So, you’ve just witnessed a cat fight.
Your cats have always gotten along…
Maybe they were even best friends?
They’ve never had a fight in the many years they’ve been living together. In the very least, they’ve always tolerated one another…
And then one day… Bam!
You hear those unmistakable, bloodcurdling kitty screams, and find your cats tangled up together, one rabbit kicking the other. Then one takes off running, once it finally makes it out of the other’s sharp-clawed grasp.
This is a scenario many cat parents have had the displeasure of witnessing. And it can be a very upsetting one, that leaves both you and your cats shaken to the core.
When a sudden cat fight breaks out between two cats that have lived together in harmony, they need to be separated immediately.
What Causes Cats to Fight Suddenly?
It can be really scary when your cats who have gotten along for years all of a sudden get into a fight. Usually this comes in the form of one cat attacking the other.
When one cat attacks a companion cat out of the blue, this is typically redirected aggression.
This is not to be confused with cats that have a history of consistent aggressive behavior. I will be covering that situation in detail in another article, which I will link here.
Redirected aggression happens when a cat is stimulated by something that causes their anxiety level to spike. Most of the time, this is caused by another cat that is outside. It can also be caused by a smell, a noise, a different animal, etc.
The cat becomes agitated, and feels unsafe. When this happens, since they are unable to directly confront the cause of their anxiety, they will redirect the resulting aggression toward the cat, dog, or human right by them.
If their long-time kitty friend is sitting nearby, they are going to be the reluctant recipient of this redirected aggression.
Why Should Cats be Separated Immediately After A Cat Fight?
If cats are separated immediately after a fight, they will usually cool off relatively quickly. This makes it much quicker and easier for their relationship to go back to normal.
When the cats are not separated, the aggression can continue, and this will change the entire dynamic of their relationship. If this is the case with your cats, I suggest separating them right away. In this instance, a complete reintroduction is necessary.
Tips for Separating Cats:
- Never try to physically get in the middle of a cat fight, the aggression will more than likely be redirected toward you.
- Do not start yelling, your erratic energy will just fuel the situation.
- Sometimes, making a loud, abrupt noise will startle the cats, and cause them to disengage. (Bang pots together, drop something loud on the floor, snap a belt, etc.)
- You can try using a couch cushion, or something similar to put in between them.
- This is one of the only instances that I believe using a spray bottle, or squirt gun is acceptable, even encouraged.
- Once broken up, wrap the aggressive cat in a towel/blanket (if you don’t know which is which, take your best guess. Which one is running away, trying to hide, and hissing? That one is likely the victim of the attack.)
- Quickly put the aggressive cat into a darkened room to calm down.
- Leave the room, and be patient.
- Minimize stimulation (this means no playing, petting, scolding, etc.)
- Leave the cat alone while he/she calms down
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Check for Injuries
*Warning* Graphic image of open wound below may bother sensitive individuals.
It is very important that you check for injuries, lacerations and tenderness after a fight. If you’re concerned that severe physical damage has been inflicted, take your cat to the vet. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and ensure that infection does not occur, and/or bones do not heal improperly.
Abscesses
An extremely common infection that occurs as a result of a cat fight is an abscess.
The attacking cat’s nail or tooth punctures the victim cat’s skin. Teeth and nails are covered in bacteria. Some of this bacteria is transferred to the wound. Since it is just a puncture it heals over quickly, but the bacteria sits in there festering and proliferating.
Pus from the infection builds up, and eventually causes the skin to burst.
This is very painful for the cat, and can be very scary for an unsuspecting guardian!
I speak from experience here. My cat Ellie was an abandoned stray, and had been dumped in an area with a huge cat colony. When I brought her home, she had two abscesses on her hindquarters.
She developed another abscess about a year ago, when she was accidentally let out by my roommate’s 4 year old. There was a neighbor cat outside, and Ellie ran up the huge oak tree in our backyard. Unfortunately, she wasn’t quick enough, and I helplessly watched as the neighbor cat bit her hindquarters.
A few days later, it burst, and left a bloody scene that looked like someone had been murdered.
Checking for tenderness is key in this situation. Abscesses typically develop on the hindquarters of a cat that is trying to escape, and on the face of a cat that is fighting.
Catching it before it bursts is ideal. You can then take them to the vet, and they will usually prescribe antibiotics, and decide on the best course of action.
When I first brought Ellie home with two abscesses, I was actually able to heal both abscesses naturally without going to the vet. But this took time and consistency.
