Tips needed to prevent post-vet fighting

[dehlers43]

Hi Gang,
Franklin is a weird cat - if his momcat Chelsea doesn't smell "right" he acts as if he doesn't know her to the point of hissing, growling and fighting. This happened once when Chelsea escaped to the great outdoors and now it's happened again in response to her vet visit (she had her teeth cleaned). I know his ressponse to her after the vet visit is "normal" but I'd really like to find a way to prevent the hostility from happening.
Is there something I can do before a vet visit or before I bring her home to help Franklin chill out / calm down? He is so much larger than her I'm afraid he's going to hurt her, not to mention it breaks my heart to see her cowering and terrified.
I spray Feliway and keep them separated until Franklin recognizes her but the separation thing is a bit of a hassle.
Thanks for any suggestions!

[Freedom]

Franklin is a weird cat

Not at all! Quite normal. Keeping them separated is safest for Mom cat. I think a few hours should be enough.

You can buy some Composure Chews and give those a try. HE is the one who would take them. This may cut down on the amount of time you have to keep them separated.

http://www.vetriscience.com/sellsheets/Composure%20Chews.pdf

I bought mine from Amazon.com, for 2 of my dogs when they see the groomer; or when I have to groom them.

[dehlers43]

I'm going to get some of those chews....thanks for the link!
It takes way more than a few hours for Franklin to accept Chelsea. She came home from the vet Thursday afternoon and this morning (Saturday) is the first day they could be in the same room.
Now she's being all snitty with him....:rolleyes:

[Catlady711]

My Josh & Sabrina are the same way.

With Sabrina I only have to confine her for an afternoon, or whole day if she's really upset.

Josh has to be confined for 3 days with minimal interaction so he gets lonely enough that he's willing to try and get along with everyone. I feel bad about doing it, but when he gets that upset he has been known to launch at my face, and he's normally a sweet, loving kitty.

At that when I let each one back out I have to supervise for awhile and try to do it when the other cats are sleeping so they don't have contact right away.

I've also taken to leaving ALL the cat carriers out so they smell like home, seems to make the one going smell less strange when they come back if it's just a quick vet visit. All bets are off if the cat going has to stay or pees themselves at all.

I totally understand what you're going through.

[moosmom]

Separate them in different rooms. If that isn't possible, get some Feliway spray (not the diffuser) and spray the room (the circumfrance of the ceiling). It will calm them down immediately. It has an enzyme in it only cats can smell. I swear by it!!

[freckledimple]

Vanilla, use vanilla. He acts "badly" because she doesn't smell "right". When you bring her home from the vet, or back in from outside, before they see/smell each other, take a cotton ball with a little vanilla extract on it and smudge on top of both their noses. That way they both smell alike.


Non-Recognition Aggression

This explosive type of aggression occurs between feline housemates that have previously had a reasonable relationship. It probably occurs through "failure of recognition." Non-recognition is most often triggered when one cat in the family is brought back from the veterinarian's office, or the groomer, and smells and behaves differently. If a fight ensues, it can damage irreparably the relationship between the cats and lead to the development of territorial aggression. It is best avoided by separating indoor cats after outside excursions until it can be established that they are friendly toward each other.