cat question

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sravaka -> cat question (3/2/2010 7:48:08 AM)
A question for those of you with cat expertise.... I'm out of town for a couple months and my parents have been watching my cats. I have two, littermates that I adopted together when they were 3 mo. old. Boy-kitty, having a brain the size of a walnut, swallowed some sort of string a week and a half ago and ended up having to have surgery. It sounds like he's recovering nicely.... but his sister appears to have decided that he is a kitty-non-grata. She growls and hisses at him. They do wrestle and swat each other normally, interspersed with copious cuddling.... but the hissing, etc. is quite odd. There was one occasion when I took him to the vet without her (otherwise they've never been apart besides the surgery) and she hissed at him for about an hour then got over it. But this time it has been going on for over a week. Is this normal? Is she just sensing that he's weak or something? I wish she'd be nicer to him, but then, I'm not a cat. Grateful for any insights....

mnottertail -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 7:49:21 AM)
well, he may be cranky himself or not paying sibling attention to her, since his surgery, causing her to throw hissy fits.

sirsholly -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 8:42:37 AM)
He might be carrying the scent of the other animals from the vets office.

LadyEllen -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 8:47:33 AM)
this happened to Belle and Beau, a brother and sister pair I had years ago; whereas they'd been inseparable before, they were outright hostile to each other afterwards, so youre quite lucky if yours are still on cuddling terms. on a wider note, having so many cats myself its clear to me that they each have individual character and psychology as much as people do, so unless we work out what theyre thinking and communicating we cant really say a great deal on the whys and wherefores of their behaviour except in the most general and biological terms. E

BLoved -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 8:51:54 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: sravaka A question for those of you with cat expertise.... ... Grateful for any insights.... One word: catnip [;)] You might also try giving both a very light dusting in talc ... it helps to mask unfamiliar smells.

sirsholly -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 8:55:01 AM)
quote: You might also try giving both a very light dusting in talc ... it helps to mask unfamiliar smells. I would really not do this. Talc gets into the lungs and a post-surgical animal is more susceptible to pneumonia.

pahunkboy -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 9:04:04 AM)
try taping her with masking tape. wrap her up. by the time she gets out- she will forget she is mad at him.

sirsholly -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 9:06:29 AM)
you could always haul her fuzzy ass to the vets office, get her all stinked up, then let them duke it out.

BLoved -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 9:07:44 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: sirsholly quote: You might also try giving both a very light dusting in talc ... it helps to mask unfamiliar smells. I would really not do this. Talc gets into the lungs and a post-surgical animal is more susceptible to pneumonia. I pour a little into my hands, rub it about and then rub the cat with it. I don't think there is much more to be breathed in than a cat might get were it sniffing about in a dusty area. At any rate, it was the advice a vet gave me when I asked how to introduce one cat to another.

Aylee -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 9:09:35 AM)
I am guessing that the cat is in some sort of cage or crate and still smells like the vet's office. Once the cat is better and out and about the hissing and growling should stop in about a day or so.

UniqueRaven -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 9:15:15 AM)
In addition to the "scent" issue, as an animal behaviorist may i suggest you make sure that your current kitty feels less threatened by her now "strange" brother by making sure they have separate food, separate water, and separate litter boxes. A good rule is "one more box than cats" - unless you have just one cat. You'd be surprised how many cat territiorial issues come back to litter box issues. Good luck, i'd be interesting in hearing how it goes.

Phoenixpower -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 9:39:48 AM)
I would take it as rather normal. My ginger Curry and his sister Pepper cuddle up at times (though not often anymore since summer moved in, who decided to take Pepper on as her foster mum) and at some times Curry hisses at her (well, particular if he has a treat and she dares to come too close as she eats it in 1/3 of the time he needs, to eat it, so he has every reason to defend his treat). Also sometimes he hisses at me (and I never had a cat doing that so full of confidence as he does and even worse when I have male friends coming over, he does not approve of them) and I take it just as him saying "just leave me alone, I don't want. to be with you right now". I mean when I see how my brother and I grew up we were quite similar to my cats...we can get on well...but we also can piss off each other well [:)]

MasterG2kTR -> RE: cat question (3/2/2010 5:50:26 PM)
Give him a vigorous rubdown with catnip.....she'll warm up to him in a hurry....[sm=excuseme.gif]

sravaka -> RE: cat question (3/3/2010 5:01:25 PM)
Thanks, everyone, for your wisdom. It sounds like they are back to reasonably peaceful coexistence-- still not snuggling, but sitting near each other without fireworks. I'm going to keep pahunkboy's masking tape suggestion in mind for next time she's being pain though. [:)]

winterlight -> RE: cat question (3/3/2010 5:21:34 PM)
do you have a blanket or towel with his old scent on it? Maybe rub him with the towel? I have read that the cat has the smell of the vets office and that is probably why she is hissing at him. A good book to read is the Encyclopedia of Cats by Lee Harper (can't tell the last name it is covered by a sticker).

dreamerdreaming -> RE: cat question (3/3/2010 8:08:40 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: sirsholly quote: You might also try giving both a very light dusting in talc ... it helps to mask unfamiliar smells. I would really not do this. Talc gets into the lungs and a post-surgical animal is more susceptible to pneumonia. Exactly, thank you!

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