Bad Charlie!

Avatar for blades31
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
Bad Charlie!
8
Fri, 11-12-2004 - 11:40am
Charlie, the stray cat we just adopted, was really bad last night. He attacked Cleo, our smallest and oldest cat, and even ripped out a clump of her fur. We just had Charlie neutered, which we thought would make him really mellow. Instead, he seems to need to exert his "alpha cat" status on the other four. Cleo is small and has no claws (she came to me that way) so she can't really defend herself. This is somewhat new behavior for him, so I'm not sure what's going on.

We locked Charlie out of the bedroom last night so Cleo could sleep on our bed in peace and of course I was up the whole night listening to him whine.

Any thoughts on how to get Charlie to mellow out a little?

Thanks!

B.J.

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-27-1999
In reply to: blades31
Fri, 11-12-2004 - 1:02pm

Hi B.J., Just adding my two cents, if Charlie was just neutered give him a minimum of 6 weeks for the hormones to subside. Although not all that painful a surgery, it is traumatic just the same. Give Charlie a little time and maybe a couple extra hugs. Just try to keep Cleo and him separate (not isolated) for a short time, until the effects of the surgery go. You might want to make sure you are there if they do run into each other. I would sternly tell Charlie his bad behavior toward his housemate is not acceptable, but remember corporal punishment should not be used on cats as they do not understand it, all they will do is associate the pain with you not the bad deed.
Just remember Charlie will never be the alpha cat, 99 times out of 100 females are the alpha cat. Cleo will when pushed smack him back at some point and he will learn.
Best of luck, remember to come back often and let us know of their progress.


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Avatar for blades31
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
In reply to: blades31
Fri, 11-12-2004 - 1:28pm
Thanks for the great advice. I had no idea it could take up to six weeks. And Charlie really was not an aggressive cat before this, so it just seems strange to me. But he's been through a lot of changes lately, losing his manhood and becoming a full-time indoor cat so I should probably cut him some slack. Just hope Cleo can take care of herself!
Avatar for cl_lcni
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
In reply to: blades31
Fri, 11-12-2004 - 2:01pm

Liz is right on, it will take several weeks for the hormones to get out of Charlie's body.


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Avatar for missourigrl
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
In reply to: blades31
Fri, 11-12-2004 - 2:40pm
I found the statement you made about the female cat is the alpha cat 99 out of 100 times. Does that apply even if the female cat is the new addition? Like if I brought home a new female kitty, she, not Asher, would be the alpha cat even though Asher has been the only cat since we've had him (1 year, 3 months)? Do you know wher I can find more information on this?

Thanks!

Kristen

 

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-01-2003
In reply to: blades31
Fri, 11-12-2004 - 2:56pm
You got some really good tips and hope things are better soon


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Avatar for blades31
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-10-2003
In reply to: blades31
Fri, 11-12-2004 - 2:59pm
Thanks, Chris. We are trying to be patient.

Just for the record, I want to report that we do not use "corporal punishment" with our cats. Even though they make us really mad sometimes, the most we do is stomp and yell, with the occasional squirt of water. I want to try the "coins in the can" trick too.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-10-2003
In reply to: blades31
Sat, 11-13-2004 - 10:27pm
Hi B.J.,

I am so glad you and your DH decided to make Charlie an indoor cat. I remember reading your post a few weeks ago about how you already had 4, but he was so friendly and then you discovered he had a heart condition. I have no doubt he will fit in to your household in time. I have some suggestions to help 1) Interactive play with a fishing pole type cat toy is a great way for you and your DH to help him adapt to indoor games. Short play sessions, under 10 minutes, in which he gets to capture the prey at the end of the fishing pole numerous times, will leave him satisfied and more relaxed. If you can do a couple of play sessions a day it will help. 2)There is a product called Feliway, which mimics cat pheromones (kind of like aromotherapy for cats). You can either spray some on door frames, for example, or get a kind that has a diffuser. It is helpful for getting cats to settle down and feel less stressed and territorial. 3)I would also recommend posting on the Think Like A Cat with Pam Johnson-Bennett, also on ivillage. She is a feline behaviourist with many years of experience and has amazxing solutions to seemingly everything.

Please keep us posted and let us know if you need any more advice.

Cynthia

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-14-2004
In reply to: blades31
Sun, 11-14-2004 - 10:19pm
Charlie, being newly neutered, probably still has testerone in his system. Have you tried Feliway or Rescue Remedy. Both are natural and are widely used by the cat people I know for calming cats, especially when introducing them to new situations. Some people I know actually have Feliway diffusers in their homes where they have multiple cats. I think if you use a search engine like Google, you will find places that sell these. I have only one cat and don't need them, but I post of boards where many people do use them. Good luck.