Other Types Of Aggression To Consider
Maternal Aggression
A female cat with a litter of kittens may hiss, growl, chase, swat or try to bite another cat who approaches, even one with whom she was formerly friendly. Maternal aggression usually subsides once the kittens are weaned. Its a good idea to spay maternally aggressive cats to prevent future litters and future aggression problems.
Play Aggression
Its common for kittens and young cats to engage in rough, active play because all feline play consists of mock aggression. Cats stalk, chase, sneak, pounce, swat, kick, scratch, ambush, attack and bite each otherall in good fun. If theyre playing, its reciprocal. They change roles frequently. Their ears are typically forward in play, their claws may be out but they dont cause damage, and their bodies lean forward not back.
My Cat Is Being Bullied By Another Cat
Perhaps a neighborhood cat picks on your cat and makes it more agitated. Usually, the bullying cat is the most aggressive and, thus, the dominant one in the area. Itll assert its dominance by constantly picking on your cat, with who it may have a personality clash.
The dominant cat may continue bullying your cat after it has signaled submission. While this isnt common, it can lead to your cat becoming stressed out, frustrated, overly anxious, and depressed.
Therefore, if you find that another cat is bullying your cat, you must intervene and stop it. Separate the two cats and avoid letting them have contact with one another. This may involve scaring away the other cat or keeping your feline indoors, so they cant fight.
A New Cat Is Not Getting Along With Current Cat In The Household
Bringing a new cat or kitten into the home when you already have one or more cats can upset the current hierarchy within the household. A proper, slow introduction will help ease the adjustment. Below is an introduction technique to try even if your cats have already met and spent time together.
Also Check: How Long Do Shorthair Cats Live
Microchip Operated Cat Flaps
If the problem isnt exactly with friendly neighborhood cats but with strays that come over and try to attack your buddy, a good way to ensure his or her security is to invest in a microchip operated cat flap.
If your cat finds itself in a dangerous situation, it is able to get back into the house quickly and easily through the cat flap.
Cats can be very fickle animals they can demand to be let out, only to immediately want to come back inside again, so having a cat flap would make it that much easier for you.
The pet microchip cat flap identifies cats using their unique pet identification microchip unlocking only for your pets and preventing strays and neighborhood cats from entering your home.
The Microchip cat flap does not require any collar or tag to activate it, which could become snagged or lost.
Are My Cats Playing Or Fighting
Many cat parents find it difficult to differentiate between the fight and play. Most of the time when cats chase and wrestle with each other during play. However, there are times when they actually fight. And, you must know this when its a fight and when its a play to control the situation before it gets escalated.
To differentiate between the fight and play you need to observe carefully the body language of your cat. The following gestures show that your cats are actually fighting and not playing.
You May Like: Ship Cat Across Country
Identifying Why A Stray Cat Is In Your Yard
Remove The Reasons For The Visits
In order to persuade the kitties to move on, make your property unpleasant while removing the reasons they visit. If you have bird feeders, either stop feeding the birds or relocate the feeders to areas that are not viewable from inside your home. Although you might enjoy fraternizing with the neighborhood cats, dont encourage them to stay by interacting with them around your home.
You May Like: Kitten Fleas Dawn Soap
How Long Do Fights Last Between Cats
It is fairly rare for two cats to fight regularly on a long-term basis as most will learn to predict the others habits and avoid areas where they are likely to be. Cat fights are essentially won or lost on the day and only the minority of disputes remain unsettled. If the issue is left unresolved then fighting may occur from time to time.
My Cats Have Suddenly Started Fighting
If your cats have suddenly started fighting, the safest option is to separate them into different rooms for 24-48 hours until they have both calmed down. You should also keep them inside for this time in order to avoid them meeting and fighting outside. Keep an eye out for any signs that your cats are frustrated by being kept inside, such as pacing, meowing to be let out, or raising themselves up by the door. Make sure your cats are kept separate for long enough that they can calm down, but not so long that they become frustrated and potentially more stressed. If you think either of them might be injured, get in touch with your vet as soon as possible.
It is safest to separate two cats who are fighting using a thick blanket or by gently pushing a soft bristled broom between them. Dont try to pick them up with your bare hands as you might get hurt by accident.
