3 Reasons Why Your Bonded Cats Are Fighting
- Rachel
- Sep 29, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 10
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We've all heard the term "cat fight" but we might not stop to think about what it really means until finding ourselves caught in the middle of one.
Given everything we know about our feline friends and possible causes of aggression, it should come as no surprise that household cats may squabble on occasion. Whether it's one cat stealing another's bed or unintentionally blocking access to the litter tray, miscommunications and misunderstandings are commonplace in multi-cat households.
The problem occurs when bonded or sibling cats that have been living in harmony for years are suddenly at war with one another. I can say without a doubt that this was one of the worst experiences of my life, and messages from you lovely readers tell me that I'm not alone.
When it comes to feline aggression, there are so many sub-topics that branch off into different areas. At the risk of repeating myself, this article will cover in more detail three main reasons why bonded cats are fighting and how you can help.
3 Reasons Why Your Bonded Cats Are Fighting:
1. Health
Even if cats seem to be in good health, it's crucial to get them checked over by a registered vet to rule out any medical issues and seek treatment if necessary. Cats are both predators and prey in the wild, meaning they'll hide their ailments for as long as possible. Painful diseases such as arthritis, UTIs and dental problems could be making your cat grumpy; as well as hyperthyroidism and other conditions.
Cats can also sense illness in other cats, so if you have a bully on your hands then it may be picking on a weaker or infirm kitty because it's less likely to retaliate. If your cats haven’t been neutered or spayed then this is the first piece of advice your vet should offer.
Hormones aside, some cats are or can be overly territorial by nature; others simply don’t get on with other cats, particularly in cases of new additions whereby a hierarchy hasn’t been established. It’s also not uncommon for cats that previously got along to suddenly decide they no longer care for each other. While I initially wondered if this was the case with my boys, it didn’t explain Drax’s random bouts of aggression.
With a history if UTIs (urinary tract infections) it made sense to get a health check-up, and it was discovered that he had crystals in his wee: a condition that can cause painful urination and bladder inflammation. Whether this was or wasn’t contributing to Drax’s mood swings, treatment required a strict diet change to urinary food - a challenge all by itself.
Trying to introduce a cat to new food at the same time as managing aggression felt like an extra kick in the face, particularly as the two go hand in hand. Food is one of the best distractions and a vital part of the separation and reintroduction process.
The most important thing to note is that no matter how much your kitties hate that vet’s office (or how much you dread taking them) the sooner you get it over with, the sooner you can deal with any underlying issues.
Is your kitty in need of a health check-up? Follow this helpful guide on how to prepare cats for a vet visit.
2. Territory
The territorial nature of felines is as instinctive as eating and sleeping and has evolved over thousands of years. In the wild, cats are solitary creatures that only come together for the purpose of mating. Other reasons they might encounter each other are competing for food (prey) or one cat entering another cat's territory.
Cats use many different scent glands around their bodies, including the face, paws and urine to let other cats know that an area is marked or "claimed". It also helps them to feel safe and comfortable within an environment when surrounded by their own scent.
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When we consider all of this, along with body language, gestures and vocalisations, cats are so well equipped to warn and defend that coming to blows in a physical fight is usually a last resort. The good news is that with the gradual domestication of cats and less need to protect or compete for resources, such as food and shelter, their ability to form social bonds has also increased.
Despite this, living indoors is so far from a cat's natural habitat that we should be thankful they can live together at all. Even cats that coexist well and are used to sharing a space may enter into territorial disputes if they feel a need to defend their marked patch.
Related post: Indoor and House Cat Care Guide
A cat's territory can include anything from houses and gardens to streets and neighbourhoods. How willing they are to engage in physical conflict varies from cat to cat, as some will be more confident or dominant than others.
There's some debate about whether bullying is abnormal behaviour for cats; after all, we humans are the reason why they're living in unnatural habitats and conditions, being forced to cohabit with other animals and confined to small areas.
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It's true in the case of outdoor cats, that if they weren't happy with their living arrangements then they simply wouldn't return to their owners. Yet their owners offer shelter, warmth, food and attention, which is seemingly enough to keep them coming back for more. I'm sure there's a word for this in human terms!
