Starting to lose hope

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  • 6 August, 2014 at 7:39 pm #815355
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    Everyday since I’ve brought Gypsy home has been so heartbreaking, and stressful. I keep attempting the introductions and Lola keeps trying to hurt her. Gypsy has even started to fight back but Lola just tries to hit her harder. I’ve been putting Lola on my lap, and holding her arms back while Gypsy sniffs her out, I don’t want Gypsy to be scared of her forever. But Lola will try to get out of my arms and bite me. The past few days Lola has been extremely aggressive towards my boyfriend and I, and we’re almost scared of her. I never thought in a million years I would be afraid of my little Lola.
    So I’m keeping Gypsy in the laundry room so that she has more room to play, and now and then Lola and gypsy play with each other under the door. And they “coo” at each other. When Gypsy starts mewing Lola will run over to the door and make the cooing noises and Gypsy stops mewing.
    I want nothing more than for Lola to be nice to her and I’m starting to lose my patience because I hate leaving Gypsy alone. I’ve even thought about re-homing Gypsy which breaks my heart even more. I don’t know what else to do. I’ve tried the room swapping, I’ve tried everything except for the cat calming spray because I can’t afford it right now.
    It’s been 6 days since I brought her home.

    6 August, 2014 at 9:08 pm #815369
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Have you tried positive association treats ? Give Lola a treat everytime she’s in close proximity to gypsy.. It’s what I did with Nutini and Noodle 🙂 it took a few days but it worked they are mad about each other but they now play and sleep in the same areas 🙂

    Also if it’s just swatting I would just leave them at it.. Nutini still swats noodle sometimes but he doesn’t care and keeps going towards her .. It’s actually a good thing that neither are running away from each other.. It would be worse if one was running away an acting like prey… Unless they are biting deep I wouldn’t be too worried hissing and swating is very common in these cases and holding Lola will only make her feel trapped so she will lash out.. Also maybe look into the calming spray or collars they are sometimes less expensive that the plug-in defussiers ..

    But giving a treat when they are in each other’s company and feeding them together and play time together will all add to them getting on better ..

    6 August, 2014 at 9:52 pm #815372
    CheetahBoysmommy
    Participant

    Six days isn’t long enough for most cats to get use to each other. Some do, but most want more time. Have you tried putting Lola in the laundry room for an hour or so and letting Gypsy into the rest of the house. Make sure both of them have food and treats. You can feed them close to the door so that they can smell and hear each other eating.

    6 August, 2014 at 10:00 pm #815375
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    I’ve giving treats, and feeding them at either sides of the door, and lola is in the laundry room right now while Gypsy runs around. And I don’t think Lola is playing when she lunges at poor little Gypsy. She gets all crazy eyed and stiff and she latches right on to Gypsy with her teeth, and even when Gypsy mews she doesn’t stop. I put Gypsy in Lola’s bed (on top of my dresser) for a couple of minutes and Lola was very good. She didn’t pay much attention to Gypsy, so I gave her a couple of treats. But then a minute later she bit Gypsy’s back and tried holding her down while she did so. Gypsy never runs away. Just curls up in a ball. It’s really sad 🙁

    6 August, 2014 at 10:02 pm #815376
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    Also Lola has stopped hissing, and only growls occasionally.

    6 August, 2014 at 10:05 pm #815377
    Buttons
    Moderator

    What age is Lola ? And what age did you have her from..?

    6 August, 2014 at 10:43 pm #815382
    Elizabeth
    Participant

    I have Lily, a rescue @ 5 1/2 weeks old. She is now a little over 2 yrs. I have a rescue kitten that I have had from 1 day old. Today , she is 19 days old. Lily will not go near the carrier or come very far into the room where the kitten is. I just let her be . The tiny baby is in a covered carrier, with her heating pad, etc. She meows loudly , and I know her scent is here. Today Lily actually came into the room , sniffing at the carrier and walking around. This I hope will be a slow introduction. No hurry. The kitten is very fragile, I know. I am hoping that when she is steadily mobile that we will not have a lot of issues. I do have a few weeks before I have to face that. I will keep you posted. Lily does have the “cat personality” of I will let you know if it is ok to pet me. She does NOT like being picked up and will growl and eventually try to bite my hand. Love her to pieces but she is definitely not the cuddle up warm type. I have no idea of what may be ahead but I am proceeding very slowly and carefully. If any suggestions, I would be so thankful!

    7 August, 2014 at 4:18 am #815404
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Please don’t lose hope. Miss Lola and Miss Gypsy will work it out but it will take awhile longer. It can be nerve wracking because we want them to be BFF’s from the get go but you will success.

