Well, they've lived together for 2 years now, so introductions are long
past!
She is fine as long as he isn't "in her space". They will sleep on
the bed at the same time, but if he goes within a foot of her, she gets
defensive immediately. Doesn't seem to matter what his attitude seems to
be. She will growl and slap at him as she crouches really low to the
floor. It looks like she's trying to say that she respects his position
over her but she doesnt want to socialize with him. He appears
to take this quasi-submission/aggression as a challenge and that's when he
bites her.
It mostly happens in the mornings, and usually when my husband is trying to
wind down from work (he works overnight). Dan yells at Siggie and squirts
him with water to get him away from her and it's over.
The thing is too that Siggie is the cat I had to retrain. He had
SERIOUS kitty cat issues when I adopted him at 11 month old -- things that were
with held from me. He was VERY aggressive with everyone and
everything. History: he was the only kitten in a litter born to a
feral mom that she did NOT reject (no sibling contact or socialization).
Then he was taken away from her before he was ready (5 weeks old) and taken in
by a young couple with a disabled baby who already had a 12 year old tomcat who
wanted NOTHING to do with him (he was beat up by the tom). So he bit and
scratched and clawed out his existence to the point that this young couple just
wanted to get him out of the house because he was hurting the baby. (He was
advertised "free to good home", so I took him).
I had to teach him who was Top Cat (me). I had to teach him the
difference between a love bite/nibble and a bad bite. He is almost 6 years
old now, and he has kitty cat OCD....
As for Travis, a stern word from me is usually enough to get him to back
off enough so that either he will walk away or she will run away. She
reacts to Travis the same way. If he is feeling punchy, she senses this
and gets defensive.
I'm wishing I could "hear" her so she could tell me why she feels the way
she does. But no matter how hard I listen, I don't get anything.
Terri
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2006 5:36
PM
Subject: Re: OT: question - getting
along
Hi Terri,
Hmm... It sounds like your little Guine is
just not as sociable as her brothers would like and expect her to be.
I've noticed that when my established guy's efforts to make nice overtures to
newcomers are continually rebuffed, they get annoyed and start giving the new
guy something to be nervous about. Maybe it's something like that.
You know, "I've tried everything I can think of to put you at ease, and still
you act like I'm not to be associated with. If that's the way you feel,
take that!".
When I'm introducing a new member who has socialization
issues, (very few don't!), I feed them small amounts of something yummy next
to each other. Sometimes I have to start with them on the other side of
the room from each other, but eventually I get them eating side by side.
I'll call them and tell them it's treat time, pet one and then the other to
get their scents on each other, tell them how proud I am that they're becoming
friends, etc. I'll ask whoever's being the bully in the situation to
help me by being friendly, or leaving them alone. I'll tell the scaredy
cat that their behavior isn't necessary, that they are safe and I will step in
if things get too heated.
Have you noticed this behavior at any
specific times? Are they always like this when they come nose to nose
with each other? Is there anytime that Guinevere seems more apt to
welcome the boy's advances? You could try adding some RR to the communal
water bowl and see if that helps. Have you sprayed Guine's bedding with
Feliway? It sounds like she's the one that needs help recognizing that
she doesn't have to be so nervous. She may just want to be left
alone. If you think that's the case, I'd ask the boys to lay off her and
give her her space. I'd warn them everytime they try to engage her, to
leave her be. If he doesn't listen to you, step in between them and
block him from her with your body, backing him gently out of her
"space". Then shower him with attention, telling him how proud you are
that he's respecting your wishes and leaving her the heck alone. Not
everyone has to be cuddly with each other, but in my house, I do my best to
enforce the first rule: Everyone must get along! Momma's nerves
are too rattled as it is. I can't stand those hissing and growling
spats!
Nina
Terri Brown wrote:
Hey gang,
Since I am not able to do it myself no matter how I try, is there
anyone on this list who might be able to tell me why my Siggie is so
aggressive with Guinevere? She is VERY intolerant of him.
Anytime he gets near her, she gets very bent out of shape, and will usually
end up running away from him. Sometimes he will let this go, but other
times he will attack her and bite her.
They're both FeLV negative, so I'm not worried about that, it's just
that I can't seem to make Siggie understand that his little sisfur Guin
really doesn't want to be pestered by him. I don't get it what it is
between the two of them.
Travis sometimes goes for her too, but I get the VERY strong impression
that he's just playing (he's still a kitten, but getting VERY big).
She just has no interest whatsoever in the boys.
Thoughts?
