I knew I was forgetting something from that book, so I did a little research online and found the following. The author of The Cat Who Cried for Help also suggested the rubbing with the towel thing. Maybe it would help with Delilah and Bentley?

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Displaced Aggression: If the aggression has occurred suddenly between cats that previously got along, it is most likely to be related to a specific incident. A common cause is one cat returning after being absent from the home or a strange cat outside creates tension for the indoor cats and they fight with each other because the intruder is out of reach. This can also occur if the aggressor is injured or startled and fights with the other cat.

Cats are not rational when they are aggressive. It‘s not about social dominance as it is with dogs. Reprimanding an attacking cat doesn‘t work. It would be like reasoning with a person who has had too much to drink. In these cases, you may not have to resort to separate territories if you separate the cats and rub each with a towel in turn so that they become re-acquainted with each other‘s scent while they are relaxed.

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Carol, Emily, & Eddie


>>Carol...thanks so much...I'm pretty confident you nailed it on the head...it makes perfect sense...
>>
>>I ran out and tried to get the book...Borders did not have it on the shelf...but I got a comparable one...addressing the issue of misdirected aggression with the same advice...separate the aggressor and re-introduce slowly...
>>
>>Fortunately...I know exactly what the "trigger" was with Bentley...Delilah...more specifically, Bentley knowing Delilah is in the other room and he cannot access her....although she has been separated for a while...it was only a few days ago where she started hanging out by the door and Alastair and Fin started the paws under the door game...Bentley must have seen this and it pushed him over the edge...
>>
>>But, the only reason Delilah is separated is because she refused to play nice in the sandbox...so now, I'm pretty much left with a situation where...the Bentley's trigger will always be this adversarial presence in my home, for whatever reason is no longer accepting her behind the door and wants at her, She and Bentley will never be friends ...so even after Bentley and the other two make nice...it is just a matter of time before the cycle starts all over again...or worst case, as long as she is behind the door he won't make nice with the other two...I love him to pieces...but Bentley is as stubborn as he is pretty.
>>
>>I'm having a sinking feeling the only way to restore peace is to remove Delilah from my home....I'm going to speak to my vet, who also deals with behavioral issues...
>>
>>My 7 year old son is away at my in-laws this week...he's going to come home to two pets gone...what a mess...
>>-----
>>Lisa, owned by Bentley,Alastair, Finster, & Delilah

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