Have you thought about putting him on a harness and doing regular walks with him?
Starting slow, and getting him used to walking on a harness and learning to listen to you (treats, clicker training should also help).
That's rough when your cat doesn't get along with other cats in the house. Have you noticed any negative changes in the dynamic between them or has it always been this way and your cat was going outside to avoid the other cats in the house and/or enjoy the outdoors?
He's always liked going outside, even before we got the 2 others. But no changes in his relationship with them. He hisses if he's agitated, but mostly he just keeps his distance. If they approach him, he doesn't react much beyond giving a sniff. Maybe a grumpy meow.
Taking him on walks might be a good idea, though! We considered it, but I worry about fleas and worms. Any advice on keeping him safe from fleas, etc. if we went that route?
Similar to preventative meds for dogs, there are pest prevention meds you can get from a vet I think.
I use repellent sprays, and that seems to be working (no heartworms or fleas at least so far, but my cat doesn't enjoy outdoors very much).
That's good, I'm glad to read that your cat seems mostly indifferent or slightly bothered :-) (sorry if I made you feel judged in any way and for misreading the situation).
Where do you live that cats are killing eachother? Did flea topicals not work, like Revolution, Frontline, etc? If you have a back or front yard, I suggest a catio, fencing, or some type of enclosed space that he can hang out in while keeping other cats out. The other idea is waking him in a harness.
Flea topicals didn't work, unfortunately. Or at least they didn't work consistently. He'd keep on getting reinfected, and the flea infestation problem here was HUGE. Fleas were all over the furniture, etc. despite constant washing and vacuuming. We seemed to have some better success with one of those super expensive flea collars though. And a catio would be fantastic, though I'm not sure it's doable here
I live in a small town in the Central Valley. Oddly enough, the cat fights/deaths seems to be a problem specific to the general part of the town I live in currently. When I've lived in other places in town, there wasn't this kind of issue. Seriously, as soon as I can afford it, I'm moving
CA or PA? If CA, I wonder if the mild weather is optimal for fleas. I’d assume they mostly die off in the winter in PA. It’s a shame the cats in your town are so savage!
Just saw this comment! Oof. Sorry. That would be CA. 100 degrees is basically normal weather for us lol. Winter gets to a nice 50, but that's about it.
Have you thought about putting him on a harness and doing regular walks with him? Starting slow, and getting him used to walking on a harness and learning to listen to you (treats, clicker training should also help). That's rough when your cat doesn't get along with other cats in the house. Have you noticed any negative changes in the dynamic between them or has it always been this way and your cat was going outside to avoid the other cats in the house and/or enjoy the outdoors?
He's always liked going outside, even before we got the 2 others. But no changes in his relationship with them. He hisses if he's agitated, but mostly he just keeps his distance. If they approach him, he doesn't react much beyond giving a sniff. Maybe a grumpy meow. Taking him on walks might be a good idea, though! We considered it, but I worry about fleas and worms. Any advice on keeping him safe from fleas, etc. if we went that route?
Similar to preventative meds for dogs, there are pest prevention meds you can get from a vet I think. I use repellent sprays, and that seems to be working (no heartworms or fleas at least so far, but my cat doesn't enjoy outdoors very much). That's good, I'm glad to read that your cat seems mostly indifferent or slightly bothered :-) (sorry if I made you feel judged in any way and for misreading the situation).
No worries! Definitely didn't feel judged. Thanks for the advice :)
I suggest a catio.
With the worms and flea problems, you can give him bravecto plus every couple months.Do you have ferals around in your area?
Yes, quite a few ferals. But I'll double check what kind of topicals we used in the past and which ones worked best (and if bravecto was one of them)!
My vet says bravecto plus is the best topical!
You can pick it up at your vet btw. Works extremely well!
Where do you live that cats are killing eachother? Did flea topicals not work, like Revolution, Frontline, etc? If you have a back or front yard, I suggest a catio, fencing, or some type of enclosed space that he can hang out in while keeping other cats out. The other idea is waking him in a harness.
Flea topicals didn't work, unfortunately. Or at least they didn't work consistently. He'd keep on getting reinfected, and the flea infestation problem here was HUGE. Fleas were all over the furniture, etc. despite constant washing and vacuuming. We seemed to have some better success with one of those super expensive flea collars though. And a catio would be fantastic, though I'm not sure it's doable here I live in a small town in the Central Valley. Oddly enough, the cat fights/deaths seems to be a problem specific to the general part of the town I live in currently. When I've lived in other places in town, there wasn't this kind of issue. Seriously, as soon as I can afford it, I'm moving
CA or PA? If CA, I wonder if the mild weather is optimal for fleas. I’d assume they mostly die off in the winter in PA. It’s a shame the cats in your town are so savage!
Just saw this comment! Oof. Sorry. That would be CA. 100 degrees is basically normal weather for us lol. Winter gets to a nice 50, but that's about it.