If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
|
#12
|
|||
|
|||
"Calvin Rice" wrote in message m... Essentially I tried this last year. The effect was to drive my two male cats, one of which has been missing since the day after I confined the bully, farther and farther away from the house. I could not, and cannot stand having my happy home ruined by a stray. So confining was the only answer I could think of. But the problem of him menacing the other males got steadily worse, and finally intolerable. Without knowing your level of attachment to the stray, I have to ask this.... Considering the disruption to your other cat, and the limited possibility the stray will integrate well into the household, would you consider re-homing him to a setting where he is the only cat? Some cats have this extreme drive to be the alpha animal. Perhaps this is one who would be better off not only as king of the hill but as the solitary resident. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
"Calvin Rice" wrote in message m... Essentially I tried this last year. The effect was to drive my two male cats, one of which has been missing since the day after I confined the bully, farther and farther away from the house. I could not, and cannot stand having my happy home ruined by a stray. So confining was the only answer I could think of. But the problem of him menacing the other males got steadily worse, and finally intolerable. Without knowing your level of attachment to the stray, I have to ask this.... Considering the disruption to your other cat, and the limited possibility the stray will integrate well into the household, would you consider re-homing him to a setting where he is the only cat? Some cats have this extreme drive to be the alpha animal. Perhaps this is one who would be better off not only as king of the hill but as the solitary resident. |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
"RobZip" wrote in message ... "Calvin Rice" wrote in message m... Essentially I tried this last year. The effect was to drive my two male cats, one of which has been missing since the day after I confined the bully, farther and farther away from the house. I could not, and cannot stand having my happy home ruined by a stray. So confining was the only answer I could think of. But the problem of him menacing the other males got steadily worse, and finally intolerable. Without knowing your level of attachment to the stray, I have to ask this.... How attached would you be to a cat you had had for at least a year? What a stupid suggestion. Better that he live separated from the others than be out of a home again. Surely someone can offer a better solution than this. (I can't, as I have never had this problem. I have never had a male cat.) |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
"RobZip" wrote in message ... "Calvin Rice" wrote in message m... Essentially I tried this last year. The effect was to drive my two male cats, one of which has been missing since the day after I confined the bully, farther and farther away from the house. I could not, and cannot stand having my happy home ruined by a stray. So confining was the only answer I could think of. But the problem of him menacing the other males got steadily worse, and finally intolerable. Without knowing your level of attachment to the stray, I have to ask this.... How attached would you be to a cat you had had for at least a year? What a stupid suggestion. Better that he live separated from the others than be out of a home again. Surely someone can offer a better solution than this. (I can't, as I have never had this problem. I have never had a male cat.) |
#16
|
|||
|
|||
"Mary" wrote in message m... How attached would you be to a cat you had had for at least a year? Obviously I'd have some attachment to the cat. I'd also have attachent to the others in my household. It would become a question of what is *really* best for the one that just can't seem to find a way to fit in without disruption. What a stupid suggestion Stupid is it? I've known of a few instances where such a situation was resolved by placing the miscreant in a more suitable home environment. ( example - surviving feline of a deceased elderly owner taken in to a multi cat household. He simply wouldn't have it any other way except to be the sole creature in residence. A local vet helped find someone who took him in and it worked out great for all concerned.) Just because the owner loves the animal and has gone to great lengths to work things out does not by default make his situation the only choice. Better that he live separated from the others than be out of a home again. Read again Mary... I did not advocate throwing the cat out. Re-homing is just that - doing your best to find a home where the animal fits well. In this case, it is unlikely that this particular male will ever fit well in a multi-cat household. A situation where he will be the only cat is probably best. Is it really better to live separated, at times isolated than to move into a setting that better fits his liking? Surely the owner is attached but is that the only factor one must consider? Sometimes we just have to rise above our own feelings and consider all elements in a situation - i.e the stress of the other feline residents, the frustration of the owner seeing his house divided, and knowing this dominant animal has a lot of love to give under the proper circumstances. The owner in this situation has no cause to feel failure - he's done more for the stray than most would have. Surely someone can offer a better solution than this. (I can't, as I have never had this problem. I have never had a male cat.) It's not unique to males but far more prevalent. I had a female once who was so dominantly alpha that any other cat was forever the enemy. Forget her having a roomie - wasn't gonna happen. Individually, she was the sweetest most attentive cat companion one could have. Show the slightest bit of affection to an interloping stray and she was an insufferable bitch - to the stray and myself for a day or so afterwards. |
