[CoralD]

Just when I thought things were settling down....

Last night I tried intergrating D'Arcy with ALL the cats. Soraya attacked him so viciously she left an ENTIRE CLAW embedded in his head. Since then she won't speak to me or let us pat her or see if her claw socket is hurt.

I'll get some more rescue remedy today and try it on her. I'm not sure what else to do....I have tried all the valuable advice on here....and they have been looking at each other through a glass door for weeks now. Soraya was the least sociable but is now the biggest sook. I do understand she might feel threatened by D'Arcy, and she is jealous of any attention given to him - but this is going beyond a mere hissy fit. He hisses but doesn't seem to fight her back...just tries to get away and she pursues.

Will a cat pursue another and inflict serious injury? This is not something I have encountered before.

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[fleabag]

Sadly yes one cat CAN become fixated on their victim ...I have one ..she's the most lovable girl ( after quite a few teething problems) but HATES with a passion another of my cats ..sigh ...
I've have done EVERYTHING ..and I mean everything ..ask anyone on CW ..lol...to help them blend ..
My current and sadly most successful plan is to shuffle pairs of cats around the house thru carefully planned zones ...never are the problem child and her victim in the same zone ..they both have a companion cat who is their bestie..thanks goodness ..lol...so except for my having to shuffle we are all happy ..the cats actually return to their next zones on changeover...I am totally a creature of habit ...

But if you wanna PM me I can tell you things I've tried...one of them MAY work for you.

PS this is the first and only time I haven't had a happily blended cat family ...sigh ..

This post has been edited by fleabag: 20 November 2009 - 08:17 AM

[CoralD]

I could understand if D'Arcy was dominant - but he's such a sooky boy.
If I am in his room I can let her in and she will wander around for a few moments....then suddenly attack. Last night's was the most vicious and I am hoping that losing a claw has maybe been unpleasant enough for her to back off.

But Perhaps the kitty couples idea is the way I will have to go....what a shame.

[fleabag]

My victim is a devon ..she wants to be everybodies friend and playmate ..HELL if Tiddles ( burmese girl) would only chase but not go in for the kill she'd do that ...lolol ( and honestly they play the same games with the same type of toy ..they'd have a BALL)
But couples does work very well for us ...sigh...

And just looking at D'arcy ..it's funny in an odd way ...Tiddles ..AKA killercat's bestie is a large burmilla boy called Charlie...grin..and she LURVES him.

This post has been edited by fleabag: 20 November 2009 - 08:46 AM

[CoralD]

Just managed to have a look at Soraya and give her a pet. Funny....when she is miserable her coat goes offgrade overnight and becomes like normal fur instead of the velvet squishy chinchilla.

She lost one claw completely ( the one in Darcy's head) and has another just hanging by a thread. I don't know whether to remove it or just leave it...she could catch it in something.

Darcy has a few puncture wounds and I have bathed them and put antiseptic powder on them. Fortunately no bites.

Yes it's silly that cats who COULD get on and be best friends - I'm sure D'Arcy wouldn't mind that - are at loggerheads.

[Heather Sharada]

Cats are known to be solitary creatures in the wild - solitary by nature and more enviroment oriented than person centred...If she is going to blend it would have to be probably with the help of a behaviour consultant.

Her coat going off like that is a worry as it indicates that she is super stressed.

[CoralD]

Thanks Heather....she blends fine with the other three - it's just D'Arcy she's got her claws into...( literally)

Yes, her coat always goes off like that when she is really stressed...it gets quite coarse within a few hours....and was like that when she was first settling. But when she's happy...which is most of the time with the other cats ...it is true Chinchilla like....super soft and squishy.

Poor girl...and poor D'Arcy.

She is back on our bed purring now but won't let me look at the paw. Is the socket where the claw ripped out likely to get infected? And should I remove the other one that is hanging out?

[Winscar]

Will a cat pursue another and inflict serious injury?

From my recent experience definately a YES!

I have been doing the Bronnie shuffle for 3 months now and Ronan comes into the living area in a cage some nights and has his dinner while the other two are having their's. There have been nose kisses and well everyone knows how smoochy Ronan is. Definately the most smoochy furball I have owned but he has a lot of my sweet Winnie in him so that explains it for me! But there is no way I can let him interact with the others, he wants to kill them both .... and I am used to a happy peaceful household too.

I can see the shuffle being the normal way of life here so I desparately need to win Lotto as I live in a one bedroom garden flat LOL

Good luck.

[CoralD]

Thanks Winscar....
Looks like I might be resigned to that too. What a shame...I am so used to my Furkids curling up together - even if I have to work hard at it. It's not as if D'Arcy has given her any reason....other than hiss at her after she pounced on him the first time.

I guess it's like any family.... they don't all get along. But it's a shame, as i don't want either of them to feel left out.

I wondered if last night's extreme attack had anything to do with the heat? Anyone else had a stroppy cat because of the heat?

[rocanrole]

I am probably not so surprised at Soraya's behaviour. You have so much going on all at once in your home, a new kitchen with tradesmen coming and going, D'Arcy arriving, Prince arriving and now MM. She was so settled with you and Tony and now she has to share you with ALL these others. Poor D'Arcy is the soft target as she can't get to MM and she will be terrified of all the other strangers.I would keep them separated until the kitchen is finished and she at least feels safe again. Keep an eye on D'Arcy's head too as claws can certainly cause an abscess. Hang in there.

[CoralD]

Thanks Carole....I will.....
seems so strange to be at the computer without her jumping up beside me.

Should I remove the claw that is just hanging by a thread or leave it to its own devices.

Poor girl...she was so settled. Nothing fazes Milly or Whooshka...but it's been a long haul with Soraya and I hate to see her take a backward step. I'll keep them apart till everything quietens down at least....
And we'll have a long massage session with the zoom groom this evening to bring that soft cat back.

LOL...one step forward...two steps back.

[rocanrole]

Can you clip the hanging claw so that it doesn't catch? I would be wary of actually pulling it off if it is still attached at all.

[CoralD]

I don't think so....
Because of the way it's hanging even if I blunt the end she could still catch it in something....certainly she will lose it on the scratching pole I think.

A fraught night and morning - I think she feels mortified.