Will they ever get along?

[Uabassoon]

It been nearly a year and Tuna and Corkscrew still don't get along. I feel like we've tried everything, we've tried feliway plugins, rescue remedy and the gift of time. Nothing works! Everytime they see each other a huge fight breaks out. A couple of weeks ago I came home and they must have had a fight from underneath the door. I found blood all over the door in my room as well as the floor surrounding the door. I never figured out where the blood came from. However it was a few weeks ago and Corkscrew seems fine, it had to have been his blood since he was the one in my bedroom.

Today Corkscrew escaped my bedroom and ran into Tuna. As you can see that didn't go over well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v610/lickitung/February065.jpg

Are there some cats that just never get along? It such a pain having to make sure that they are always seperated, then everytime they do run into each other both Alexa and I start to panic. Neither one of us wants to break up the fight for fear of being bitten. Usually I end up covering my arms really well then throwing a towel over Corkscrew to carry him away.

[catlady1945]

Our oldest (18 yrs) and youngest (12 yrs) still hate each other. We kept the younger one in closed off rooms when we weren't around. They actually sleep together now, which has just started in the last year. It's not because they like each other, it's because the younger one senses weakness in the older one. If they look each other in the eye, there is still hissing and attacking.

[Uabassoon]

Our oldest (18 yrs) and youngest (12 yrs) still hate each other. We kept the younger one in closed off rooms when we weren't around. They actually sleep together now, which has just started in the last year. It's not because they like each other, it's because the younger one senses weakness in the older one. If they look each other in the eye, there is still hissing and attacking.

It looks like I have a long time to wait! Corkscrew is 6 and Tuna is 3.

[critter crazy]

Geesh!!! I have never seen so much fur from a cat fight before!! I guess I have been lucky, as all the cats I have owned have always gotten along!

[Laura's Babies]

Have you tired shutting them in different room immediately after these fights and giving them both time outs? I did that with Samantha and it only took her about 3 days to learn to STOP attacking. Each time, I left her in there longer and longer and she could not stand being shut in a room. They still are not great friends now but they do tolerate each other being in the same room or walking by. I am going to have to try that with Kitty Boo now.

[jenluckenbach]

You could try Catty1's "feliway collar". Spraying liquid feliway directly on a nylon collar and make Corkscrew AnD Tuna wear one.

Of course you may just have to send Corkscrew to me. ;)

[Uabassoon]

Have you tired shutting them in different room immediately after these fights and giving them both time outs? I did that with Samantha and it only took her about 3 days to learn to STOP attacking. Each time, I left her in there longer and longer and she could not stand being shut in a room. They still are not great friends now but they do tolerate each other being in the same room or walking by. I am going to have to try that with Kitty Boo now.

Right now they are always in seperate rooms. We kind of gave up trying to get them to be friends. Everytime they see each other it's like this. Many times at least one of them will end up bleeding. I've really never seen anything like it. So we finally decided it was best to just always keep them seperated. However sometimes one will escape and it leads to a big nasty fight.

[kimlovescats]

OH MY GOSH, Laura!!! :eek: That was some fight to leave that much fur behind! I don't blame you and Alexis for being tired of this! What about Tibby? Does Tuna get along with Tibby? I'm sorry you are having to deal with this.

Kim

[Uabassoon]

The big problem is that niether one will give up. When we were really making an effort and getting them used to each other they would spend up to an hour just staring and hissing and growling at each other until one would move, then the fight would start and we'd have to seperate them.

[Uabassoon]

OH MY GOSH, Laura!!! :eek: That was some fight to leave that much fur behind! I don't blame you and Alexis for being tired of this! What about Tibby? Does Tuna get along with Tibby? I'm sorry you are having to deal with this.

Kim

Everyone else gets along just fine. If we lock up Tuna then the other three have no problems. Or if Corkscrew is locked up then once again the other three are fine. These two just really have a problem with each other.

