Truce?

The situation with my cats has pretty much been my entire life outside of taking care of Em during the week. Even then, I would bring her to the house to play or to do crafts, all the time keeping an eye on my cats behavior. It has been very stressful to me!

There is light at the end of the tunnel, I think!

This morning, they both came running to their bowls for breakfast. Gracie sniffed around Zee (must be an animal thing!) then they both proceeded to eat out of the same bowl, at the same time! No hissing, no swatting, no growling, no yowling & no fighting!

Later, when I returned to my home, with Em, to do our crafts, both cats hung around us, each begging for human companionship. Em was loving the feline attention! She even got them both to play with some curly ribbon!

I watched some TV tonight & both cats were on the same couch, only inches from each other & could've cared less about the other being there! Progress!

Heading off to bed now. Only Zee has been on my bed in this whole situation. I'm hopeful that Gracie will try again to sleep in my room.

Oh, please! Let this be over! I miss my cats & the way they were!

What's New, Pussycat?

It's been a roller coaster of a ride these past few days w/my cats! 

No, they are not back to the way they were, but it has gotten a bit better.

The upstairs & basement remain off-limits to the cats. The outdoor pen is also off-limits, for now.

They can go anywhere in the downstairs floor as long as they don't "hide" and attack each other. Gracie seems to have claimed the big window in the family room & the couch in front of it. Zee mainly uses the spare bedroom or the couch on the opposite side of the family room (but only if I'm on it)

I try to give food, water & treats as close to each other as possible. I've even seen them grooming each other, though briefly. Hissing is the main thing I hear, mostly from Gracie. A few growls now & again. This morning was a brief cat fight that broke up as soon as I walked in the room.

Gracie has just ventured into my office as I'm typing. This is the 1st time she's ventured down the hall, on her own, in over a week. Didn't last long... she went back to the family room!

Oooo, she's back!

Maybe she'll actually sleep on my bed tonight? Probably to wishful on my part!

Good night Gracie, & Zee!

Achy, Breaky Heart

Yes, 

I'm using Billy Ray Cyrus' only hit to describe what I'm feeling about my Life with Gracie & Zee.

It's been a week since my Gracie has turned into a hissing, growling, mean cat towards Zee. Zee cannot even walk by, minding her own business, w/o Gracie growling or hissing at her. At first, I thought Zee was the aggressor, but it turns out, she was merely defending herself. Zee is such a laid back kitty it's hard to figure out why Gracie dislikes her so much! When not in her sleeping spot, Gracie eyes & body are on constant high alert... as if Zee would sneak up on her.

I've closed off parts of the house where Gracie would just hide. I want her out in the open! The vet recommended against complete separation. I no longer let them outside in their pen, though my windows are open due to the nice weather. I've put their food & water dishes in separate rooms & will add a 3rd litter box so neither cat will be too scared to use it! I'm using the Feliway diffuser system yet I  haven't seen results! The directions say it could take up to 30 days before a noticeable change happens. 

I'm not ignoring Gracie, she is still a very nice cat to B & myself. She loves to be petted & sit w/B while he's on the computer. I know I pay more attention to Zee, but she is a friendlier cat & likes to sleep near me on the sofa. Gracie was never bothered by this before, heck... she used to just curl up on my other side! Now, I get the DEATH STARE if she sees me being nice to Zee!

The mean, drag down fighting seems to have abated. Gracie will strike out & add more vocal sounds if she feels Zee has gotten too close. Those spats are over quickly. I don't like to see or hear the spats! It's breaking my heart to see this behavior!

So this is where we are at on my Life with Gracie & Zee. Uneasiness abounds! 

No Blood, No Foul!

This was the advice the vet gave to me after examining Zee & Gracie & finding no outward reason for them to be fighting. I'm supposed to ignore it until they figure out who will be the dominant cat now that Zee has matured enough to say, NO!

They were OK for 2 hours after the vet & then they began fighting again! I found it too difficult to bear so I went outdoors & used power equipment so I couldn't hear them.

Another 2 hours, I'm back indoors, Zee is around me but NO GRACIE! 

She's most likely upstairs, cowering.

Other vet news... both cats are STILL overweight despite my efforts to feed them lite food & less of it! Also, Gracie is starting to show signs of tartar on her teeth which could lead to gum disease. If you could have seen the fit she threw during her exam & nail clipping... you would understand why I'm hesitant to begin brushing her teeth! She left several bloody scratches on the vet & his aide! It took all 3 of us to hold her down & she could be heard throughout the entire animal hospital! Thankfully, Zee's teeth are fine. Gracie got her distemper booster & Zee got one too along with her rabies booster. Zee was awesome during her exam & nail trimming!

