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Well things are getting worse here with Zebulon. He would rather chill off and die than be in the house with Callie. He apparently realizes she doesn't know how to use the cat door to the porch so keeps running out there where it's freezing.
I had him confined to my bedroom last night and he would not allow me to sleep. Between him trying to sleep on me all night, and her crying down the hall, I only got 2 hrs sleep. I got little sleep the night before either because of her crying. When confined to the old office, she cries so loud there is nowhere in the house to get away from it. I put a radio in the office to keep her company and she cried all the louder.
I had to bring Zeb in again this morning from the porch where he was hiding and shivering. I had let him out of the bedroom hoping he would eat. He didn't. He's confined in my husband's bedroom at this time. He still will not eat and is so fearful all he's doing is hiding under DH's bed. His behavior is so over the top we don't know what to make of it. But Zeb' can't go on starving himself because he's on the thin side naturally. The girls will eat when Callie isn't in the kitchen. I tried feeding Zeb' in the bedrooms but he refuses all food and water.
I don't know what the alternative is other than returning her to the RV and trying to find her a home or a rescue that as space (they never do). I'm starting to regret taking her from that carton in the parking lot. It never occurred to me one of my cats would have such a severe fear reaction to a strange kitten.
Wow, I am so sorry you're going through this after doing such a nice thing! But I feel so bad for Jeb too.
I have one cat (Gretel) that I have to keep separated from all the others except sometimes her twin Hansel (although she doesn't like him much either). But when they are apart, they eat, poop, etc. just fine. I have never heard of such an extreme fear reaction, especially to a kitten.
I know that some have used Feliway to calm stressed-out kitties. I haven't found it to work very well with my cats, unfortunately.
Maybe your vet would have some other suggestions? Jeb needs to start eating!!
Wow, I am so sorry you're going through this after doing such a nice thing! But I feel so bad for Jeb too.
I had a friend who used to say, "No good deed goes unpunished."
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I have one cat (Gretel) that I have to keep separated from all the others except sometimes her twin Hansel (although she doesn't like him much either). But when they are apart, they eat, poop, etc. just fine. I have never heard of such an extreme fear reaction, especially to a kitten.
I never did either. We can't understand Zeb's reaction at all. She did nothing to him. To watch it is unbelievable. He sees her, growls, and runs away in a panic. She chases him like she wants to play and he runs away screaming like a cat being attacked or like a cat in a cat-fight. It makes no sense at all. She showed no aggression toward him. She's also much much smaller than he is. It's like seeing a little preschool child, a little 4 year girl chasing a grown man down the street while the man screams for his life. We're both at a loss as to what to do other than return her to the RV. But that is only temporary as we will be leaving in the new larger RV right after Xmas for 3 months in FL. There is no way the two of them could be in the same RV when he's so totally freaked out by her. The RV is only 8 X 29' with nowhere for him to hide.
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I know that some have used Feliway to calm stressed-out kitties. I haven't found it to work very well with my cats, unfortunately.
Maybe your vet would have some other suggestions? Jeb needs to start eating!!
His not eating or drinking, urinating or defecating has us very worried. I haven't bought Feliway since none of the other products did a thing for Phaedra when we travel. They were a total waste of money and they wont give a refund if Feliway doesn't work. In a house with this many rooms I would need to spend several hundred dollars for Feliway and the dispensers. They run around $50 each here. That's way out of our budget especially with no guarantee it will work. We are also the type of people have the windows open, weather allowing, and that would make anything diffused into the air worthless.
You Zeb sounds like my Lily ... the first 3 weeks after Charcoal joined the family. Just his smell sent her into a screaming and hissing fit. No playing footsies under the door. She wasn't interested and I just don't think it ever dawned on him he could play footsie.
I'm glad it has gotten colder out and the windows are now closed. OMG, the neighbors must have thought I was pulling Lily's teeth and nails out with pliers she screamed so much.... and so loudly! WOW.. that caught me by surprise.
So here we are some 5-1/2 weeks later...........she is still screaming, hissing and spitting when he "bothers" her - aka he wants to play. She naps under the couch. Charcoal - bless him - retreats to his "room" (the dining/music room) and curls up on one of the chairs to nap. At night between 930 and 10pm Charcoal retreats to his room, I turn on the nightlight, shut the overhead light and close the door. Not a peep from him until morning. Lily prefers to sleep at night in the living room and then climbs on my bed to continue her sleep until she decides it time for us to get up.
When she enters the kitchen she makes a beeline to the dining room door...she knows he's there. I let him out...........and the screaming, hissing spitting starts all over again. They both have breakfast in the kitchen about 10 feet apart - backs to each other. Then it starts all over again..............with Lily skulking around the house and Charcoal zooming around wanting to play. Oy.......................
I've been very careful to keep to Lily's routine - her morning massage while watching her videos online, her treat times, her sitting on the toilet seat while I take a shower, etc. She's not been off her food though unlike Zeb.