    7 August, 2014 at 5:16 pm #815433
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    Buttons- Lola is five months old and I’ve had her since she was 8 weeks. And Gypsy is now almost 11 weeks old, but she is very tiny.
    Elizabeth, best of luck with your kittens! If my two decide to get along I’ll let you know everything that I did. But for now, progress is still to be made.
    PG- That is exactly how I feel, it’s just so hard when you want to be near both your kitties at the same time and give them both equal attention when they have to be separated 24/7. My roommates aren’t helping, they always come down to do laundry and totally ignore the signs I have up, so I’m terrified to leave my apartment because I know one of them will come downstairs and “accidently” let Gypsy out of the laundry room, and then not put her back. Usually as soon as Lola sees her she runs right at her and pins her down. It’s a really scary thought.
    However, on a positive note. When Lola was in her bed today, I brought Gypsy over and put her right beside Lola. Gypsy raised her paw, like she normally does in attempt to protect herself. And Lola started licking her paw! She did it three times! So I gave Lola good praise, and kisses. And then a minute later she tried to bite Gypsy again. She always goes for the throat, She’s one mean kitty.
    Also, Gypsy’s sleeping spot seems to be on top of my dryer on top of a bunch of clothes. When I switch rooms, and put Lola in the laundry room and let Gypsy run around, Lola sleeps in the exact same spot.
    So I’m pretty sure there is a little bit of progress. I’ve decided to give it a few more weeks, and see what happens.
    Thank you for the support everyone, I’m so glad I have you guys to talk to about all this. Other wise I’d be in a looney bin right now.

    7 August, 2014 at 5:39 pm #815434
    Jeankit
    Participant

    Yes CM, it does take patience – even with older cats. I have 3 once stray/ferals. Added newbie one at a time. You just have to wait it out – it eventually will! 🙂 (Both boys aren’t best friends/don’t sleep with each other but are friendly – depends on kit’s personality/age!)

    7 August, 2014 at 5:59 pm #815437
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    I guess all the frustration is kind of my fault, I assumed Lola would love a new playmate. And although her aggression may be her trying to play, she is a little too rough. She does the same thing to my Rabbit. She (tries) to pin him down and bite his throat. That never stopped, she does it every time she sees him. The only difference is, he doesn’t fight back, of course. I’m hoping she will learn when Gypsy is big enough to fight back.
    Right now Lola and Gypsy are playing under the laundry room door, and making “coo” noises back and forth. so cute ^.^

    7 August, 2014 at 6:47 pm #815441
    Buttons
    Moderator

    Just wondering if he was with litter mates before you brought Lola home.. Sometimes kittens without litter mates can play very aggressively because they were never taught by their mother and siblings what is too rough. I know my Noodle is very aggressive when he plays because he’s had little to no contact with other kittens… It’s great she was licking her that will promote bonding.. And Lola’s age could also have something to do with the aggression she will be coming into heat soon so for want of a better word she might be a bit randy 😉 and cats that are in heat can have periods of very aggressive play ( biting is a big thing when cats attempt to mate and female can mimic this when they are in heat too) and other times they can become very affectionate and docile.. When Lola is spayed she will become less territorial which will help lessen the aggression too .. At 5 months ok she is ready now to be spayed ..

    7 August, 2014 at 7:11 pm #815444
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    Lola has already been in heat, but even since she was 10 weeks old she attacked my rabbit. She had litter mates, and doggie friends before we brought her home. I’m hoping to get her spayed once I move because I will be paying less rent and I’ll be able to afford it then. If Lola’s aggression doesn’t calm down I’m going to re-home Gypsy. It’s not fair that Gypsy has to stay cooped up in a tiny laundry room just because Lola is a bully. And I can’t keep Lola in the laundry room very long to let Gypsy run around because Lola destroys the place. And like I said, I’m moving out soon and I’ll have to pay for any damages. I really didn’t think bring Gypsy home would cause Lola to act like this.

    8 August, 2014 at 4:17 pm #815526
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    Hi CM,

    I’m sure you’re heartbroken 🙁 that you may have re-home Miss Gypsy. She’s a cutie and I wish, wish, wish Miss Lola would have come around to her.

    In any case, Here’s some info on spay services in Canada. You can ask to see if you’re eligible for low cost services.

    Find a Low Cost Spay & Neuter Clinic in Canada
    Check your City or Province website to find out if you are eligible for financial assistance. Also call your local SPCA, Humane Society etc. for any free or low cost spay/neuter clinics in your area.

