Aaaarrggh!! Flamin' Cats!

[coombest]

I can't believe it!
My Fiancee, Karen and I have two lovely - if a little boistrous, young (will be 2 in October), Burmese cats - Cookie and Indi.

They're indoor cats because, as a breed, they're too trusting and have verry little survival instinct, but due to the recent hot weather, and the fact that they're bouncing around the house, systematically destroying most of it and it's contents (as they have for the last 18 months we've had them!), we decided last Sunday that we'd let them out to see how they got on...

All went well...

Until Cookie got a little too adventurous, spooked herself a bit and then saw another cat.
Bearing in mind they've only had each other for company (and they're sisters), this did not go well!
She instantly puffed up the tail, put up her heckles, arched her back and started hissing and growling (and if anyone hasn't experienced a Burmese's 'voice' - I mean growling!). She then ran under the caravan and stayed there for 20 minutes or so.

Indi didn't have such an issue - she was curious and friendly but got scared when she got too close and ran away to the back garden!

When I eventually managed to extracate Cookie from under the caravan, I took her back inside to join Indi...

She then started spitting, growling, hissing, etc. at Indi.
They were the best of friends - they curled up to sleep together and play with each other all the time.
Now - since Sunday - they hate each other - we have no peace (or sleep) and the cats can't come within 5 feet of each other without starting again!

It's now starting to cause issues with my relationship - Karen doesn't like cats but saw how devastated I was when I had to have my last cat put down, so suggested we get a Burmese (which I'd always wanted)... It was her who suggested the 2 of them when we saw them!
She's now not sleeping and works in hospital theatres for 10 hours a day, so clearly that's not good! It's also a serious drain trying to calm them down or even to just put up with them!

We got some cat pheremone spray yesterday and tried spraying that around but it doesn't seem to make much (if any) difference.

To make things worse, we're off to Brands Hatch World Supers tomorrow afternoon but can hardly leave them like this.
I can't really not go, as I'm a senior marshal.
Karen had to beg, plead and pull some serious strings to get her shifts covered so she could join me for the weekend - even though she can't stand the bikes! (Evening festivities and the break away are good!)

So now I'm at a loss!

Anyone have any bright ideas!?

[SoulKiss]

Stop interfering and let them sort it out themselves.

[the_lone_wolf]

Anyone have any bright ideas!?

Tranquilisers? Bungee tie downs? Duct tape over the claws?


Use your imagination...



Or shut them in seperate rooms?

[coombest]

Stop interfering and let them sort it out themselves.

This is an option which I tried in the first place but one always seems to come over to the other, only for it all to start up again!
It may also destroy the house - which Karen is very not happy about!
Tis also not really fair to leave them at it while her Dad and my Mum are popping in to feed them - it's quite scary!
I also don't want to come home to find one or two dead cats - they're my girls and I love them dearly but also they cost us £450 each!!!

[coombest]

Tranquilisers? Bungee tie downs? Duct tape over the claws?


Use your imagination...



Or shut them in seperate rooms?

Tried separate rooms and one (or both) scratch at the door - scratching the door and pulling up the carpet! They then just sit there hgowling and meowing as loud as they can!

They had pretty much adopted territories with Indi upstairs and Cookie downstairs but now Cookie keeps coming upstairs - this then starts things all over again when they see each other!

[Gazza77]

Stop interfering and let them sort it out themselves.

+1.

It may take time, but they will eventually get used to having their own areas of the house/garden, but you may always have problems if they run into each other and don't get along. Hope you have plenty of space for them!

[sarah]

why not leave them both in a cattery for the weekend?

[Luckypants]

OMG!!! You have a caravan!




:rolleyes:

[the_lone_wolf]

Tried separate rooms and one (or both) scratch at the door - scratching the door and pulling up the carpet! They then just sit there hgowling and meowing as loud as they can!
i refer you back to the duct tape then...

or throw yourself open to the wisdom of google:

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=my+cats+keep+fighting&meta=

[suzsv650]

They will be fine Feed them together you gotta give it a while...

[21QUEST]

Never really heard of cats suddenly hating each other after living in harmony so quite interesting to me on that point....sorry can't offer much help.

With dogs(my breeds/breeds if choice anyway), leaving them alone to sort it out is usually not an option once the 'seed' has been planted. Almost certain to come back to either one or both dead if that is tried.

Good luck with it all but looks like very tough times/decisions may be ahead.



Ben

ETA: fargin heck on the price of them

[coombest]

... ... ...hope you have plenty of space for them!

It's a medium size 3 bed detached house but they're kept only in the hallway, toilet & bathroom (so they can use the toilet - believe it or not!) while we're out as they'd destroy everything else otherwise!

why not leave them both in a cattery for the weekend?

This is a possiblity but money's tight as we've got to pay for the wedding which is in 7 weeks time! They also don't have the Feline Leukaemia jab which most catteries require (I believe)

OMG!!! You have a caravan!




:rolleyes:


Unfortunately so!

