By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described … For some cat parents though, their cats' playtime may look as if it's crossed over into aggression. Sometimes if another cat or kitten is playing too rough with them, they may hiss as a way of saying “hey, stop that”. It's important that what works for some, may not work for others. 5. Pupil dilation is common. However, we can, at times, unknowingly be a part of the reason. This can’t be true!” Apparently, it’s not that uncommon for felines, who have been familiar with one another, to have some traumatic event reshape the way they look at one another. One cat may have spotted an unfamiliar animal outside and redirected his aggression toward a companion cat. Of course, if you need a gate that’s higher because you have a leaper, a wire mesh gate can be a great choice. When you have sibling cats suddenly fighting, I would first look at considering if they are resource guarding – they should have their own separate food bowls, a multitude of toys, and you should have at least 3 litterboxes in the house. Specifically, I had recently put gel packs in our closets to absorb any moisture and started to question whether he had consumed the toxic packets. Not sure what to do? The first step to stopping cat fights is to understand why they start. Copyright © 2020 2709358 Ontario Inc. Operating as healthcareforpets.com. A horrible situation and I only mention, because that loss brought the other two cats closer. Redirected Aggresion in Cats, when we had to take the time to separate the cats. The frightened cat will associate that scare with the cat he/she was with. – thankfully, it hadn’t progressed to that point yet. We are fortunate to have an upstairs and downstairs, so each cat has their own level with all the amenities they would need. Once medical issues are ruled out, you can implement behavior modification strategies to see results. Check out a little bit of their reunion below. When two cats in the household who have gotten along well togeth er suddenly become aggressive toward each other, the problem is generally fear-induced aggression. Sometimes fights may also be inadvertently evoked by the owners (stastics show most dog fights occur in presence of the owners!) Dr. Koski stresses that some situations figure themselves out in a week and others could take months. If they get along, they can usually learn to tolerate or avoid each other as well. They have all been to the vet and have ruled out major health issues. Why Do Cats Fight? Why does my cat have a runny nose and discharge in his eyes? We all think our situations are unique until we actually talk to others or take a peek online. One of the first suggestions Dr. Koski made was pheromones to help keep our cats chill. Or in their case it’s literally a family feud. And basically the past week they have been fighting repeatedly at night with these awful growling, whining noises. So, what we believe happened after six weeks was the combination of several key factors in their turnaround. And that’s what I did, but what I found was there wasn’t a whole lot of information that explained what would have caused this new behavior between previously affectionate siblings. Sibling cats suddenly fighting after vet. Cats are also at an increased risk of urethral obstruction during times of stress. The fearful cat may initially attempt to avoid the fear stimulus if that is an option. Not sure what to do because the fights seem to last a long period of time and the hissing and growling noises seem to be getting worse. What are some tips on how to get my cat to lose weight. When can you start brushing a cat’s teeth? Nobody likes a cat fight -- the hissing, the yowling, the potential for real harm to one or both cats. I have since changed their diet primarily to wet food, which our veterinarian recommended to help avoid future mineral crystals forming and the potential of an actual urethral obstruction. My Tips for Dealing with Fighting Cats. Cats don’t usually severely injure one another this way, but you should always check for puncture wounds which are prone to infection. It can be fairly unpredictable and it can change suddenly without our having any idea why the change occurred. Please share your experiences and stories, your opinions and feedback about this blog, or what you've learned that you'd like to share with others. If you are worried that your pet is having an emergency or if you have specific medical questions related to your pet’s current or chronic medical conditions, please contact or visit your veterinarian, an animal-specific poison control hotline, or your local emergency veterinary care center. So we had our veterinarian do a urinalysis on both and while Rajah's tests came back clean, Zsa Zsa had formed some urine crystals and was put on antibiotics for a suspected urinary tract infection. Cat behavior problems. Disclaimer: healthcareforpets.com and its team of veterinarians and clinicians do not endorse any products, services, or recommended advice. , which our veterinarian recommended to help avoid future mineral crystals forming and the potential of an actual urethral obstruction. This page may contain affiliate links, for which we earn a commission for qualifying purchases. Second, swap the cats out occasionally from each space. That aggression is then transferred to the carefree cat just chilling and minding their own business. They’ve always gotten along for the most part, like they will both sleep on the bed with me at night and would play together now and then. She has never shown fear of him, and he is not a malicious cat at all. My wife was already getting ready to leave for work (I know, early right?) However, this likely won't always be the case and fights may break out. The usual cause of conflict is competition for resources such as food bowls, water bowls, litter trays and scratching posts. Again, until recently. A thorough physical exam, patient history, and an established veterinary-patient-client relationship is required to provide specific medical advice. I was convinced that the