Jackson answers your questions via video.
“My wife and I have two cats who have never gotten along, even after two years together. How can we help them at least tolerate one another?”
Jackson goes over how he does reintroductions to help cats to stop fighting and just get along.
We regret that Jackson does not answer questions posted in the comments. This is due to his demanding schedule and the high volume of requests he receives. But most importantly, since he has not met your cat, it would be contrary to his approach for him to give specific personalized advice for your specific situation. That being said, general questions and issues are addressed throughout this blog, in his book CAT DADDY and of course, the show My Cat From Hell.
Great info! I understand Jackson being too busy to answer all ?’s. Is there someone else who might be able to provide a direction in which to go if I am having Cat issues? Thank you! Love watching the shows!
Im not sure if Im in the correct place here, but I couldn’t find the questions page? Anyway, about a year ago when you had come to my house to meet Bongo, my main concern and question to you was regarding Bongos reactions to not only my cats but to all animals in general and how can I control his wild side now so when he’s older, he won’t do harm or possibly even kill them not knowing his own strength? And you had said to use food as a tool, which doesn’t work with Bongo when it comes to other animals, food is the last thing he wants, his 1st priority is play and/or play with another animal. And every day they need to be separated when its Bongos time to come out of his (zoo) cage!! I feel like this is going to be on going for the duration of all their lives! I got him a cat wheel but unless I hang “Pootie” (my female that he loves to death – literally and is constantly preying on her and by the way she is 5 yrs old and only weighs 6 lbs and Bongo is 1 yr and weighs 24 lbs and still growing where Pootie is already done growing) somewhere on that wheel, he doesn’t really want to run on it, but he will jump on the top and “log roll” if you will! I may just have to return it, I have 30 days and on July 1 my 30 days will expire, so if you know of anyone who needs one please let me know ok. If you have any other suggestions about Bongo, will you run them by me through Heather. I just don’t know what to do with this on-going situation which seems like it will never stop! Im aware you arent really familiar with savannah cats, especialy an f-1 which are in a class by themselves which I’ve learned with hands-on experience this past year, but any advice may help and Im willing to try anything before something tragic happens. He can’t just be loose in the hse like the other 3, and if he is, they all have to be on lock-down! Its in-sane! All of this goes on daily as I run my doggy daycare, etc and caring for the other animals as well. (oh and of course screaming & yelling off and on all thru the day!) Mostly at “Bongo”!!
My advice to you (although I am not a cat behaviorist) stop feeding Bongo so much. Feed him as you feed the other cats. Don’t leave food out for them to snack on all day. Start a feeding schedule. Don’t yell at Bongo or any of your other animals, they don’t know why you are yelling and it just makes them afraid of you. It really sounds like you have to many animals, you should look into giving Bongo to someone who can give him a one cat home. Also, If you still have it I am looking for a cat wheel…Call me: 714.351.0396
You guys are great I have had cats and dogs for years..( they do get along) I am totally amazed about how many people have animals… but they arent animal people… I think your show/ book will help so many cat owners to understand their pet… ( its sad to say but I think people buy a cute kitty not knowing what they need to do when they grow up)
My adopted cat cheddar watches ( I swear to G) your show when its on, like what is wrong with these guys) I have a picture plus he love to take a bath just sits in the tub…
Kay torrence
( I he is trained to walk on a leash with our dog a corgi who the cat is bigger…)
Jackson, I would love it if you could give some advice for integrating a once feral cat inside with other long time house cats. I made the acquaintance of a feral tom, his name is Feral Bueller. Spent 1 1/2 years letting him learn to trust me before I was able to touch him, then another 6 months progressing much faster to being able to pet him and pick him up briefly. He fell ill in Dec. 2011 and was so sick he went readily into a carrier, something he’d never experienced, and made no sound on the way to the emergency vet. He was terribly frightened but too ill to resist his first contact (to the best of my knowledge) with any humans besides myself. He would have died without intervention, but he did recover and was sent home, although they were unable to diagnose his illness. He was neutered and vaccinated after taking all the meds prescribed for the mystery illness. He has been staying in his own room since, with a lattice door that allows all of the cats to see and smell one another as they choose.
