Groom The Cat

Fighting Cats

If you have several pet cats, you have probably been faced with fighting cats from time to time. Even cats who generally get along will have and argument now and then. Sometimes, the fighting is more serious and there is a real danger to one of the cats. If you understand why this happens you can do a lot to prevent it and help the cats to get along better.

Fighting for territory

The most common reason that cats fight is because they feel their territory has been invaded by another cat. This is to be expected when you bring a new cat into the household, but it can can happen between cats even when they have been living together a long time. Suddenly one of them seems to need to ‘own’ the territory more fully. Female cats feel this way as well as male cats, and neutering does not always prevent it, although it usually makes male cats less aggressive in their territorial defence.

Displaced aggression

You may also see a strange phenomenon when your cats are inside the house. If one cat is watching through the window and sees a strange cat or a dog crossing ‘his’ yard, he will feel aggressive and want to chase it, but because he cannot get out through the window, instead he takes out his aggression on another cat that is inside the house. This is known as displaced aggression.

Social ranking

If you have more than one cat, then they will operate a ranking system with one of them at the top, and this ‘pecking order’ is established by fighting. Usually the top cat will be a male. If all of your cats are either neutered males or females, you can expect the matter to be settled without anything more than posturing and threats. Often times it is very like the play of kittens, and the cats will simply hiss, howl or try to bite and then walk away as if nothing has happened. However if you have two unneutered males they may fight constantly and cause each other some serious injuries, and you may have to consider neutering or giving one of them to a new home.

Most times you do not need to intervene in a cat fight, but if you do want to stop it the best way is to frighten them with a sudden loud noise, such as clapping your hands. Spraying them with water can also separate them. Do not try to get in between them, you will almost certainly be scratched.

There is no point in punishing cats for fighting. They do not see it as bad behavior but something perfectly natural. They will not understand the punishment. If they are fighting more than you like, consider what they may be fighting over. It could be something like the litter box, the food bowl, or the best place to sit at the window on a sunny day. Be sure to give each cat its own food bowl, litter tray and bed or quiet place that it can retreat to.

You can help cats to become accustomed to each other by separating them for a while. Keep one in a room while the other is allowed to wander around the house, then shut the second one in a different room and let the first one walk around. This will help them get used to each other’s scent. Then bring out the younger or newer cat inside a carrier. Let them investigate and bat at each other through the carrier if they want. When they seem fine with that you can let them meet face to face, making sure that both have an escape route. You can resolve most problems with fighting cats this way.

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