I think I need to rehome Monte

[Lizzie]

Thinking about this more, and remembering what it was like in my household, I wanted to add a few more thoughts. My experience is the same as Jen's, the medication made Dodger drowsy but didn't stop the stalking and pouncing. It was what he lived for, he couldn't resist no matter how much he knew I hate it. And, as I said, we were intensely closely bonded. I cried rivers over medicating him so that he became sluggish, pushing him away when he misbehaved, isolating him for hours or weeks, making him an outdoor/indoor cat, nothing ever worked.

Does he stalk and pounce when the cats try to use the litter boxes? That's what Dodger did and it led to all kinds of problems. Most of the cats would just dash in and out, knowing he was waiting to jump on them the moment they left their box. Two of them ended up living in a closet in the hall, the closest they could get to the litter room without living in it. When I tried to ease them into the living room, providing them with hiding places, one of them peed and pooped under covered tables. Your cat may use the couch not just to object to her current living conditions but also because she considers it her only "safe" litter area.

I don't think you can re-train a cat not to stalk and pounce. You can train cats that they can't do certain things in certain places, such as not jumping on counters or they are not welcome in a certain room, that's territory and makes sense to them. I don't think stopping a behavior towards other cats does make sense to them.

[sasvermont]

Remember when Tiberus, the Bengal cat was stalking and biting Miley? He was re-homed and it has worked out perfectly. I had contacted a cat behaviorist, and made an appointment, but rehomed Ti Ti before the appointment. I could have waited I suppose, but once I thought I found the right home, I went with it.

I really think Miley is my/the problem in my house, because now Juni is picking on Miley....the weak one and that Ti Ti and Juni have/had tuned in on her fear and went for her....its natural for cats to do that.....

I would rehome the aggressive one.....and if his buddy would be happy going with him, all the better.

Cats can adjust. Ti Ti is sooooo happy where he is. He has a little Bengal brother and two dogs..... and Ti Ti is still king, just no one there to "pick on"....cause no one takes any crap from him.

I was going to give Miley a gun to carry around while Ti lived with us, but she refused to use it.

Rehoming, if done carefully, works out for everyone eventually.

Sorry to hear you have such confusion in your household.

[Cataholic]

Thanks everyone.

I just cannot come to grips with rehoming Monte (or Monte and Gus) as I love them so much. I love Georgia, and, she is my link to Tex, too. I think I might look into a behaviorist, though, I do agree with Lizzie...I am not sure you can change Monte. And, like Lizzie, I feel like Monte KNOWS how much I hate what he does, but, he still does it.

I will keep you updated.

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Jo, I'm so sorry you're having to deal with all this. The only thing I can add is that I believe Monte will calm down as he ages, but I know that's not much help. I remember when Tubby was young and I first brought Peanut home. He wasn't necessarily stalking her, but I was constantly yelling at him to leave her alone. Every single time they got in a scrap, I yelled at Tubby. He was bigger, older and more aggressive, so he took the heat. Until.....one day I saw Peanut teasing and toying with him, then go after him! After that Tubby still took most of the heat, but every now and then I'd yell at Peanut - or both of them. After many years, as they both got older, things calmed down considerably.

I know this isn't any consolation and doesn't help you now, but I thought it might give you just a ray of hope.

[ramanth]

Johana, I'm so sorry you're having to go thru this right now. I wish I had some advice, but it sounds like you've done everything I would do.

[shais_mom]

Jo - I can only imagine the heartache that this is causing you.
I trust your judgement completely - you know your cats like noone else does.
You know what is right for them and for your home and family.
You might consider contacting the pet psychic that I used. Kimmy used her also.
Email me if you want her email address.
For the couch -
www.qvc.com V12344 or F155711
or

http://www.planeturinestore.com/dsp_...econdNav=prods

http://www.selmedica.com/odorsecret/...M6IUE8N9OJ1RJS


http://www.odorfix.com/faq.htm

[flip195]

Hmmmm,

Evil Black cat syndrome.... Lol I think I have your Monty's twin, my Buddy is a terror with the girls and a couple of the boys.

If I were you I would get my hands on the largest enclosed dog crate you can find... put a bed, a litter box food and water in there and place it right next to the feliway outlet, when he starts playing up put him in time out for an hour or so.

Also a spray bottle is very useful or a can of pennys, when he start stalking spray him with water or shake the can and tell him no..... try to distract him with a toy, I have found da bird is wonderful for that, at night I would also try him in the crate, although I will guess he will howl the place down... buddy did.

We have reach a point now where the fights are at least few and far between although we have odd days were I could happily rehome them all.

All 20 of the cats seem to co-habit fairly well these days and for a cat, at 2+ Monty is at that terrible teen stage.

It make take a while but eventually he will put 2 and 2 together and calm down.