Related Articles:
- How to Pet a Cat: 14 Tips to Strengthen Your Bond
- What Every Cat Parent Needs to Know About Playing With Their Cat
Do Cats Need to Be Reintroduced After They Have Fought, or Can You Just Put Them Back Together?
The answer to this question depends on the circumstance.
You should always wait until the aggressive cat has calmed down completely. Check for any of these symptoms when determining whether or not the cat is still agitated:
- Dilated eyes
- Flattened ears
- Swishing or erratic tail
- Tail pointed downward, or between legs
- Tail puffed up/bristled
- Breathing heavily or erratically
- Skin twitching
- Pacing/restlessness
- Growling
- Hissing
- Excessive grooming
If the attack was very mild, and both cats seem to have calmed down completely, you can test the waters. Take something that smells like the victim cat to the aggressor.
If you’re not sure which cat was the aggressor, take the scent-soaked fabric/toy/something similar to the cat that recovered the quickest.
Then switch it up, and have the victim cat smell the scent of the aggressor.
If there are any adverse reactions, such as hissing or growling, I would strongly recommend doing a full reintroduction.
If the reactions are neutral, you can see how the sight of each other causes them to react. They may act normal, and if that’s the case, it may be alright to put them back together.
If they react negatively to the sight of each other a reintroduction is the best option.
Even if everything seems fine, I still recommend using positive association by starting with feeding times and/or playing together.
How Long Should You Wait Before Reintroduction?
Deciding when to reintroduce after a cat fight involves observation and some kitty sleuthing. Time, in this situation, is a delicate balance.
On the one hand, waiting a long time leaves them to sit with a negative association regarding the cat that was once their friend. On the other hand, pushing them together immediately is not going to give them time to relax and cool off. This could quickly lead to another fight.
The severity of the fight, and the state of the cats post-fight is going to dictate the length and stringency of the reintroduction process.
If the fight was minor, and the cats calm down quickly, the reintroduction may go very smoothly, and quickly.
If the fight was particularly brutal, and one or more of the cats is displaying severe hostility or fear, you are better off leaving them separated for a greater length of time. Let them cool off, and don’t begin the reintroduction process if one, or both, are obviously still agitated.
Use your own discretion when deciding the length of time they should spend apart.
How to Reintroduce Cats
Treat the cats like they have never met before. To prepare for reintroduction, make sure you are doing these two things:
- Feeding both cats on a schedule (no free-feeding at all!)
- Establish a room in the house that is going to be the “sanctuary room”
*The sanctuary room is a safe room with lots of cat items that they can rub their scent all over. (Blankets/towels for them, cat beds, cat furniture, scratchers, toys, etc.) Cats associate their own scent with a sense of ownership and safety in the territory. This room should NOT be a laundry room, or bathroom. The best option would be a spare bedroom.
Here are the basic steps for reintroducing cats after they have gotten into a fight:
- Keep cats completely separate, with no eye contact
- Wait until they have calmed down (I recommend at least a day)
- Begin feeding on opposite sides of the door at all mealtimes (keep door closed, still no physical or or visual contact yet)
- Observe for their reactions
- Move them closer to the door at the pace they permit
- Once eating closely on opposite sides of the door (without hissing, growling, etc.) install a screen door or put up a tall baby gate (such as this one)
- Feed on the either side of the baby gate/ screen door. If using a baby gate, cover it with some sort of cloth.
- Start farther back again, not right on top of each other. Establish their comfort line, and challenge them to step a paw over each time.
- Begin lifting up the cloth slightly, and observe their reactions. If they are comfortable, get rid of the cloth.
- Get them eating closely on either side of the gate/door calmly, while completely visible to one another.
- Take the gate away for feeding time
- Spend time with the cats out together, but always provide a positive activity, whether it be playtime, cuddles, clicker training, or food.
- Once the cats show no signs of aggression toward one another, they can be together on a regular basis.
The most important thing here, is to establish positive association, only, with each other. Every single interaction needs to contain a positive, such as food or play.
This process may go quickly, or it could take quite a long time. It can take days, weeks, or months. Eventually, it will pay off. You just need a little faith and patience.
Tips for Reintroducing After a Cat Fight:
- Do not bring frustration or negative energy to the situation. (This may sound silly, but when I got Ellie, she was having a very hard time being around Nia without attacking her. My boyfriend was constantly bringing negativity and frustration to the situation. We went along like this for 9 months. Then the cats and I moved to Florida. With the combination of an un-established territory, and calm energy, they were together and happy within less than a month.)
