The Reiki Cafe 

Hi,friends,
My mom is having trouble with her cats. See if you have some insights. Three cats, all lovey-dovey. 13 year old female, 3 year old brother and sister. 13 year old "mothers" the 3 year old male. He is a bit of a scaredy cat, hides when anyone comes to the house...but is very smart and playful once comfortable. Anyway, my mom comes home one day, and 13 year old is cowering on the fridge. The boy has attacked her. The vet says it is redirected aggression. It has been two weeks, they cannot be in the same room....he flies in to her and tears at her. The vet gave my mom some smelly stuff to spray on both of them, and said keep them apart a few weeks. But he has escaped a few times from his area...I was thinking maybe some
Bach flower remedies. Anyone worked with redirected aggression in cats?
Let's give it a Go!
Love to all,
Feather

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- although I hold my animal relations dear, sometimes it is important to allow (non-power) animals their natural tendencies without anthropomorphizing too much

>:-}}

- most animals do not have aggression as we think of it -

- there are only a very few species that I would credit (if that is the way to say it) with the capacites of "Mind" or "intent" to do "revenge", so to speak - though I am not entirely sure this is what you mean by "re-directed aggression"

>:-}}

- cats do not fall in this catagory, in my view - they are still much to heavily hormone driven

- and, male cats especially can be unpredictable and fickle creatures -

>:-}}

- is this male "fixed"??

- if not, hormones may well be the issue - and therefore also the remedy

>:-}}

- "proximity", too, can be an issue, especially for many males in the animal world

- hope this helps,

Reiki all around,

all blessings,

reiki all around,

all blessings,

firekeeper

Hello, Firekeeper,
The male is "fixed", but still acts amorous towards his sister, but never has acted that way with the 13 year old cat. All this happened quite suddenly and is totally out of character. My mom is quite upset because the 13 year old, is well, old , and delicate, and HE is big and well, big.
The vet called it "redirected aggression", meaning that the male cat probably saw some intruder in the yard, then turned on his housemate. I have seen my cats do this, but it did not go on for more than an hour....
Cats are puzzling creatures...
Namaste,
Feather

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- depending on the age that male cats are fixed, thee may be residual hormonal activity and drive - the later the surgery the more likely this can happen - at least that is what a vet once told me and what was taught in animal physiology classes (qa few years ago, of course)

bagl

- if the old cat is his genetic mother then this is not that uncommon - that off-spring and parents feud -

- cats, after all, lions and (maybe) cheetahs excepted, are not social in the group sense - especialy after they "mature"

- good luck

Reiki all around,

all blessings,

Firekeeper