# At my wits end :(



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi, I've not been on here for ages but really hoping someone can help.

I've got four cats in total aged 13 to 2, 3 lovely ladies and 1 very naughty boy, all neutered. I lost my gorgeous 15 year old gentleman to a possible blood clot in his brain last month.

Everyone seemed to get on fine minus the odd "I don't want to play with you" arguements but I expected that and they're never serious. However, my 2 year old bengal cross has been getting quite rough with my other cats and doesn't seem to know when enough is enough. They're all indoor and have been for a few years now, the bengal has never been outside (we have people with air rifles and a habit of poisoning in our area and after one of my cats was killed by next doors dog I've decided not to risk it anymore)

I first noticed him playing rough about a year ago and thought with him being quite an active intelligent breed he was probably bored of my lazy moggies, so I bought a 6ft cat tree and various interesting toys for him, made sure I play with him as often as I can during the day and before bed, and I've started bringing cardboard boxes home from work and making forts for him to protect as his own. He seemed to calm down again and everyone was happy until about 6 months ago when he kicked up again. My old boy seemed to be able to put him in his place with a good whack but now he's not here it's getting unbearable.

He'll chase 2 of my girls (one 4 and the other 13) despite hissing, spitting, screeching and even when I try and catch hold of him he's constantly struggling to get after them again. It's as if them having a go at him revs him up more. Iv tried feliway, more play time and my mums brought home a gel to put on his paw before bed that is supposed to calm him down but none of this seems to be working.

I don't want to get rid of him as when he's calm he's gorgeous and I didn't get him with the intention of getting rid but I'm worried about my other cats now. My 4 year old had a seizure last month, all the tests came back negative so the vet thinks it was a one off but I still worry that him stressing her out will cause another.

If anyone has any suggestions I'm alll ears, I just want my brood happy again.

Thanks for reading.

Dani. x


----------



## Clairey1234 (Apr 3, 2012)

aw i hope you manage to get it sorted soon.
it's such a shame, especially since they did all get on well at one point.

you seem to have tried everything already. have you tried squirting him with a water pistol whenever he goes for one of your girls?

i don't really know of anything else to suggest. but i do hope somebody on here will be able to share something that will work! for yours and your puddy cats sake


----------



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

I'd not thought of trying a water pistol, I'll invest in one tomorrow. Thank you  x


----------



## ChinaBlue (Feb 3, 2008)

I assume he is neutered? Perhaps a few Feliway plug in diffusers may help. He is, by the sounds of it, wanting to be Top Cat now your old boy has gone (so sorry for your loss).


----------



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

Yea he's neutered. We had a feliway plugged in for months which didn't seem to make a difference, I may try one in each bedroom and one in the hallway though, see if I can't bombard him with happy pheremones.

He practically is top cat which is what I can't understand, my other cats let him have the scratch post when he wants it, let him eat out of their dishes, he gets the best spot on the window ledge...you'd think he'd be happy lol.

Thank you for your reply.x


----------



## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

At my vets, one of the Vet nurses is a behaviourist, who we can chat too. Have you asked if your vet has a behaviourist that you can ask for help?

My cat was very timid and Zylkene has worked a treat to make her happier and confident (I used feliway with another cat, but it didnt seem to work with her)

Keep us posted


----------



## rose (Apr 29, 2009)

My Billy became a house/garden only cat in october and after a few days after trying to escape settled down to his new restricted life. Over the last couple of weeks he has once again started crying to be let out. I thought perhaps it may have something to do with the time of year. This is the breeding season for cats. Even though Billy and your boy are neutered they may get the urge to search for a lady cat


----------



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

ella said:


> At my vets, one of the Vet nurses is a behaviourist, who we can chat too. Have you asked if your vet has a behaviourist that you can ask for help?
> 
> My cat was very timid and Zylkene has worked a treat to make her happier and confident (I used feliway with another cat, but it didnt seem to work with her)
> 
> Keep us posted


I've asked at my vets (mum works there which is a bonus) but no-one specialises in cats :sad:. I'm a foster carer for cats protection though so may see if they know of anyone who could shed some light on why he acts the way he does and then hopefully find a way of atleast calming him down abit if not (fingers crossed) stopping it completely.