- During the reintroduction process, don’t give cats food/treats without associating it with the other cat.
- Don’t let one cat dominate one space. This means you need to trade them out, so they both have time in the sanctuary room, and in the rest of the house. Do this without letting the cats see each other. (Can put one cat in the bathroom, or another room while switching sites.)
- Try to push their comfort zone a little farther each day. (If you observe them, you will start to see where they are comfortable, and an inch farther where they are not comfortable. Use this line to push them just a bit each time.
- If the fights have been going on for a while, this is likely to take more time and patience than if the fight just happened, and they were immediately separated.
- If there is a fight during the reintroduction period, just get right back to it. Even if this means starting over again. Don’t leave the cats with a negative association.
- Manage your expectations. If your cats are tolerating one another, and not fighting, this is a good thing. Don’t get disappointed if they’re not cuddling and grooming each other for a while.
What if the Cause of the Aggression is Still a Factor?
If this redirected aggression is happening on a regular basis, then there is clearly something that is consistently triggering your kitty. Oftentimes, this is coming from a source that is outside. Maybe the neighborhood cat likes to come and sniff around, marking your yard with their scent.
Or maybe there is a scary lawn mower that causes your cat to become unhinged.
If you are already aware of the cause, you can take actions to improve the situation. For instance, if there is a particular window your cat tends to be looking out when they become aggressive, block off this window for a while. Provide them with another, better place to look out.
Put a perch or cat tree at a different window on the other side of the house. As a bonus, you can put a bird feeder or something similar outside for “cat TV.”
There are humane deterrents you can get to repel cats that come into the yard. Such as ultrasonic pest repellents (like this one) citrus deterrents (such as this one), motion activated sprinklers (like this one), etc.
If the lawn mower sets your cat off, put them into a darkened sanctuary room with gentle music and/or a fan for buffer noise. If there is a TV in the room, you can play a YouTube video for cats. These are usually videos of prey. This is one my cats love.
You can also try desensitization and counter conditioning.
Summary
Having cats that are at odds and displaying aggression toward one another can be a scary, and frustrating process. I can attest to this first hand.
But a relationship can almost always be mended. And, despite the popular rumors, cats are not actually solitary creatures. In the wild, they live in colonies consisting of other cats.
So when a cat fight breaks out, just remember:
- Separate immediately
- Let cats cool down
- Check both cats for injuries
- Test their reactions
- Reintroduce cats at their speed
- Get rid of the cause (if necessary)
- Use the tips in this article!
Thanks for reading! If you have any comments, or concerns regarding aggression among your cats, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment, or contact me here. I will personally get back to you ASAP!
You have described exactly what has been happening here at home! I am astonished with how precise and accurate your article is!!!!
We will start reintroduction just as you say!
Thanks ever so much! We are feeling a lot more confident and positive now after reading your amazing tips!
Gratitude ana and stu
You are so very welcome! I’m really glad you found it helpful ???? I truly know the pain and frustration you’re going through. I really hope the introduction process goes smoothly, and they can go back to living in harmony quickly and painlessly.
If you end up having any questions, or find yourself feeling like you may need specialized help, please don’t hesitate to contact me. ????⬛
Hi. My two cats who have lived happily with each other for nearly 2 years had a nasty bundle. They were separated immediately and we have been following the re-introduction method. They are now feeding either side of an ajar door where they look at each other but are happy to eat. The one that was the victim still sometimes growls. Can i try getting them in the same room now or should I wait until there is no growling? Also the attacker is an unneutered female (they are both female but the other one has been fixed) but she is due to be spayed mid Feb. Should I perhaps wait to re-introduce them until she has been spayed as maybe her aggression was related to that. Many thanks, Judy
Hi Judy! Thanks so much for your comment. Let me ask, do you have a daily play routine with them?
Hi Lauren
Yes we used to have daily play with both together three times a day. We like to follow the play, “kill”, eat routine as much as possible. Since the fighting they are played with separately. They must get about an hour a day or more playtime. We were still having friendly meal times oppostite sides of an ajar door but the “Queen” has just gone into heat and the other one hissed at her at their meal time yesterday. However today they have been fine again on either side of the door. They both adore me and want to be wherever I am so it’s heartbreaking not being able to all be together. But I really don’t want to rush the process.
Thanks
Judy
That’s wonderful! Keeping up with those routines will really help while they’re apart. I definitely recommend keeping them apart until after the surgery. I know that’s difficult, but it’s your best option. Even if they did get along before then, the smell of the vet and the stress of the surgery could reignite the aggression.
