Relationship between diabetics and non-diabetics

[arozeboom]

We have Ruby, the diabetic one. We also have Midgie. Midgie has always been on the skittish side and a bit of a loner, but she would often seek out Ruby for some good head licking. They've never been cuddly, but there are definitely moments of affection between them.

Since we brought Ruby home from the vet on the 24th, she hasn't wanted much to do with Midgie. Now she's feeling better and Midgie has been seeking her out a bit. Ruby tends to give her a good swat instead of the head licks. So Midgie has gotten even more skittish and is spending a lot of time by herself in the basement. If we go down to see her, she's eager for petting and she's eating totally normally. She's always been a fan of the basement (its a finished, cozy basement and a lot quieter than upstairs) but is definitely spending more time alone. I've been very careful to give Midgie treats when Ruby gets them and to try to give her as much petting as she'll stand. I don't want her to feel slighted.

Now the question...is it unusual for the relationship between the cats to change after a stay at the vet and an illness? Ruby has been home for almost 2 weeks now.

 

[BJM]

There could be a scent issue - she may still smell of the vet OR if you've gotten any insulin on her fur, she may smell odd. A possible solution is to take something which smells strongly of you, and gently wipe her down with it.

Cats can tell if another cat is ill and they may attack the ill one; I've seen it in my house of 12. Using a Feliway diffuser in the room most frequently occupied may be helpful to reduce stress.

 

[arozeboom]

I know Ruby smelled funky when she first came home. They gave her a bath (apparently when she's really mad at a vet she's prone to urinating on them) so she was really perfumey. That smell is gone now, at least to my nose.

They actually shared a plate of food this morning so that's a good sign.

There could be a scent issue - she may still smell of the vet OR if you've gotten any insulin on her fur, she may smell odd. A possible solution is to take something which smells strongly of you, and gently wipe her down with it.

Cats can tell if another cat is ill and they may attack the ill one; I've seen it in my house of 12. Using a Feliway diffuser in the room most frequently occupied may be helpful to reduce stress.

 

[Teresa and Poopy]

When Poopy returns from the vet (or any trip away from the other fuzzies) he tends to go into battle mode with the other fuzzies. The fuzzies, of course, are all curious as to Poopy's strange vet smell and, I believe, his recent absence. Every time the fuzzies go near him, he growls and bats them away. I really haven't paid attention to how long this lasts since Poopy is big enough to take care of himself with the fuzzies (even with 2 of them being dogs) and he does get over it.

I do also notice the battle mode when Poopy just doesn't feel well. Like you, I'm sure to give the other kitty her fair share of lovings and treats to minimize her feeling left out.

 

[bookw0rm]

Give them some time. After the vet strangeness wears off they *should* get back to normal.

 

[PeterDevonMocha]

When either of our girls come home from the vets, I take a shirt or towel that smells like home and rub it all over them ..

 

[ericbakes]

When I brought Melville back from the vet, he was chill as always. However, I noticed that the other two, Choppy (female) and Baxter (male) were spending a lot of time in proximity to each other. This was very unusual, because the only time Choppy would get near Baxter was when she wanted to beat him up (she does this to let us know that it's time to eat, and he just sits there and takes it -- go figure). Melville spent the next few days primarily sleeping, and the other two all but snuggled up together. Things are a little more normal now, but not quite the same as before. Perhaps your kitty, like mine, is simply convalescing, and needs some alone time to recover.