Off to my Monday night dinner w/friends. I'm not separating them so we shall see whats left of them & my house when we get back around 9.

Gracie & Zee in Life Changes

WARNING!! LONG, WORDY POST!

I love watching Animal Planet's show... My Cat from Hell... because I thought I had my cats behavior nailed! The owners depicted on the show were morons! Or so I thought!

While my cats were never "cuddle-ly" w/each other, they would eat next to each other, use the same litter box, spend time in the outdoor pen together & at night, they would sleep on the same bed (w/me in the middle, that is). Gracie is the dominant cat for sure. She really only lets B, C & I touch her & is tolerant of others only if they let her be! Zee is the baby & loves to be petted, by anyone. If she's had enough, she simply walks away.

Early spring 2013, at night, while they were in the outdoor pen, I heard them make noises I had never heard before! High pitched yowling, hisses & other growls that sounded pretty scary. I videotaped it & sent copies to T & C because it was so unusual. I guess I didn't send a copy to myself though or I would post it. It lasted about 2 hours, they didn't fight w/each other. Just made scary noises.

Now it is Fall of 2013. I came home Thursday night to a feline stand-off. Zee was being the aggressive cat. Gracie was scared of Zee! No amount of hissing, yowling or growling kept Zee at bay. Fur would fly, literally, when they fought. Mean, knock-down, drag to the ground sort of fighting! 

No chance this was play wrestling! 

An Internet search suggested a separation which I did while at work on Friday. I felt bad leaving Gracie cooped up in a single room w/her food, water & litter box & one window open to view the world.

I called my vet & was told it was most likely that Gracie wasn't feeling well & Zee was using that as an excuse to "turn the tables" & become the dominant one. She said I should keep them separate in case one was sick. No fun being sick & scared & stressed! She suggested further that I use a diffuser that emits cat pheromones in the air to calm them. The vet uses them in every examining room. 

I left work & bought it & a refill! 

I got a spray bottle too so I could directly spray on things my cats would normally sit on!

 When I returned home, Gracie was still on my bed, in the same spot. Hadn't eaten much & the box was unused. (I checked, she didn't go elsewhere either). Perhaps she wasn't feeling well like the vet had thought. 

I brought Zee into the room & Gracie promptly hissed! 

Got out the baby gates & cordoned off the hallway so both cats could have decent roaming room yet still be separated. It was a peaceful night. In the morning, when I saw they didn't hiss at each other at the gates, I removed the gates. So far, so good!

I was vigilant for an hour. No hisses, no yowling, no fighting! They drank together, watched birds in a bush out of the same window & walked past each other w/o fighting. Phew!

B & I left for the day. (I got a new car!)

We came back at 6pm. Both cats greeted us at the door. We fed them, gave them a drink from the faucet. (Yeah, my cats like faucet water the best!) then, 

just as I posted on FB that my cat crisis was over... IT WASN'T!

Zee attacked Gracie who went running into B's office. He quickly shut his door keeping Zee out! 

The gates are going back up! I sprayed more pheromone spray upstairs. 

Fingers crossed! 

I cannot even think about having to get rid of one of them if they cannot get along again. 

This is tough! 

Their vet appointment is Monday. 

I will have their blood work done to rule out something physically wrong!

You Have a Visitor

B has been working mega overtime hours since Carlotta was visiting in early August. He has not been home much. Does he really have that much work to do or is he trying to help us afford a perfect car w/as small a monthly payment as possible or is he ducking his calling at Church as mission leader? After all, you can't go out w/the missionaries if you are not in town!
I'm enjoying being alone... or so I thought.
C came home tonight for the 1st time in weeks! Didn't realize how much I missed her until she walked through the door. I'm smiling on the insides! Pizza for dinner & she'll probably just go to bed but she's home & I'm OK w/that.

Job is going by quickly, for now. E loves learning so I make sure we do "school" every day for at least an hour. Siblings N & A are a bit much sometimes, but not too bad. They get ready for school easily & when they return home in the afternoon, there are fewer meltdowns. Their grandparents have noticed a marked improvement in their behavior now that they don't have so much traveling to do for drop off & pick up at daycare. I hope that's more to do w/me & the quality of care I provide rather than the inconvenience of  driving a long way to & from daycare.

Holidays are coming up! I have yet to receive lists from those I continue to shop for at Christmastime. Maybe, if they read this entry they will forward me their lists? All I want is a car that runs well, in the sun, in the rain & in the snow and maybe a generator, for power outages.