We can't condemn cats for defending their territory, all we can do is offer more of it. More food and water stations, more litter trays, more sleeping areas, more perches and stands - more everything! It's also about knowing your cat and what's normal behaviour for them. If you have a placid or submissive kitty that suddenly turns aggressive overnight, as was the case with Drax, then there's a good chance that he or she is in need of help.
Keeping cats stimulated, active and engaged can go a long way in helping to prevent or limit antisocial behaviour. Discover more tips in this helpful post: Cat Enrichment Ideas and Boredom Breakers for Indoor Cats
3. Stress
Stress in cats can be caused by a multitude of emotional, psychological or health-related issues. It's also possible for stress to trigger certain conditions - cystitis, for example - so it's not surprising that it can effect cats on a behavioural level, too.
All felines are sensitive to change, particularly when it concerns their environment, and external situations can cause anxiety or fear-based reactions that may seem overdramatic to humans. Getting spooked by a loud noise, a stranger entering the house or seeing a stray cat through a window are all examples of possible triggers for redirected aggression.
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These situations can trigger an emotional response known as the "fight or flight" mechanism, which prepares the body for danger with a huge adrenaline spike. People that suffer from anxiety-related disorders may be all-too familiar with this sensation: panic attacks, fear and danger are capable of throwing any human into survival mode.
Cats have a strong innate survival instinct due to being in danger of predators in the wild, meaning simple misunderstandings can escalate into physical altercations. The amount of time it takes for adrenaline to leave the system can vary from hours to days, or sometimes longer.
In some cases, tension between household cats may have been brewing for some time without your knowledge, as signs of aggression can be very subtle to the untrained eye. It might seem as though your cats have suddenly started fighting after living in harmony for years, but it's more likely that either one or both of them have finally reached a breaking point.
Related post: Signs of Stress in Cats, Causes and Treatment
It's relatively easy to distinguish who the aggressor or bully is going off behaviour alone. Victim cats will run and hide, spending a lot of time in safe places such as cat trees and stands. They may react dramatically with defensive postures, hissing or growling whenever the bully encroaches on its space. If it isn't outright attacking then this is a clear indication of defensive aggression.
Your bully, on the other hand, may stare, follow, chase, stalk and ambush; as well as claiming beds and resting places by pushing the other cat off, jumping or pouncing on them. It will also block access to resources, entry and exit points by positioning itself in doorways and corridors. As mentioned, this can be very subtle and appear as though the cat is innocently resting in a non-specific location.
The more the victim reacts, the worse the bullying gets, with the aim of driving it out of their territory. This might have been going on for some time before it becomes noticeable, with the victim using avoidance tactics so they appear to be getting along. In reality, it could be a culmination of days, weeks or months of pent-up frustration and stress boiling to the surface.
What to Do If Your Cats Are Fighting
Assuming you've made it through the vet trip and arranged treatment for any issues or, even better, your kitties have been given the all clear, it's time to put all of the above into practice to identify the type of aggression being displayed. If your vet hasn't referred you to a behaviour specialist and you want to go down that route, it's relatively easy to search online for a reputable expert in your area or one that may be willing to work with you remotely.
I recommend spending some one-on-one time with your cats and keeping a journal of every aspect of their behaviour that stands out as being odd or unusual.
Are the concerned parties happy by themselves? Do their moods change once they’re in the same room or face to face? Are they okay in certain areas of the home but not in others? Where do they fight most? What leads up to the fights? What kind of aggression is being displayed? Is it offensive or defensive? Do these roles switch or stay the same? Is there a clear “bully” and a clear “victim”?
In the case of my boys, both seemed content by themselves or if one entered a room while the other was sleeping. They tolerated each other more on different levels: for example, if Simba (victim) was at the highest point of his cat tree. Face-to-face encounters and unexpected meetings usually ended in spats. There was also a lot of role swapping, whereby Simba would get so pissed off at Drax's bullying that when Drax did eventually want to make friends, Simba wasn't having any of it.
Again, it may be worth investing in a specialist who can observe your cats and make an accurate diagnosis. Alternatively, there's a lot you can do at home to ease some of the tension, from environmental modifications to natural remedies such as pheromone diffusers.
Related post: How I Successfully Reintroduced Cats After Fighting
Learn more about the different types of aggression and their associated behaviours.
Does any of the above sound familiar? Share your story in the comments or get in touch to let us know if this article helped.
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