Will the Smoke ever clear?

This weekend will mark the fourth week that we have had Smoky with us in our home. It has been a really arduous and emotional month since we have grown to care for her so much but at the same time are so frustrated by her misbehaviors. She still urinates outside of the litter box though she has been a little better, but honestly she is generally kept in 2 rooms where we have put 4 litter boxes to increase her chances of hitting one. This week we noticed that she is spraying also, I am not sure if we missed this behavior since it is hard to notice or if this is just a new development. Her favorite places to spray and urinate are those spots that Mira and Chaya like to sleep so we feel that this is most likely passive aggression toward the girls. We have been keeping them separated but they still manage to fight at the door with Smoky attacking one side while Mira and Chaya bang away at the opposite side. Mira's diarrhea has persisted these four weeks and despite two different antibiotics, probiotics, and steroids, it is no better. We are exhausted with all of the stress that has descended on our previously happy little home. The girls are now so jumpy, even when Smoky is in her room, that if you try to pet them they jump a mile. Mira slinks around and they both lay just outside the door to Smoky's room, staring at it. We keep Smoky out in the house and the girls closed up while we are at home in the evenings but of course this means that we get no time with them which is really hard for all of us because they cry and meow because they want out.

Last night after I had a mini-breakdown following another door fighting session and two Smoky-sprayings I cried on the phone to my friend and cat-guru Yasmine and then had a talk with Eric about the situation. It just isn't getting any better but I am so hesitant to give up. We have decided to try one last-ditch effort: let them try to work it out (or fight it out) for themselves (supervised, of course). While we are at home we will let them be together and see if they can come to any sort of an understanding on their own. We will give it a week and reassess the situation at that time. In the words of Michael Buffer, "Let's get ready to rumble!" We started the grand experiment last night at around 8:30 or so. By 9:30 they had to be separated for the night because the fur was flying (literally, no joke, Smoky got a piece of Mira). We let them be together again this morning while we were getting ready for work and Smoky peed in the kitchen. So I guess so far everything is going swimmingly. Or not so much. It is going to be a long week I think. I wonder who will prevail at the end of the week? Judging from the pictures I would say Mira looks the scariest, Chaya's more a lover than a fighter, but Smoky is someone not to be messed with.