Hi!
So apologies for the long story..
I have three cats. They've all lived together for 4 years now (since kittenhood) and have always gotten along brilliantly. They've slept together, played happily and I've never once experienced a cat fight. Until a few months back when it all went a bit pear shaped.
I had just gotten into bed after a night feed for my daughter. One cat curled up being spooned and another behind my legs. The third jumped onto the bed at exactly the time I turned the lights off and the one I was spooning made her jump. She went backwards, colliding with the lamp and well and truly lost her mind. Big old fight with screaming and what not until I eventually got cat 3 separated down into the livingroom. (Cat 2 accidentally gor involved just by being dopey and going to see if cat 3 was okay...!) Cat 3 was a spicy cat for a good couple of days. Hissing at me if I smelt like the other two and just generally pissed at life.
I let them settle for a few days and then moved cat 3 into my room and started slow reintroduction. Took us a few weeks to get to the point of no hissing while being fed treats each side of the door. Meanwhile cat 3 had gotten over herself and returned to the lovely girl I know, as had the other two.
I carried on ultra slowly and over the last few days we finally graduated to all three having full rain of the house during the day if I'm home.
They seem totally fine! Cat 1&2 both happily playing with cat 3 and all ate in a line at dinner time with zero concerns. They've even shared some washes together.
But. For whatever reason, when I leave my bedroom door open at night and cat 3 is in here, if cat 1 comes in she is immediately pissed. Hissing at cat 3 and making the weird cat mewling pre-scream noise of imminent trouble. Cat 3, who got over the altercation weeks ago just looks a bit bewildered by it all.
I've closed the door again tonight, cat 3 in with me and 1&2 in the rest of the house.
Wondering what on earth the issue is with the bedroom? Is it that it smells entirely like cat 3s territory and cat 1 is displeased by this idea and therefore on edge? Is there anything I can do to try and create harmony in this one room? Not keen to let them all have free run while I'm out when clearly there is still some animosity between them, even if it is just this room.
It isn't like cat 1 doesn't want to come in, as soon as I come to bed she's hot on my tail. But just cannot cope when she sees cat 3 happily snug in her spot on the bed?
Thank you for any and all insight. I'm happy to keep plodding on the basis that slow and steady has worked so well for us but also curious as to whether anyone has any tips for easing them into this a bit more..!