Hostile cats

Question
I have two non-specific breed domenstic cats

One is a short hair, the other is a long hair.  Both fixed females

Purrbot is 14 years old, Jenni-Purr is 12.

When Purrbot came into the family in 1993,  she annaounced herself to JenniPurr and her sister Fang by attacking them.

The hostility was quite intense for a while

Now many years later and anfter the loss of Fang, Jenni-Purr and Purrbot are old ladies who co exist with some anger.

Purrbot doesn't make much noise about it, but occasionally moves to leap out at Jenni-Purr by surprise.  We squirt her with a squirt bottle filled ith water when we see this happening, and this disuades PurrBot

Jenni-Purr almost always greets Purr-Bot with angry noises and hisses, and occasionally physical attack.

The only exception to this is the "Food Truce".  They will approach each other calmly and even sit within one foot of each other when I am serving them food.  they will eat at seperate sides of the kitchen, although they'll switch which side, and then seperate calmly.  However once Jenni-Purr sees Purr-bot after dinner, the conflict is renewed with ome vigor.

these cats have been locked ina room together once during a move. Jenni-Purr continue to express hositlity at PurrBot unless she could reasonably pretend not to have seen PurrBot.  When Jenni Purr wishes to cuddle with us in bed she will occasionally adopt this tactic.  But she prefers to be elsewhere when Purrbot is about

Is there any way to chill these cats out?  I've heard some poeple have cats who are friends and get along with each other.  I don't even know what this is like.

I suspect that PurrBot, having grown up for her first three years in a rollicking house filled with cats, dogs, kids and almost constant action, may be socially stunted.  She seems to greet any new cat with great fear or immediate attack, and she was much more energetic about this in her youth

I wonder if she even knows *how* to get a long with another cat without being confrontational

As for Jenni-Purr she seems to have made up her mind that Purrbot is an evil spawn of hell, and does not seem inclined to reconsider this opinion.

Sometimes I day dream and feeding the cats some form of prozac or Kitty Extasy to try and over ride their default hostility towards each other.

But this probably won't happen.

is there anything I can do differently to try to change the relationship between these two old ladies?  They seem to view me, my wife and daughters with great affection.  Just not each other.

Answer
I think that you are fighting a losing battle. These two old gals are not going to change at this late date.
When these two battling old ladies go to their final rest, I would get myself two sweet male kittens at the same time. The Turkish Angora is known for a insanely sweet, mushy and very playful personality. Perhaps that is the way to go. Males also tend to be more companionable especially if neutered young!!

Good luck,
Barb