My advice is to keep them apart, but keep creating positive associations. Everytime they see or smell one another give high value food or treats.
Once she is healed after the surgery, you can resume the process and start incorporating scent into the mix. One way to do this is to use a soft brush to create a group scent. Brush only their face region, because that’s where their “friendly” pheromones are produced. Use high value treats do do this as well, for positive association.
Thanks Lauren. I’ll take all you have said on board.
At the weekend, before I read your reply, we had them out together in the garden on leads. They were as good as gold. They came back into the house and were fine for 5 mins or so whilst they groomed but then there was a growl as one passed the other, so they were separated again. I can’t wait for the surgery to be over and she is healed. Hopefully that will stop the aggressive behaviour from the Queen and the other one can stop feeling so threatened. It was lovely though in the garden as they went up to each other, sniffed both ends of each other, licked each others heads etc – so there clearly is still some affection between them.
Thanks
Judy
Thank you for your sound advice Lauren.
Before I read this we did have both cats on leads out in the garden at the weekend. They were good as gold. Sniffed each other all over, rubbed cheeks and licked each other. They still must have affection for each other. When they came back in it was only about 5 mins and the growling started so we ended it there. I will do as you suggest though until after the surgery and take it from there. The victim believe it or not is a Bengal, she’s huge compared to the other one and very scary looking when she growls. She’s clearly a very sensitive cat though and doesn’t forget easily.
Thanks again, Judy
I would love to know how you healed abscess without a vet visit. I have paid the vet $90 TWICE in the last 6 months for outdoor cats because of facial abscess that left them lethargic
& dying. Not even my cats! One of them the vet said he wished he had filmed draining it for his channel due to how gross it was.
Oh, goodness! Poor babies, I’m really sorry to hear this. The only trouble is, I don’t think you could heal them the way that I did unless you brought them inside. It isn’t a one and done type of thing. It does take some consistency. I’m happy to provide more information on it, if this is something you still would like to know about.
Hi, you said you would link to an article about cats who have always been aggressive towards each other. I couldn’t see the link. I have one really nervous cat that is always hissing at and starting fights with my other 2 who tolerate each other.
Hi there, I didn’t actually end up writing the article. Most of the people that are struggling with this kind of issue end up wanting 1:1 consulting with me, instead, so there just wasn’t enough interest for general advice. Is this still something you’re struggling with? I just created a new TikTok channel, and I am going to be creating consistent content. This is something I can do tip videos on, if it’s something you still need help with.
Let me know! 🙂
My cats were bounded from the same litter. Best friends. Almost 6 years old. One had dental surgery about 2 weeks ago and came home. Initially they were fine after about an hour home the one who didn’t have surgery attacked the one who did have surgery. I separated immediately. I’ve been trading out spaces a couple times a day. After about 2 days they seemed ok so I tried again but another fight broke out. So I started gabapentin per vet recommendation. After a few days and having a baby gate up and no problems through the gate or under a door I tried again. But another fight broke out once together. So now we are two weeks ok. Ok under doors and gates. Go nose to nose through a gate. Still on gabapentin, started zylkene and a diffuser of feliway a few days ago. Now that’s it’s been 2 weeks and 3 fights I’m terrified to even try again. How can I help them get through this and not be afraid to try again. We live in an apartment. So not a huge amount of space. Both front declawed since babies and neutered.
I am so glad I found this article & can ask a question! I have a situation going on that I definitely need some advice on. I brought in a feral kitten that had been living in my yard with his mother. He is a solitary kitten. I trapped both him & his mother when he was 4 months old & had them spayed & neutered. Vet said the mother is estimated to be about 6 years old now. She was done with him by age 5 months & she pretty much moved on. He was not mature enough emotionally to be alone so he would lay against the sliding glass door to be close to the indoor cats. I ended up working with him & taming him. I slowly introduced him into the house & everything went fine for a few months until he ventured upstairs. One of the other cats chased him down & now she spends her days obsessed with him & attacking him every chance she gets. She will pull fur out of him & did actually bite him hard enough to draw blood recently. If I put him in the bedroom, she will claw at the carpeting under the door & lay outside the door waiting. I have had to yell “hey” at her on occasion to stop her when she is attacking him as I can not get to him soon enough otherwise. That has now caused all my cats to be on edge & to be jumpy. Being an only kitten & not having the socialization that they get when in a litter & being attacked by her, he now does not trust the other cats (except for 1 who is his pal) & hisses at them, even though they originally had no problem with him. He could not tell if they were attempting to play with him or attack him. This has now in turn caused a few of them to start chasing him & hissing & swatting back at him. There is one other cat in the house they also do chase as well who is a very timid cat, so they are now adopting the same behavior with the kitten. This little kitten lives in hell. I have to take him to the cat box several times a day because he is afraid to use any that are close out of fear that she will charge him. He will not get on the floor to play unless she is upstairs, which she will rarely do now.