I always swore I would never, ever own one but after waking up at Snetterton BSB test weekend, in the vack of my Citroen Relay van, freexing cold, fully clothed and under about 2 feet depth of bedding, with frost on the inside of the van's roof and 2-3" of snow on the outside and no hot water in the showers, I decided a caravan was a good option!

It cost me £295 and has hot & cold water, central heating, toilet & shower, oven, grill, hob, fridge & TV aerial as well as a huge double bed!

I now spend 10 hours trackside, in the freezing cold or peeing rain and come back to a nice comfortable place to be... I sleep well and have a hot shower there instantly in the morning!

[riktherider]

get some smarties tubes on their legs and make them wak like robots!!!

sorry couldnt resist.

only thing i could think of is the same as what already has been said. let them fight it out in a controlled environment, ie you in the room with them, with a very thick long sleeve top and gloves on if it gets out of control. it might be a teritorial thing, one wants to be the leader, but until they decide who that will be then they will still be like this.
allways worked with dogs. cats however, not sure.

[suzsv650]

I don’t think they will Kill each other,

We got two cats one was introduced after the other after a bit of hissing at the beginning and fighting they were alright...

Give em a wee bit of training.

[simesb]

ETA: fargin heck on the price of them

You don't want to know how much a breeding pedigree Burmese is then!

[Odin]

sell the one that gets on your nerves the most....its what i might do to one of mine if it continues to rub up against my speakers and eat any more plants;)

[K]

OMG!!! You have a caravan!




:rolleyes:

Strange, that was my first thought too. ;)

As for the cats - there's a method of chemically 'neutering' male dogs, it lasts about 3 months and helps to settle dominance issues in previously friendly dogs kept in close quarters.
Now I don't know if a similar thing is available to cats, let along female ones - but a quick phone call to your vets make provide some constuctive suggestions.

[simesb]

Are they intact, and could they be in heat? Strange for 2 cats to suddenly take a dislike to each other having been together so long.

[the_lone_wolf]

You don't want to know how much a breeding pedigree Burmese is then!
if it's more than £300/hr you can get a good hooker for less:smt112

[coombest]

You don't want to know how much a breeding pedigree Burmese is then!

These are very good pedigree cats... Their Burmese Cat Club Pedigree forms show that there are only 7 cats that are not either Champion or Grand Champion. The form show cats on both sides of their family tree, up to their Great Great Grand Parents (30 cats)!!

[coombest]

Both cats have been Neutered!

[K]

Ahh.


Um.


Take 'em to the local fun fair and stick em both in the hall of mirrors... it will either make or break their tiny little minds.
Er - I'm out of sensible suggestions other than phone the vet for ideas I'm afraid.

[Viney]

I can't believe it!
My Fiancee, Karen and I have two lovely - if a little boistrous, young (will be 2 in October), Burmese cats - Cookie and Indi.

They're indoor cats because, as a breed, they're too trusting and have verry little survival instinct, but due to the recent hot weather, and the fact that they're bouncing around the house, systematically destroying most of it and it's contents (as they have for the last 18 months we've had them!), we decided last Sunday that we'd let them out to see how they got on...

All went well...

Until Cookie got a little too adventurous, spooked herself a bit and then saw another cat.
Bearing in mind they've only had each other for company (and they're sisters), this did not go well!
She instantly puffed up the tail, put up her heckles, arched her back and started hissing and growling (and if anyone hasn't experienced a Burmese's 'voice' - I mean growling!). She then ran under the caravan and stayed there for 20 minutes or so.

Indi didn't have such an issue - she was curious and friendly but got scared when she got too close and ran away to the back garden!

When I eventually managed to extracate Cookie from under the caravan, I took her back inside to join Indi...

She then started spitting, growling, hissing, etc. at Indi.
They were the best of friends - they curled up to sleep together and play with each other all the time.
Now - since Sunday - they hate each other - we have no peace (or sleep) and the cats can't come within 5 feet of each other without starting again!

It's now starting to cause issues with my relationship - Karen doesn't like cats but saw how devastated I was when I had to have my last cat put down, so suggested we get a Burmese (which I'd always wanted)... It was her who suggested the 2 of them when we saw them!
She's now not sleeping and works in hospital theatres for 10 hours a day, so clearly that's not good! It's also a serious drain trying to calm them down or even to just put up with them!

We got some cat pheremone spray yesterday and tried spraying that around but it doesn't seem to make much (if any) difference.

To make things worse, we're off to Brands Hatch World Supers tomorrow afternoon but can hardly leave them like this.
I can't really not go, as I'm a senior marshal.
Karen had to beg, plead and pull some serious strings to get her shifts covered so she could join me for the weekend - even though she can't stand the bikes! (Evening festivities and the break away are good!)

So now I'm at a loss!

Anyone have any bright ideas!?French bread, and Mayonnaise.

[SupaSonic]

.