Thanks for replying, I'll let you know if I get anywhere with him :smile:
x


----------



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

rose said:


> My Billy became a house/garden only cat in october and after a few days after trying to escape settled down to his new restricted life. Over the last couple of weeks he has once again started crying to be let out. I thought perhaps it may have something to do with the time of year. This is the breeding season for cats. Even though Billy and your boy are neutered they may get the urge to search for a lady cat


I never thought of him trying to lady hunt lol, he's never put a paw in the garden though so if it is a case of he feels restricted in the house I'll have to build a run or something. Wouldn't dare let him out as he's not scared of anything, he doesn't seem to realise that somethings really are bigger and scarier than he is lol.

Thanks for replying.x


----------



## broccoli (Jul 1, 2011)

i havent tried it - but there is 'pet remedy' a herbal treatment that can work when feliway doesnt - there was a post in classifieds for it 

worth a try

a behaviourist would also be good


----------



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

broccoli said:


> i havent tried it - but there is 'pet remedy' a herbal treatment that can work when feliway doesnt - there was a post in classifieds for it
> 
> worth a try
> 
> a behaviourist would also be good


My pet remedy turned up today, got to pick it up from the post office as I was at work when it came but hopefully tomorrow it'll be plugged in and, fingers crossed, working. Thank you for the suggestion.

The water gun I bought winds him up more so I've stopped using that and even my local cats protection don't know of a cat behaviourist near us...I may find a course to go on and become my own local cat behaviourist lol, if Fuegos brothers and sisters are anything like him I could earn some decent money from it 

Thank you everyone for replying.x


----------



## ella (Jan 1, 2009)

Hiya

the Vicki Halls books are pretty good, and easy to read. I found them useful with Bibi

Books, Unusual Cat Behaviour and Cat Confidential - Vicky Halls


----------



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi, I've looked at cat confidential in the past but never thought to buy it. Think I'll invest in them on pay day, thanks  x


----------



## kerrypn (Jul 25, 2011)

This might sound totally ridiculous, but do you use Catnip/products with catnip in?

I only ask because catnip used to make my Bengal Lana go totally mental and uncontrollable-real bouncing off the wall stuff  We had to ban it from the house.


----------



## DaniKitten (Dec 7, 2010)

Update 

I plugged the pet remedy in upstairs where the cats spend the majority of their time...no real difference unfortunately. I was looking into dog pens for him to spend the night in but decided this would probably make things worse during the day so took it no further.

Unfortunately my 5yr old tortie had what looks to have been another seizure, we rushed her to the vets very early morning on wednesday and she spent most of the week there having various tests. She was allowed home on friday night but because of a puncture wound behind her right ear I didn't dare let Fuego anywhere near her. He spent the night in the living room with our rabbit so Bean could settle and relax in her usual spots. Personally I thought he'd keep me up all night crying so I spent until about 2 in the morning watching telly with him, I went to bed when he fell asleep.

I have never seen such a change! After setting myself up for letting him go (many tears) he's now getting his own run built against the patio doors. He's loving and quiet, has stopped trying to eat everything, he sleeps in his cat basket and climbs in there when we ask if we can let the dogs out! He's the perfect cat and he seems so much happier 

We're still not sure whats causing Beans seizures (more blood tests done this morning) but hopefully now Fuego has his own part of the house and she has hers the stress levels should drop considerably.

Thank you to everyone to who suggested things, who'd have thought it'd be as simple as locking him in one room?!

Kerrypn thanks for the advice, we too have banned catnip after our other cats fighting over it, funny enough it was the lazy moggies that caused the ban, not the troublesome bengal x lunatic lol.

Thanks again everyone.xxx


----------