You May Like: Blue Wilderness Indoor Cat Food Reviews
Your Cats Are Very Territorial
This circles back to bad socialization in multi-cat households. Cats that are often hissing at each other and breaking out into fights are likely territorial of their home and areas that they consider to be theirs. Your cats dont need to be fighting for you to figure out if one of them is being territorial, either. Simply watch what happens when one cat comes to join the same space as another.
For example, if youre chilling out on your bed watching a movie with one sleeping cat, and a second cat hops onto the bed, what happens? If one of the cats starts growling, hissing, or even bats at the other cat, youve found your territorial kitty.
Lack Of Cat Essentials
The last possible reason is you do not have enough cat essentials to satisfy the number of cats you have. Maybe they have only one litter box, one bed or a tree that is just one-tier. And, both cats to use any of them at the same time and fight with each other. Cats parents often try to save their money by not providing enough essentials to their cats and this becomes the root cause of the fight between them.
You May Like: How To Get A Mat Out Of Cat Hair
Divert The Aggressive Cats Attention
Now we want to divert the attention of the cat who is aggressive and bullying her housemate. Because we want to break the eye contact between the cats and let the aggressive release her energy.
You can do multiple things to get this by using the following tools:
I) A Laser Pointer
Point the laser pointer towards the aggressive cat and move it randomly. This possibly breaking her eye contact with the other cat motivated her to catch the beam.
Next, move the pointer away from the cat slowly to increase the distance between both cats.
Heres the link to get the one if you dont have one already.
II) Water Spray
Some behaviourists also advise using a water spray. They advise you to spray it on both cats so that they get separated from each other to save themselves from water.
I personally feel that its better to use the laser pointer instead of the water spray because I dont like to scare the cats.
If you dont have water, get it from here.
One Cat Smells Different
If one of your cats suddenly smells differently, the other cat may react pretty violently at first. This can happen if you took one of your cats to a vet or a groomer, for example.1 Cats identify each other through smell and voice, not just by sight. A weird, unfamiliar smell signals an intruder, not a friend.
Eventually, the two cats will remember each other, but it can be pretty disturbing to watch best friends fight until they figure it out. Some people schedule vet visits at the same time to avoid this.
If you can’t take them to appointments together, try rubbing the returning cat with a blanket your cats sleep on before reintroducing him to the home. Another option is to lightly rub your hands with a pleasant scent, like smelly treats or water from canned tuna, and then gently pet your kitty. The distracting but pleasant scent might overpower the vet’s scent.
Recommended Reading: 21 Year Old Cat In Human Years
Never Use Your Body To Break Up A Cat Fight
The adrenaline going through your cats’ bodies while they are fighting can easily be turned on you if you get in the way. Using your hands, feet, legs, or any other body part to get between cats that are fighting is almost sure to get you scratched and bitten. Cat bites can cause serious injury, so they are something to be avoided as much as possible.
Clean Up Urine Inside Your Home
Outdoor cats can trigger indoor kitties to mark their territories and communicate their displeasure about the other cats presence. The residents might spray or urinate outside their litter boxes. Dont punish or yell at them, they arent being bad. Instead, clean up the area, using an effective enzyme cleaner. Like with the outside spraying areas, t might take a few applications until the scent is gone. Because most enzyme cleaners work as they dry, allow the product to dry naturally.
Don’t Miss: Tuxedo Cat Genetics
My Cats Have Suddenly Started Fighting What Should I Do
If the inter-cat aggression manifested itself in intense fighting between two individuals then the safest option is to separate them into different rooms for 24-48 hours until they have both calmed down. If a re-introduction at that stage still results in active fighting it may be necessary to segregate them for a longer period and treat them like complete strangers meeting for the first time. .
Episodes of aggression can occur at the most unlikely times when owners are often ill-prepared, one typical example is the reaction of the group to the return of a single member from a trip to the vets surgery. Cats communicate predominantly using their sense of smell, and the familiar communal odour that a group of cats create helps to bond them. That scent changes when one cat takes a trip to the vet and acquires a mix of threatening and unpleasant smells from the surgery. This can cause a dramatic response when the cat is brought home and the others fail to recognise their companion. To avoid this happening to your cat family, keep the returning cat in a separate room initially for at least the first twelve hours to enable it to groom to re-establish a familiar odour. You can assist this process by stroking and generally giving affection but be careful not to over fuss a post-operative patient. Be guided by the veterinarian or nurse who will give you the appropriate aftercare advice.
