I think I need to rehome Monte

[K & L]

Boy I wish I had the answer for you cause we're going through this ourselves. I've about had it with Leila and her peeing. This morning she stood right in front of me and started to spray on my work bag! I yelled and she ran. Between her, Mouser, Bo, and Avon there is a constant battle at our place these days. I've been considering just putting Leila back outdoors, but really hate to do this to her. If you find the right answer let me know. I wish you luck cause it's not easy thinking of rehoming, I know!

[moosmom]

Johanna,

I know how difficult it is when you have disharmony in your fur family. When Casey was alive, I had to rehome my cat formerly known as Tucker, now known as Otto, because he kept picking relentlessly on Casey. Tucker needed to be an only cat. I was fortunate enough to have 2 friends that were looking for a cat. He's now THE most spoiled cat in the whole universe. I cat sit for them all the time, and am able to visit him whenever I want.

I can't really give you any advice. All I can tell you is, I can completely relate to your problem and send (((((((((hugs)))))))) and prayers your way that you can fine a solution to the issues they're having.

Love,

Donna

[catnapper]

I'm so sorry you're faced with this right now. Sometimes you HAVE to do this in order to keep peace and allow your other cats the stress-free home they deserve.

I sooo wanted to keep foster Aladdin this past Christmas. Even hubby wanted to. But it became apparent Aladdin was just like Monte and I gave him up to another family (where he apparently is doing the same thing there ) As much as I wanted to love that boy, I knew my cats didn't deseve to be terrorized.

Rehoming Monte isn't a crime. Especially after you've given it ample time to settle down, for him to grow and mature, etc. He deserves a home where he's happy and free to be himself. You deserve a home where you're not constantly going after one cat all the time and soothing the fear out of other cats. Your cats deserve a home where they don't have to keep a lookout for the terror coming down the hall.

I know you are very level headed and wouldn't just jump to this conclusion. I'm sure you've given much thought to this and are not making this decision easily. I wish you luck!

[Kirsten]

That is so sad! I wish I had some advice for you, but it seems you already tried everything. Sometimes it's just not working.

If I understood you right, he started acting like that after Tex went to the Bridge? How long ago is that now? Sometimes the social structure in a cat group gets totally out of balance when one is missing, and they first have to define a new hierarchy? Just a thought...

Kirsten

[catmandu]

I PUT tUBBY 2 IN THE CELLAR IF HE IS BEING BAD,WHICH HE DOES WHEN THE KITTENS BOTHER HIM.
I HOPE THAT YOU CAN WORK SOMETHING OUT WITH MONTE AND GUS,SO THEY CAN BE TOGETHER.

[Lizzie]

I admire you for facing up to this dilema and being prepared to make tough decisions. My Artful Dodger was a constant stalker and pouncer, he even jumped on my elderly Ginger the day before he died of multiple disorders, he just couldn't stop the behavior. I tried medication, isolation, temporary rejection for bad behavior, lots of things. The problem for me was that the cats he picked on were all "very difficult to place" kind of cats, so finding homes any one of them would have been miraculous. And I had a very close bond with Dodger as he did with me. Also, I'd seen far too many bad and indifferent homes for cats to consider trying to re-home him. So, we all lived with it and it was often miserable.

Now I have another one, but she's a perpetual motion kind of cat that pounces because she wants to rough-house with any cat she sees. She needs to be with other cats and the two males she lives with have learned to deal with her. Taranis, on the other hand, hates her and I do have peeing in wrong places problems with her.

I look at carers of many cats such as Gina and Gary and shake my head in wonder. How do they manage to have such relatively calm households?

Good luck with your search for a new and good home for Monte and Gus.

[Cataholic]

K- Tex went to the bridge a year ago this May. And, while Monte was a bit of a terror even then, several things stand out. Tex, and only Tex, was the alpha cat- even as sick as he was at the end. Tex kept Monte in his place, and Geo under his paw. Tex and Geo were truly best friends. So,when Tex made the trip two things happened. Monte became a self proclaimed 'king', AND, Geo lost her protector. Monte was very young a year ago, he was relatively knew to my household (6 months), and was just a year old. Monte has matured.

I have scolded the heck out of Monte, and have pinned him to the floor twice, scaring him, when I caught him going at Georgie. Monte will exit my room when I snap my fingers at him- he knows he shouldn't be in there, and is apprehensive (but, not fearful) of my presence when he is in there. He will scoot away from me ONLY when I come into contact with him in this room. So, I know he 'knows' on some level what is going on.

One night, I tried to lock Monte in the basement. Yeah, right. If Monte wasn't howling up a storm to get upstairs, then, Gus was beating down the door to get downstairs with Monte. So, I put them BOTH down there. They both fought to get UPstairs! This was all at 230am. You know how hard it is to scream silently at cats to stop it,when Jonah is sleeping ten feet away from the ruckus? I was sweating profusely, as awake as could be, and fuming mad. At that moment, I wanted NO cats in my house.

I have thought of the big cage idea. I could set it up in my bedroom, or the living room, I suppose, and confine Monte when he 'acts' up. Does anyone have any personal experience with this? Would it really work?

The peeing on the couch is so distressing to me. It was new, and, it now stinks. But, what can I do? I know it isn't their preference to pee there...

[Felicia's Mom]

I want to wish you good luck in whatever you do

[jenluckenbach]

I think I totally understand the type of cat Monte is. None of my personal cats do this, but my beloved foster cat Pumpkin was just like that. He was a bully! And he ENJOYED being a bully!

I tried medication for him, and the vet is right, it did not stop the stalking.

Choosing to rehome Monte (or Monte and Gus) might make everyone involved happy. Georgia will have relief, you will have peace and Monte can live somewhere that his personality shines!! (and doesn't get him into trouble). I will be hard, very hard, and I wish I could offer a better solution.

I am so sorry. I can't even fathom the pain of giving up one of your own.

[popcornbird]

Johanna, I am so sorry you are going through this. Wish you the best. I know you will make the best decision possible. {{{hugs}}}

[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.