[Iansv II]

Put em in a room they can't do much damage in and let em sort themselves out... they'll be fine after that, although it may cost you in vets bills :p

[21QUEST]

As I said earlier, not a cat person myself so can't say if you will or will not come hme to a dead a or badly injured cat hence making my post referred to dogs....but everybody else appear to be 100% sure that you won't, so that's that sorted.

riktherider, re allways worked with dogs. cats however, not sure.
It's not a method(fighting out) I personally would recommend to doggy owners. Perhaps you are talking about certain breeds of dogs like the fluffy bunny breeds ...if so then fair enough ;)


simesb, go on then.....how much is a breeding pedigree Burmese :o :D


Good luck.....might not even need it mind, going by what others have said ;)




Ben

[simesb]

simesb, go on then.....how much is a breeding pedigree Burmese :o :D

No idea, but I guess it will be a lot more than the £450 paid by the OP. (We paid similar for ours). A breeding mother has what? 2 litters a year, 6 kittens to a litter? £5k ish for a years worth of production.........

[BillyC]

Tim, Mate, you're making life too complicated for yourself.

Only letting them out the house after 18 months of life is bound to cause some upset. Cats are both naturally curious and territorial, and you've suddenly changed the boundaries for both of them.

Encourage them to be outside... they'll be outside when they want to, and inside when they want to - you cannot control a cat.

In the meantime, let them get on with it, they'll be fine - stop fussing!

[Samnooshka]

If you are really worried speak to the vet and they may be able to give some advice. I don't know if they do anything similar for cats, but with dogs you can get a spray called D.A.P which is dog appeasing pheramone, i am fairly sure you can get similar for cats.

Also go to boots and get some rescue remedy and put a few drops in their water, we use it when we are doing something new with the dogs, or if something is changing like going into kennels... it will also be good to put in your own glass of water as it will help calm everything (including you and karen) down :)

I can't offer any advice when it comes to cats, and know how you feel about them sorting it out themselves... i have a breed of dog that if left to their own devices they would fight until one was very injured or i break it up, especially between dogs of the same sex! Also you don't want one of them being chased off by the most dominant and never coming back, regardless of what they cost you they are your pets and you love them regardless.

[Paws]

hun both my 2 moggies go through stages of this, i just let them sort themselves out and all peace is restored.
As for not letting them out, why dont you get a cat pen for the back garden? its what i have for my 2 as we live on a main road £200 bn off ebay, its a house with a shelf and a run-bit like they have at the cattery.

[Ed]

I'd leave them to each other. They won't fight badly, might hiss and spit a bit but I doubt they'd do themselves any damage.

Incidentally you're going to have to re-educate Karen to like cats and bikes. If she's reading this, Karen you really don't know what you're missing;)

[Iansv II]

Incidentally you're going to have to re-educate Karen to like cats and bikes. If she's reading this, Karen you really don't know what you're missing;)

Oh I think the bikes will go once the rings have been exchanged :pale:

[SupaSonic]

.

[shonadoll]

Another vote for feliway - we sell a lot of them at work and they can really help. Probably cheaper on the net than at a vets though.

[coombest]

Hi everyone,

Thanks for your replies - whether they were amusing or helpful, they at least gave me something to read and stopped me throttling them!! ;)

In the end, I have taken a multi-pronged approach!
I called their breeder to see if she had any bright ideas, but she was out so evenyually called me back last night as I was leaving to have a meeting with our wedding photographer!

I have continued using the Feliway spray twice a day and went and bought a Feliway plug-in.
I've bought them a new toy, which has a wind-up motor in a ball, attached to a rod with a feather 'bait' attached to the end. This spins round and round, mesmerising them and they can't help but both play with a new toy (they were so interested in the toy, they didn't care about each other).
I've sat with both of them near each other, stroking both of them at the same time, so they can both see me stroking the other too.
The breeder suggested trying to make them smell the same, so a splash of perfume on the hand and then stroking both of them leaves the two girls smelling vaguely of perfume.

All together, it has had a rather profound effect!

We've had the best night's sleep we've ever had! They didn't make any noise all night and when I got up this morning, they were both in the bathroom together!

They now seem perfectly happy to nuzzle, nose, play with and clean each other and there's no hissing or growling!
They do seem to have this odd air to them like they can't worlk out why they don't dislike each other all of a sudden and they are still more cautious than they were but I think it's cracked!

I can now feel (relatively) comfortable going to Brands WSB for the weekend, leaving them at home with my Mum and Karen's Dad popping in to feed & play with them and feel confident that we'll come home to two happy cats and a house that's in the same state as we left it in!!!

Thought I'd show you a pic of the two happy girls - they'd decided to get in the bath and had knocked Karen's bath pillow in to lay on/play with!

http://www.pangolintheatres.co.uk/tim/happy_cats.jpg

[SupaSonic]

.

[coombest]

Ahhhh this explains it, you have a naughty tortie...hehe
Glad they are pals again.;)

Yeah - and she was the one that caused all the trouble, too!
The Brown Tortie's Cookie and the Blue is Indi.

They're much better now than they were this morning, even!

I came home from the shop to find this!

http://www.pangolintheatres.co.uk/tim/sleepy_cats.jpg

[sarah]

wow feliway is magic!

[SupaSonic]

.

[Paws]

Torties rock :)
I have a tortie and a calico (basically a white tortie),and both are pretty naughty, although ninjas the worst one! treacle has a tortie aswell and she can be a pain when she feels like it-even at the grand old age of 15 :)