My cats won't come inside because of our dog!?
So I have two cats, who I have has for years and years and they are getting old now. And we've always let them go in and out of the house when they please. But we've been fostering neglected German Shepards for the past two years maybe; which is fine I suppose the cats stay outside for a month or so until the dog finds a permanent home then afterwards they will go back to their usual routine of in and out. But we have a new dog now, a old German Shepard who is so old no foster families wanted her so we took her in. And because of her age and health problems they asked if we could permanatly keep her so when she passes she knows she had a loving home. And my dad being a g.s lover, agreed to this without a doubt. But unfortunately she hates my cats :( she barks and them tries to run after them etc, all cats really. She pulls when she sees one on her walk. Anyway, now my cats are staying outside 24/7, being fed outside, sleeping outside EVERYTHING. They never come in anymore and it's so heartbreaking that they can't even come in during the cold to snuggle up. I tried bringing them in my room which they used to love but they are too scared they just run away! It's so unfair. And no I cannot get them to all get along they are all too old and sure they don't like eachother. Also the dog can't go out for too long because she's so old! I need help pls, I love all my animals and want them to feel safe and happy.
One of two cats won't use litter box?
My cat used to do the same thing, although it was just one cat, and one litter box. I would clean up the mess with Resolve carpet cleaner, and she would go on the carpet near the litterbox again. Later on, I discovered that pets can smell where they have used the bathroom before. What you need to use is pet stain and odor remover cleaner (check pet stores or the pet aisle in a supermarket), and that will remove the scent that tells the cat "hey, don't use the litter box, use this bit of floor! You've been here before..." Worked on my cat. Also, cats can be crazy picky about how clean the box is, so you might want to try keeping the litter box superclean and see if that helps too. My cat is okay with once a week cleanings, but some cats need daily litterbox cleaning.
I have two cats and only one litter box?
One litter box for two cats is fine as long as you keep it clean and the kitties don't demonstrate that they object to sharing. Most cats who live together don't mind sharing boxes. They don't understand the concept of his and her litter boxes (or her-and-her litter boxes, etc.). If you have two litter boxes, they won't assign themselves to a particular box, so they'll still be sharing the same boxes. Now on the off chance that one kitty starts acting out and going to the bathroom elsewhere, or if you witness territorial behavior, you might want to try it. But I've never had a problem with cats who otherwise get along having issues with sharing a litter box.
I have two cats and one of them is dying. Will the other cat react at all to them being dead?
Yes, it is likely.Until last September, I had two cats. One was 16 years old, the other 4 years old. They didn't seem to be close- they slept at opposite ends of the house, and didn't interact with each other, but they never fought. As far as they were concerned, the other one was merely ‘there’.The old one started having constant health issues. He had to have an operation on his jaw to remove a growth, and his kidneys were beginning to fail.Eventually, the day came where it would be unfair to keep him going any longer, and I took the chance for a final cuddle before the vet took him to the special room.As I returned home, Snoop (the young ‘un) was in the hallway. He noticed the empty cat carrier, and suddenly seemed very cagey and nervous. He sniffed the carrier, explored all round it, then went in every room of the house, looking for his friend.He spent the next week sat on the path in the back yard, meowing constantly, presumably hoping his pal would stroll round the corner.I loved him and fussed him at every opportunity, and it took a good couple of weeks before he realised how things were. He's OK again now, by the way…That was more heartbreaking than losing my cat, as I knew what was going on. You can't explain to a cat that his friend isn't there anymore.So yes, you can expect sadness from your pet. Give them as much love as you can, and over a short time they'll get back to normal.
If I have two cats and one of them dies, does it help the surviving cat cope to see the dead one before we dispose of it?
I think it depends on if the pet was ill for awhile before dying. All of our pets that have been euth with the exception of one had been ill from cancer or other age related issues that had already changed their behavior. I strongly believe that those pets KNEW the other pet was ill- maybe even before we did, but especially after obvious symptoms to us and treatment.Last December, a few days before Christmas, my husband came home from work and let the dogs out and told me that Molson’s leg was very swollen and he was not walking well. I took a look at him and knew it wasn’t likely to me something minor, he was 10.5 years Aussie. We got him a vet appt ASAP and we took our other Aussie with us to the appt. After x-rays they were able to confirm that it was a major issue and they recommended immediate surgery. There was a complication from the removal of his dewclaw when he was just a couple of days old. The dewclaw wasn’t removed at the joint and it left a segment of bone- his body started treating this as a foreign body. There were many factors to the decision, including it wasn’t a sure surgical fix and he had other issues. So we had Skye in the room while Molson was euth and afterwards they left us in the room with the dogs, so Skye could settle and see her “brother” was gone.I think she knew he was gone and actually enjoyed being the only dog for quite a few months until she started to show some anxiety symptoms. I made sure she saw him as it was a very sudden onset and decision.Molson, Red Tri Australian ShepherdSkye, Blue Merle Australian Shepherd
How do I keep my two cats from fighting each other?
