chasing cat

Question
Hi,i have 8 rescued cats and the 2younger ones(a male and a female,aged 5months)are quite scared of everything eventhough they have now been with us for 2months,at first they were separated from the others to get used to us cos they kept hidding.They have been introduced slowly to the others and all seemed more or less ok,they no longer used the litter tray but went outside and now one of my cats is starting to chase them both and of course they run which makes it even more fun for her!But now they r too scared to go out and have started to urinate and defaecate in the house which am not pleased about,have put a tray near the cat flap exit,moving it slowly to outside cos i really dont want a litter tray in the house cos then they all want to use it!!How can i stop her scaring them,have tried to give her treats while in their company to make it a nice occasion to be with them,have tried telling her off and putting her on her own in a room.Please help,want them all to be happy.Thanks very much.

Answer

dog crate for cats (cl Sabine,

When you have timid "scardy" cats they are usually ferals. If they are timid now about going outside because they get harassed, then they probably won't get any better. The more timid the cat, the more other cats like to pick on them for some reason. I have one very timid 'tame' feral that is a natural 'victim'. He likes to go outside but it is a major project. He has to look out the door a dozen times to make sure his path is clear of 'terrorists'. Then he runs out and keeps running until he is safe. Then coming back in is a chore for him too. He takes little steps and stops to make sure no bully is going to get him until he finally makes it close enough that he can inside to 'safety'! I have another almost as bad.

It would be best, though not convenient for you, to have a litter box inside for the new cats. Especially since they are basically kittens, and everything is still new to them. As they get some size and age and settle down some, maybe you can change things. I personally wouldn't make things more stressful and traumatic than they already are for them at this point. And if a litter box helps so they don't have to be terrorized, then I would do it. It will also save stress and fear related accidents in the house.

You might want to keep your 'alpha cat' locked up periodically so your little ones can go outside safely. It would help them if you were out there too. I use a large dog crate for when I want to have certain cats outside safely (like my blind cat). I got mine at Petco and it is great, especially for new cats. I will attach a picture of it.

Tabbi