[mike001]

I hope that's not cat fur on the floor,geeeeesh, I had no idea cats fought...lol...point proven. :)

[catmandu]

I Have Heard Of The Fur Flying , But Wow!!!thats A Lot Of Fur On The Floor.
The Princess Has A Uneasy Realtionship With The Other Cats , And Keeps Her Distance.
But All In All Theres Enough Room That They Can Avoid Each Other.you May Have To Face The Fact That As Much As Possible They Have To Be Seperated.

[jazzcat]

:eek: :eek: :eek:
I was thinking that sure was an odd pattern carpet you have until slow me finally realized it was cat fur. WOW!!!!

I have some that fight and seem like they will never get along but nothing to that extent! Maybe valium or drug like that would help.

[rg_girlca]

OH MY STARS!!!! I can't get over the amount of cat fur. :eek:

I hope they weren't seriously injured. Mooky and Sades have had a few run ins with each other, but it never landed up with that much fur left behind.
Sades is usually the instigator and he gets grounded in a room for about a week. That works for a while until the next bout starts.

You mentioned that they have faced each other just hissing and growling at each other for about an hour and then if one of them moves, the attack happens.
What if before the attack, when there is no hissing or growling, you pick up Corkscrew, tell him, "Good boy," then put him in the room and give him some treats. Then do the same thing with Tuna. But when the attack happens, tell them, "Bad boy," put them in a room with no treats.
Hopefully they will get the jest of it and not attack each other.

I'm sorry you are having to go through with this still after a year.
I pray that some solution can help solve this.

[Scooter's Mom]

After 15 months, my two boys are still this way. I keep the younger one locked in the master bedroom, which is pretty much HIS room since we sleep in another room now... he doesn't mind being locked up.

My husband agrees, all that fur on the floor looks like our house. :(

[auggie]

:eek:
Wow! What a stressful situation. I feel sorry for you guys.
My cats don’t get along, but I never had anything like that happening.
Maybe your vet can recommend some kind of medication to calm them down.

[Sara luvs her Tinky]

Oh my goodness! I know you guys are probably so stressed out. I dont have any advice.... but i hope things get better... :(

[rosethecopycat]

How were these two integrated in the first place?
How long was it and what do you remember about it?

Can you tell who is the aggressor?

Really, the only thing that might work would be a complete, and slow reintegration.
Then later,(using a large playpen-cage) Use vanilla on the tails, to make them smell like each other and feed them close to each other (one in cage) etc. This will take a couple months.

It is very difficult to break the mental 'photograph' that these two have taken of each other when they met, but sometimes it can be done.

[Medusa]

That's a stressful situation, to be sure. My Peeka did not like my sweet Pigeon AT ALL. Pigeon adored (and still does adore) Boo, Peeka's brother. I don't know if it was jealousy or just two cats who didn't get along but Pigeon spent the first several years w/me under my bed, no kidding. Peeka would wait around corners for Pidge to come out, then POW! Once I got so fed up w/it that I picked up Pidge, took her over to Peeka and held her paw and swatted at Peeka and said "Fight back!" Pidge cringed as if to ask "Are you crazy? She's gonna kill me now" and Peeka never budged. I know, it was a stupid thing to do but Pidge never fought back. BUT...after I brought Creamsicle into the house (she's my vestibular hypoplasia kitty), it all came abruptly to an end. Peeka was nice to her, as though she sensed she was special. And she never bothered Pidge again. Pidge eventually came out from under the bed. Peeka still didn't like her, I could tell, but at least there was peaceful coexistence. (Ok, Mary, what's your point?) Like you, I tried Feliway plugins, etc. w/no success. I tried everything. I think sometimes we just have to realize that some cats just are not going to get along, just like humans, and we have to figure out how to deal w/it or regrettably rehouse a cat, if there are injuries to another cat. I know that some PTers will disagree w/me on this. But we owe it to our furkids to give them not only food, shelter and love but a life w/out being attacked day after day.