girl, Zsa Zsa, had a urinary issue, which I believed Rajah looked at as a weakness and thus created his aggressive behavior. This was confirmed after talking with Dr. Marci Koski, certified feline behavior and training consultant. Behavior is always a challenging subject to deal with. … The most common is undersocializationa lack of pleasant experiences with other cats early in life. Another thought is (if this situation occurred recently)sometimes two cats can be together and something frightens one like a very loud noise like thunder. So where are we at now? Next, I would consider if there are stresses in the home or other changes – visitors, death or birth in the family, job changes … That being said, I had never personally watched my own cats getting in – well – a “cat fight." It’s a good idea to spay maternally aggressive cats to prevent future litters and future aggression problems.Play AggressionIt’s common for kittens and young cats to engage in rough, ac… Unfortunately, in our case the cats were able to escape their private living quarters a couple times (the kids have been great, but accidents do happen) and resumed the hostility towards one another. Why would they do this after 5 years of loving each other. Zsa Zsa was found to have crystals in her urine, which can increase the risk of urethral obstruction – thankfully, it hadn’t progressed to that point yet. Lastly, (and surprisingly) the most important step in eventually reuniting the siblings was the mental stimulation. We also had them separated in the house and switched them out twice a day (video above), so that they would experience the other's scent. You may need to re-socialise these cats so that they know how to act around others. My decision to finally change that was simple — I was guilt-tripped. Separate sisal cat trees so there's no fighting over the sunny window. Time is your friend, and just when you want to give up, you might be surprised at the outcome. Just ask any parent. As an online informational resource, Preventive Vet is unable to and does not provide specific medical advice or counseling. The ultimate goal is to get them back to normal, because (let’s face it) separating them is a major inconvenience to the household and can be incredibly stressful on both cats. Quality products focused on your pet’s health and wellness! Give them separate and defined territories. Original Question: Good morning. Some of us may even have family that drive us crazy. Please do not ask emergency or other specific medical questions about your pets. So, cats that are familiar can also find a reason to hate one another. And providing an enriching experience within their environment was the first step we took. If one cat visited the veterinarian and then was attacked by his feline companion upon returning home, then that might be territorial/non-recognition aggression. Friends turned foes overnight. We found this gate worked well for our cats and kids for years. These cats simply do not know how to share or get along with other cats. In fact, originally the two were adopted along with a third sibling, but due to a. , we had to put him down shortly after the adoption. How to Get Your Cats to Like Each Other Again, We adopted siblings as kittens from a shelter and for the past three years, despite having polar-opposite personalities, they have been very affectionate and at times inseparable. Aggession in Cats, Why Are My Cats Fighting Suddenly? So I have ten year old cats that come from the same litter, been together for their entire lives in the same house, never had any issues with them before. Feline Urethral Obstruction: Be Aware. Brief engagements of course, but after increasing their mental stimulation with cat toys while in the same room, we began to see a real difference in their behavior. Put their food on each side of a door and leave the door slightly ajar. I was at a loss. Maternal AggressionA female cat with a litter of kittens may hiss, growl, chase, swat or try to bite another cat who approaches, even one with whom she was formerly friendly. After some research and talking with the shelter where we adopted them as kittens, we found that the cats may have had an experience that led to a misunderstanding. Are My Cats Playing or Fighting? Our house was now set-up for success, but what are we supposed to do with the cats? This is at no cost to you, but it helps fund the free education that we have on our website. There are several reasons that cats might not get along. Again, until recently. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(347034, '7f1975e7-72eb-4782-a528-08e2bc06c283', {}); Topics: Nothing has changed? Defensive aggression. Why Do Cats Fight? First, we had to separate the cats into two different rooms, because we didn’t want to risk injury to either cat. Until recently. Sudden Aggression in Cats, There are … Cats tend to prefer consistency over change. Fear aggression may be exhibited in a combination of offensive and defensive responses. I suggest bringing both into a room and hold or leash the cat that’s the aggressor (only if they’re harness trained), to have a little more control. Hoping you can offer some suggestions. If your cats suddenly start fighting when they previously lived together without altercations, the first step is to take them both to your veterinarian for medical evaluation. Answered by: Jeanne Perrone, MS, CVT, VTS (Dentistry). You could put up a catwalk for one and a bed on a desk or floor for the second. Give it a try, you can unsubscribe anytime. I’ve seen the smaller cat torment the bigger one now and then over the years and she hisses when she doesn’t want to play. Neither of the cats seeks the other out, but if they run into each other, both will act startled and attack. A horrible situation and I only mention, because that loss brought the other two cats closer. In fact, originally the two were adopted along with a third sibling, but due to a freak accident, we had to put him down shortly after the adoption. when we had to take the time to separate the cats. They are indoor cats except for the