Why do my indoor cats get scared when my outdoor cat comes home?

Question

Two of our five(indoor only) cats, a male and female(brother and sister) are intimidated and/or frightened whenever our indoor/outdoor male cat shows up. This, in turn gets him worked up. Any suggestions on resolving this problem. Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Male | neutered | 4 years and 7 months old | 11 lbs

Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS · Accepted Answer

This is a tough one in that Roger can come and go as he pleases. When he come back from being outside, he likely smells different that before, so that would be one reason why two of your cats are intimidated of him. It's like he's a new cat because he smells differently. I'm wondering if there is any way you can keep Roger indoors all the time with the rest of the cats. If you do that, I have a way to introduce him to the other cats so that they are comfortable with him. To do this, I would separate the cats, and slowly reintroduce them to each other. Take Roger, and put him in his own room with his own food, water, and litter box. Keep the door closed, and for a few days, feed them all treats on other side of door so they associate each other's smell with a good experience. Then let the other cats into Roger's room while he is in a cat carrier. They can smell each other, but not be in contact. If anyone becomes upset or show signs of aggression, remove the other cats from the room, and try again later. Praise them when they interact appropriately. When they are interacting well with each other through the carrier, you can let Roger out of his room, and see how he interacts with the other cats. Praise them when they interact appropriately, and separate them with any sign of aggression or upset. I would get a cat tree with lots of shelves to give the cats vertical space to get away from each other. I would keep Roger in his room when you go out until they are comfortable with each other. Otherwise, you can get Feliway, which is a pheromone diffuser that helps cats with anxiety. You can also put Sentry calming collars on the two cats who get upset when Roger comes home. These pheromones as well will help with their anxiety. I would still have a cat tree to give your cats vertical space from Roger when he comes home.

Why do my indoor cats get scared when my outdoor cat comes home?

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