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Even when it seems like all is well in the house, aggression and fighting between two cats can come on suddenly and leave you feeling stressed about how to handle the situation. Whether the problem behavior was gradual or out of nowhere, sudden changes in your cat’s behavior are usually a cause for concern. In many cases, this can be associated with an underlying medical condition or pain, although behavioral or environmental factors are also common contributors. Other times, it could simply mean that something is bothering them that they aren’t okay with.
Always stop by your vet and have them rule out medical issues. If you are sure that there is nothing wrong, then it will be easier to track down the real reason why your cats are fighting in the first place.
The 4 Main Reasons Cats Fight
If you and your vet have ruled out medical issues, then one or more of the following concerns could be in play:
1. Fear
Cats usually act out because they’re scared and not just because they feel like being mean. If one of the cats in the house is feeling trapped or threatened by another, they will usually give off warning signals such as hissing, growling, or body tension. When they become so afraid that their fight or flight response kicks in, some cats choose aggression and fighting to protect themselves.
2. Territorial Aggression
Cats are territorial creatures. In the wild, they tend to be solitary hunters but can form flexible social groups when resources allow, and they mark areas using scent glands (such as facial rubbing) and urine marking. If another cat is encroaching on their territory, then they sometimes feel there is no other way to handle the intruder than to fight for what they believe is theirs.
3. Protecting Their Litter
It doesn’t matter what species you belong to; moms are not ones to mess with when it comes to their young. Mother cats may act aggressively when another animal comes close to their kittens because they are concerned for their safety. Even if she has a good relationship with the animals in the house, she won’t hesitate to do what she needs to do in order to keep her babies safe.
Mother cats are known to hiss, growl, swat, bite, and chase away any animal that dares to get too close. This kind of maternal aggression tends to decrease as kittens become more independent and are weaned, but if it is causing problems, you might consider having her spayed to prevent future litters.
4. Rough Play
All felines enjoy playing at one point or another. A lot of times, this rough play looks very similar to aggressive behavior. Two cats living in the same household often get bored and tend to stalk, pounce, kick, or ambush each other. If play goes on for too long, it can lead to overstimulation in some cats, and what was once playful behavior may escalate into true aggression. This type of play is often seen in younger or more active cats and may be influenced by differences in energy levels or social compatibility.
Body Language of Aggressive Cats
Pay attention to your cat’s eyes, tail, body, and ears. These are the main anatomical parts that tell you whether they are being genuinely aggressive or not. Signs of a hostile cat include ears being pulled back or lying flat, pupils being dilated, the tail being lowered or tucked between their legs, and their back arched with their fur standing up.
Some cats also get vocal when they are frustrated. Growling, yowling, and hissing are common communication signals to either warn another animal or person or show that they are in some sort of distress.
Top 6 Ways to Prevent Cat Fights
There are a few ways to manage aggression in household cats. These approaches vary depending on the type of behavior. Sometimes you have to use gradual desensitization and behavior modification, and other times it may require veterinary-prescribed medication.
1. Spaying and Neutering
Fighting tends to be more common in intact cats, largely due to the influence of reproductive hormones. These hormones can increase behaviors like roaming, territorial marking, and tension between cats, especially in males, who may spray indoors as a way of communicating territory. Spaying and neutering can help reduce these hormonally driven behaviors while also preventing unwanted litters.
2. Provide Hiding Spots
Cats would rather run and hide somewhere that they feel safe than have a confrontation that leads to a fight. Make sure your house has lots of high perches and hiding places that they can escape to whenever they feel scared or threatened.
3. Give Cats Individual Things
Keeping territorial aggression at a minimum is a lot easier to do if each of your cats has things that they can call their own. This means keeping separate food and water bowls, litter boxes, toys, perches, and any other sort of resource. In multi-cat households, providing multiple resources in different locations can help reduce competition and stress. If you give one cat something, make sure there is another of the same item in the house for the other cat as well.
4. Reinforce Good Behavior
While punishing your pets for bad behavior is not recommended and can increase fear or stress, you can certainly reward them whenever they are kind to one another. Give them treats every time there is a calm interaction so that they associate the behavior with something positive.
5. Keep Cats Separated
Sometimes two cats simply don’t get along. The best way to handle these strong personalities is to keep them separated for a few days to prevent further conflict and allow stress levels to decrease. If it is persistent, separation could take weeks until you can gradually reintroduce them. Reintroductions should be done slowly using controlled, positive associations to help improve tolerance between cats. Separation is even more important during mealtime.
6. Use Pheromone Spray
There are lots of products that mimic feline facial pheromones, which may help promote a sense of familiarity and reduce stress in some cats. These sprays are fairly affordable and could be a great tool in helping to minimize fights in the house.
What Not to Do When Two Cats Fight
Trying to encourage your cats to get along is normal, but you also don’t want to make a mistake that could escalate the situation. Do not allow your cats to fight it out. Allowing fights to continue can increase stress, reinforce negative associations, and lead to injury. Real catfights are not resolved through aggression, and they could end up seriously hurting one another if you let it play out.
After a fight, do not punish your cats for the way they acted. Punishment only makes the cats more fearful and could make it worse. At the same time, avoid excessive handling or forced interaction immediately after a conflict. Instead, give them their space and let them calm down.
What if the Cats Keep Fighting?
If the fighting won’t stop and you’ve tried everything you can think of, you might have to contact a veterinarian or an animal behaviorist to come out and assess the situation. These professionals are trained to have deeper insight and give some guidance on proper behavior modification techniques, and, when needed, medical support.
Final Thoughts
Cats have different personalities, may not be socially compatible despite appropriate introductions and management. If you’ve exhausted your resources, it may be time to find a way to keep the cats separated long-term or permanently to prevent ongoing stress and injury. This isn’t ideal for you, but sometimes it is the safest and most welfare-friendly option for both cats.
Featured Image Credit: Vshivkova, Shutterstock
