Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My daughter took in a stray female kitten about two years ago. She also has an adult female cat. Both cats are spayed.

The little one has taken to attacking the older one. Constantly. It's like she has become conditioned. Every time she hears the other cat, she perks up and runs to attack. If you are holding her, she gets obsessive about getting away to go attack the kitty.

My daughter has tried scolding her, spraying her with a spray bottle, distracting her with food or toys. No course has helped.

How can we get this kitty's one-track-mind switched to a different track? It's terrible for the big kitty to have to live like that.
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Cats; Mustard, Frodo, Ted, Eddie Poe, Puck, Ted, Todd, Fessig, Marla, Bill, Darlene, and mama cat.

Snakes; Mickey, Fido, Dead, Samson, Delalah, Jack Straw, Phobia, Tuesday, Tweeker, Elizard, Cmaeo, and babies.

Ferret; Cricket.

Dog; Stryder

etc..........

How old is the older kitty? Was she "queen" of the house for most of the past two years?

Cats have a heirarchy when they share territory - usually settled and held by stare downs, growls, the occasional hiss or smack up the head to the lower ranking cat. They each know they have deadly claws so it's all about body language and only about pouncing, fighting, chasing when it's serious.

Often when an older cat becomes ill, a lower ranking cat will take advantage to rewrite who is "top cat" driving the older cat away from all the prime territory in your house. They want to steal the best sleeping spots, your lap, first dibs on the dinner dish - whatever matters.

When was the last vet check for the older kitty? Sounds like she is due if things have changed dramatically in your house. And ask the vet about what you can give the younger kitty to curb aggression. (several years ago with the same behavior going on in my house, I gave the younger cat Bach flower essences - Rescue Remedy. It worked for us.)

Try keeping one cat or the other in a separate room for a couple hours each day to give your older cat some peace.

Purrs,
Elizabeth

Hi,

Is this behavior something that has just started or has it been gradual over the past 2 years? If it's sudden I recommend that both cats go in for an exam to rule out a physical reason for the behavior. Some cats will react strangely when another cat isn't feeling well.

Have there been any changes in the household that might be upsetting to the younger cat? If so, she might be taking it out on the older one.

Yelling a cat never works, and spraying with water is questionable. It might be necessary to isolate the younger cat for a period of time, then reintroduce them gradually. Or, a vet may recommend trying an antianxiety medication.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Thank you for your responses.

Both kitties have regular vet visits. Both apear quite healthy, other than some tooth and gum problems in they younger one. My daughter tries to give them each as much time apart and separate attention as possible. The big kitty gets fed upstairs, the little kitty downstairs.

In my house (I do not live with my daughter) I have 15 cats, and we all live in relative peace. Like you said, there's a pecking order, and each cat knows his/her place. There are very few squabbles, and they are minor.

My daughter's kitties got along OK for a while, and this behavoir has gotten gradually worse over the last two years. Everytime little kitty hears the big kitty in the house, she perks up her ears, and gets rather obsessed with finding that kitty and attacking it. Poor big kitty gets no peace when little kitty is about!
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Cats; Mustard, Frodo, Ted, Eddie Poe, Puck, Ted, Todd, Fessig, Marla, Bill, Darlene, and mama cat.

Snakes; Mickey, Fido, Dead, Samson, Delalah, Jack Straw, Phobia, Tuesday, Tweeker, Elizard, Cmaeo, and babies.

Ferret; Cricket.

Dog; Stryder

etc..........