patio. Cats Fight Because of Hormones Male cats are often involved in inter-cat aggression, which most often occurs when a cat reaches social maturity between two and four years of age. Please do not ask emergency or other specific medical questions about your pets in the blog comments. Some cats just wont give peace a chance. I’m not sharing this to say your cats won’t become friends again, but rather to emphasize, sometimes it can take time. Zsa Zsa was found to have crystals in her urine, which can increase the risk of. Anytime something happens for the first time in your life, you naturally believe you’re the only one to ever have the experience. Cat Behavior, Many of the scenarios that would cause a cat to become aggressive can be alleviated with changes to the cat’s physical or social environment. When you have sibling cats suddenly fighting, I would first look at considering if they are resource guarding – they should have their own separate food bowls, a multitude of toys, and you should have at least 3 litterboxes in the house. Two of my three cats suddenly started not being able to stand being in the same room together after living together for four years with no problems. Providing enriching experiences for your cat doesn’t have to require a lot of time, effort, or money. So give each cat their own set of resources and put them in separate areas to avoid tension caused by competition (Remember, you can put them on different levels, one on the floor and higher up). For example, a cat “A” may be sitting in a window as an outside cat walks by. All rights reserved. We swap the cats in the morning and early evening everyday. Read more here. Cat Aggression, Rajah's urinary tests came back clean and Zsa Zsa was sent home with medication and quickly recovered. It's not all sunshine and rainbows, because cats don't just immediately forget that hostility, but it's amazing that these two can be in the same room without hissing and going feral on each other! I’ve been a crazy cat lady my whole life, but up until last year, I’d never had sibling cats in my house. Now, I was trying to figure out if this development created the riff or was a symptom of it. We also wanted to make sure there wasn't a health concern. This is espe… Other than a constant need to have their ears cleaned, the vet can’t find a reason for the aggression. Feline Urethral Obstruction: Be AwareWhy Cats Should Eat Wet FoodHow to Walk Your Cat on a Leash...Safely. Obviously that was not the case, since I had placed them in areas the cats couldn’t access, but you know how the mind wanders. Why are my cats fighting all of a sudden? These cat specialists are good at resolving issues for cats who keep fighting, and they can train your cat to manage their aggression better. While some cats are friendlier than others and do seek companionship and attention of other cats, most prefer being the only cat of the house. Intact males are much more likely to fight in this way than are neutered males. It comes with three diffusers and six refills, which we needed with each cat on separate levels of the home. In every multi-cat household, there is a hierarchy established by the cats themselves. © 2020 Preventive Vet. We adopted siblings as kittens from a shelter and for the past three years, despite having polar-opposite personalities, they have been very affectionate and at times inseparable. happy cat behavior, Sibling cats suddenly fighting after vet. Behavior is always a challenging subject to deal with. Suddenly they are hissing and growling and I'm very upset! Originally it was one a month, mainly at night, but has now progressed to almost daily. My sibling cats (m/f, 8 yrs old) are suddenly not getting along? The cats may roll around biting and screaming, suddenly stop, resume posturing, fight again or walk away. click here to see how the kitties are doing now! All advice presented by our veterinarians, clinicians, tools, resources, etc is not meant to replace a regular physical exam and consultation with your primary veterinarian or other clinicians. If the cats had previously gotten along but have suddenly become enemies then redirected aggression may also be a possible cause. Rough play. I have two cats and sometimes they will start play fighting and it frequently ends up sounding bad, I even had to break them up a few times because fur was starting to get pulled off. We’ve lived in the same space for 9 years so the environment hasn’t changed and last week in the middle of the night they started fighting making these awful growling noises. Close • Posted by 6 minutes ago. Why do my cats suddenly hate each other? My wife was already getting ready to leave for work (I know, early right?) Maybe one likes to be high and one likes to be low. It wouldn’t hurt to get a vet check up for both cats to make sure one or the other hasn’t developed a condition that the aggressor might be picking up on or experiencing. Spraying m… I went away for 4 days on business (cat sitter here every day) and came back to the female hissing and running away in fear of her brother. In our case (as previously shared) it's been more than a month and a half. Aggression is usually the last resort but it is often violent and over time may become learnt. First, Dr. Koski recommends feeding your cats at the same time but separated. Cat Enrichment: What To Do If Your Cat is Bored#IfIOnlyKnew: Why Laundry Soap Should Make You PauseMy Cat Won't Eat: How to Stimulate Your Cat's AppetiteMy Cat Won't Drink: How Much Water Cats Need & Dehydration PreventionCat Poop - How Often Should a Cat Go?Help...My Cat Can't Pee! What Started My Cats Fighting. Around 3:45 in the morning, I was startled by a heavyweight fight, followed by what sounded like two rhinos running up and down the stairs of our house. They're 3 years old and have always been together, they've always got on except for the odd bit of bickering. Dr. Koski explained that sometimes an inside cat can have a “perceived” threatening experience, such as seeing another cat or strange animal outside.

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