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10 PM ET Cats Let People Talk - Long Term Illness Support - 11 PM ET Cat Talk
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10 PM ET Cats Let People Talk - Long Term Illness Support - 11 PM ET Cat Talk
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Posted by Kuching on October 11, 2002 at 03:53:28:
We would be so grateful for some advice about how to resolve our cats’ (Rimau and Shia) feuding.
The cats who are sisters (15 months old, spayed) got on just fine till the age of about 11 months. We had however noticed Rimau had some psychological issues, she was from the start the cuddly one wanting attention. When her sister settled down a bit and overcame some of her reserve, Ri responded by a bed-peeing campaign (fortunately only lasted 3-4 times!). We used reassuring attention backed by a water sprayer to overcome this episode.
In May Shia had a car accident, her internal injuries meant she had to spend 4 days at the Vet’s and then about 5 weeks under house arrest. During this time the two were kept apart of necessity to prevent Shia getting to the cat-flap. Ri again responded to this change in balance, she was very much the housecat, but started to seek company and affection at a nearby restaurant and was always out.
When Shia was able to go out and she came into normal contact with Ri there was mutual distrust and some hissing. Shia went back to her nomadic outside life, and found a “2nd home” with neighbours while Ri returned to her house territory.
Although the neighbours deny it, it is pretty clear they have been feeding Shia, and the welcome she has got there leads her to prefer it over our home and her hissing sister. We accepted this as Shia’s choice over the summer when it was warm enough for her to sleep out, but now temperatures are dropping and will drop further (well below freezing) and she is still very rarely home. We have noticed that when the neighbours are away Shia comes back and after a struggle reaches an accommodation with Ri, this changes immediately the neighbours are back. It’s not an alternative for the neighbours to adopt her since they are not allowed cats by their landlord, and don’t want to be tied down. But they love Shia – a problem since she can’t handle the concept of 2 homes.
We are concerned for Shia over the winter, we would love to have her back as part of the family, but most of all want her to be happy. Our question is this, we are trying to get the neighbours to see the problem and not provide her shelter so she comes back here. Is there anything we can do with Ri, for instance some homeopathic remedy to temper her jealousy of sharing the flat and our attention with her sister. She is an absolute sweetie with us, but Shia has it very different.
The winter’s closing in so please reply!