language barrier between new deaf cat and hearing cat

Question
hi,
5 month ago my partner and I adopted a deaf cat from a shelter. This cat (female, approx 1.5 yrs old) is lovely, very cuddly, playful and for a deaf cat relatively quiet. The problem is that our existing car (also female, 2 years old) can't seem to cope with the newbie. Every time the new cat wants to play with her she attacks, hissing and screaming. Of course the new cat does not hear that and continues to chase. Also, our hearing cat uses the deaf cats toilet to prove who is boss. And, if I stroke the deaf cat, and after with the same hand try and stroke the hearing cat she hisses and growls at my hand.  Eating time is not a problem because they are being fed separately at set times but we can't have both cats in one room with us and relax. Surprisingly nothing much seems to be happening when we are away, at least nothing has been broken.  I don't want to have to give away either cat because they are both lovely but I think the constant fights grate a bit on everyones nerves.
Sadly we are not in the house at all times as we are both working but don't want to lock away the cats constantlyn as this would restrict their movement extremely. Hope you can help,
Bianca

Answer
Hi Bianca.  I would recommend trying a product called Feliway.  This can help reduce territorial tension.  Visit www.feliway.com to learn more.  I recommend the plug-in diffuser in a situation like yours.

I also would suggest trying to add some vertical space to your home to give the cats some territory to claim as their own.  In my home, which is always full of foster cats, the vertical space in the form of cat trees and shelves is really key.  If the cats had to share one level in the home, they'd feel cramped.  But because I provide lots of multi-level cat furniture for them, each cat is able to claim at least one or two nooks for themselves.  Once they are able to establish this as their territory, the other cats will rarely challenge them there.

There certainly may be some disadvantages to their communication since one of your kitties is deaf.  However, there are physical cues that come along with defensive or aggressive behavior, and it's very hard for animals as perceptive as cats to miss these.  It's almost certain that your deaf cat can read your 2-year-old female's body language and understands she doesn't want to be bothered.  I think she is challenging her intentionally, and this is very common.

Although it's inconvenient and restrictive, you may need to go back to separating the two cats for a while.  Cats should be separated for a couple of weeks when a new one is brought into the household, and any time serious conflicts arise.  This allows the cats time to cool off.  Then, you should reintroduce the cats very slowly, beginning by using scent transference - rubbing one with a towel and allowing the other to smell it.  When they accept one another's scents without a problem, try introducing them face-to-face with short supervised visits, lasting no more than 15 minutes a few times a day.  You can increase the length of the visits each day until the cats are comfortable without supervision.

Nearly all cats will get along when they are introduced very slowly.  But some cats can take months to introduce, and they will need to be separated for some time each day because too much exposure to each other can be overwhelming.  It takes a lot of working up to it for them to become desensitized to one another.

Best of luck!

Jessica