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Old 11-07-2009, 02:31 PM   #1  
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Default cat freaks out at other cats

So I just moved into a new house, and there seem to be 3 or 4 outdoor cats who like our yard- it's surrounded by a hedge with lots of little birds in it. Twice now my cat has freaked out at the sight of another cat.
Emma is indoors only and she's about eight years old. I'm worried about her freaking out so much, I don't want her to hate her new home plus - waking up to the sounds of her screeching in the wee hours of the morning doesn't make me or the hubs too happy.
This used to happen when we first got her at 8 months old- but we moved around quite a bit and mostly were in apartments where she couldn't see other kitties outside.

Any suggestions? Anyone else experience this? Did your cat get used to it? Grow out of it? I'm hoping once she's more comfortable in our new place she'll get used to seeing the same couple of cats outside.
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Old 11-07-2009, 03:20 PM   #2  
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We moved into our new apartment October 1st. Our cat is almost 10 years old (we adopted her only a couple years ago). We weren't sure how she was going to take the move (she doesn't like any other critters).

In the old apartment, she couldn't see any other critters (but even the sound of a unfamiliar animal or a child moving in the hallways made her nervous).

Our new apartment has a glass double door as the entrance way, so she can see everything in the courtyard. It took her almost a week just to come out from under our bed except to eat, use the litterbox, and every so come out for a few minutes and look around (she'd see or hear something new and make a beeline for her hiding spot).

She's MUCH better now, but she still freaks out every once in a while. She doesn't mind people walking by, unless they're carrying something - then she freaks. If she sees or hears a dog, she freaks (even though the dogs so far have been about half her size - she's a very big cat, nearly 18 lbs and the dogs that have been walked by our door have all been tiny things).

Oddly, shes not afraid of one dog. It's a pug. I don't know if she doesn't know what it is, but for some reason the pug doesn't upset her - but the other day a blowing LEAF sent her running for cover.

It is getting better and better, and she's nearly as calm as in the old apartment, but new sights and sounds still drive her a bit batty.

Last edited by kaplods; 11-07-2009 at 03:22 PM.
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Old 11-07-2009, 05:01 PM   #3  
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We have two indoor-only cats who get along with each other just fine. But if one of the neighborhood cats comes into our backyard and Peaches sees it, he will hiss and yowl and chase the cat from one sliding glass door to another until the other cat leaves. We just thank him for keeping us safe and protecting us from the scary cat. We've been living here for 7 years, and he's still doing this. Our other cat doesn't seem to care about the intruders.

Yes, Peaches is a boy, and no, we did not name him. We inherited him from my in-laws. :-)
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Old 11-07-2009, 05:35 PM   #4  
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haha peaches! the only pets i've ever known named peaches were poodles.

emma seems to have done just fine with moving. she's done it a lot now so she's getting used to it. this time it only took her an hour or so to adjust and start moving around like she owns the place. much better then her first move- where she cried all night long. poor kitteh.

i will just have to remember to close the back door blinds before bed, hopefully she won't wake us up again. i do wonder how she ever managed when she was in the shelter before we adopted her.
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Old 11-17-2009, 08:56 AM   #5  
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I don't have any advice about cats kiddo...have only had a couple of them years ago....but I send up prayers that you all get this figured out soon for "family peace"
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Old 01-08-2010, 11:01 AM   #6  
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Get her a kitten. She'll freak out at first, but eventually she will HAVE to get used to her and then you won't have the 'freak out' problem anymore.
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Old 01-15-2010, 01:21 PM   #7  
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If you do get a kitten make sure to watch so there are no attacks. My older cat didn't take too kindly to our new kitten looking for a momma and hissed, swatted, and was genuinely p.o.'d at the whole situation. She got upset every time she saw the kitten. They evenutally learned to avoid one another for the most part. Any chance encounters off the bed (seems to be a fairly neutral zone) are not very friendly. It's been about 10 years now.
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Old 01-15-2010, 05:09 PM   #8  
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my cat is an indoor cat too and is not fond of other cats, we let her roam our garden in the summer and she freaks if she sees another cat.

i realy wanted another cat thinking it may help but why stress out your cat? if she doesnt like other cats thats that i think. personally i think my cat just likes being centre of attention too much too lol.
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Old 01-16-2010, 03:18 AM   #9  
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oh man i forgot i started this thread!

thanks for all the well wishes! I did think about getting another cat but I really just think my cat is getting older and set in her ways and it's not worth upsetting her.
She seems to be doing better now, I watched her sit and chatter to a cat outside instead of snarling and freaking out the other day. She was still scared and agitated, but she was much calmer. I think she's slowly getting used to it.

now if we could work on the constant begging for food.. she's so fat she makes ME look skinny. lol.
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Old 01-16-2010, 04:41 AM   #10  
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I think that cats are less adaptable than dogs. I have a cat who has been outside and hated it, and another cat who has only been outside while moving from the car to the house. If I were to let cat 1 out, she would enjoy it, but soon get into a fight, and cat 2 would never make it ten feet out the door with out turning around and running. I consider them both "indoors" cats and don't expect them to like outdoor living.
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Old 01-16-2010, 09:01 PM   #11  
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My sister's pit bull Hazel absolutely goes bananas and freaks out about cats. (I must also mention Hazel is the anti-pit bull; she is such a sweet dog and has no idea she is supposed to be this much-feared, ferocious breed of dog). All we have to do is ask her, "Where's kitty?" She starts whimpering and goes to the back door where kitty lives across the hall.
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Old 02-16-2010, 02:51 PM   #12  
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kristyjoy View Post
Get her a kitten. She'll freak out at first, but eventually she will HAVE to get used to her and then you won't have the 'freak out' problem anymore.
Er, not so sure about the "HAVE to get used to" thing. Cat's don't generally agree with the notion that they HAVE to do anything.

I have a very nice 10 year old female cat. Very nice. Cuddly, mild mannered, well behaved. Eight months ago when I got a kitten, my sweet adult cat became Dr. Jekell. A monster. She was fine if the kitten wasn't around. But if she had the slightest sense that he might be around, she became a demon cat -- crouching low, tail twitching, ears back, stalking, then attacking. And I mean, really attacking. Between the two of them, the first few months cost me almost $1000 in vet bills.

In an effort to learn how to correct the situation, I scoured the internet for info, I read books, talked to vets, and consulted multiple times with a cat behaviorist. I tried everything they said. It took lots of effort and lots of patience. The cat behaviorist in particular was amazed at my level of patience and effort. Eight months later what is the result? I still have to keep them in separate rooms or they will attack.

I'm still working on it. Bottom line though, cats don't really go for the "have to" thing.
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Old 02-19-2010, 03:47 AM   #13  
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hahaha yeah mine definitely doesn't for sure. i think if i got a kitten she'd freaking eat it.

i have watched her improve over the last few months and she is still VERY interested in the kitties outside but she isn't having a fit anymore over them.
now if i could just find a way to keep them out of my yard - they have made my yard and the space under my decks into one big litter box.
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