Benjamin seems far more settled now. We tried the pain relief for the episodes of what appeared to be pain related, however the episodes continued and it is clear now it is an issue he has with feet that surprise him. If a foot appears and he was not expecting it, he goes into defense position, growls, hisses and tries to bite the foot (or slipper or shoe). It is heartbreaking to think that his injuries could have been caused by a foot rather than an RTA, or even a combination of both – an RTA followed by a foot out of the way? I do not know, but what I do know is this is something we will work through so Benjamin does not have to be afraid of feet anymore.
I have the outdoor enclosure in boxes outside waiting to be built for Benjamin so he can spend some time outdoors – as soon as I have it built, I will add photos and some more info.
With Benjamin no longer being ‘top dog’ (cat of course!) Nicolas has stepped in and his now terrorising Bianca who has taken to weeing indoors, but not in the litter tray – anywhere else. This morning was the washing basket – I was just too late so she weed on my foot too! They are not used to Benjamin (the big fella) being so chilled and non dynamic, and Nicolas and Benjamin were like a mischievous tag team, so Nicolas is having to get his action elsewhere now by tormenting girls. I am hoping that as time goes by, Benjamin will become more like his old self and Nicolas will have his best mate back.
But for now, Benjamin is most happy sleeping in my son’s wheelchair (when my son is on his bed) or on my son’s bed (when my son is in his wheelchair) and is not so happy when it’s time to be moved from one to the other to make room for Lewis!
In a house of 5 cats and a dog who thinks she is a cat, Benjamin needs to re-establish his standing – never through aggression or intimidation – just by being the big gentle giant that he was before Friday 13th 2021. – and everybody loved him.
Oh my gosh that is a new issue to me! I’m sorry you are having to deal with it, but at least you know what the problem is. I know everyone is curious about how you’ll go about showing Benjamin that feet are friendly, so please keep us posted on the behavior modification techniques you use, and how they work out.
Sounds like the pride is in disarray right now, I’m so sorry! I have a feeling this is very temporary, until Benjamin gets his groove back and everyone’s previous roles are re-established. Time heals!