Boris made it home yesterday after having part of his intestines removed (it’s OK, they sewed him up with catgut :)). I took him home and he seems OK, although somewhat punk. My problem now is with his sister Natasha. They are littermates and have never been separated. Ever since he came home, whenever he gets within 2 feet of her, she bares her teeth and lets out this exhale sound, and then growls.
Boris is pretty unfazed by this. He just seems happy to be home. He was munching away happily at his food when she came up and did this. He just ignored her, but it upsets me. Will they no longer be friends? They’ve always shared food, water, and litter-do I have to get everything separate now?
I was hoping that she would adjust quickly but she had all night and she hasn’t. I tried petting Boris, then letting her sniff my hand but that didn’t work either. I’m afraid if I leave them alone she’ll attack him. He’s so weak and tired I think she’ll hurt him. Any advice?
If I was to hazard a guess, Boris probably smells like the vet’s office, a smell that has presumably unpleasant associations for Natasha. Since he was there for quite a while, the smell’s probably pretty strong (at least to her), thus her hostility.
We have 5 cats, and a similar problem crops up every time one of them makes a trip to the vet. If it’s just for a checkup, the problem only lasts a few hours. However the ocassional overnight or all day stay requires a longer ‘cooldown’ time.
If you’re worried about Boris’ safety (since he’s weak), consider keeping him in a separate room while he recovers.
I agree - it’s most likely the “vet smell” and she should get over it within a short time. I doubt she will attack him, but for his safety I would keep him in a separate room while you’re not around.
Did you get the penny?
Hope Boris is better very soon. Please give him some scritches for me. Some for Natasha, too, so she won’t be jealous.
I agree with keeping them separated. The two times my boy got out, my girl HATED him for a couple of days after he came home. He didn’t smell like her brother, so obviously, I’d brought in an imposter cat and he was EVIL.
If you think she might hurt him, just keep Boris separated until he’s a bit stronger and can defend himself.
I had this problem a few months ago when my cat Rex escaped the house and spent a night outdoors. His sister hissed at him incessantly on his return.
Why? He smelled weird!
On the advice of a cat-owning friend, I rubbed him all over with dry cat food and clumps of cat hair collected from his sister’s cat perch (gross, I know). But it worked. They were best friends again right away.