Perhaps you could get him some "treat" food - Hills AD nuked a little to bring out the smell.... or perhaps some Beechnut Chicken in Chicken broth.
It takes time..Lily's not the quickest to adapt, but she is getting better. I just wish she'd stop the screaming bit!
If Zeb isn't too elderly or frail, I'd buy or borrow dog crates about 36" each and park them side by side and put Zeb in one and Callie in the other with litterboxes and just make them get used to it. My two male cats, when I first got them, hated each other and all they did was run through the house fighting. I finally threw both of them together in the 36" crate and let them go at it. I sat there with a spray bottle of water and a broomstick to whack the cage every time they got too rough. It literally took 2 hours for them to quit, exhausted. But they fell asleep side by side and I left them in there for hours. They really haven't had a problem with sharing a space since. But if I had let them go on farting around the way they had been, they would never have learned how to put up with each other.
With yours so fearful, I'd hesitate to put them together in a cat playpen or one cage. But beside each other, I'd do.
This has to end and soon (hopefully in a good way!!) If Feliway doesn't work (and I have had mixed results with it. At this point, I like it but don't need it). I have read that if cats smell different they won't get along. I have read that if you have two warring factions like Callie and Zeb, you could try to make them smell alike. I would try possibly a pet dry shampoo or cat wipe cleaning product (I'm thinking I saw these at Petsmart), get all of the cats down and go over them entirely with the wipes - faces, feet, back, butt, everything. Everyone will smell alike (you know how when one comes home from the dr's office and gets the royal snub - because they smell funny) and hopefully can get on with the business of living. Once you have everyone "cleaned", get out a container of catnip and just let them go crazy with it. I also find some interactive toys like the feathers on a stick or things that you play with them, maybe a laser light - get them distracted. They get so busy playing and leaping around they "forget" and accidentally touch and end up playing with their hated roommate!!!They will mellow out and mine usually fall asleep - sometimes right next to "the enemy"!! I would also not continue to give them an escape route out of the room - force them to deal with the tension and "get over themselves". I have to admit, I find kitties having a hissy fit because of a personality clash - tend to get on my nerves pretty quickly - I just want peace in the valley!! You will have to monitor them closely but in my experience it will stop. No one is going to die or bleed, they just want to have the last word, and are protecting what they perceive to be theirs - which would include attention from you and your DH. It's kind of like tough love for cats. Realistically, you aren't being mean to them, and their needs are being met. They have a loving home, food, shelter, warmth, water, and companionship. It might get worse before it gets better, but have faith and lots of patience. You did a good thing, rescuing this girl and please don't lose sight of that. Good luck. Whatever you do, please keep us updated.
You Zeb sounds like my Lily ... the first 3 weeks after Charcoal joined the family. Just his smell sent her into a screaming and hissing fit. No playing footsies under the door. She wasn't interested and I just don't think it ever dawned on him he could play footsie.
I'm glad it has gotten colder out and the windows are now closed. OMG, the neighbors must have thought I was pulling Lily's teeth and nails out with pliers she screamed so much.... and so loudly! WOW.. that caught me by surprise.
I know exactly what you mean because Zeb' sounds like he's being ripped to shreds and she's a foot behind him.
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So here we are some 5-1/2 weeks later...........she is still screaming, hissing and spitting when he "bothers" her - aka he wants to play. She naps under the couch. Charcoal - bless him - retreats to his "room" (the dining/music room) and curls up on one of the chairs to nap. At night between 930 and 10pm Charcoal retreats to his room, I turn on the nightlight, shut the overhead light and close the door. Not a peep from him until morning. Lily prefers to sleep at night in the living room and then climbs on my bed to continue her sleep until she decides it time for us to get up.
It's still chaotic here. Callie finally fell asleep in the old office late this afternoon so we closed the door. I got to take a quick nap while she slept. Zeb came slithering out from under a bed and did eat and drink while she slept where he couldn't see her. Tonight he's in the living room under a table growling at her when she goes near him, but he's not running away screaming like he's being tortured. We felt much better when we saw him eating.
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When she enters the kitchen she makes a beeline to the dining room door...she knows he's there. I let him out...........and the screaming, hissing spitting starts all over again. They both have breakfast in the kitchen about 10 feet apart - backs to each other. Then it starts all over again..............with Lily skulking around the house and Charcoal zooming around wanting to play. Oy.......................
Yep... I can picture that. These cats can drive crazy people sane.
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I've been very careful to keep to Lily's routine - her morning massage while watching her videos online, her treat times, her sitting on the toilet seat while I take a shower, etc. She's not been off her food though unlike Zeb.
He didn't eat as much as he normally does, but he did eat. The first time we took him on a trip in the RV he didn't eat for 3 days. He's an ultra sensitive soul. Any changes put him in a real tailspin. The poor guy, he always acts like something is going to jump out and either eat him for dinner or *GASP!* pick him up and clip his claws. He's my little chicken boy.