[Lizzie]

I hope you can find something that will work because I can imagine the heartache of giving up Monte, it would like losing a piece of your heart.

It might have been better in my household if Dodger had got into fights, it might have helped wear off his aggression in some way - the reason I put him outside at times was that I thought it might wear it down his aggresiveness and boundless energy. Unfortunately, there were no real fights in my household, Dodger simply terrorized them all, male and female, all ages, all different temperaments and most larger and heavier than he was. I think it would have been better if at least one of them fought back.

[Catty1]

Hmmm....distracting him with a toy...a positive distraction instead of tension and upset....I wonder if that would work?

I know you tried a psychic, I think you said? Shais mom swears by the one she used.

Good luck - what a dilemma! Prayers to you!

hugs
Catty1

[kimlovescats]

I'm so sorry you are having to consider these options, Johanna ... but I support you fully in whatever you decide!

HUGS,
Kim

[shais_mom]

Hmmm....distracting him with a toy...a positive distraction instead of tension and upset....I wonder if that would work?

I know you tried a psychic, I think you said? Shais mom swears by the one she used.

Good luck - what a dilemma! Prayers to you!

hugs
Catty1

Actually Jo has emailed me and I sent her the info. She was considering a behaivorist I think but hadn't tried either yet.

[pnance]

I don't know if this will help but...when I brought MC home from my brothers, Mau couldn't stand him, she'd growl everytime he was near and he'd hide behind things and charge her, she'd hiss and run. As a result MC would spray usually whereever she had been although sometimes he picked random spots. Mau can be aggressive so I knew I'd never find her a home and MC had been in my family since he was a kitten (he was I think 10 at the time) so I didn't have the heart to rehome him. Anyway it took a lot of patience and over a year but he's stopped spraying and they can be in the same room without trying to kill eachother. I did a few things all at once. The vet perscribed some valium which I gave for about 2 weeks (can't remember I followed what the vet listed), at the same time I purchased feliway, both a plug in for "his room" and a spray which I'd spray on a bandana I tied around his neck so he was mellow from the drug and mellow from the feliway for about 2 weeks. In addition, I'd seperate him from "the girls" He was locked in the front living room and I attempted to keep them completely seperated even when I weaned him off the drugs. Slowly for short periods I started to let them in the same room when I could keep and eye on them (I've used both a squirt bottle and thrown a toy mouse in front of him if I caught him trying to charge. (the feliway bandana still on). We went about a month with only a couple of charging episodes and no spraying the first time. When he started spraying again I gave him the drug, but this time for only a couple of days. Each time we went longer and longer until now I no longer have to give hime the drugs or use the feliway. He hasn't sprayed in about a year and the charging very rarely occures. It wasn't totaly pleasant initially (he was always sleepy kind of glazed), but I now have 3 cats that can live together without problems. Mau and MC will never be best friends, but they've learned to live together.

[Cataholic]

pnance- VERY interesting, and I will investigate this path, as well as the pet psychic Staci has emailed me about. The cage issue is still a possibility, too.

Many thanks, everyone!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Jo, I was thinking about this and I know you said you tried closing him in the basement but his howling put an end to that. Maybe....on a weekend....try it again with both Monte and Gus in the basement, but don't give in to the howling. Then the next night, do the same thing. They will both eventually figure out that the basement is where it's at for the night and they will calm down - hopefully sooner rather than later. Maybe put them both in the basement then take Jonah and go visit your mom for the night.

A quick story as an example, we were having the basement painted so I wanted to lock P & CJ up, but we don't like putting them both in the same bedroom all day because CJ is just a bit too rambunctious for Peanut. So we put CJ in the master bed/bathroom and Peanut got the "guest suite" area. We put a screen door over the hallway door and blocked it so she couldn't get out. At first she struggled against the door wanting out. On the 3rd day I went looking for her to put her in there, couldn't find her anywhere, figured she had figured out what was going on and was in hiding so she didn't have to be "locked up" again. Ended up finding her sleeping on the bed in the guest bedroom! She had figured out that she was going to be locked in whether she liked it or not, so she went to the most comfy spot before I could even lock her in! After the painting was done, after a few mornings she realized the door wasn't going up again and she could go back to her old daytime sleep spot.

I'm sure Monte is not stupid - matter of fact he's probably too smart for his own good like another blackie I once knew - so I think he'll figure it all out quite quickly and calm down and may actually grow to like the basement! A few nights of torture for you might mean long term peace and quiet for you and the rest of your gang.

[moosmom]

Johanna,

I can post Monte on Petfinder.com if you'd like asking for a home with no other cats. If you send me a biography of Monte and his GOOD points, I'll put it on this afternoon. I'll have to have your email address as well as phone number. Because it's free, I won't be able to post a picture. But it will be listed in YOUR area in case anyone is looking.

Let me know.