[Jesslan]

I'm a first time mom to two beautiful kittens. We adopted Lucius, a one year old stray, in August. At then adopted a four month old kitten, Gypsy, 2 weeks ago.

In the beginning they didn't like each other, but Lucius respected her claws and so didn't pick on her. Each day they were getting much better and getting along wonderfully, until Gypsy got sick a week ago. We took her to the vet and while she was there had her claws clipped. It turns out Lucius respected Gypsy because she had claws and he doesn't. Now that she doesn't have them, at least until they grow back, he picks on her ALOT. He'll hold her down and then try to bite her.

Her panicked meows when he holds her down breaks my heart. But it also breaks my heart that when I put him in the cage for 10 minutes as punishment and he starts with his pleading 'misunderstood' meows. I've tried squirting him with water while he's attacking her, I've tried a 10 minute time out, and yelling when I can't take it anymore. I can't come up with another solution that will work until her claws grow back.

It's gotten so bad that sometimes he picks on her for hours and I can't keep him locked in the cage all day. I'm at the point where I'm afraid I will lose my temper with him because he just will not stop.

Does anyone have any kind of suggestions you think might work? I'm a truly desperate momma.

[LucyBell's mom]

I really don't have much experience in the matter. i've only had one cat at a time. but' i've been doing alot of reading about flower essences.
SpiritEssence holistic remedies and flower essences for animals and their people

[Jesslan]

Thank for the link to the site! I'd considered something like that for them, but wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the money on something that might not work. But I *will* keep that flagged just in case everything else I try doesn't work. (Which it is coming down to that.)