MagiStream

Hmmm... everything seems to be fine then.

The breeze from the fan MIGHT create an issue, but it's unlikely.

Yes, too much vitamins would be bad. Vitamin drops that have gone rancid (or go rancid in the water bottle from being out more than 24 hours) are also bad, probably worse. If you are feeding a good, balanced diet and offering a mineral block, they don't even necessarily need extra vitamins, but they DO need fresh, clean water at all times.

More likely is if your room is too hot. I seem to recall that bunnies don't like it higher than 85 F. ( I could be wrong, I do know that's the max temp for taking ferrets outside )

Mineral block...I know I got a salt block that was carrot flavored...but how could you tell how many drops to give a Dwarf rabbit? And it was obvious she was, there were three big rabbits in the pen with her...aside from the guinea pigs and rat.

cusith wrote:So my cat attacked my cousin early this morning trying to get to her cat that she was carrying back downstairs. Cut up her legs pretty badly. The weird thing is she's more or less fine with her other cat, she hisses at her, but doesn't try to climb up my cousins legs to get to her.....Maybe it's becasue the other cat is male and the other is female?

I've had my cat in integrated with other cats before, but they were also all female. She has never been on the same floor in a house with a male cat before. Could that be a factor into why she reacts so badly to him? It only took about a week to integrate my cat with one of my old roommates cats, they had a few brief initial scuffles, but otherwise they were fine cohabitating. I've done everything pretty much the same as I did then, and my cat (Cali) is fine with Chico (new female) but hates Sox (new male).

We have them seperated for most of the time, but we'll lock either mine or the other two up for a few hours and let the others have the run of the house, so each of their scents spreads through out the house. We feed them spereately in different areas of the house, but that's mostly because my cat is a pig. I'm going to try and put Cali (my cat) in a crate and let the other cats smell her through it so they can kind of meet face to face in a way that none of them can hurt each other.

Anyone have any suggestions as to what I can do differently?

Well just like it can be with humans, your cat may simply just not like the new male. Have your cat ever had any bad experiences with male cats? Or have she never been near a male before.

You can try pheromone spray to get her to calm down and let something that really smells of Sox, like a blanket or pillow or whatever else he may like to sleep on lay out on the open. The crate may not be the best thing to use when introducing cats to each other since the cat in the crate may feel trapped and that can make it more aggressive.

Here's what I suggest you do, put the new cats in a room for themselves and let your cat know they're there. Then maybe after a day or so open the door a little ajar so they can see and smell each other, this way your cat can't just jump at the newcomers. If you have something that can help you keep the door ajar you can let it stay that way so the old cat can get to better know the newcomers.

Silenxia wrote:Mineral block...I know I got a salt block that was carrot flavored...but how could you tell how many drops to give a Dwarf rabbit? And it was obvious she was, there were three big rabbits in the pen with her...aside from the guinea pigs and rat.

...wait, you keep a rat, guinea pig and rabbit all in the same cage? That's not a good idea.

Silenxia wrote:Mineral block...I know I got a salt block that was carrot flavored...but how could you tell how many drops to give a Dwarf rabbit? And it was obvious she was, there were three big rabbits in the pen with her...aside from the guinea pigs and rat.

The store had rabbits, guinea pigs and a rat all in the same cage? o.O

@Cusith
OW! I've been attacked by angry cats before. It is seriously NO fun. Glad your cousin is mostly ok. Remind her to keep those cuts CLEAN! Cat claws (and worse, teeth!) can carry some vicious germs. Antibiotic ointment will be her friend. Watch out for swelling, and if any red streaks appear, get to the doctor ASAP.

question- are all the cats in question fixed? If not, that can be part of the problem right there. Raging hormones can be a total nightmare.

Since it used to be Sox's house, he may feel like it's HIS territory and SHE'S the intruder. It may not look like he's being the aggressor, but cat body language can be fairly subtle. He may be telling her "I hate you and want you to die" with just a look from across the room. Or, he might be telling her "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries!" and she's just flying off the handle at his insults.

I actually DO recommend the crate thing. Cats like to feel that they are in a protected area. To make it feel like more of a protection, and less like a trap, toss a towel or blanket over it so that the only way to see in or out is through the door- or even through one of the sides so there is less room for seeing and sniffing, but the opening is still there. Put the crate in an out of the way corner where she can see the room, but the others will have to make a definite effort to get close to her. Make sure the crate is comfortable for her, and don't leave her in it for more than 20 minutes at a time. But DO leave the crate in her own area (in your bedroom?) with the door open and that cozy blanket inside so that she can use it as a comfortable retreat. (preferably before you use it to introduce her to the other kitty again)
You can also do with this Sox too, letting Cali have run of the house, and the option to sniff greet, without being able to hurt him.

Rather than opening a door a crack, give both kitties a treat they absolutely can not resist (human grade tuna or mackerel are great for this- warm it up a tad to make it even more tempting, as the heat releases even more delicious smells) The kitties ONLY get this treat on either side of the door. They'll be able to hear each other and smell each other under the crack at the bottom of the door. Ideally, they will learn to associate the presence of the other kitty with this uber treat. I'm not sure that a baby gate would work, won't they just jump over it?

Other things that can help- make sure there are at least 1.5 litter boxes per cat (always rounded up- so two for one cat, 3 for two cats, 5 for three cats, etc) Make sure the boxes are big enough and the litter deep enough. Offer some with hoods and some without, as some cats prefer privacy and others like to be able to look around while on the loo. Do NOT use the rolling sifter types- to a cat, that's the equivalent of using an outhouse with sewage painted on the walls! Scoop the boxes daily, even twice a day if anyone is particularly finicky. Spread them throughout the house- bedrooms, bathroom, etc. Use an unscented, clumping litter for best results. Many of the scented litters are far too strong for sensitive cat noses.

Make sure there are plenty of 'safe' places for each cat to go to. The bedroom of one owner should be completely off limits to the cats that are not 'theirs'. Make sure there are places up high for the kitties to hang out and lounge. Cat scratcher towers are great for this. As are the high shelves often found with vaulted ceilings, or even shelves put up just for the kitties. These should be large enough for the cats to sprawl, sturdy so they don't fall off if more than one cat is on them at a time, and should be lined with something soft, but washable. Or even use different textures. Fuzzy plush carpet, berber carpet, the underside of carpet, polar fleece, fake lamb's wool, astroturf. Encourage scratching on these surfaces. Use catnip!

I agree with the pheromone treatments, but ask a vet and get suggestions for a brand that works. I have no personal experience in whether these things are effective or not, but in theory they seem like a good idea.

Good luck, and keep us updated!

My cat came home today (we let her out in the backyard for maybe 30 minutes each day) with a slight limp. On closer inspection, I saw that her left paw's 3rd claw is almost completely missing. Do I need to take her to the vet?

Cats are highly prone to infection (because the bacteria in their saliva is horrific), so yes, a vet visit may be in order to get it cleaned and get her some antibiotics. If it swells or oozes then get her to the vet ASAP.

TNHawke wrote:Cats are highly prone to infection (because the bacteria in their saliva is horrific), so yes, a vet visit may be in order to get it cleaned and get her some antibiotics. If it swells or oozes then get her to the vet ASAP.

Thank you. She seems to be better today, however.