#17
|
|||
|
|||
"Mary" wrote in message m... How attached would you be to a cat you had had for at least a year? Obviously I'd have some attachment to the cat. I'd also have attachent to the others in my household. It would become a question of what is *really* best for the one that just can't seem to find a way to fit in without disruption. What a stupid suggestion Stupid is it? I've known of a few instances where such a situation was resolved by placing the miscreant in a more suitable home environment. ( example - surviving feline of a deceased elderly owner taken in to a multi cat household. He simply wouldn't have it any other way except to be the sole creature in residence. A local vet helped find someone who took him in and it worked out great for all concerned.) Just because the owner loves the animal and has gone to great lengths to work things out does not by default make his situation the only choice. Better that he live separated from the others than be out of a home again. Read again Mary... I did not advocate throwing the cat out. Re-homing is just that - doing your best to find a home where the animal fits well. In this case, it is unlikely that this particular male will ever fit well in a multi-cat household. A situation where he will be the only cat is probably best. Is it really better to live separated, at times isolated than to move into a setting that better fits his liking? Surely the owner is attached but is that the only factor one must consider? Sometimes we just have to rise above our own feelings and consider all elements in a situation - i.e the stress of the other feline residents, the frustration of the owner seeing his house divided, and knowing this dominant animal has a lot of love to give under the proper circumstances. The owner in this situation has no cause to feel failure - he's done more for the stray than most would have. Surely someone can offer a better solution than this. (I can't, as I have never had this problem. I have never had a male cat.) It's not unique to males but far more prevalent. I had a female once who was so dominantly alpha that any other cat was forever the enemy. Forget her having a roomie - wasn't gonna happen. Individually, she was the sweetest most attentive cat companion one could have. Show the slightest bit of affection to an interloping stray and she was an insufferable bitch - to the stray and myself for a day or so afterwards. |
#18
|
|||
|
|||
"Laura R." wrote in message .. . circa Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:08:34 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, RobZip ) said, In this case, it is unlikely that this particular male will ever fit well in a multi-cat household That is not yet known. Consider the following: 1. The reported behavior has been going on since last August - now entering the 9th month according to Calvin. Everyone knows who each other is by now. The pecking order seems to be somewhat established although subject to change as the younger male matures. 2. The aggression seems directed towards one particular male in his household. The stray is accepting of a younger male and submissive to a dominant female. There hasn't been any long term period of open association with all the felines in residence. What really isn't known is if the acceptance of the younger male will continue once he reaches maturity. At that point you could have the stray in conflict with both males and the dominant female aligning with them. Then what? At this point it becomes a matter of accepting that things are probably as good as they are ever going to be. Is that preferable to looking at alternative placement? I'm not saying that my suggestion is the ultimate final outcome - merely something to consider. |
#19
|
|||
|
|||
"Laura R." wrote in message .. . circa Sun, 11 Apr 2004 16:08:34 GMT, in rec.pets.cats.health+behav, RobZip ) said, In this case, it is unlikely that this particular male will ever fit well in a multi-cat household That is not yet known. Consider the following: 1. The reported behavior has been going on since last August - now entering the 9th month according to Calvin. Everyone knows who each other is by now. The pecking order seems to be somewhat established although subject to change as the younger male matures. 2. The aggression seems directed towards one particular male in his household. The stray is accepting of a younger male and submissive to a dominant female. There hasn't been any long term period of open association with all the felines in residence. What really isn't known is if the acceptance of the younger male will continue once he reaches maturity. At that point you could have the stray in conflict with both males and the dominant female aligning with them. Then what? At this point it becomes a matter of accepting that things are probably as good as they are ever going to be. Is that preferable to looking at alternative placement? I'm not saying that my suggestion is the ultimate final outcome - merely something to consider. |
#20
|
|||
|
|||
Good luck, then. I can't quite see how you're going to do anything
else but confine one cat for the rest of it's life if you aren't willing to let them work it out in a supervised, controlled environment. Sometimes it does take many months before cats get their issues sorted out. It may take longer now that the cats have been seperated for so long and the resident cat has "won" by getting the newcomer locked up all day everyday. It's possible that the stray has such hostility problems that he can't live with another cat, but your description of pouncing and screaming and the fact that the cat gets along fine with the kitten doesn't really indicate a hopelessly hostile cat to me. I've seen introductions that take 6 months to a year to settle down between adult cats. It is hard to go through, but I don't see much of an alternative here. Just don't let both cats outdoors at the same time until they can coexist in the house. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|