Just read through Linley's post after another early morning attack! (Somehow that just messes up my whole day when I am awakened at 5:00 am to screaming cats.) Jess was fluffered up to about three times his normal size so I know he was VERY upset. Gracie has gone into hiding, but only after I held her and rocked her for half-an-hour. This has been the second attack in less than a week, usually (99% of the time) happens early morning. I KNOW she's doing nothing to provoke the attacks. I still think that a. he either just does not like her or b. he sees another cat outside and she's the easiest victim (maybe both) but I do know it's gotta stop.
Jess is now in solitary, not bad for kitty solitary, but I can't let him out until I have a plan. Since the attacks usually happen at night I don't see the trigger. Do I need to just leave him in at night and when I'm gone? I hate to do that, but after having them live together for almost 5 years and trying so much else, I don't know what else to do. And rehoming either one isn't an option at this point.
I suspect that Jess grew up in a house with many, many cats and had to fight for whatever position (food) he got. He's a lovely boy who is very calm and loving usually, even grooms Cassie and plays well with Rascal. I just don't know what else to do.
Any thoughts or ideas? I have thought about clicker training but wouldn't know where to start with that (and how do we handle the middle of the night attacks?)
HELP!!
catmom5

catmom5- Breakfast & dinner time here are usually the problem times also,Punkin attacks the 2 smaller dogs though. Maybe try having Gracie sleep separately from him. I wonder if having Linus there may have started it back up ?

Thanks all. I live in a relatively small ranch (no basement), about 1300 square feet. CJ sleeps with me, door closed and the other four were out together. The triplets, 3 females, are littermates and do fine. It's just the Jess/Gracie thing.

Jess was about 10 months when I pulled him from the humane society. He had been brought in because of too many cats and basically crashed at the shelter ~ hid in the back of his cage, stopped eating unless I was there, got very sick. So I fostered him and the rest is history. I don't know when he was neutered because he was neutered when I got him. He is missing a couple of teeth and is a bit of a stress eater (will eat when I'm there to "watch his back" etc) so I do think he lived with a lot of other cats and probably had to defend himself.

For now, I'm going to give him a full day or two in his room (12 x 12 bedroom with a kitty condo, windows, etc. Not exactly prison! Gracie needs some time to get over her trauma without worrying about him. Then it's going to be out when I can supervise and in at night.

Thanks for your reassurances and shared experiences. I do think he could really hurt her if he wasn't stopped! When we play and another cat gets too close to his play space he will swat her away (all three) without the attack. That's why I think that it's likely another cat outside that triggers his attacks on Gracie.

If you all think of anything else, let me know. But I can't give either of them up and I'm thinking, after reading your posts, that he likely can get used to sleeping in his bedroom at night and it will probably bother him more than me! Hope so because Jess is generally a real lovebug and sweet, calm boy.

Gracie just came out for a snuggle so gotta go!
catmom5

Jess was out yesterday afternoon and evening and seemed to do fine. He knows I'm upset with him and was very mellow. He went into his room and didn't fuss at all. I think that he will get used to it. I'm going to do some shopping and get him some cans and make some REAL food treats that he will have when he goes in for the night. Maybe that will make it easier (for him or me?). Gracie, bless her heart, went up to Jess to touch noses ~ he let her do it, but she's clearly not his favorite girl.
Guess this is how it's gotta be ~ separate unless I can supervise them. At least we got a good night's sleep!
Blessings
catmom5

I'm sorry to hear there has been another attack.  Poor Gracie.  I guess Jess has just demonstrated that he can't be let out at night.  Why do they always go for the innocent ones?

Just a wild stab in the dark--my "bad boy" (Linley) turned out to have a food sensitivity (fish) that made him irritable and much more likely to attack.  This is probably a very remote possibility, but is there any chance that Jess could have something similar?  The only real symptom for Linley was the irritability; he didn't vomit or itch or anything like that.  His attacks, too, came mostly when we were not looking.  His behavior improved without any fish in his diet.

It sounds as though you could have quite a circus this weekend--Sassy's litter due, grandkids, and full moon.  How are the grandkids with Jess?  Can they watch him and keep him out of trouble when you have to do other things?  Or can they guard Gracie?

Do you think the roaming cats outdoors trigger Jess's attacks?  Is he afraid of them, and then attacks Gracie because he can't get at the roaming cats?  If he is shy in general, it sounds like it could be fear-related aggression.

I hear you about the worry of the grandkids letting him out.  That would be on my mind, too.

I wonder if Sassy's condition is really messing things up.  I'm sure her hormones are changing a lot and they can definitely pick up all those changes through their sense of smell.  As she gets close to her due date, she's probably sending out stress signals too - stay away, kittens due, guarding guarding guarding.  In feral colonies and barn cats, female cats with young kittnens usually do not tolerate male cats around since they will kill any kittens fathered by other males.  Jess may be picking up on all that.

It sounds like these attacks are restricted to nights.  I like the idea of confining the attackee instead of the attacker.  Do you have somewhere to tuck Gracie at night?  Even in a big carrier or closet with a nice nest?  She would probably be glad to stay hidden if you gave her a Jess-free safe room. Or can you set up a temporary cat room in the garage with fencing?  Go out and buy a big cat cage or build one?

I hope you can figure something out in the next few days.  It does sound like you're going to have your hands full this weekend.  Good luck!

Oh catmom?, what a situation you have on your hands!  Im not any help as the kitten we got last year was sent packing by Sophers, she wouldnt tolerate it and was really beating up on it too.  I think Petslave has a point, it might be something that Sassy is putting out, isnt she due maybe the end of this week?  Thats very very soon.  I was wondering about keeping one of them in the bathroom if you have one with a door?  Maybe making a kitty nest in the bathtub for whichever and maybe it ought to be the attacker to give him a time out?  I so admire you for taking Sassy in to help her out and for dealing with Jess!  I was a weakling and couldnt muster up the long-term gumption I would need to deal with Sophie and the new kitten not getting along.  I just tired of watching the kitten tremble all the time from being scared of Ms Meanie Sophers and watch Sophers go thru a Jekyll and Hyde stage.  Please let us know how things are going!