[Kitty827]

It has just been one thing after another the past several days with my cats. Now, one of my male cats (Rocky) got hurt. He has a wound on his paw, (I'm putting TAO on it.) He also has a wound on his tail, (also putting TAO on it.) I think he's going to be fine, physically. But since he got hurt, he has been hissing and growling at my other male, (his name is Lucky.) I'm wondering if he was the one who hurt him. Lucky will sometimes (for some reason only when I'm there,) attack Rocky. I think they are just play fighting. No one ever gets hurt. Rocky has no tolerance for Lucky, he'll hiss and growl at him when he does "attack" him. Now even if Lucky just goes near Rocky, he'll hiss. My mom says he could be rabid, but he's totally fine with me. Do cats not forgive and forget? What should I do?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Raq]

So sorry you’re going through this. This article might help: My cat is being aggressive towards my other cat, what should I do? – RSPCA Knowledgebase

 

[Kitty827]

Thank you so much!

 

[Kitty827]

Lucky has attacked Rocky twice today. Rocky will sniff Lucky, like he doesn't know who he is! Then Rocky will hiss and growl, then Lucky will attack him. He also hissed and growled at my female, but it's not as bad. Could he have forgotten them? The two haven't been to the vet recently. Is there another way they could smell differently?

 

[MistWolf]

Lucky may not be who or what hurt Rocky. It's very possible that Rocky is redirecting his aggression (which could be the result of pain, trauma or both) at Lucky and the female. Get Rocky to the vet to make sure there isn't a complication from the wounds or an injury you missed. If a cat gets an infection, it can get out of control quickly.

My guess is Rocky is in pain. He is aggressive towards the other cats to keep them from making the pain worse and because for some reason, he's associating the other cats with that pain. You need to address both issues. Get Rocky to the vet and look into ways to help Rocky associate the other cats with good experiences, such as food and play.

 

[Kitty827]

Okay Thank you so much! I'll see what I can do to get him the vet. You're probably right, but what I don't understand is Lucky has attacked Rocky. Would he attack him just because Rocky is hissing at him? Thanks again!

 

[MistWolf]

If Lucky feels threatened by Rocky, yes. It's also possible the medication is giving Rocky a strange smell. Combined with hissing, it's enough for Lucky to feel threatened.

You need to be observant and do some detective work to figure out what's going on so you can help your cats.

 

[Kitty827]

Thank you! I have put TAO on them in the past, and they didn't have any problems. Rocky can smell it on himself, so I don't see why Lucky wouldn't smell it on Rocky.

 

[Kitty827]

About an hour ago, Rocky was sitting in my lap, then Lucky came. Rocky growled, and hissed, as Lucky circled around us. Rocky had his ears folded down, (a sign of fear.) Lucky looked scared as he let out two soft, innocent meows. The way he looked at him, it seemed like he was saying he was sorry, and didn't want to fight anymore. As you, @MistWolf said, I think Lucky only attacks him, because he feels threatened. When Rocky hisses/growls, Lucky isn't doing anything to him...at all!

 

[MistWolf]

That sounds like progress! Keep an interactive toy handy. When your cat start hissing, use the toy to distract him. Get him playing instead. Play with your cat until it wears him down a bit, then give out treats.

For example, in the situation above, use the toy to distract Rocky and get his attention away from Lucky. When he settles down, let him play for a bit then give him a treat.

Don't neglect Lucky! Give him his turn.

Remember to be flexible and patient.

 

[Kitty827]

Yep, progress! They actually ate dinner together! I think we are just one step closer.

I'll have to try that. Thank you!

 

[Kitty827]

His wound on his tail to hard to touch. He has a wound on the top of his tail, and the bottom. If I were to take him to the vet, what would they do? How much is it estimated to cost?

 

[MistWolf]

You'll have to call your vet

 

[Kitty827]

Thank you. I will.

 

[Kitty827]

Just about an hour ago, Lucky, and the female (Marie) started growling at Rocky. I don't understand why they would, especially Marie.

 

[Raq]

I’m sure that you’ve done research and found stuff like this, but just in case you haven’t, I did some research and found a few things that could help:
-placing extra boxes or hiding places to go in when threatened
-Try Feliway Do your cats fight with each other? (please note that I haven’t used this and I don’t know everything about it)
-Separate their food bowls, water bowls, etc.
This article might be helpful if you haven’t read it yet: How to Stop Fighting Between Cats | PetMD
Please keep us updated. I know that this is stressful. Hang in there

 

[Kitty827]

Thank you so much!! They are outside, so they don't have litterboxes. It makes things so much easier! Rocky have already found a hiding place. I'll have to try Feliway. It comes highly recommended. Their water/food bowls are separated. A couple of times Rocky ate with them, but not usually. Thank you again!