Bueller seems to have an inherently sweet nature and seems gregarious and generally friendly. He likes company and seems to want to be around other cats. He’s a young cat (I estimate roughly 4 years) and has learned to play with toys, which sounds odd but for a long time he didn’t know what they were for.
I really want to bring him out to be with everyone else, but worried about several things. Knowing he still has some feral tendencies, I’m unsure of how he will be with the other two cats in the house. One is a 14 year old female, who has claimed the top cat spot in the house and could feel threatened by a younger but larger male, although I believe she can handle herself fairly well. The other is an 8 year old female, Boo, who is gentle and somewhat timid, and I am more concerned about her. The ladies get along all right and even if there is a disagreement it’s settled without much aggression between them.
The older gal will camp outside Bueller’s door and he will camp on his side and they seem comfortable with one another, just an occasional hiss or squawk or paw slapping through the lattice. He seems to respect her. But if Boo comes to his door he seems to respond more aggressively. She rarely comes to his door, and when she does she might hiss at him for trying to slap her, but after a minute she will walk away and doesn’t seem to want to engage in any interaction with him. I’m afraid they will not be able to get along, he seems to sense she’s timid and I think he will act on that, especially with his feral nature. She’s truly a gentle kitty and I don’t think she knows how to stand up for herself.
To compound my worries, Bueller has become very affectionate and loveable with me. And Boo is like my shadow, if I’m home she is near me or in my lap, wherever I go. I have to consider any jealousy issues that might crop up between them as well.
And last but not least, there is the great unknown for Bueller, which is everything else in the house outside of his one room apartment which is all he’s known for several months. I’m in the dark as to how he will respond to everything else beyond his door, an environment that he has never experienced and I think some of which he will be intimidated by. Fortunately we have just a two person household. Bueller does recognize my guy and doesn’t appear afraid of him although I’m the only person to handle Bueller. He is afraid of other people, though (hides if we have company).
Watching Bueller go from feral to not so feral has been quite an experience, and I think we have a long ways to go. Working with a feral is quite different from most cats. If I need to keep taking it slow that’s okay with me. I just need some direction and advice, as I seem to be in a bit of a rut right now and I’m not sure how to progress at this point. So if you have any in depth advice for melding a feral and house cat family, I would be very grateful!
Thanks Jackson, looking forward to season three!
I’m at a loss and not sure what to do talk to the vet and got no where. I have 7 cats ages from 15yrs to 3months, now 3 are 11yrs and up. Than i have 2 1yrs and my promble is the last 2. Zellie is a 8months bangel i got her from a kitty mill i saved her. Then on mothersday we got yogi he is 3months and gets alone with all the cats but zillie she goes after him all the time and i mean all the time.I try playing and food and me and my daughter ever holds both kittens and stand next to each other, and zellie will hiss and i would tell her that thats not nice. She will stop but do it again sooooo im not sure what to do. And giving one up is NOT a options. LOST IN KITTY WARS!!!!!!!
Hi I couldnt find a questions page but its sbout my cat Fuzzy. You see, he was born in a ditch outside a company my mom used to work at and at two weeks his mother died and some people in the company had adopted the kittens. My mom adopted Fuzzy and we have been taking care of hims since, but he’s had a bit of a agressive nature and thats okay, he’s grown out of it but what he hasnt grown out of is when ever someone comes out of the shower he will jump up on you and start rubbing his face in your hair and play with it. but I have no idea if this means he’s trying to somehowkeep his scent on me to scare away the other cats or if he’s just being a normal cat. Other than this he is an amazing cat but I have no idea what he’s trying to do.
What type of shampoo or conditioner do you use. He probably likes the way it smells…
if i use anything he goes straight for my head, just getting my hair wet without anything attracts him
I have 4 cats, to of which like to wrestle on ocation. how do i know they are not fighting? Neither hiss or growl but one is really shy and i just don’t know if i should be concerned or not.
