My cat doesn't recognise his brother after a trip to the vet?

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Erwann13115 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone,

I’m looking for some advice regarding a bit of a problem I’m having...

I have two Bengal cats who are brothers from the same litter. They were separated for a short while as I adopted the first, Oslo, in January 2019, and the second, Orus, joined us in April 2019. I won’t lie, the first ten days of them living together were pretty rough, but eventually everything settled down. However, that’s not the issue now.

They usually sleep together, play together, and so on, but everything changed after Orus had to be rushed to the vet.

It happened this Thursday, 25th March. Orus had swallowed a piece of fabric, so I took him as an emergency to our usual vet. He was there all morning.

Since I brought him back at midday on Thursday, Oslo doesn't seem to recognise his brother—or at least he won’t tolerate him anymore. He’s hissing and growling, and it even turns into a proper screaming match if his brother gets too close.

I’ve tried wiping Orus down with plain water and I’ve plugged in two Feliway diffusers—one downstairs in the kitchen-diner where one cat is, and one in my bedroom where the other is staying. I’ve also tried using those CatComfort spot-ons, but unfortunately, there’s not much improvement...

The diffusers were put in yesterday morning and the spot-ons last night.

There have been a few confrontations that turned really nasty, with a lot of screaming. Oslo, who stayed at home, is quite a sensitive, vocal soul by nature anyway.

Being in the same room led to immediate growling, and during one altercation, Oslo actually wet himself.

This morning Orus tried to approach Oslo twice, which resulted in more growling and shouting from Oslo, but at least he only growls now if Orus gets within about 2 metres of him...

What else can I do? I could never give either of them up...

Thanks for your help,

I hope that all makes sense.

Translated from French
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    Erwann13115 Icon representing the flag French
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    Plus, with the growl of a 15 lb Bengal, it feels like I've got a lynx or a tiger lol
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    Erwann13115 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, Thanks for your replies. @Ulalie, it’s Oslo who is being aggressive towards his brother Orus, after Orus spent the morning at the vet... I’m trying to play with them using fishing rod toys to encourage Oslo to get closer to his brother. I’ve also put out two litter trays and six different food bowls, and I’m trying to give them both treats at the same time. This morning Orus was looking everywhere for Oslo and heard him meowing, but Oslo is still growling and hissing. I'll keep you posted on how things go.
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    ProvetoJuniorConseil
    Provetojuniorconseil Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there,

    It’s possible that the trip to the vet left a scent on your cat’s fur that is bothering his brother. However, if that is what’s causing the scrap, the smell should wear off and things should get back to normal before long.

    It was a great idea to plug in some Feliway diffusers, as the pheromones they release are very effective at soothing cats.

    That said, you shouldn’t force your two cats to interact for the time being; just let them get on with things without any pressure. Also, do check that they aren’t competing for access to food or the litter tray, as this can also cause tension.

    Have a good day.

    Caroline — Vet student, project manager for the ProVéto Junior Conseil student consultancy

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Boys or girls, it’s the same struggle and the advice is the same 😉

    https://wamiz.co.uk/cats/forum/my-cats-no-longer-get-along-since-being-spayed-105505.html

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    I think the smell of the vet's has something to do with it and it’s bothering one of them. As for the other, he’s probably showing some redirected aggression towards his brother, as if he’s the one to blame for all his troubles; it’s actually quite common in cats.

    Once the smell wears off and Orus calms down from his big mood, I’m sure they’ll find their feet again and settle back in. When a cat comes back from the vet, the others usually surround him and sniff him; some might hiss, others might lash out and run away to avoid that awful temporary smell. Basically, they just don't recognise each other anymore.

    Be patient, it’s going to be okay. There's no need to even think about rehoming them; you’ve done everything right, but things just need time to get back to normal for them.

    Try playing with them using a fishing rod toy to help ease the tension, and give them both a stroke at the same time if you can, to help soothe them.

    Translated from French

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