Cat Behavior problems....

[MBuzzy]

Ok, so we have two cats. The older cat (Kitty) we got in Korea and brought back to the US with us. When she first got back to the US, she stayed at my wife's parents' house for a few weeks until we got back and took her to our house. They have an older Male cat (Atari) that used to terrorize other cats when he was younger. Well, when Kitty moved in, she started terrorizing Atari, they DID NOT get along....ever.

The younger cat (Elphie) we got soon after getting back to the states. For about the first 2 or 3 days, they didn't get along too well, but ever since then, they have been best friends. Laying together, playing, grooming each other, etc.

Well, we are moving soon and will have to drive the 18 hours to Florida with the two cats. As a trial run of the traveling and moving, we decided to bring the cats up to my wife's parents' house over Thanksgiving. They (Kitty and Elphie) were just as good friends as always for the whole ride up. In fact, they slept together in the same cat carrier.

The problem is that once we got here, we opened the door of the cat carrier, they both took off. Elphie hid in one room and Kitty hid in the other. Ever since, anytime they get within 10 feet of each other, they hiss and spit and act like they have never seen each other before.

Has anyone ever had any similar experiences or know what might be going on with these two cats? I can understand that they might be scared and nervous about being in a new place....but these cats have lived together in perfect harmony for well over a year and we bring them here and POOF, they hate each other for no reason. Any ideas what is going on here?

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Cats have personalities. Sometimes even if they were raised together in the same liter and same place they become deattached from each other later on.

I have had this happen to me. Sometimes there are moments where they get along and other times they don't.

It's possible that since they are in a new terrority they are expressing who is the dominate one.

 

[myusername]

I have four cats. My partner also works in a sanctuary where they are mixed together in pens at times. They will make a fuss at first but will get used to each other again. New environment probably just freaked them out. Give them a month and they will be fine again.

 

[MBuzzy]

Oh boy, so when we take them home, this is going to continue?? I figured it would only take a day or two.

It is just amazing to me that they could "forget" over a year of being friends in an instant.

 

[theletch1]

Cats have always seemed to be a bit more emotionally high strung than dogs. They get upset much easier at changes in environment than you'd think. Add in new people, new territory and it's bound to cause a problem. The important thing is to get them settled as quickly as possible in their new, permanent home so they can get back to normalcy. Good luck with them, be patient with them and soon everything will be back to normal.

 

[exile]

Cats have always seemed to be a bit more emotionally high strung than dogs. They get upset much easier at changes in environment than you'd think. Add in new people, new territory and it's bound to cause a problem. The important thing is to get them settled as quickly as possible in their new, permanent home so they can get back to normalcy. Good luck with them, be patient with them and soon everything will be back to normal.

Dead right, Jeff, espcially the bit in bold.

The thing about cats is, typically they bond with place more than with person or with companion cat. Changing places on them is radically disorienting. I've seen this before. They get weird, and do seemingly bizarre things (well, more bizarre even than usual, anyway) because their whole pattern of dealing with the world—which is, I'm convinced, built up room by room, doorway by doorway, couch by couch, countertop by countertop (they love to be in a high place looking down)—has stripped its gears, and they have to reinvent it from scratch. Place is primary, surrounding personalities secondary, so even if the same people and animal companions are present, their grasp of basic reality has been almost completely undone when you switch environments on them. It's very distressing, seeing how much distress they go through trying to adjust. But they do, they relearn everything... don't be surprised, though, if they act mad at you for a while after things return to normal, Craig! :uhohh:

 

[MBuzzy]

Well, the craziest thing....the whole trip, they were kind of uncomfortable.

We put them back into their cat carriers to take them home, put them in the car, got gas, then opened the doors and immediately, they climbed in with each other and slept together the rest of the trip. We got home and its like they never left.

 

[exile]

Well, the craziest thing....the whole trip, they were kind of uncomfortable.

We put them back into their cat carriers to take them home, put them in the car, got gas, then opened the doors and immediately, they climbed in with each other and slept together the rest of the trip. We got home and its like they never left.

That sounds about right... back to the real world! Maybe they sensed they were going back there... cats are scary about that sort of thing, sometimes.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Very interesting. I'll be hauling my 3 kibble poopers 1,300 miles this time next year to a new home. Gives me an idea what we might run into. Glad yours went back to normal.

 

[exile]

Very interesting. I'll be hauling my 3 kibble poopers 1,300 miles this time next year to a new home. Gives me an idea what we might run into. Glad yours went back to normal.

???

Where're you going???

 

[Bob Hubbard]

With luck, Austin Texas, or there abouts. Weddings in May, we have another recon trip planned for later in the month and if all goes well, moving sometime during the summer/fall.

 

[exile]

With luck, Austin Texas, or there abouts. Weddings in May, we have another recon trip planned for later in the month and if all goes well, moving sometime during the summer/fall.

Cool!!! Congrats, man!

 

[Carol]

CONGRATULATIONS!! artyon:

 

[bluekey88]

Congrats!

 

[Gordon Nore]

I went away on a business trip for three days, and our cat, who had been my constant companion, didn't come near me for a year.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

We did a week in Texas, and our first night back after the meowing of "where the hell were you" they went back to using us as beds. Were rather clingy for a week or 2 afterwards.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I have a mother and son pair of cats that always got along until we babysat another male cat for a week. We kept him separated from the others but ever since then the mother and son fight when they see each other. We have acquired 2 other cats (both fixed) since then and the first male ( SIR Thunderfoot Shadowchaser) still want to fight with every cat he sees. Must be a male territorial thing.