I suspect you cannot stop them from fighting. It's nature.You have two males, if they are not neutered, they will come of age where they need to fight for their territory. They might start peeing in strategic places in order to leave their scent. It is a way to mark their territory.Also, if there is a female cat in heat it will escalated things very quickly.Male cats are usually loners. They seem to get along better with a females.The best advice I can give you is to have them neutered. They should mellow out but they will still have the instinct to assert themselves. Also, if possible, they need to go outside and do cat stuff like hunt for prey and roam around staking out their territory. Basically, do cat stuff to burn their energy.From my experience, the barn cats always seemed to have a dominant male. As he got older, other males would challenge him and have a fight and whoever won became the dominant male in the group. Often, the males would just leave and find an other territory to claim for his own. Basically, the behavior reminds me very much like the ones demonstrated with a pride of lions. As for house cats, I've always preferred females. Right now, I have two. They are two strays, a male and a female. They are both neutered and have all their shots. Essentially, they tolerate each other at best. The female takes no nonsense from the goofy male. Hope this helps ! For fun, I've included their pictures.I present to you Missy, the diva of the house.( Notice that don't mess with me attitude. )Isn't she cute !and, Put Put, two timing cat. ( He has a girlfriend in the village that bathes him and grooms him. I have no idea who it is but he comes home all cleaned up and smelling really really good. )
I have two cats but I want to get a dog. Would it be easier to introduce them to a puppy or an adult dog?
I recommend you choose a dog that’s suitable for being around cats. Some dog breeds are known for getting on well with cats, others are known to hunt and attack cats. So by making the right choice, you can avoid problems.Regarding age - maybe a young adult would be best. A puppy may be too boisterous for the cats, and an old dog may be too set in its ways to adjust to life with cats.If possible, get a dog that’s used to being around cats. Is there an animal shelter near where you live? If yes, ask if they have a dog that’s used to living with cats. Sometimes, animals are surrendered to cat shelters after their owner dies or becomes unable to care for them.Most cat shelters gather information about the animals’ backgrounds. They will note things like, “is good with children”, “needs a quiet home”, “has lived with cats” and so on.The right dog may already be waiting at the cat shelter - a dog who needs a new home and a loving human, and who misses the cat companions from his old home. :-)
I have two cats. One cat is very scared and runs while my other cat chases her. If I don't stop my cat from chasing her, would they eventually fight or would they be okay?
As long as the scaredy cat has escape routes, she should be fine. provide her with a nice dark spot under the bed, or in a cat house (anywhere there's only room for one cat) if she tends to hide in nooks, or with platforms/shelves (again, only big enough to hold one cat) if she likes to get up high when escaping. Do you know if it's play, or aggressive behaviour? Look at the chasing cat - is he puffed up, ears back, hissing and growling? Or is he relaxed, ears forward, silent? If it's the former, then you have an issue. These two cats aren't getting along. You need to think about keeping them seperate for a time, and reintroducing them slowly and positively... Or possibly rehoming one to somewhere it can be the only cat. If it's the latter, then you're fine. The chaser is just trying to get your other cat to play. If you provide her with areas she can escape to, and be out of his reach, then he will start to get the idea that this is not the way to get her to play with him. Some cats are just more playful than others - occasionally one of our two young cats try's to get our 15 year old cat to play with them by pouncing on her or bear-hugging her. She has a little hiss, sometimes runs off, and all is resolved. Some cats have particularly 'bad-manners' about play - especially if they are under stimulated. If the chasing cat seems like he just doesn't know when to call it quits, then you need to play with him more to rid him of the excess energy and teach him that when the other person (or cat) stops, play ends (by playing with him, then putting that toy away for a while and ignoring any further attempt to get you to play more). There's a cat that comes into our garden occasionally that has astonishingly bad manners around play - he is not aggressive, but he won't take no for an answer (my boys have to run inside, or up trees to escape his attempts at overly rough play). He just doesn't understand running away, hissing, or any of the ways they would stop play with eachother or me because he just isn't getting played with at home, and probably hasn't had enough interactive play with humans and cats. Your cat may be very much the same. More play with you will almost certainly help.
Should I get a kitten if I already have two cats?
I would get a female--adding another male to the mix would probably be a bad idea, if you already have a male cat in the house. I would keep the kitten locked up in a separate room at first, (about a week, perhaps), then I would slowly introduce the kitten to the other cats. To avoid jealousy, I would make in attempt to pay extra attention to the other two cats, so that they won't feel left out and will be more likely to get along with the new kitty. Although cats tend to be solitary creatures, and may not take well to a new cat at first. If one of the cats should attack, i would separate them immediately. This may take as long as a month before they will get a long without fighting. But as I said, if you try to give the other cats extra attention, and give them treats and so forth, it will minimize the chances of the kitties you own now of rejecting the newcomer.
I have two cats. They're siblings and get along well and are very sweet, but I kinda want a third one. Is this a good idea?
I would suggest fostering a cat as a test run to see how your cats react. I know you said your cats are sweet and that I great but there temperament with an outside cat may be different. It also depends on how old your cats are and the third cat would be, a kitten has a lot of energy and may get on an older cats nerves.