Blessings,
Mary

[ramanth]

I have no advice, but I'm really sorry they are doing that to each other. My parents have seen small tufts of fur from when Reebok and Converse (litter mates) get into a scrap, but nothing like that.

[shais_mom]

I hope that's not cat fur on the floor,geeeeesh, I had no idea cats fought...lol...point proven. :)
you've never been woken up by the sounds of a cat fight under your window? It sounds like something you hear on Africam- and then finding fur outside the next morning. hmmm I MUST be a redneck.
;)
wowza Laura - you could make a kitten out of all that fur! eesh
I can't offer any advice just hope that it gets better!
Have you thought about contacting Nancy - the Pet Psychic?

[color=red]CAT_EXPERTS- like Jen-Lori-Rose----
dumb question but I know when dogs fight you can spray then with water to separate them - (like a bottle of water) does this work with cats too?
[/color

When my two get into it a good yell - usually makes the aggressor - Kloe - stop in her tracks - and then just like a kid if I get up and start towards her she takes off. :eyeroll:
Good luck Laura!

[shais_mom]

I hope that's not cat fur on the floor,geeeeesh, I had no idea cats fought...lol...point proven. :)
you've never been woken up by the sounds of a cat fight under your window? It sounds like something you hear on Africam- and then finding fur outside the next morning. hmmm I MUST be a redneck.
;)
wowza Laura - you could make a kitten out of all that fur! eesh
I can't offer any advice just hope that it gets better!
Have you thought about contacting Nancy - the Pet Psychic?

CAT_EXPERTS- like Jen-Lori-Rose-Kim---
dumb question but I know when dogs fight you can spray then with water to separate them - (like a bottle of water) does this work with cats too?


When my two get into it a good yell - usually makes the aggressor - Kloe - stop in her tracks - and then just like a kid if I get up and start towards her she takes off. :rolleyes:
Good luck Laura!

[Medusa]

I might suggest to you that you give Clomicalm a try. It may seem like I just want to medicate the problem away since I told someone to try this for cats who spray. But it's for behavior problems, I noticed results immediately. (Specs bullies Boo plus he sprays, too.) and there have been no side effects. He takes 1/4 tablet (5 mg.) before bed and it keeps him calm. No more catfights. No more spraying. Why not ask your vet about it?

Blessings,
Mary

[catland]

Sadly, the answer might finally be "no".

There were a couple of times we were ready to re-home Strauss because of the way that he and Sid couldn't adjust to each other. Unfortunately, Sid dissapeared last November, so its a moot point now. :(

[Uabassoon]

What if before the attack, when there is no hissing or growling,

The problem is that there is no point before the attack. The second they see each other the growling begins, it's instant.

How were these two integrated in the first place?
How long was it and what do you remember about it?

They shared the house for a few weeks before actually meeting each other. They were set up like they are now, during the day Tuna and Pocky get run of the house and then in the evening Corkscrew and Tibby get run of the house. They had shared the same cat trees, litterbox and water dish so we figured they would be ok.

We let them meet and as soon as Corsckrew saw Tuna they started growling. At that time Corkscrew was the aggressor, Tuna just wanted to sniff Corkscrew but Corkscrew went for an all out attack. That was when Alexa was bitten and had to go on antiboitics.

Every run in since then has been lots of fur flying and many times bloodshed. Tuna can sometimes be distracted by treats but Corkscrew will not give up. I've tried spaying him with a water bottle and he won't even flinch. He'll just stay there growling at Tuna allowing himself to get soaked.

[Uabassoon]

I might suggest to you that you give Clomicalm a try. It may seem like I just want to medicate the problem away since I told someone to try this for cats who spray. But it's for behavior problems, I noticed results immediately. (Specs bullies Boo plus he sprays, too.) and there have been no side effects. He takes 1/4 tablet (5 mg.) before bed and it keeps him calm. No more catfights. No more spraying. Why not ask your vet about it?

