Question:
My wife and I have two cats -- a 6-year-old male and a 2-year-old female. Both live exclusively indoors and are neutered. They have been companions for about 1-1/2 years and have gotten along well. They sometimes chase each other around and "fight," though only once or twice has this exceeded what we would consider playful. Other times they eat out of the same dish and sleep next to one another in the same cat bed.Recently, the older cat developed a urinary-tract blockage and had to be hospitalized for 48 hours. Now that he is home, the younger cat has hissed at him several times, which is not at all normal for her. At other times, both cats seem to be keeping their distance from each other.Do you have any idea what's going on? Is this likely to work itself out? Should we have reintroduced the two cats more gradually?.
M.B., Alexandria, Va Oct 01, 2006
Answer:
You are describing a nonrational aspect of feline social relations. A change in scent in one cat can make another react as though the familiar cat is a total stranger. This often happens when a cat has been away at the vet's or groomer's, or gets outside and picks up some alien scent on the fur. This is why some people are attacked or threatened by their own cats when they have put on a new perfume or visited people with cats.The pheromone spray called Feliway might help your cat settle down. Or you might try putting a dab of your own perfume on the temples of both cats.
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