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The litter tray

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New cat pushing original cat out.

8 replies

Bemyclementine · 07/05/2023 10:09

Sorry - long.

Dc1 - original cat, is 8. I hand reared her from 2 weeks, (semi feral farm cat had kittens, this one couldnt suckle properly). She can be fiesta but is a scardey cat with other cats, will always run away rather than attack.

Dc2 - in November, a starving kitten (4 months ish) turned up, slept in the shed fir a few days and refused to leave, really nasty wound on her back. Failed to find an owner, not chipped. So, she moved in.

All was well to start. Dc2 was feeling ill so didn't move much, dc1 studiously ignored her presence.

Once dc2 was better, the stand offs started, a few scraps, dc1 couldn't stand dc2 being in season and actively sought her out to have a go.

They had settled down a lot - dc1 decided to live upstairs, coming down to go out. I moved her food upstairs.

Dc2 stayed downstairs. Would sit at the bottom of the stairs in the morning waiting for me.

However, dc2 has started coming upstairs. She likes to sleep on my bed (previously dc1 had done this, or at least in my bedroom). We've had a couple of weeks if them both sleeping in my room, but now dc1 has not been home over night for several nights. I dont think she's sleeping outside.,

I feel awful fir her, that she feels she can't come home to sleep. She wasn't in all night last night (I was up several times to check) but appeared on the shed roof at about 8am (which makes me think she hadn't slept out) . She came in a dc2 chased her up the stairs.

Dc2 is a lovely little cat to people, very affectionate, the children love her (they have to be careful with dc1 when stroking etc as she has a nipping habit)

Any advice? When they were in the scrapping stage, I left dc2 in the front room/hall with a litter tray . Dc1 doesn't use a tray so had rhe rest of the house in so she could get out.

I feel dc2 is too big/active for this now, abd wouldn't be able to get out.

OP posts:
FormerlyPathologicallyHappy · 07/05/2023 16:36

Cat 2 sounds like she’s an only cat at heart. Can you rehome her? It’s not fair on cat 1.

Bemyclementine · 07/05/2023 18:03

I should have done, unfortunately the DC are VERY attached to her. She does get on very well with the neighbours visiting car (as does cat1!) She also plays with 2 other young cats outside.

OP posts:
Mia184 · 07/05/2023 20:13

It should still be cat 2 that should be rehomed.

TheOnlyMooncat · 07/05/2023 21:06

I sympathise. I've had to move back into my mum's temporarily with my 2 cats, and my mum has 2 cats. My boys have totally taken over and one of my mum's cats is just hiding all day and attacking my cats when she does come out.
We have a feliway friends plug in and I keep spraying everything with calming spray so fingers crossed.

ChatterMonkey · 07/05/2023 21:08

I think you need to rehome cat 2. Cat 1 is clearly unhappy

HappyHolidai · 07/05/2023 21:22

Has the new kitten been spayed yet? That might help - you said your older cat didn't like the younger coming into season.

Bemyclementine · 07/05/2023 21:44

Yes, things have been MUCH better since dc2 was spayed. That was at the start of January. I was really hopeful they'd settle down as they were rubbing along OK. I even found them sitting within about 18 inches of each other a few times. When they crossed paths it was stealthily but without any spitting or swearing.

Dc1 heartily disliked visiting cat, but he's veerrrrry chill so just ignored her and now she quite likes him.

OP posts:
Bemyclementine · 07/05/2023 21:45

I think I will go back to separating them sometimes, give dc1 sone space.

OP posts:
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