Blessings,
Mary

Alexa and I have talked about medicine but we are worried about how it will change their behavior. We both love Corkscrew and Tuna's personality, they do have a lot of personality! but that's what we love about them. Tuna though has been spraying the door to my bedroom when Corkscrew is in there. I haven't noticed and spraying from Corkscrew at all just Tuna. I'll talk to Alexa and see what she thinks. I know that she's been against it when I've suggest medicating them. Mainly Tuna because of his spraying issue.

Can they be weaned off this medicine? Or do they need it forever? I don't want to have to medicate them forever.

[Medusa]

I felt just the way you do. I did not want to medicate my cats; I was sure I could figure something else out. The fighting was bad enough but the spraying continued to get worse until I couldn't take any more. Specs shows no signs whatsoever of a personality change. He's still a little punk. LOL But he doesn't pick on Boo any more. He's calm but not out of it. His coordination is fine, his appetite, everything. Just check w/your vet, talk it over w/him and see what s/he says. And watch and observe your cat. You may have to play w/the dosage in the beginning like I did but I'm sure glad my vet suggested it.

[mruffruff]

I think Shai's Mom has a good idea: Contact Nancy Efrusy. She just did a reading on one of my cats-----Boy did I learn a lot! The cat was peeing inappropriately and acted scared of me. Now she pees in the litter box and sleeps on my lap.

It's worth trying. Certainly better than rehoming or living with two enemies.

[rosethecopycat]

Try Rescue Remedy in their water.

Do they do a lot of sniffing of where each other have been (are they scent oriented or sight oriented?) If they are 'sniffers' try the vanilla on the base of their tails. It confuses the scent.


Sounds like they were isolated from eachother fine.

The problem is that they have a 'bad mental photo' of each other.
This is hard to change. The water bottle will only treat the symptom, it won't find a cure.

If you don't think that a re-integration would work,
You might try crating one in a large pen, in the middle of the room. Let them acclimatize while they can't really get at each other. Then switch who is in the pen.

Sounds like Corkscrew is the one with the problem, but Tuna in the pen, and let Corkscrew inspect him.

You know, rehoming might be the happiest solution sometimes.
I had a foster here that could NOT be integrated. It would never have worked. I imagined him being mine and how I'd handle it, and most of all I wanted him to be happy, even if not with me.

:(

Wishing you luck.

[Uabassoon]

I think we might end up talking to our vet about medication. Like you Medusa, the fighting is one thing but Tuna's spraying is getting to be a bit much.

rosethecopycat I do like the cage idea. We have a wire dog crate that we could try this with. I've tried rescue remedy in the water and I didn't notice any change. As for rehoming I just don't see it happening. The problem is that I've had Corkscrew longer than I've known Alexa, and Alexa has had Tuna since long before we ever moved in together. Trying to decide who has to give up their cat just wouldn't be fair to either of us. However if they have to be seperated forever then that is what will happen. They seem to be content and don't mind spending part of the day in the bedroom, it's just when one of them escapes that it becomes a problem. I do admit that life would be a bit easier if they could get along, but if not then we will deal with it.

[rosethecopycat]

I didn't know that Tuna wasn't yours.

[Uabassoon]

I didn't know that Tuna wasn't yours.

Well technically they are all "our" cats, but Corkscrew and Tibby were my kitties before Alexa and I ever started dating. Alexa got Tuna and Pocky after we started dating but before we ever moved in together. While I love all the kitties I will admit that I have a special bond with my two and I know she has a special bond with her two.

[krazyaboutkatz]

Laura, I'm sorry to hear that Corkscew and Tuna don't get along.:( This kind of reminds me of Storm and Cirrus except that there wasn't ever any bloodshed because I never let it get that far. I hope that you'll be able to find a solution so everyone can live in harmony. Good luck.:)

[rosethecopycat]

Any luck with anything?

Have you tried the pen yet?


Still thinking.