Well I am at a bit of a loss with what to say to mum so wanted some advice.
Basically my parents took in one of our rescue cats a few weeks ago. She's a lovely old lady of 17 and mum and dad took pity on her and decided to give her a home even though they weren't planning to get another cat. They already had Max who is about 14 and generally a bit timid of other cats.
When they brought new cat home, they did all the usual introduction things (swapping smells, keeping them apart and then short introductions) but the cats still do not like each other at all and hiss at each other whenever their paths cross (which isn't more than once a day as they each have their own end of the bungalo). New cat Ebony settled in very well though and has seemed very relaxed for the last few weeks but Max has seemed quite stressed as he knows she's there, even when he can't see her.
The problem is, although M&D are experienced cat owners so will work through the cat's differences, there are other problems.
Ebony has some toiletting issues. She will use a litter tray but only once and then she won't go near it again. In the daytime they can clear it and she has 4 trays so it's not too much of an issue but at nightime she is pooing on the floor several times. She has a thyroid problem so poos a lot (about 8 times a day!) plus the weeing. Her thyroid issue is being monitored and they have got the dosage right but she is still pooing a lot but it is less than to start with. She has also poo'd in her bed a couple of times but they have now removed her bed and she has a blanket instead which seems to have solved that issue.
It also turns out that Max is not eating that much and after a full health check the vet thinks (along with M&D) that it's because he is frightened and stressed by new cat. He was bullied by the cat he grew up with and although he missed the companionship when he passed away, he has been a lot more confident since. We were all hoping though that they would be ok though as both cats are (or appeared to be) quite relaxed.
The other issue is that when Ebony first moved in she was very keen on my dad, who is disabled so is at ome in the day and spent her first few weeks on his lap. The last couple of weeks though she has switched to my mum and the last few days she has been quite agressive towards dad for no apparant reason. My mum works in a school so is not at home in the day now and EBony has been hissing at Dad and being very strange and noone can work out why. Mum's going to buy some Feliway tomorrow in the hope that it will help but she called me in tears earlier and doesn't know what to do. She would never want to give up on an animal and they really care about Ebony but are at a loss as to what's to do.
Any advice on how to make things easier would be so appreciated as they really don't want to have to rehome her but things can't go on the way they are.
