As you might have realized, cats need companionship just as much as we do, so if you spend most of your day at work or school, your pets might be lonely all by themselves.
While two or more cats can keep one another company and offer some entertainment throughout the day, it can also create tension in your household.
Common Reasons Why Cats Fight
1. Territorial Instincts
There’s no two ways about it – cats like their own space. If another cat (or another animal) keeps invading their personal space or hanging around a spot they believe to be theirs, this can cause aggression or even feline anxiety, causing them to hiss and lash out at others.
2. Social Hierarchy
When cats reach adulthood and a certain level of maturity, they may begin to develop a hierarchy of social dominance. Adult male cats are most often the “problem” in these cases, asserting physical and social dominance over other males or sexual dominance over a female. Cat friendships can exist, but only if the social hierarchy is firmly established.
3. Limited Resources
We all know that cats will fight over food and sometimes even toys. This relates back to the territorial instinct and a cat’s innate need to protect and provide for themselves – and, in the case of a mother cat, for her young. This is why you might notice dinner time as a particularly aggressive moment in the day! You might also notice fights that stem from jealousy. Your cat loves you and wants all of your attention!
4. Lack of Introduction
Cats are pretty social creatures, but they’re undoubtedly wary of other people and animals, and they like their own space. If you’re planning on adopting a kitten, the chances of your older cats getting a little high-strung about it are strong. They might attack a new cat, try to show them who’s boss, or even hide away somewhere safe.
5. Redirected Aggression
Cats can get frustrated just like us. And just like us, sometimes they take their feelings out on an unsuspecting bystander, such as the other pets in your home. If a cat is in pain or feeling threatened or agitated by, for example, a squirrel he’s spotted through the window, there’s a chance he might redirect his feelings towards his housemate just to blow off some steam. Stimulating your cat regularly also plays an important role in managing their frustrations.
How to Prevent and Manage Cat Fights
Now that you know why your cats might be fighting, is there anything you can do about it? Here are some tips to help you prevent and manage catfights:
1. Make Sure Everyone Has Enough
Meal times are something you can exercise at least some level of control over! Your cats may fight less if they know they’ll always have enough food and don’t need to steal from one another to survive. You can also consider separating their feeding stations if they simply can’t leave each other alone. Separating toys, beds, and other cat supplies is also a good idea.
2. Provide a Proper Introduction
If you’re bringing a new cat into your home, it’s absolutely crucial that you introduce them properly. You might want to let your new cat get used to the smell of your other cats by giving them a toy or a blanket to sniff first (and vice versa). Introduce the new cat slowly, first allowing them only to see one another from a distance.
3. Create a Peaceful Environment
Stressed-out cats are more likely to take it out on one another, so try to ensure they’re not anxious. Make sure your cats have plenty of cat toys and comfortable spaces to lounge about and hide if they so wish, allow them opportunities to play and burn off energy, and use supplements like catnip to boost their mood if they seem to be high-strung for any particular reason.
4. Monitor and Step in
If you’ve identified an issue between your cats and notice they’re fighting regularly, it’s important that you monitor them carefully and try to step in before a fight escalates. Monitor your cat’s body language for signs of aggression, such as a flicking cat tail, hissing or swatting at one another, and see if you can identify a cause. At this point, it might be advisable to separate them until they seem to have calmed down.
What Should You Do After a Cat Fight?
Unfortunately, stepping in and controlling the aggression isn’t always possible, and your cats may still attack one another from time to time. So, if your cats get into a big fight, what do you do about it?
If you’re there to witness the fight, try to put a stop to it immediately if you can do so without getting hurt. Separate them and check the cats for injuries that might need attending. After a big fight, keeping your cats separated for at least a few hours is a good idea.
In the case of a more serious fight, you may need to take some time to rebuild trust between your pets, especially if one or both of them were harmed in the process. You should reintroduce and socialize your cats again gradually, as you would with a new pet.
If they’re amiable to it, try to use feeding times as a chance to build positive associations and use positive reinforcement to encourage friendly behavior between felines.
Conclusion
Cats are social, intelligent and sensitive beings, and they can be protective of their own space. There might be emotional, physical, or even environmental factors causing your cats to get at one another’s throats. Cat fights can be pretty common, but it’s important for you as an owner to understand what’s happening and know when and how to intervene.
