Cat Agonies

[cimorene]

This week Anubis breached containment again and tried to attack Tristana AGAIN, so we're back to square one.

We talked about consulting an animal behaviorist, but Wax doesn't want to yet. After reading the essays on the animal behaviorist's website (she's a vet specialist in cats with a further certification in cat behavior and evolution) we both did kinda get a sinking feeling, because while Anubis's aggression took us and his breeders by surprise, and it's new for him and also highly unusual for a Cornish Rex at all... it's also completely normal for cats in general.

We've all (Wax, me, and the lesbian cat breeders) met barn cats and other mixed and feral cats with similar issues. And there are lots of potential factors and triggers to be affecting Anubis here, and the prescription for all of them is a slower introduction trying to reduce potential friction.

There's also the fact that he's an intact tomcat. Normally you would never attempt to introduce one of those, and the only reason we are is that he has a hormone blocking implant right now. He wasn't fully grown, and the breeders didn't want to try to breed him yet, but the onset of puberty was making him miserable and he couldn't get along with their other cats, so they decided to try this out. These hormone blocking implants are commonly used in dogs, and their use in cats is comparatively less common. So while it did stop his acne and his pestering behavior back at home, it's possible he smells different or is more anxious or aggressive compared to how a neutered male cat would act, and that's the sort of cat our knowledge and assumptions about cat interactions are based on.

We still might contact her later of course. Meanwhile I guess this is how we live now.

Comments

[princessofgeeks]

Is it possible to go ahead and neuter him now? Is he old enough?

I'm so sorry you are going through this and wish there was a solution.

[cimorene]

Oh, no, we can't do that. The reason he hasn't just been fixed is that he's still going to be used as a stud when he's old enough, probably this spring or summer. His genes are very valuable and he is the Great Future Hope of our cat-breeding lesbian friends' cattery: his mother was the best queen they ever had but she had a complication and had to be fixed after only one litter, which was all male kittens, and Anubis was the most handsome of these. So they want to make arrangements with several other catteries and hopefully get a few litters out of him, because what they really want is a queen with his (mother's) genes.

Anyway, that's probably only a few months in the future right now. Some (me) might think that that's a long time to be living in a House Divided (because of cat babysitting), but still not long enough to make us consider giving him back. He's bonded really strongly to Wax, in spite of everything else, and we don't want to risk messing that up, especially when that's the main bond he has formed here.

[princessofgeeks]

Oh, I didn't know he was intended for breeding! My mistake.

Hoping you find a solution soon.

[cimorene]

Ugh, yeah. We tend to take 'extra' cats, that is, adult cats that have already been fixed that CR breeders need to rehome, rather than do all the work of raising kittens. That's kind of what he is - the breeders were over for tea and cake and they were talking about what a handful he is, how he destroys everything and kept burning his toes because he pushes the cover off the ceramic stovetop. Wax thought that sounded incredibly cute and was like "Oh!!! Could it be that you will still need a home for him after you breed him?" And they said yes. And we WOULD have just had him after he was fixed except for this little early puberty, not ready to breed yet issue and the consequent implant.

[laurenthemself]

Is it possible that despite the blocking implant he's still somewhat hornt up, as the kids say these days?

[cimorene]

That is indeed what we suspect, particularly since the implants are not as frequently used in cats so the effects aren't as thoroughly understood. No more direct evidence and no way to substantiate it though of course.

[viggorlijah]

Can you add more vertical spaces? When I had a lot of cats, providing more zones for them to live in helped, because they had cats who staked out the shelves and tops of things, while other cats had the ground. I have two cats who share my bed as their primary zone and don’t get on, so they will often go to the shelves to avoid the other. It’s having multiple exit routes too so no one is cornered and they can sit in separate heights and glare at each other when they’re in a Mood. I also feed them side by side, usually 1-2 feet apart at first and then slowly closer so they are forced to get along for meals - I supervise and gently push away fighting paws.

I have a high tolerance for arguing cats - I think they do need to yell at each other to establish relationships and it’s ok for them not to love each other much. I don’t allow actual fighting - they get separated but it’s been rare. Cats don’t actually want to fight just bluster a lot until the other cat gives in, usually.

Is he actually biting and scratching her or doing the intimidating stalking and little lunges?

[waxjism]

They're not doing the regular cat fighting thing where they stand off and growl and yell and eventually if no one backs off there's batting and screeching. Instead what happens is that the second Anubis sees Tristana he lunges at her, she tries to run and he chases her until she's stuck somewhere she can't leave and he tries to eat her head. So it just seems very violent and ragey in a way I haven't seen with cats before. He's way more gentle with the bunnies, for example. It's like he's triggered into a frenzy by her face.

[viggorlijah]

wow, that sounds like a whole different thing, esp. given he can be gentle with the bunnies!

I did have success once when I swaddled a very very angry cat in a thick towel and held him calm and let the other angry cat sniff the angry but immobilised cat until they both decided that they would agree to ignore each other, but your situation sounds way more complicated than regular cat fighting - it's really specific to Tristana because she's doing the right things, running away, and he's specifically attacking her head which is a much more aggressive step than usual. I

Tristana has a very beautiful face! I hope you guys find a solution or Anubis calms down.