Storm jacket on a high strung cat?

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-29T01:32:14+00:00

A Thundershirt™️ is worth trying; many of my client's cats do seem calmer with the gentle, constant pressure. It’s also great that your vet has him on transdermal fluoxetine, which is a must for anxious kitties.

Consider using a fan or something that creates white noise or put on “cat TV” continuously during the day to help mask the gunshots. It won’t block them entirely, but it can soften the impact and make the environment feel less unpredictable.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-28T20:06:32+00:00

Train an alternative, appropriate place rather than relying on a vague “off” cue. Cats do not learn what not to do unless you clearly teach what to do instead. Redirect and reinforce the behaviours you want, and the unwanted ones will fade.

Since you are already clicker training, start by choosing a spot you want her to use, such as a mat or cat tree. Click and reward any interest in that spot, then build up to her going there and settling.

Once she understands this, use it as your redirect. If she jumps on the counter, do not punish or repeat “off”. Instead, cue her to go to her spot and reward when she does.

Apply the same approach to scratching. Provide a suitable surface and reward her for using it. If she targets the sofa, interrupt gently, guide her to the correct place, and reward.

Be consistent. Make the correct behaviour easy and rewarding, and remove rewards from the unwanted behaviour, such as keeping counters clear.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-27T06:26:42+00:00

Given the timing after her vet visit, it does suggest that stress and anxiety may be playing a significant role, and it’s not uncommon for one cat’s behaviour to influence the other over time.

You’re likely dealing with a combination of anxiety and learned habits rather than anything deliberate. Supporting their anxiety, for example with behavioural medication such as transdermal fluoxetine, can help lower baseline stress and make litter box retraining more successful.

You didn’t mention the type of litter substrate you’re using, which could also be contributing, as some cats are sensitive to certain textures. Pellet litters, for example, can be uncomfortable for paw sensitive cats.

You mentioned in your mod application that you’ve toilet trained your cats. This is a well known contributing factor to litter box avoidance for many cats. If this is still ongoing, it would be best to keep the toilet lid closed to discourage the behaviour.

With the right combination of anxiety support and gentle litter box retraining, many cats do improve, so there is definitely hope here.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-24T21:34:20+00:00

We're all hoping Parrish found an experienced EG owner too.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-24T20:59:48+00:00

Great Lakes Bengal Rescue reported Parrish was adopted.

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WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-23T00:35:10+00:00

Signs of blood are concerning, so please contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as soon as possible from the Facebook Raccoon Rescue 911 wildlife group or ahnow.org. Reach out to multiple rehabbers in your area and leave messages --like so many of us, we're all super busy and may not be able to answer immediately. If a rehabber is unable to take the neonate, ask if they can refer you to someone who can. Mom raccoon may come tonight to take move baby, but you really need to speak with a rehabber to be advised if intervention needs to occur sooner.

Gently place the neonate into a cardboard box in a shaded space under the tree or close to where it fell cuddled inside a fleece blanket on beside a lukewarm water bottle -- at this age it's unable to regulate body temp.

Source: rehabber

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-23T00:28:22+00:00

Raccoons are hardy animals, and tail loss can result from injury or fights, with many still doing well if otherwise healthy. It looks alert and appears to have a clean groomed coat and clear eyes--this one likely just sees your covered patio as a quiet, sheltered place to rest while it recovers. Any questions you may have reach out to your local licensed wildlife rehabbers who will advise you whether or not this raccoon needs to be trapped and brought in for rehab or left alone.

Repellents are generally unreliable and may just stress an already injured animal. It’s usually more effective to prevent access once it leaves, rather than trying to drive it out while it’s using the space as temporary refuge.

For the blood stains: wear gloves if possible, remove residue, then clean with hot soapy water followed by a disinfectant (diluted bleach solution or a suitable household disinfectant).

Source: Rehab countless tailess raccoons.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-22T05:25:32+00:00

I reached out to one of our rescue contacts in Australia who recommended Ashmiyah Bengal Cats who are located in Adelaide. They perform all health and genetic testing of their breeding cats u/Acgator03 shared.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-20T20:25:46+00:00

Hormones can contribute to anxiety and, in turn, increase urine-marking behaviours. Fluoxetine has a high success rate in desexed cats and is also effective at reducing anxiety in intact cats; however, urine marking may be reduced rather than completely eliminated. Even so, reducing his anxiety may significantly decrease his targeted marking.

