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I have two cats that hate each other, or so I have come to believe. Both are males, and both were feral cats before I took them in.
I think that this hatred began early on. At the time I lived in an apartment complex, with my wife and her two cats. One day some neighbors moved out, and they left behind their black and white boy cat, who began living in the woods behind our apartment building.
He was a very shy cat and would run away every time I came near him. However, eventually the neighbor next door to us somehow managed to coax him out and started feeding him. Then she moved.
One morning I was awakened to this cat whining and screaming on our former neighbor’s patio. Eventually, against my wife’s advice, I feed him, and kept feeding him for some time.
One day, while I was bringing out Outdoor kitty’s (his name at this time) food dish, I saw another cat lingering in the bushes. It was a yellow cat, which I had never seen before. Ignoring it I put Outdoor Kitty’s food dish down and he started eating. But as soon as the yellow cat heard the crunch of food he raced over to the food dish and butted his head into it pushing Outdoor Kitty aside. I tried to chase the yellow cat away, but only managed to frighten away Outdoor Kitty. Then as I went back inside, the yellow cat finished off the meal that I had intended for Outdoor Kitty.
I soon fond that in order to feed Outdoor Kitty, I had to feed this new yellow stray as well, and for some time I feed them both. Then one night there was a big hissing and fighting match between Outdoor Kitty and the yellow cat, and it would be some time before I saw Outdoor Kitty again.
So I continued feeding this yellow stray, who I had taken to calling Yelliekins. Eventually I started feeding him inside, when I realized that feeding him outside was attracting many raccoons.
One night there was another loud cat fight, and Outdoor Kitty was back. I continued feeding him, but soon found that I could not feed the two cats together anymore. Upon sight of each other, a growing and hissing match would erupt.
Eventually, I let both cats live in our apartment, and took them to the vet to have the vaccinated and checked out. While they got along fine with my wife’s two cats, they still could not stand each other. Fortunately, my wife’s big black male cat would break up any fight that went on in the apartment; however, they still had a few scrapes while they were outside. And Yelliekins started peeing on anything that Jenkies (formerly Outdoor Kitty) liked, his scratching post, his bed, the area where I feed him, etc.
Now we have since moved to a house, and Yelliekins and Jenkies’ hatred for each other has mellowed, but it still is there. The cats have been in the new house for over a week now and all but Yelliekins have adjusted to it. Yelliekins stays under the bed mostly, however, he does come out at night. There have been several latenight hissing matches between Yelliekins and Jenkies. Almost anytime Yelliekins comes out from under the bed, Jenkies eventually chases him back under it. Yelliekins has also taken to peeing around the kitchen at night, which is where Jenkies spends most of his time.
Is there anyway to get cats like this to get along? Or should I just make the hard choice and get rid of one of them?
I think that this hatred began early on. At the time I lived in an apartment complex, with my wife and her two cats. One day some neighbors moved out, and they left behind their black and white boy cat, who began living in the woods behind our apartment building.
He was a very shy cat and would run away every time I came near him. However, eventually the neighbor next door to us somehow managed to coax him out and started feeding him. Then she moved.
One morning I was awakened to this cat whining and screaming on our former neighbor’s patio. Eventually, against my wife’s advice, I feed him, and kept feeding him for some time.
One day, while I was bringing out Outdoor kitty’s (his name at this time) food dish, I saw another cat lingering in the bushes. It was a yellow cat, which I had never seen before. Ignoring it I put Outdoor Kitty’s food dish down and he started eating. But as soon as the yellow cat heard the crunch of food he raced over to the food dish and butted his head into it pushing Outdoor Kitty aside. I tried to chase the yellow cat away, but only managed to frighten away Outdoor Kitty. Then as I went back inside, the yellow cat finished off the meal that I had intended for Outdoor Kitty.
I soon fond that in order to feed Outdoor Kitty, I had to feed this new yellow stray as well, and for some time I feed them both. Then one night there was a big hissing and fighting match between Outdoor Kitty and the yellow cat, and it would be some time before I saw Outdoor Kitty again.
So I continued feeding this yellow stray, who I had taken to calling Yelliekins. Eventually I started feeding him inside, when I realized that feeding him outside was attracting many raccoons.
One night there was another loud cat fight, and Outdoor Kitty was back. I continued feeding him, but soon found that I could not feed the two cats together anymore. Upon sight of each other, a growing and hissing match would erupt.
Eventually, I let both cats live in our apartment, and took them to the vet to have the vaccinated and checked out. While they got along fine with my wife’s two cats, they still could not stand each other. Fortunately, my wife’s big black male cat would break up any fight that went on in the apartment; however, they still had a few scrapes while they were outside. And Yelliekins started peeing on anything that Jenkies (formerly Outdoor Kitty) liked, his scratching post, his bed, the area where I feed him, etc.
Now we have since moved to a house, and Yelliekins and Jenkies’ hatred for each other has mellowed, but it still is there. The cats have been in the new house for over a week now and all but Yelliekins have adjusted to it. Yelliekins stays under the bed mostly, however, he does come out at night. There have been several latenight hissing matches between Yelliekins and Jenkies. Almost anytime Yelliekins comes out from under the bed, Jenkies eventually chases him back under it. Yelliekins has also taken to peeing around the kitchen at night, which is where Jenkies spends most of his time.
Is there anyway to get cats like this to get along? Or should I just make the hard choice and get rid of one of them?