Question:
We have two female cats, ages 8 and 13, who have both been spayed and are in good health. We have had both since they were kittens, and although they are both loving cats where people are concerned, they have never gotten along with each other.
We can tolerate the growls and occasional spats, but we are not fond of the younger cat's behavior: marking windows and walls in the house and occasionally urinating where the older cat likes to spend time. We have tried various pet products to eliminate the spots she has marked, as well as collars and plug-in devices that are supposed to emit a calming pheromone.
Do you have any suggestions to address this aggressive and destructive behavior?
E.R., Arlington, Va Mar 20, 2011
Answer:
Some cats never get along well with each other but when a third cat is introduced, peace reigns! You may want to adopt a calm and healthy neutered adult. Adopting a third young cat (as I have found from personal experience and as many readers affirm) can change the social dynamics, and a happier ambience develops.
When older cats live with a rambunctious young feline, giving them a timeout can help, putting the young cat in a room without them but with you engaging in interactive play with the youngster. Close supervision when they are together will help, and you can use a dog-training clicker to trigger a startle reaction to nip any rough play or aggression in the bud.
Alternatively, you may want to explore with your veterinarian (after seeing if a daily pinch of catnip helps) a short-course treatment with one of several new psychotropic drugs (some related to Valium) that can help temper your 8-year-old cat's aggression and anxiety. These are not without risk, and tests of liver function are called for with prolonged treatment. Often, a short course of treatment can help a maladjusted cat cope with fear and anxiety that can be at the root of aggressive behavior and territorial marking. Some cats become more irritable and aggressive with age, and there is often an underlying medical reason for this, the most common one being a hyperactive thyroid gland.
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