You think that is bad enough? After 7 months, his mother has now shown back up & she wants in the house. She will sit & meow at the door.
I am thinking I need to get a gate to put up on the stairs to block off certain cats upstairs from downstairs & give everybody a break, then trade areas every few days to break up territory. That is going to be pretty stressful for a couple of them who travel between the 2 areas & have safe places in an area that might be blocked off. If I put the kitten back in the bedroom & keep him in there, do I put a bowl for each of the other cats outside the door at feeding time or do 1 cat at a time until they all are used to him? I am assuming I should not bring the mother in & attempt an introduction until I get them on a good level with the kitten first (estimated to be a year old this month). I do need to play with them more & I know that. I work long hours so that has been an issue. Since I do work at home, I think if I break it up into small breaks throughout the day, that will help & be manageable. I have rescued a lot of cats over my lifetime & these are the last ones I will be rescuing since I am older. This is the first time I have ever had this problem & I just want these guys to be happy & not stressed. I am concerned that since they have a history now, it will not be possible to truly get them past this & on good terms with each other.
Thanks for your article & any advice!
My advice is to separate them immediately. This cannot be allowed to go on. Especially because there is blood being drawn, I think it needs to be said that the other cat could kill him.
You have got to separate the kitten right away. Give him some peace and time away from the other cats. Then I would start working on his confidence. He is living in extreme fear, and that kind of stress can also cause serious health issues to develop.
Don’t worry about feeding them on the other side of the door right away, it’s not going to help if confidence, territory, and play have not been addressed, first. You can bring the other cat that is his buddy in there periodically, if you’d like. I’m not sure if that one is timid or gets chased.
I definitely do not advise taking on another cat right now, most likely more fuel will just be added to the fire.
I would absolutely start implementing a play routine. Separating them and playing with one at a time and splitting it up throughout the day is fine. It sounds like right now they don’t have anything better to do than hunt each other. They need interactive play and enrichment activities to occupy their attention, and to direct that hunter energy to.
The territory also really needs to be evaluated, it is extremely important especially with so many cats in one house. Especially if the little one can’t even go potty without getting attacked. ????
I’m sorry you’re going through this, I know how stressful it is.
I can’t really help you more than this without working with you 1:1. I absolutely suggest it, given the seriousness of the situation. If you’re interested in that, we can set up a free discovery call where we can go over options.
You’ve got a lot going on, and I’d really need to have you complete a questionnaire and conduct a consultation to get the full picture, and know exactly how to help.
This is a serious situation, and things need to be handled delicately and deliberately.
Oh, also, if you have an option other than the bedroom to put the kitten in for now, I would do that. Shutting off the bedroom can have repercussions with the other cats, because it is a very territorially significant space. A spare bedroom would be ideal.
My mama can’t just got into a fight with a stay cat rike at and now she’s going after her son’s witch r almost a year old she also is another of 3 kittens she bite my old man bad when he was trying to keep the apart what can I do and why is she going after her boys
Yes. The problem that I have though is the cat is a stray can and I can feed it but not touch it. Is there anything that I can put in the food?
What do you mean by anything you can put in the food? To lessen aggression?
Hi there! I’m so glad I found this thread. My cats are 5 and a half years old, litter mates, and both spayed girls. I’ve had them since they were kittens and they’ve never had problems. I don’t think they were ever SUPER bonded, but they played together, slept together, and never fought. Suddenly about 2 weeks ago a huge fight broke out, I was home but don’t know what caused it. I didn’t seperate them right away because it was so unfamiliar and i really didn’t think anything of it, just that someone was spooked and they’d go back to normal. The rest of that day there was a little more tension than usual then that evening another huge fight (like, broken house plants, almost tipped over a huge and heavy bookshelf, etc) at this point we separated them. We live in a 1 bedroom apartment so this isn’t the easiest thing to do. I kept them separate for 2 days… they were super stressed the whole time mainly because they hate being closed off from me and my boyfriend and the rest of the apartment. I got pheromone diffusers and let them calm down as best I could then tried reintroducing but another bad fight broke out. At this point, separation then vet appointment. Neither appear to be sick or injured, and the vet gave me gabapentin and zylkene. I don’t love medicating them but she suggested doing it for a week to ten days. Now it’s been a week today since their appointment and being medicated! I have had them separate this whole time and feed them with the door cracked and they don’t hiss or become agitated when they see each other at feeding time. I have left it cracked a little after they eat and they sniff each other but sometimes swat through the door (but it might be playful swatting??? They swat at my fingers through the door too… so I’m not sure how to interpret this) and I switch which room they are in as well so they get each others scent often. I’m kind of nervous to try another reintroduction. I get so heartbroken and hopeless when I’ve tried the other times and it’s failed. I don’t know if it’s been long enough to try again or if I should continue keeping them separate? It’s really hard to judge.