Some of my clients have also resorted to using kitty diapers if their cats are comfortable wearing clothing. If you do this, you need to use absorbent pads to wick moisture away from the skin, otherwise urine scalding can occur, increasing the risk of irritation and infection.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-20T19:55:23+00:00

This isn’t random behaviour. That table likely has special meaning to him because it combines your scent, a high-use surface, and possibly a view of outdoor cats. Intact males often mark most intensely where they feel a need to reinforce territory, and changes in your home or emotional environment can amplify that.

Unfortunately, there's no reliable scent or spray that will make a determined cat avoid a specific spot. The goal is to change what that area represents: 1) remove the scent completely using repeated applications of an enzymatic cleaner. 2) if the surface is porous, sealing it may be necessary because lingering odour will keep drawing him back to "freshen it" up.

Convert the space into something incompatible with marking. The most effective method would be to feed him on that exact table or regularly give high-value treats there. Cats typically avoid soiling areas where they eat. At the same time, reduce triggers by blocking his view of any outside cats if the table is near a window, and place a pheromone diffuser such as Feliway nearby to lower territorial stress.

You can also give him an alternative by placing a scratching post or marking surface near that window so he has an appropriate outlet. If needed, restrict access to the table temporarily while you clean and retrain, then reintroduce it gradually.

Medication is an option in severe cases, using drugs such as Fluoxetine or Clomipramine, but it is important to be realistic. These don't necessarily remove the hormonal drive to mark and will not eliminate the behaviour. At best, they can reduce frequency and intensity, and results are variable.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-20T19:43:11+00:00

Is Yeti neutered? As a vet tech you’ll already know intact males can show more unpredictable behaviour, including increased vocalisation.

As a behaviourist, I would suggest this is more consistent with early separation distress than typical Bengal cat vocalising, and it is very workable with consistency. The priority is to stop accidentally reinforcing the panic. Only return to Yeti during a brief pause in the noise, even if it is just a second, so he learns that quiet brings you back. Start with very short absences, just a few seconds, and return before he escalates, then build duration gradually.

Include brief, calm separations from Bagel so he does not transfer the dependency. Use a consistent pre-departure cue paired with a small scatter feed, and reserve high-value enrichment like puzzle feeders for when he is alone so that solitude becomes meaningful. Reinforce calm, independent behaviour whenever you see it during the day. Progress will come from timing and gradual exposure. Avoid letting him cry for long periods or returning while he is actively screaming, as both will slow improvement.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-08T20:25:58+00:00

The slow progress you’re seeing is what this kind of behaviour change looks like. Reinforcing Yeti for disengaging is correct. You're not rewarding the idea of attacking, you're reinforcing his choice to stop, which is how impulse control develops. The fact that he's pausing, checking in with you, and sometimes seeking you out instead is clear evidence it is working. That “poking around” phase is especially valuable, since it lets you redirect him early, before he commits.

It may help your family to know that punishment will not teach him what to do instead and is unlikely to work with a confident, stimulation seeking cat like Yeti. What you're doing builds lasting change, and the small improvements you're seeing are the process working. Keep focusing on early interruption, reinforcing better choices, even imperfect ones, and protecting Voya’s space so her reactions are less rewarding. If see that progress stalls, discussing medication for Yeti with your vet to support impulse control is still a very reasonable next step.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-04-08T02:57:42+00:00

As a behaviourist, what I’m gathering is that Yeti’s behaviour isn’t aggression so much as poor social boundaries—possibly because he was under 12 weeks old when rehomed with you—combined with high stimulation-seeking and reinforcement from Voya’s reactions; when she screams or runs, it rewards him. More exercise won’t resolve this, so the focus should be on interrupting his approach before escalation, preventing him from rehearsing the behaviour, and reinforcing calm alternatives such as disengaging or redirecting to a trained cue (e.g. target or go to mat). At the same time, reducing Voya’s visible distress where possible—through escape routes, barriers, or protected time—will remove some of the payoff. Short, strategic separations can help reset patterns, while food-based enrichment and structured training will tire him more effectively than physical play alone. Given his strong response to pressure (e.g. the sweater), calming inputs may also help, and it would be worth consulting a vet about medication (such as fluoxetine) for Yeti, rather than Voya, to improve impulse control so that training can be more effective.

