[syanko]

My husband and I blended our cat families together about two years ago.

Our three cats are Kitty (15), Lucy (7) and Tripper (6). Lucy and Tripper have been together since they were kittens and Kitty was a solo kitty until our families blended 2 years ago. I would love to say we are one big happy family but that is not the case and the main reason I am joining this forum.

I am looking forward to input to improve the environment for our kitty family from other cat lovers.

 

[syanko]

2 against 1

Our blended cat family consists of a 15 year old female (Kitty), one 7 year old female (Lucy) and one 6 year old male (Tripper). The oldest cat was a solo indoor/outdoor cat until two years ago when she and my husband moved in with me and the other two cats.

I would like to say my husband and I introduced the cats correctly. We did start out putting them in separate rooms, but that lasted only a few hours. Long story short... Tripper bullies Kitty and sometimes Lucy serves as back up. Poor kitty is always on the defensive. There are times we come home after a weekend and find that Kitty has been injured. We are pretty sure the attacker is Tripper.

Another problem with Tripper is he is loud and demanding. Prior to living with my husband I ignored the behavior or simply gave in.

My husband and I have very different philosophies on addressing theses problems, which is why I joined the cat forum.

My primary thought to resolve Tripper and Lucy's aggression is to reintroduce them to Kitty. The problem is all the advice I have found is directed toward scenarios with two cats. I believe since Kitty is the vulnerable cat she should not be the cat segregated to another room, but do I put Lucy and Tripper in a room together or do I place them in separate rooms? What do I do about the noise I am sure Tripper will make? I am fine with ignoring him but I am sure my husband will not be fine with that.

Any advise on how to proceed in the best interest of all involved is appreciated.

 

[Susan]

I agree that a re-introduction is in order, and I would segregate Kitty to a room on her own, for several reasons. First, you say that Kitty and your husband moved in with you, not the other way around. So, part of the reason Lucy and Tripper likely bullied Kitty (and why Kitty was/is always on the defensive), is that Lucy and Tripper viewed your house as their territory, whereas Kitty did not (at least not in the beginning). Second, whenever two cats get along with each other, but not with a third, it makes most practical sense to segregate the third -- since you then only need to confine one cat, not two. Third, I'm not sure why you say Kitty should not be segregated because she is the vulnerable one...indeed, the fact that Kitty is vulnerable suggests to me that she would likely feel more comfortable being segregated to a separate room, since she would likely feel safer. Finally, given her age, I suspect Kitty is the least active cat, which would also point to her being the one to be in a separate room.

If you put Kitty in a separate room, then your other questions/problems no longer apply.

A few other points. Is Kitty still indoor/outdoor? If she continues to go outside, then that will likely keep setting you back a few steps, since each time she returns from the outside, she will carry with her new smells, which can trigger negative responses from the other two cats.

Second, you say you and your husband have very different philosophies on this issue. If possible, it's best if the two of you can get on the same page on the issue, since you're going to get nowhere if you try and segregate the cats and (for example) your husband keeps letting one of them out or does something else to upset the re-introduction.

 

[Mitts & Tess]

I would definitely add a couple Feliway plug in dispensers to help calm the kitties. (best prices on Amazon) It might help if you gave the aggressive kitty, Tripper, Composure Liquid by Vetri Science for awhile.

There are also Spirit Essence products which can help along with the reintroduction process that Susan mentioned. You came to the right place to find answers. Lots of members have faced this issue. I'm sure they will chime in with more ideas too.