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Stop Cats Fighting
Killgrimage
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So I have two cats that are both around 4ish years old. They are not littermates, but they are very close and have been together since before they were a year old. Mostly, they don't like other cats, and we have decided not to get more kittens because of this. Early on, we tried having a third, and they weren't really okay with it, but they tolerated him. Now we just have the two again, and they usually get along famously.
Unfortunately, there is a new outdoor cat in our area that likes to taunt our indoor kitties in front of the large window we have in our living room. A couple of times they have seen him and gotten tense, but yesterday he got REALLY close to the window, and the both of them flipped out...on each other. Now it's been at least 24 hours where we can't have our guys together, because they fight badly.
A couple of people and many websites say to just let them have at it and reestablish their relationship. However, they are drawing blood when they see each other, and I don't want to have to take anyone to the vet. We've currently got them separated in the house, but our place isn't really set up for this long term. We've tried supervised meetings, but they really just get to fighting and don't seem to want to be friends again. Help?
Cat pics or it didn't happen:
Harvey, clever and (usually) easygoing
Jimmy, a lardass and highstrung, but adores Harvey like a big brother (even though he towers over him)
Unfortunately, there is a new outdoor cat in our area that likes to taunt our indoor kitties in front of the large window we have in our living room. A couple of times they have seen him and gotten tense, but yesterday he got REALLY close to the window, and the both of them flipped out...on each other. Now it's been at least 24 hours where we can't have our guys together, because they fight badly.
A couple of people and many websites say to just let them have at it and reestablish their relationship. However, they are drawing blood when they see each other, and I don't want to have to take anyone to the vet. We've currently got them separated in the house, but our place isn't really set up for this long term. We've tried supervised meetings, but they really just get to fighting and don't seem to want to be friends again. Help?
Cat pics or it didn't happen:
Harvey, clever and (usually) easygoing
Jimmy, a lardass and highstrung, but adores Harvey like a big brother (even though he towers over him)
Killgrimage on
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Our cats always had a couple of weeks of adjustment time whenever a new cat joined the club.
If they fight and one of them is clearly superior and the other tries to get away, maybe try to provide shelter areas, we were lucky because one of our cats was huge and the others that came later were rather small and skinny, so they could hide in places where the big guy could not follow and things eventually got a lot calmer until they just got along pretty well.
If they both keep at it and don't stop and you are sure that the neighbourhood cat outside is the cause of this you should try to find ways to discourage that cat from coming to close to your house.
Or, if the neighbourhood is not too dangerous(lots of traffic) you could just let your cats roam free, I always did that and I think that outdoor cats might be more relaxed and balanced than their counterparts that have to stay indoors all the time.
Also, cat pic:
yeah, that too and if not then do it.
As for the outdoor cat, we have taken steps to discourage him from returning, such as putting pokey chicken wire all over our deck (the place he likes to go that is closest). We've also put opaque coverings over the bottoms of the window, so that the cats can't see out for now, though this is just a temp solution in case the other cat returns and thwarts our efforts.
Letting them fight also means the house gets trashed. We've already seen significant damage to our wooden furniture (scraped by their back claws) and they broke a lamp.
Letting them outside is not really an option as we tried that and they just came back with fleas, a situation we REALLY don't want to repeat.
We're totally bummed and at our wits end with this. I don't understand why this time they can't seem to make up
Usually the kind of fleas that cats get will not be of the human biting variety.
I would say try to let them out, maybe get a cat-door and if they get fleas use a spray or the collar.
Instead, gradually reintroduce them to each other. Do you have any sliding doors in the house where you could open it just a sliver and let them see each other but not reach each other? Also, do they freak out IMMEDIATELY upon being in the same room together or do they EVENTUALLY start fighting? If it's the former, try being in the same room with them (with a spray bottle and can of pennies and maybe a broom to separate them if necessary--do not get your hands in between fighting cats!) and SHOWER them with treats for a short amount of time, praising like anything (even if they are hissing--ignore it), and then separate them again. Hopefully they'll eventually start thinking "Oh, seeing Jimmy is good because I get treats. Yay for Jimmy!"
You can also work with them individually, teaching them to focus their attention on you when you call their name. My cats would get along most of the time but sometimes fight seriously . . . I taught the aggressive cat to refocus on me. I'd do this by distracting him, then giving him a lot of treats and praising him. This seems counter-intuitive, right? Treating the cat after he's been bullying his friend? But it worked. He didn't associate getting treats with beating up the other cat, he associated it with stopping bullying the other cat. Now he hardly ever starts whaling on his friend and, when he does, he immediately stops and runs over to me when I call his name.
They only fight when the neighbours outdoor cat is at the window and teasing them.
Oh, I see. Well, what I'd do is put a sprinkler directly below that window and spray the crap out of the stray cat every time I saw him until he stops sitting there.
Well, now they seem to have reprogrammed themselves to hate each other, so it's ongoing at this point.
Gradual reintroduction seems like the best idea, plus treats. At least someone has told me what I always suspected...fighting it out is not a solution.