Posted by Racer on February 11, 2006, at 13:21:54
In reply to Re: my cats keep attacking one another » ghostshadow, posted by sleepygirl on February 10, 2006, at 22:49:18
Now he attacks me. Count your blessings...
Seriously, though, the thigns that helped me were having one more litter box than there were cats, having those litter boxes in different rooms -- and letting them work it out. I know it's hard -- believe me, I do know it's hard. The one rule I had was No Fighting On The Bed. Anytime someone broke that rule, there were Flying Cats in my bedroom. Otherwise, though, I did my best to ignore it.
And it stopped.
The reason it stops is that the cats aren't trying to kill each other, and they're not trying to be Number One. They're just trying to find out who is number one. Once they establish dominance, they will settle down. It may take a while, but the more you allow them to work out it, the faster that will happen.
If you can't do that, though, try watching what starts it. If it's the younger cat trying to play, then grab the younger cat and give him/her a time out. If it's the older cat attacking the younger, give that cat a time out. Just grab, and lock into a small space. We used a half-bath, just the right size. And I would set a timer outside the door, for usually 10 or 15 minutes. It actually worked, too. The cat would go in hissing and nasty, and come out literally purring. I think it gave him a chance for quiet time, when he was overstimulated.
Good luck. They do drive you nuts, don't they?
poster:Racer
thread:607758
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060203/msgs/608658.html