The loss of a littermate - grief

[Sean]

Well I have been having more small cat fights and they seem to be escalating
and it Bella that is the aggressor. Anyone have some ideas on this?

On top of this I seem to have a cat ghost hanging around. Things fall like a cat
has pushed them with no cats in the room. I know that more than likely the item
was just placed wrong and happened to fall at this time. But still it odd.

 

[WitchyWoman]

Right now I am seeing more of the adjustment of the pecking order.
Bella seems to want to be the top cat in the house.
The little fight today was not too bad but she was getting her point across.

Separating and reintroducing them as though you are bringing a new cat into the house may help. Bella may be trying to shift the hierarchy, which is common after the loss of a cat or introduction of a new cat, or she may sense Mokkun's grief and she is reacting badly to that. She may also be acting out due to her own confusion about Tetsu's absence.

Consulting an animal behaviorist may give you some insight and tips on how to achieve peace again. If you don't have one local to you and your vet doesn't have any ideas, consider a phone consult with Marilyn Krieger http://www.thecatcoach.com/

Keep us posted. I hope Bella and Mokkun find peace soon.

 

[Sean]

I thought I should update this now we are at about the 6month point.
Bella and Mokkun and doing much better at getting along.

The only issue us Mokkun is back to searching for Tetsu again.

I have been toying with the idea of a 3rd can sometime in the future
but know it would have to be a cat with enough body so as to not
get run over by the other two. I am not sure if a kitten or a younger
grown cat would be the better way to go. But I am thinking one of the
larger cats like a Savannah,Bangle or Maine Coon. but right now it is
really only just a thought in the back of my mind. I know that my
breeder Lisa has a 5yo female that she is trying to rehome now. What I
don't know is type or if she would be easy to integrate into the clan.

Like I said just thoughts now anyway.

 

[WitchyWoman]

Most of the stuff I've read about grief in cats recommends making no changes to the environment until the grieving cat shows no signs of grief. The readings also say 6 mos. is the usual length of time an animal grieves. It may take longer for territorial and hierarchical issues to resolve in a multi pet household. Sounds like your situation is a textbook case. No matter how long you wait, bringing in a 3rd cat will necessitate another shift in territory and hierarchy. That's not a bad thing, just be aware that things don't always go smoothly or as you might hope.

As far as getting a kitten or adult, you know your cats' personalities better than anyone so you're the only one who can determine which will be the better fit. Generally, adult cats accept kittens easier than another adult cat.

Hugs to you, Bella, and Mokkun.

 

[Brigitte Cowell]

I know that my
breeder Lisa has a 5yo female that she is trying to rehome now. What I
don't know is type or if she would be easy to integrate into the clan.

Thanks for the update!

As to the idea of a third cat, Witchy said it well.

Adding an adult cat is always more difficult than adding a kitten (unless you only have a kitten to start with), cats tend to accept a baby easier than another adult. Additionally, a retired breeding female can sometimes be a more difficult proposition, it really depends on her personality. What I have found is that once a female cat has kittens she tends to grow in assertiveness and dominance... so getting along with other cats can become more difficult. Even cats they lived with happily before that first litter, they might have more fights with after raising those kittens. So you need to discuss with your breeder the personality of this particular cat... but I would expect a longer period of adjustment than if you added a kitten...

 

[Sean]

Maybe a kitten would be the better way. The only thing is I don't know how the Christmas Tree
is going to take the news. TIMBER, CRASH! There is one big plus to plastic ornaments.

I'll give Lisa a call and see what she thinks on a new kitten from Max and one of his girls.