my 2 cats hissing at the my 3rd

[Mortius]

I have 3 cats, 18 months, 2 years and 5 years. All male, all neutered. They are house cats.

Yesterday the youngest (Hardy) Got out when i opened the door. He has a tendency to go to the spare room and sleep under the bed so we didn't notice he was gone for 3 hours. After a frantic search we found him soaking wet (due to rain) and scared in a neighbours back garden.

When i brought him home my oldest (Bungle) started hissing at him and wouldn't go near him, but the middle cat (Punk) was fine. Now this morning Punk started hissing at Hardy too and Bungle still won't go near him.

What can be causing this? And is there any way to resolve it as it's upsetting the youngest cat (as well as me and my wife)

[Cleo]

They are probably hissing because Hardy was outside and exposed to scents they aren't used.

First and foremost, did you check over Hardy to make sure he wasn't bitten or wounded in anyway?

If you could bathe Hardy (in shampoo for cat's) I would do that to remove any outdoor smells and freshen him up. Otherwise keep him separate for the time being from the other two and have him sleep on a towel or old shirt of yours for a night and the same with the other two cats. Then switch towels the next night so the cats can get acquainted with each other's scents again.

It'll pass, just might take a bit of time and patience.

[Traci]

As Cleo notes, it's important to check over Hardy well to make sure he didn't get any bites, cuts, scratches etc while being outside. Chances are, he hid for most of the time, if he truly isn't used to being out, but don't take chances, examine him, part the fur to check for wounds, etc.

And yes, it is most likely due to Hardy's bringing in strange scents from the outdoors,...this also occurs when one cat goes to the vet (or groomer or boarder), and comes home, the other cats will hiss because he/she has new scents on fur etc.

I wouldn't even attempt to bathe him (unless he got dirty outside in the rain) - he's stressed from being lost/wet, he will groom himself.

It WILL pass, the cats simply don't recognize Hardy's new scents, but they will get over it in a day or two. In the meantime, encourage them all to play together in the same space with their favorite toys, anything you can do to remind them of their ordinary daily routine.

[Mortius]

Thanks very much, was kind of thinking that myself, but didn't want to be presumptuous. And yes, the first thing i did after giving him a light towel dry was check for cuts etc, thankfully he's fine.

Again, thankyou for the responses. Punk seems okay with him again, but Bungle still hasn't came round, but he's always been a little prissy

[Traci]

Well, it's only been a day, so give this another day or two, and I'll bet Bungle will be himself in no time.

If for some reason he isn't, let us know and we can help you further.

[Cleo]

Glad to hear things are slowly getting back to normal. This happens all the time in my home when we come back from the vet and especially if one stays overnight at the vet. The others act as if they haven't known him/her their entire lives (especially the littermates).

Good luck and keep us posted. So glad to learn there were no cuts or scratches too!