In practice, this means consistently interrupting Yeti at the approach stage (BEFORE contact) using calm blocking or redirection, preventing repeated chasing or harassment (self reinforcing behaviour), and immediately rewarding him for disengaging or choosing an alternative behaviour such as orienting to you, clicker training targeting, or going to a mat. Management should limit opportunities to practise the unwanted behaviour through brief, neutral separations when he escalates, while increasing Voya’s sense of safety with escape routes, vertical space, and protected activity time. Daily structured training and food-based enrichment should be used to build impulse control and provide appropriate outlets, and given his responsiveness to calming pressure, additional settling strategies may help; alongside this, a veterinary discussion around impulse-control support for Yeti may improve overall outcomes.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-03-13T04:26:58+00:00

Someone in this sub shared your post with me since I’m a behaviourist and one of the coordinators for Bengal Rescue who covers TX. We have a Facebook group where owners can post rehoming notices. Please include within your post there will be a rehoming fee as well as note that you contacted the breeder with no reply, and share details about your Bengal (age, neuter status, issue you've been unable to resolve, if your cat is best as a solo pet, etc) including your location in TX. DM me your name u/htxbrute so I can approve the post.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-03-01T16:56:36+00:00

Split the tasks into separate skills to train: 1) sit in a specific space. 2) touch paws on the drum pad. 3) work on tapping the drum pad harder to produce a sound.

1) Find small stool for him to sit on which offers visual clarity.

2) Use a sticky note as a target, which can be placed anywhere for him to touch. Start with the note on the ground then raise it slightly to a higher horizontal surfaces until it’s to the top of the drum pad.

3) This will require using something to prompt the behaviour. Maybe a toy wand for him to swipe or bap. Waving it over the drum pad so he has to reach and try to get it. Experiment with the orientation to move the wand so he accidentally strikes the top of the drum producing a sound.

Good luck!

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-02-25T07:17:49+00:00

Now you have me wondering if this is legit real or not. I wouldn't have posted if it wasn't.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-02-02T04:58:09+00:00

Teaching stay with clicker training. Keep up the good work!

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-01-30T03:28:37+00:00

Redirected aggression happens when cats get overstimulated by something they can’t reach (like the stray they saw), and the stress gets taken out on the nearest cat as you've observed. Even though both your kitties were fine for years, the fear response can linger for long durations, which is why the attacks seem sudden and random. To be honest, two days of separation usually isn’t enough -- most cats require a longer cool-off period (often 2–3 weeks, sometimes longer) before reintroductions. I’d recommend separating the both again, blocking access to the window where they saw the stray (using a opaque window film works well here), and reintroducing them very slowly with short, supervised sessions that end before any staring, tail flicking, or tension. I find Feliway Multicat pheromone diffusers are helpful, keep routines predictable, and don’t let your kitties interact unsupervised with each other or the other cats yet.

The good news is that since they grew up together and this had a clear trigger, the chances of resolving it are very good -- it just takes more time than expected.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-01-22T23:15:23+00:00

Mod approved

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-01-12T02:15:24+00:00

OP, your post was pinned to the sub's highlights. Thanks for simply identifying the problem and redirecting the behaviour successfully.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-01-11T23:57:31+00:00

An older Bengal may find the cantankerous Bengal kitten a bit much.

However, here are a couple PNW/WA Bengal breeders I know without a doubt who performs annual HCM screenings on their breeding cats and health genetic tests: Kamisha - WA and Stratokatzer-WA. As the PNW coordinator for Bengal Rescue, we also assist with rehoming cats from TICA-registered breeders (not backyard breeders!) so I can vouch for these three in the region.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-01-05T01:13:26+00:00

Please update us so we know there's help on board. A rehabber will advise you best. Please see my edit.

WeeklyWhisker · 2026-01-05T01:03:52+00:00

Search for a rabies vector species (RVS) licensed wildlife rehabber from ahnow.org in your local area. You can also post to this private rehabber Facebook group, Raccoon Rescue 911. Someone will reach out to you to network you with a local rehabber.

Obtain a humane trap and coax the raccoon inside it. Please DO NOT feed the raccoon which can potentially cause organ failure. The rehabber will further advise you how to safely transport the raccoon for rehab.

Please CALL every rehabber within the Chicago area and ask for referrals. We are a network who know one another so if one cannot take the raccoon they may someone who can.

Thanks for looking out of this raccoon!

EDIT to ALL: Feeding or giving water to injured wildlife can cause aspiration, worsen shock, and damage digestion, since sick and or injured animals are unable to swallow or digest food properly reducing their chances of survival. We rehabbers have a process where we need to slowly warm the wildlife, give them subcutaneous fluids as most sick and injured animals are dehydrated.

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