wouldn't get another cat, but you live and learn! It hasn't made aggressive cat any worse shes always been like this, but it's not fair on her or the other cat really although they do have times where they tolerate each other, and will for eg sleep on the same bed for hours the attacks can be quite vicious.

Your aggressive one sounds like ours - for quite a lot of the time they tolerate each other too. I had suspected that the aggressive one's tendencies might make it impossible.

How big is your house and garden? Are there any other cats in close proximity?

Cats like their own space. If you have enough room that each cat can have it’s own territory without having to interact with the others, if it chooses, you are less likely to have problems than if you live in a 3 bed terrace where the whole street is multi cat households.

Perhaps best to work with a local sanctuary to find new homes for the other two. I’ve had to tell myself many times that my commitment is to my own cats and no one else’s. It’s heartbreaking sometimes.

The house is a four bed semi - enough space for the cats to get away from each other. The garden is an ok size for a town garden, but not huge, and there are a lot of other cats locally.

Toilenstripes, yes, you're right. It is heartbreaking.

My older cat is quite aggressive, mainly due to fear. Her default position when she sees another cat is to hiss and rush forward - she rarely goes further than that as it tends to scare other cats off. I got a kitten about 3 years ago, and did a careful introduction - didn't make much difference, as she still hated the kitten - not helped by the kitten wanting to "play". Three years on, I wouldn't say she's mellowed much - there are still regular spats (still often initiated by the younger cat winding her up) and lots of bad language. But there's enough space in the house for them both to get away from each other, and I have seen them sleeping on the same bed - although the older cat tends to keep one eye open just in case.

MaudesMum - it sounds like armed neutrality, which is pretty much what we have here at the moment. Cat A keeps a wary out out, like your older one. Yesterday I woke up to find Cat A under the radiator in our room, where he likes to sleep, and Cat B poised over him with his paw raised.

Yesterday I woke up to find Cat A under the radiator in our room, where he likes to sleep, and Cat B poised over him with his paw raised

I’m just visualising a tiny wee dagger in his paw, ready to strike...

@bluebluezoo

Yesterday I woke up to find Cat A under the radiator in our room, where he likes to sleep, and Cat B poised over him with his paw raised

I’m just visualising a tiny wee dagger in his paw, ready to strike...

Yup. That is pretty much the picture.

I often to say to DH that I am deeply grateful Cat B does not have opposable thumbs.

Yes. I have 5 rescue cats. The oldest is 12 and was vicious to us as well as the others, two are 8 and two are 6.
The vicious cat was found with a collar injury on her leg joint and did not want to be touched, then or since. She had warnings on her vet page and was always put into a crush cage whatever the problem. It took 10 years for her to allow us to stroke her and even now we have to be wary. I always told myself that no one else would have put up with her. In hindsight I should have kept her as a single cat.
My house and garden is large and they could avoid each other but for the first six years she terrorised the others if they crossed paths, especially the smallest. Sometimes she would run around the house looking for the others! As a result of the unrest there was spray marking on a regular basis which caused a lot of stress for the cats and me!
The last two years, she has mellowed as she has aged and she now allows the others into her space.

Thanks catsmother - yes, the spray marking is difficult to deal with! I had this with earlier rescue cats who didn't take very well to my introducing new ones. And like your oldest one, our aggressive one runs round the house looking for his brother.

It's so sad as I can't find anyone locally to take them on so it looks like they'll have to go to one of the rehoming societies. But there just seems no point my taking them on if that makes 4 cats miserable.