    Alberta
    The Spay Clinic
    10575 111 St NW
    Edmonton,AB T5H 3E8
    (780) 426-4221

    British Columbia
    Atlas Animal Clinic (owned by Dr. B. Bhullar)
    5696 Frasier St
    Vancouver, BC V5W 2Z4
    Phone: (604) 301-0300

    BCSPCA Animal Hospital in Vancouver
    1205 East 7th Avenue
    Vancouver, BC V5T 1R1
    Phone: (604) 879 – 3571

    BCSPCA Victoria Branch, Spay Neuter for Cats
    3150 Napier Lane
    Victoria, BC V8T 4V5
    Phone: (250) 388-7722

    BCSPCA Prince George Spay and Neuter Clinic: serving North Cariboo District
    1909 Queensway
    Prince George, BC V2L 1M1
    Phone: (250) 562-5556

    Kamloops Spay & Neuter Clinic
    391A Tranquille Rd
    Kamloops, BC V2B 4G4
    Phone: (250) 376-6055
    Website:http://www.spca.bc.ca/veterinary-services/kamloops-sn-clinic/about.html

    Richmond Animal Protection Society (cats only)
    12071 No. 5 Rd
    Richmond, BC V7A 4E9
    Phone: (604) 275-2036

    Spay & Neuter Clinic of Langley
    5758B 203 St
    Langley, BC V3A 1W3
    Phone: (604) 534-1713
    Website:http://www.langleyanimalclinic.ca/index.html

    Manitoba
    Academy Road Spay and Neuter Clinic
    620 Academy Rd
    Winnipeg, MB R3N 0E6
    Phone: (204) 487-1477

    Winnipeg Spay and Neuter Clinic
    10H Keenleyside St
    Winnipeg, MB R2L 2B9
    Phone: (204) 661-9090

    New Brunswick
    Oromocto and Area SPCA
    111 D’Amours Street
    Oromocto, NB E2V 0G5
    Phone: (506) 446-4107

    Ontario
    Mississauga Veterinary Spay & Neuter Clinic
    5120 Dixie Rd
    Mississauga,ON L4W 4J7
    Phone: (905)282-0002

    Ontario Spay/Neuter Services
    16586 Woodbine Ave
    Newmarket, ON L3Y 4W1
    Phone: (905) 898-6112 or toll free 1-888-668-7722
    Website: http://www.spayneuter.ontariospca.ca/index.html

    Ontario SPCA Spay and Neuter Clinic
    91A Patterson Road
    Barrie, ON L4N 3V9
    Phone: (705) 734-9883 or Toll Free at (705) 734-9882
    Website: http://www.spayneuter.ontariospca.ca/

    Ottawa’s Spay and Neuter Clinic
    26 Concourse Gate, Unit no 5,
    Ottawa, ON
    Phone: (613) 798-8970

    Toronto Low Cost Spay and Neuter Clinic (Cats only)
    2696 Eglinton Ave. W.
    Toronto, ON
    Phone: (416) 338-6281
    Website: http://www.toronto.ca/animal_services/spay_neuter.htm

    Saskatchewan
    Regina Humane Society
    Albert St and Armour Rd
    Regina, SK S0G K5D
    Phone: (306) 543-6363
    Website: http://www.reginahumanesociety.ca

    This is not be a complete list

    8 August, 2014 at 5:37 pm #815534
    katzenjammer
    Participant

    Hi CM,

    Some of the above listings must be more or less close to where you are in ON. I do hope that you can work something out to both Lola’s and Gypsy’s benefit.

    10 August, 2014 at 6:06 pm #815641
    cheyanne may
    Participant

    I have an appointment in september at the spca to have Lola spayed. I made the appointment for september because I know I wont have enough money saved until then. Not to mention the spca is a two hour drive from where I live, and I have to drop Lola off there at 8 am and go home, then go back to pick her up at 5 pm. That’s a lot of gas money lol. I let Gypsy and Lola play fight today now that Gypsy is fighting back. No hissing, no growling. Just playing. I have to separate them when Lola gets too rough though.

    10 August, 2014 at 6:28 pm #815643
    JerseyJoan
    Moderator

    Yep, that has $ does add up!
    Nice there’s no hissing today. Comet still gets a bit too rough foe Leela’s taste sometimes.
    Best wishes for continued progress!

    11 August, 2014 at 4:58 pm #815716
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    CM,

    I’m glad you’re hanging in with your girls. You’re doing all the moves and are a great meow mom!! 😀

    With all the known health benefits, I’d like to know why altering a kitten/cat is so darn expensive (a rhetorical question).

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