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-   -   Cat aggression/depression (http://www.pets.ca/forum/showthread.php?t=84787)

JillCD November 12th, 2013 05:16 PM

Cat aggression/depression
 
(sorry about the length) I'm worried about our cats Tony and Eddie. Tony is 9 years old and has always been a talker and a lover. This June Tony's big brother Oscar died (he was 18). This was a very sad time for all of us - Oscar was well loved. Tony searched for him for a while, stopped eating, was more vocal. After a month or so he started getting back to normal. Around August or September we decided to get a friend for Tony - he had grown up with Oscar, was always around another animal so we worried that he was lonely when we were gone at work. We got Eddie from a shelter. He is 3 years old and we were told he got along well with other cats. He was very loving to us in the shelter and at home (he was kept in the bathroom for a week or so). Tony was very interested in Eddie when he arrived but Eddie didn't want anything to do with Tony. He would hiss and swat at him. This has settled down somewhat - they became tolerant of one another but not friends. Then the shelter we adopted Eddie from sent an email asking us to foster some kittens. We decided to do that and ended up with 3 kittens for a month. Eddie was EXTREEMLY unhappy about this. He would growl and hiss and spit and swat (with claws out) any time he saw a kitten. This behaviour has transferred to Tony as well. Tony wasn't thrilled about the kittens - so much energy - but he was tolerant, and near the end of the month was grooming the kittens and letting them play with his tail (up to a point). We ended up keeping one of the kittens (he's 5 months) and we have high hopes that he and Tony will be friends, but Eddie is still being very aggressive. He will attack Trouble (the kitten) and if Tony happens to be around he will get attacked as well. Tony is stressed and I think depressed. I know it has been a lot of change in a short amount of time. Tony is losing hair. He is no longer chatty, he won't let me hold him (he used to hug me and be so happy he would drool). He doesn't play much and he lets Eddie bully him. I've taken Tony to the vet - his blood work came back fine - so I'm assuming the hair loss is due to stress. His appetite is fine. I'm just wondering if there is any way to work this dynamic out. Eddie is a great cat to humans. He loves to be loved. He does not appear to like other animals. We do not know his history and we are a little upset that the shelter told us he liked/got along with other cats. Should we wait this out, knowing both cats are stressed and unhappy (and Trouble is sensitive to this too) or should we try to find a new home for Eddie? One with someone who doesn't have or want additional pets? We want all the cats to be happy. Any insight would be appreciated.


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