Yes, absolutely, there’s hope! These kitties sound like lovely individuals, but too often, there’s an “odd cat out” that gets picked on. It probably would have been better had you interceded earlier—they’ve had time to practice this behavior for some time. That means it will take an equal (and very likely much longer) period of time to calm things down. I tell you this so you won’t become impatient, but just give things time.
Picked on cats act like victims, almost as if they have a “kick me” sign taped to their furry back. That invites the bully to keep on browbeating them. So you need to not only cool the bully-cat’s jets, but also boost the confidence of your victim.
Also, understand that cats do not care about democracy. By supporting (petting, taking up for, giving special attention to) the victim cat, it encourages the bully to keep on trying to put him in his place. It can be more helpful to actually support the bully cat—that is, feed him first, give him attention first, and play with him first. Give the victim cat all your love and attention, but privately, out of the sight of the bully. That way the bully has no reason to keep “teaching him a lesson.”
Here are some other things you can do. Create a “safe room” for a cat that includes a litter box, food and water bowls, scratching post and toys. Whenever you leave the house, put the “bully” inside this room. Since most fights take place when you’re away, this will immediately cut down on the agitation in the house. And once the picked-on cat realizes he doesn’t have to hide when you’re gone, his confidence should get a boost, and gives him a vacation from looking over his shoulders.
When you’re home, supervise the cats. If you see the bully cat staring or stalking, interrupt the behavior by shaking a can of pennies or tossing a soft toy across his line of vision. You want to avoid them making aggressive contact, and reduce the growling/hissing practice. Keep a heavy towel handy to toss over the top of the bully if the distraction techniques fail, so he has something else to think about–and the victim has a chance to get away.
Also, add some second-story territory in the form of cat trees so there’s less for the cats to argue about in the rest of the house. Create what’s called a “house of plenty” with so many toys, resting spots, tunnels, feeding stations and litter boxes and good cat ‘stuff’ around that the cats don’t need to argue over ownership. You’ll find many more tips on managing the problems in the book PETiQuette: Solving Behavior Problems in Your Multipet Household.
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