I have 3 cats that get along fine until it’s time for bed. One will go outside and another is inside. They fight through our bedroom window keeping us up at night. Why did this just start, and how do we get it to stop? When the one outside finally comes in, all 3 are best friends again.
Maybe you should keep the “outside” one inside at night
I have two indoor male cats who keep breaking out of my house they have gone through three screens in my apartment how do I keep them in the house and be able to open my windows in the summer
I have 7 cats, one of the newest ones I adopted (she is almost 2) chases the others. She mostly chases after one of my cats who growls and runs whenever “kittie from hell” comes chasing. I did the proper slow introduction, but I still have problems with her. It’s not as though she chases all of them all of the time. It’s whenever the mood strikes her, she comes out of nowhere and all the other cats are very scared of her and if she comes anywhere near – they run. I am having problems with one of my other cats spraying in corners – that’s the LAST thing I need. I have been in contact with the people I adopted her from so they are aware of the continued problems (going on 3 months now). They have no solutions for me … does anyone have a clue what’s happening and how to settle her down and settle her into my feline family ??? I need help ASAP.
My fiancée just moved in with her 10-year-old cat (Cabby), and my 14-year-old cat (Squishy) has gotten quite territorial. After a couple of minor attacks, Cabby is now traumatized, hiding all the time, and worse, seems to have developed an extreme limp and lethargy. We keep the cats in separate rooms now and sleep separately with them. This is not good. The vet says Cabby has a nerve issue. This is the second time he has had the limp (both times following periods of stress) — the first time it was the left leg, now it’s the right. He’s quite overweight and doesn’t much like to play. Squishy doesn’t seem to be trying to kill Cabby, but before we separated them she was consistently aggressive and seemed to be sending a message that he wasn’t welcome. Please help!
I have to cats brother and sister Mimi and Georgie. I have had them from birth. Mom was one of many abandon cats we feed and water (high desert) Sqeaky was a regular at the house and one morning found her bleeding from an aparent coyote or dog attack. We fixed up our laundry room with a bed and cat box. She let us treat her. Well she was pregnant so we kept her and she had six kitties. We kept two and was going to keep squeaky but my husband fell from a tree and ended up on life support and with our old main coon Fuzzybutt I could not take care of all. Then he was transfered to a rehab 250 miles away and I was traveling with cats. My fuzzybutt died a while back so I’m only dealing with 2 cats indoors. These two can’t be without caring for each other. Sleep and clean each other. Problem is Mimi is bullied by Georgie if she gets any attention. They are both treated the same. each get toys treats food nails clipped at the same time. When the were fixed Mimi had her cone on but Georgie licked her surgery and she needed to be sutured up. This caused her belly to heal not smooth. can’t see is she is a long hair.So Mimi was cared for and Georgie was kept away so not to repeat this. They were four month at the time. They are now 1 year. But now if we pet Mimi talk to her he gets this mean look and stares at her and the minute she walks out of the room he will attack her making her scream in pain. When they play what ever she is playing with he HAS to take it away. They both have the same toy. He will take her pillow bed cardboard box. not letting her do anything. This is new and becoming a real concern But they will curl up on sofa groom each other and nap. they will howl if they can’t find the other. She loves to have her tummy rubbed so now he will roll over and meow for you to rub his tummy. IF they are playing together his will get carried away and bite her neck belly or backside of back legs. We worry about Mimi they are both loving cats and we will not give either up. They are like our kids (I always thought that was a weird thing until we raised these two) Does anyone have this problem? Georgie knows not to this because when we go into the room he stops and meows and may roll over to be rubbed. Georgie is large. Mimi is no wimp but is no match for him. Thanks for any help out there. Debi
my girlfriend and I ended up with 6 cats…..not going to go into details of how but we are having issues with flea meds and pooping and peeing on the kitchen counter from 1 or 2(not totally sure but we have our suspicions ) also 1 cat is chewing her fur on her hind legs and belly. it seems stress related. would love to figure out how to help. we love our cats. any info would be apppreciated. I am enjoying this site and show
as I am at my wits end. I am a cat person and have always had cats. In 2006 I fostered a Calico and her kitten for a local shelter here is Las Vegas, of course I adopted them both. Here is my problem, the kitten now 5 attacks his mother all the time. She screams out and sometimes will pee and poop from the attack. She now will not leave the room, she is to use the litter box, which is my mothers room. We put the litter box in her room for 2 weeks but my mothers husband could not take the smell. This has been an on going issue with the attacking for about 4 years now, they are both fixed. He will bite her with his teeth, etc. It is not fair to her to be cooped up. Please any advise would be great, as something has to be done and soon. He also will not let her eat or even come out to play. He attacks her like a panther attacking his prey. He pulls out her fur by the mouthfull.