Signs That Cats’ Fighting Is Real
There are a few different signs that your cats are fighting or not getting along:
- Full-contact fighting where both cats are locked together. They might fight like this every time they see each other, potentially causing injuries, or they might sometimes be fine together but only when supervised.
- Partial-contact fighting. This is where the cats flail their paws rapidly in the direction of the other cat, with or without actual contact.
- Body language that looks aggressive. One cat might stalk the other cat, with tense body posture that is low to the ground. Their ears will be rotated backwards, and their back may be arched and their tail fluffed up.
- Aggressive sounds. These are usually hissing, growling, more guttural sounds or a scream .
There are less obvious signs that are referred to as passive or silent aggression. Less obvious signs your cats arent getting along might be:
- Your cats staring at each other with wide, unblinking eyes and a fixed expression.
- One cat stealing a resting place from the other cat .
- One cat blocking passageways, stairs and corridors to prevent the other cat moving freely throughout your home.
- Blocking access to the cat flap or litter tray.
If you notice any of these behaviours, you should contact your vet. It may also be worth asking them about a referral to a cat behaviourist who should be able to help with your situation.
You May Like: Why Do Cats Attack Their Tails
Cat Fight: Stopping Your Cat From Getting Into Trouble
Cats like their own space and will naturally feel stressed or insecure if there are other cats in places they see as theirs. This means that our beloved felines can often get into scraps with each other, especially in neighbourhoods or homes where there are lots of cats.
A lot of cat owners may be familiar with the sound of two moggies having a stand-off in the street. Understanding why they fight can help you take steps to avoid cat fights and the dangers and injuries that come with them for your cat.
How To Tell The Difference Between Playing And Fighting
Most of the time, cats that are play-wrestling don’t make much noise. Yowling and spitting indicate real fighting.
Cats that are playing tend to move more slowly than fighters, and they separate and re-engage a lot. Cats that are fighting tend to keep at it, and when they do separate, they continue to face each other, usually with their ears laid back, and their bodies are tense.
Sign up for the Purrfect Post Newsletter:
You May Like: Calories Per Day Cat
Dear Your Own Vets Animal Behaviorist
We have three cats. Two are brothers and the other we adopted separately. The two brothers have been hissing and growling at each other recently. We believe this may have been triggered by the sight or scent of a female cat outside. All three are strictly indoor cats. They have limited access to a screened in patio. What can we do to stop these indoor cats fighting?
This is not the first time this has happened. We are afraid one cat could kill or seriously injure the other.
Thank you,
Dear Courtney,
It is very difficult with indoor cats who see, smell or hear other cats outside. This can cause stress between themselves. The outside cat might be a female, but it possibly could be a male and as the males cant get to that cat to fight it off, they are now fighting each other.If you do see a cat outside, then chase it away and try to see how it got in and block that access if possible.
I would suggest that you get some Feliway from your vet and spray this around your house where the cats spend most of their time. This pheromone helps to calm cats down and is fairly successful. You can also try putting a calming collar on the cats.If they are still fighting, I would suggest that you contact a good behaviourist who will come to you house and work through the problem with you.
Regards,
Common Types Of Aggressive Behaviors Between Cats
Territorial aggression
Cats are very territorial, much more so than dogs. Territorial aggression occurs when a cat feels that his territory has been invaded by an intruder. Depending on where your cat spends his time, he may view your whole neighborhood as his territory. Female cats can be just as territorial as males.
The behavior patterns in this type of aggression include chasing and ambushing the intruder, as well as hissing and swatting when contact occurs. Territorial problems often occur when a new cat is brought into a household, when a young kitten reaches maturity, or when a cat encounters neighborhood cats outside. Its not uncommon for a cat to be territorially aggressive toward one cat in a family, and friendly and tolerant to another.
Inter-male aggression
Adult male cats normally tend to threaten, and sometimes fight with, other males. These behaviors can occur as sexual challenges over a female, or to achieve a relatively high position in the cats loosely organized social dominance hierarchy.
Defensive aggression
Defensive aggression occurs when a cat is attempting to protect himself from an attack he believes he cannot escape. This can occur in response to punishment or the threat of punishment from a person, an attack or attempted attack from another cat, or any time he feels threatened or afraid.
Redirected aggression
Read Also: Umbrella Tree Poisonous To Cats