Badly behaving cats, all the sudden

[sasvermont]

Gosh, I have read about this, but didn't think it would happen to me.

All of the sudden, in the past couple of days, my two Abysinnian cats have been fighting. Actually, Juni, the older of the two, suddenly doesn't get along with her little sister, Chloe! Juni has been chasing and biting poor Chloe so much that I am afraid one will get hurt.... I am tired of screaming at them. Chloe is terrified of Juni now! But, get this, Chloe is walking around this house, crying and looking for Juni. Juni is being kept behind closed doors in a spare room for the time being. I "timed her out" today for a few hours, then left her out and it was fine for about two hours. Back in the room with her after another horrible battle.

Chloe is low man on the totem pole around here. She has always been the victim.

I am going to try to leave Juni in the room over night and hope that she will get the message about her bad behavior.

What makes them hate one another after 8 or so years? They both seem healthy.... I haven't changed anything except that I closed off the door to the outside porch, where they had litter boxes. I moved boxes throughout the house, so that they don't have to freeze to death this winter. Once it warms up a bit, I will put them back outside. I didn't do it all at once. I put boxes inside, then eventually closed off the door. They didn't/don't seem too upset about not going out in the cold. They have little fat on them, so being cold is something they hate. I have closed off the door before, without any problems.

It will be interesting tonight to see if Juni yells her head off.... keeping us awake. I also hope Chloe will enjoy not having her sister beat on her!

Cats!

[Karen]

Gracious, I hope everything is calm this evening! Cabin fever this soon? Any catnip handy to let them play - separately - and wear themselves out, maybe?

[sasvermont]

Well, after only a short while, the crying of one bad kitty got to me. I couldn't stand to hear Juni cry so much. She wanted out of that room so badly. We are all sitting quietly in the living room, behaving. We are all in different chairs/sofas etc. but not fighting. I even tried to coax Juni outside on the porch for a quick run, but NOOOOOOO.

I am going to head to bed soon and I hope we have a quiet night.

I am thinking about taking Juni to the vet to see if maybe she is in pain and not just BEING a pain!! She seems healthy. I don't want to go on the almighty hunt though. By bringing the cat litter boxes inside, I am able to see/hear what each critter is doing, including Prue, trying to help Mom by digging the poop out of the box. Dogs! I have the boxes up high and behind barriers. Maybe it is the litter box thing.

Their swinging door to the porch / window was freezing shut. At one point last month, Chole was locked outside because ice formed on the door and she was not able to get back in. Fortunately, I was home and heard her scratching and crying. It was then, that I began to think it was time to move the boxes inside.

I think I am over thinking this, aren't I? Cats fight from time to time.

[Freedom]

Keep water squirt bottles handy, one in every room if need be, to help break them apart. Hollering may or may not work, it sure gets you more worked up though. And I am sure you know not to try and separate them with your hands; that route leads to the ER!

As to WHY, who knows? Until we have better translation apps from English to cat-speak, I sure don't know what gets in to them. Geesh! Hope you have a calm night!

[sasvermont]

Everyone was good last night. I left the heat on high in the living room, making the two skinny cats want to be there for the heat. I don't heat my bedroom, so they are less likely to sleep with me (and Lucy the cat and Prue the dog)......

I hope Juni has put two and two together and that if she is bad and fights, she will end up in a cold room, all by herself.

C A T S !

[Karen]

Hey, if it works, it works! Glad everything was peaceful, here's hoping for continued detente.