Just reading through these comments, I’m amazed at some of the situations in here. Have you people not tried any of the Spirit Essences? They really do work.
My boyfriend and I have three cats: two that get along are my adult male and slightly younger adult female, and his adult female who is older than both of them. We have had separated meal feeding twice a day at two different doors for nearly two years. We have tried Rescue Remedy in their water. We have tried Feliway diffusers. My younger female is and always has been very aggressive toward’s my boyfriend’s older female, who is very timid and not the best at defense. I’m afraid they may never get along and I will never be able to have all three in the same room. We don’t know what to do to help them anymore.
So I have a madhouse of animals but my issue is with my Male cat Jack, We have a Turkish Angora named Kara and she is very lovey dubby, and likes odd behavior like she thinks she’s part dog. but she runs the house, everyone gives he love and attention even the dogs she’s very needy like that. but she likes to play victim a lot. because she play fights and is so gentle everything she does it very passive and tender. while Jack likes to play with her but he gets way out of hand and has taken chunks off her neck, and ears.
At one point I got so upset with everything I took him to the pound but I just couldn’t leave him, i brought him back 3 days later, and everything has been fine but I see things slowly trying to go back to the way they were where he will steam roll her and punish her. but it’s only her My other cat Mary he leaves alone and doesn’t look twice at.
the things is they usually always seem to get along and then boom something happens and he just tears her up. but they like sleeping with each other, eating, being pet, so I am just confused why the serious rough play or is it real attcking
Has AnyOne experienced this= I have 2 cats. Same two for 10 yrs.We moved 7 months ago. Yesterday the older male Fluff got out. An hour later thank God, I found him. I had panicked and tore the house looking for him, while Angel followed and took in my panic. Bringing him inside,she hissed and treated him like a stranger. I took him into the bath and bathed off the outside,changed my clothed and it has not gotten better. She is still in attack mode. All I can think to do is reintroduction. It is the next day and Angel is growling and making us all a little freaked out. ANYONE have an idea I would be grateful as to what happened in one hour to turn this Mao mix into a stranger and a hissing stress?
Hi, Please can you help me…
I have two female cats who are 8 years old. I keep them inside the house, they are domestic. I do not let my two cats outside at all because I have had problems with neighbors poising other cats and so forth – its so horrible… due to them being inside they do not like loud noises etc… They are both neutered. When another cat comes to the window, my two cats start fighting with each other!!
Anyway, I have just rescued 3 kittens (at 3 weeks old) someone dumped them at my work.I have decided to keep them as all the Animal Welfare’s here in South Africa put them down
I have kept them separate to my two cats as I am so scared that my two older girls attack my three kittens.
I have put them together separately and I try to get them to play but after a while, my older cats get upset and want to hit…
pleaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaase can someone help me?? I am so disparate.
Thank you…
Can anyone help[ me?
My wife and I have two adult male cats. We recently had to move in with someone who has two adult female cats and three dogs. Our boys get along fine with the dogs, but the cats do not get along (fur flying). Our two male cats stalk the females and seem to want to show their male dominace even though they are neutered. When ever they are around each other, a fight breaks out. We have to shut them in seperate rooms at night so we can sleep.
Does anyone have any sugggestions to help them get along?