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Perhaps you could get him some "treat" food - Hills AD nuked a little to bring out the smell.... or perhaps some Beechnut Chicken in Chicken broth.
It takes time..Lily's not the quickest to adapt, but she is getting better. I just wish she'd stop the screaming bit!
I did warm up some canned Little Friskies and he ate that, along with some kibble. I don't encourage them to eat kibble but under these circumstances I'll give him anything he'll eat. We're already very attached to little Callie and don't want to give her up. Tonight Phaedra was playing with her. They took turns chasing each other all through the house, across the furniture, up and down the cat trees. Phaedra likes other cats. After a few hisses and a spit or two, she happily accepts them.
I'm sure your Lily will stop the screaming sooner or later. Just hang in there. That's what I keep telling myself.
This has to end and soon (hopefully in a good way!!) If Feliway doesn't work (and I have had mixed results with it. At this point, I like it but don't need it). I have read that if cats smell different they won't get along. I have read that if you have two warring factions like Callie and Zeb, you could try to make them smell alike. I would try possibly a pet dry shampoo or cat wipe cleaning product (I'm thinking I saw these at Petsmart), get all of the cats down and go over them entirely with the wipes - faces, feet, back, butt, everything. Everyone will smell alike (you know how when one comes home from the dr's office and gets the royal snub - because they smell funny) and hopefully can get on with the business of living. Once you have everyone "cleaned", get out a container of catnip and just let them go crazy with it.
Things have improved a little tonight. See my last few posts. I can try the towel thing tomorrow as all 4 are settled down now and sleeping.
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I also find some interactive toys like the feathers on a stick or things that you play with them, maybe a laser light - get them distracted. They get so busy playing and leaping around they "forget" and accidentally touch and end up playing with their hated roommate!!!They will mellow out and mine usually fall asleep - sometimes right next to "the enemy"!! I would also not continue to give them an escape route out of the room - force them to deal with the tension and "get over themselves".
Because of the size and age difference, I don't think Callie would be safe under those conditions. My 3 cats don't play with any kind of toys anymore. I wish they did. I miss playing with them and have a large box full of all kinds of cat toys. Callie likes those on elastic strings. They've even grown tired of the laser light. None react to catnip, fresh or dried. The only things they like to chase and play with are live insects and bugs like moths and crickets that sneak in the door at night. When lizards or skinks get in, they eat them. I find the tails. I just don't know which one is eating them. Maybe all 3 were.
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I have to admit, I find kitties having a hissy fit because of a personality clash - tend to get on my nerves pretty quickly - I just want peace in the valley!! You will have to monitor them closely but in my experience it will stop. No one is going to die or bleed, they just want to have the last word, and are protecting what they perceive to be theirs - which would include attention from you and your DH. It's kind of like tough love for cats. Realistically, you aren't being mean to them, and their needs are being met. They have a loving home, food, shelter, warmth, water, and companionship. It might get worse before it gets better, but have faith and lots of patience. You did a good thing, rescuing this girl and please don't lose sight of that. Good luck. Whatever you do, please keep us updated.
We plan to do whatever we can to resolve this problem between Zebulon and Callie so that we can keep her. We were both getting stressed out there for awhile and the lack of sleep was not helping. I think I'll get a good night's sleep tonight. Callie will be loose in the house since she's good with the litter pan, so no crying and caterwauling from her - and Zeb is out of hiding, did eat some, but still looks like he's about to jump out of his skin at any minute... and what that, I am headed off to bed.
Half an hour later ...
I don't know why I thought it would evident that this "solution" would help any type cat to cat situation. I already had part of my thread done, including the title, but I was only thinking about how Agnes could help Zeb not to be afraid when I posted this.
Last edited by leanansidhex; 11-15-2012 at 08:35 PM..
Reason: clarification
There is no aggression on either side. She's a baby and wants to play with him, but for some reason he's frightened out of his mind of her. It's a totally senseless fear. It's like he thinks she's a cat-eating demon from the depths of hell. He's holed up in my bedroom with food, water and a litterpan.
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Half an hour later ...
I don't know why I thought it would evident that this "solution" would help any type cat to cat situation. I already had part of my thread done, including the title, but I was only thinking about how Agnes could help Zeb not to be afraid when I posted this.
Thank you so much for this information. But it appears she wants to be paid first with no guarantee of success.
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But Zeb' can't go on starving himself because he's on the thin side naturally. The girls will eat when Callie isn't in the kitchen. I tried feeding Zeb' in the bedrooms but he refuses all food and water. 
We're both at a loss as to what to do other than return her to the RV. But that is only temporary as we will be leaving in the new larger RV right after Xmas for 3 months in FL. There is no way the two of them could be in the same RV when he's so totally freaked out by her. The RV is only 8 X 29' with nowhere for him to hide. 
Good luck. Whatever you do, please keep us updated.
Zeb did eat some....
I've waited long enough (I wanted to be sure it really worked) I found a solution
