Argh!

[ravan]

So I took the girls, Collette and Speckles, to get spayed, etc, today.

They are now growly from discomfort, and they growl and hiss *at each other*! Speckles won't let Collette near the litterbox. I've tried spraying calmative spray, but it doesn't seem to be helping. They both went to the same vet, so they should both have that vet's office smell.

Do you guys think it will blow over before I end up needing to clean up messes? Suggestions? I about tempted to dig out the lavendar essential oil, dilute it, and spray them both!

Comments

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

It's the growly discomfort thing.

My advice? Find/make a temp litterbox for Collette.

The scent isn't the issue, it is territorial issues related to being injured. While the injury was deliberate and necessary, they don't understand that. It's an injury, and millions of years of intelligent design evolution tells them to keep others away.

They will return to their normal selves in due time. Patience, calm, lots of pettin', and make sure the area around the stitches doesn't get infected.

[talvinamarich.livejournal.com]

I was trying to be a smart-aleck and put a strikethrough tag around "intelligent design". Didn't work. Oh, well.

[ladyqkat.livejournal.com]

Strike through uses 's' in between the sideways arroew,.

[wolfsinger2k.livejournal.com]

Actually, not only are they feeling quite a bit of discomfort but each one's scent is changing and that's going to throw them off. No calmative spray is going to help until they heal up and get used to the change of scent in each other.

I would agree that separate litter boxes and food/water dishes for a time might be a good thing.

[alyxreese.livejournal.com]

I know everyone thinks I'm nuts for what I spent, but I paid for the Littermaid, it keeps the box scooped, I dump the tray 2x a week, and ever since I switched I stopped having problems with the two of them fighting about the darn cat box.

Take a damp towel, and rub it all over one, then take the same towel and rub it all over the other one, then repeat the process again. Their 'scents' will become co-mingled, and that should actually help a little with the territorialism.

and fresh catnip...it makes all kitties happy :)

[jilara.livejournal.com]

A lot of cat books talk about how when there is an upset leading to stress in the normal function of the house, territoriality will often set in. It can be the cat box, or the food dish, or the cat door, etc. The solution, of course, is to put out a second litter box, so that it eliminates the "guarding" aspect. It's a kind of displacement behavior. Once they've healed up and adjusted, you can probably go back to the single box.

[ciannait.livejournal.com]

This is part of why n+1 is a recommended litterbox count for your house. :)

They're stressed, they're in pain, it's normal for them to be all wonky right now. They will calm down again, although I kinda like your idea about the lavender. :)