I have two spayed, three-year-old female cats whom have lived their whole lives together in relative harmony. Over the last three days, one of the cats has become intensely afraid of the other. It howls and hisses at the sight of the other cat, and refuses to enter a room it believes the other cat is in. After several minutes of being seperated, the cat will return to its normal, friendly playful state. Otherwise, it appears to be in good health. Any ideas?
Thank you,
Nick
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Intense Fear?
Granum
Jul 15, 2003 05:14 PM
Replies (2)
hisgirl93
Jul 15, 2003 08:34 PM
That is really strange. I guess the only thing I can think of is they had a fight over something and are still working it out. Either that or your other cat smells funny- like if she has been around another cat or been outside then she would smell different and maybe threatening. I'm sure the others will have more advice for you...
-Laura
PHCurious
Jul 22, 2003 11:54 AM
Because the hissing only lasts a few minutes, my inclination is to stay out of it and let them work it out themselves. However, if one has a new scent on her fur that is making the other react, a bath might solve this problem. (One of mine hisses and growls loudly at the other when he returns from the vet. The hissing will continue for several days until the "vet smell" wears off if I don't give him a bath right away.)
Most likely they got into a fight or had some other random fluke event, and this is something small that will be over in a few days. If not, take them both in for a vet check. Sometimes when a cat is sick or not feeling well, she'll behave differently but only for a short period. Similarly, if the other cat is sick, your hissing kitty may be picking up on that and exhibiting signs of distress. So if the hissing continues for more than a few days, I'd take them to the vet for a check up just to be on the safe side.
And always remember to Catch 'Em Being Good!! When there is no hissing, give them both some praise and a small pet or chin rub, whatever they find pleasing. One of the best ways to combat undesirable behavior is to reward desirable behavior.
Let us know how they're doing!
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PHCurious
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