Although it can be sad and irritating, fighting among cats that live in the same house is a problem that is generally avoidable and treated with the help of a cat behaviorist and veterinarian.
Due to the complexity of cat behavior, there are numerous reasons why cats may become aggression.
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Why Do Domestic Cats Become Aggressive?
The early social experiences, exposure to people and other animals, gender, the social environment, handling, personality, and many other elements all have a significant impact on aggression in cats. Aggression is a typical component of feline behavior and is not diagnostic. Aggression between cats living together can take many different forms and have a variety of causes. Fear, anxiety, illnesses, an inappropriate introduction of a new cat, a lack of resources, and other reasons can all have an impact on inter-cat violence in a family.
A lack of socializing
The goal of socializing is to prepare children to engage and feel comfortable with a variety of animals, people, places, and activities. The “sensitive phase,” or when a kitten is between the ages of 2 and 7 weeks, is the ideal time to begin associating with other animals.
Since many cats do not obtain the proper socialization, issues are more likely to arise when one or more adults are involved who have not been socialized to their own species. These cats lack the necessary exposure, which stops them from comprehending accepted feline etiquette and communication. As a result, they are more likely to react strongly and inappropriately when they see another cat. They could try to drive the other cat out of their territory by attacking or running away and hiding in fear.
During the process of healthy socialization, the animal should learn appropriate social conduct with other members of their own species and those who have been properly socialized. Later in life, this will have a positive impact on how people behave in social settings.
Yet Another Cat
Since interactions between your present cats often set the stage for subsequent interactions, it is essential to appropriately introduce your new cat to them. If your current cat has always been friendly and has lived with other cats, it can be quite alluring to just let your new cat out in the same area as your current cat. Although it would seem that they would get along naturally, cats don’t always get along, and a terrible first impression could sour their relationship from the beginning.
The guidelines for cat-to-cat introductions should be introduced gradually and with care for each cat’s needs. It can be difficult to resist the need to immediately bring the cats together so they can form a sweet friendship, but if you let your new cat wild in the house, a lot of things could go wrong and the outcomes might not be ideal.
Your other cat can feel like their territory has been invaded if you just let the new cat roam free. Because of this, your present cat can act differently or become hostile (offensive) toward the new cat, altering their behavior. That serves no purpose for either of them.
According to the new cat, it doesn’t truly know where it is. Every corner may be dangerous, and every unusual sound and smell. If you adopted your new cat, it most likely only had a little amount of exposure to sounds and smells. It might also be used to living in a small space, so rushing it might make it feel overloaded and anxious even though you want it to feel “free.”
Competition for Resources
In multi-cat households, it is typical for one or more cats to restrict access to necessary items like food, water, and litter boxes. Some of the key environmental components that should be supplied in numerous, distinct locations include litter boxes, water, food, perches, resting and sleeping areas, play areas, scratching posts, and toys. This lessens the desire to defend territory, lessens anxiety and fear, lessens social conflict and rivalry, and provides options—all of which reduce feline aggression.
The last thing cats want to do is fight. As fighting can lead to injury, cats would rather escape or avoid one another. Violence, however, is the last recourse if none of these options are accessible. Despite the fact that the cats in multi-cat families are typically unrelated, they must nonetheless share resources and have few options to elude or avoid potentially hazardous situations.
Medical Issues
If you notice sudden changes in your cat’s behavior toward another cat in the house, you should get your cat examined and given diagnostic tests to rule out any underlying medical concerns. Hurt cats may also act in an outlandishly hostile manner. A cat may begin to snarl or hiss and may get generally angrier when other household creatures approach. Other medical conditions like hyperthyroidism, dental problems, osteoarthritis, and cognitive dysfunction might make cats more agitated and aggressive.
Without Dangerous Outlets
Because they exist, cats must be given the opportunity to exhibit their typical behaviors and needs. It’s essential to provide your cat with predatory outlets, such as a variety of toys, scheduled cat-only playtimes once or twice daily, and puzzle food toys.
How to Deal with Cat Aggression
Aggression is a broad category of complex behaviors that occur for many reasons and under varied circumstances. Early intervention is the best course of action, so call your veterinarian and a competent cat behavior specialist for help as soon as you see tension or antagonism among cats.
- Find any factors (such as images of outside wild cats or loud noises) that make your cats anxious and alter the environment to reduce or remove them.
- Cats should live in a rich environment that encourages their natural coping skills. Several raised cat perches big enough for one cat, several litter boxes (the number of litter boxes should match the number of cats + one) dispersed around the house, numerous food and watering stations, numerous scratching posts/pads, etc. are included in this.
- A lot of appropriate areas for cats to play and engage in enrichment should be provided.
- Keep the cats away whenever you are not watching them, if there is mild to severe aggression, or always to avoid forging further negative ties between them.
- Use counterconditioning and desensitization strategies when reintroducing the cats gradually, and keep an eye out for any indications of stress or anxiety.
- At the first hint of antagonism, stalking, or bullying, you should definitely remove the aggressive cat with a toy or trethet from the other cat. Recognize it by learning to understand body language.
- Stay away from punishment. This involves yelling, spitting water, hitting, and creating loud noises (such clapping or rattling cans of pennies). Punishment can educate the cat to dislike the other cat more by connecting it with the other cat, which can also heighten fear and anxiety and destroy the bond between humans and animals.
If you suspect your pet is sick, call your vet immediately. For health-related questions, always consult your veterinarian, as they have examined your family pet, know the pet’s health history, and may make the best recommendations for your pet.
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