Hi Kristin! Thank you for your comment. First, I want to say that if your cats played together, slept together, and never fought it sounds like they were in fact very bonded. I wish I could give you a for sure answer on this, but I just can’t without knowing the entire situation. I completely understand your apprehension and frustration, it’s a very stressful situation. When I work with clients in these circumstances, it’s necessary to look farther than what’s on the surface. And by that I mean, the physical contention between the cats. I look at each cat as an individual (their confidence levels, etc.) along with the territory (this is extremely important in multi-cat households) their daily routine and stimulation, and then we address the relationship.
I’m not a big fan of using medication without trying to address the root causes. I understand that in an emergency it may be necessary, but it isn’t a long-term solution.
The best way for me to give you the help you need is to book an intro call with me. It’s free, and there are no strings attached. We can talk a bit about the situation and what may be a good fit for you. https://furraticbehavior.com/free-introductory-call/
Either way, I really hope everything works out for you and your cats!
Finally found some info, it’s not easy watching/hearing cats go into a fight. Leo, the attacker, and Hope(passive female)were good together for a year. All at once, the fights have started. We keep them separate when we are not around.
Seems like it started when I started bringing Hope and Minmin(I have 4 rescues) outside in the Catio. I ve been trying to get Leo into a harness but it’s been a hard task.
This week we were woking up at 0330 with a fight, it was awful. Leo on top of Hope and biting her. She didn’t have any injuries, TG!
I ve prep a room so we can separate them immediately, hopefully this will work, they are both lovely cats til the wrestling starts.
Thank you for the information, I hope this works????
Hi Cecelia,
I’m really glad you found this information helpful! It’s great that you’re aware that taking them outside on the catio was a possible trigger. This is actually not uncommon, due to the smells of other animals lingering around out there.
I really hope everything works out quickly for you and you kitties. If you need any extra help, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, or to join my Facebook group (The Confident Cat Parent) for support!
All the best!
Lauren
Hi! We are thrilled that we just found this article!! We rescued an abandoned cat and when we took him to the vet to get neutered and shots, there was a rescued Maine Coon that had been kept in one room for his whole life without any socialization. S, the abandoned cat, is so sweet to us and the dogs. He just wants to be petted and play with the dogs. The issue is that he does not like P, the Maine Coon. P took quite a while to warm up to us. He grumbles and hisses when he doesn’t like something. P and S fought mildly a few times. S also has fought mildly with two of our inside/outside cats, both of whom hissed at him first. P and S slowly started seeming to get along, without cuddling, playing, etc with each other. We had them in two large dog kennels with litter boxes in them and bedding too, and have been feeding them separately in their kennels until they were socialized enough to get along without supervision. We felt like we were almost to the point of that and had kept them out all day on Friday. We were both home that day. P was trying to get me to get him wet food (I think), and S was hanging by really close. I gave them treats. I went upstairs and told my husband that P wanted wet food. And my husband and I came downstairs to feed them. P attacked S, seemingly out of the blue. They had no issues all day that we know of. Both cats facing each other were gripping each other with their claws and they gripped each other’s mouths tightly, so they stopped biting each other, but neither would let go of each other. We tried loud noises. We tried spraying them. Nothing s was working. Finally my husband pried them apart with a couch pillow. S ran and hid under an end table. My husband took P and put him in his kennel. We were going away for the weekend so we took them to the vets and the vet is keeping them apart. We read your article and definitely think we need to reintroduce them. We’re looking at following all of your advice. We’re not sure about what our sanctuary room would be. We have all carpet upstairs where the second bedroom is. That would be perfect except for the carpet. I’m guessing a litter box or two should be in the sanctuary room? Any help you can give us would be great.
Thank you so much for this article. I’m facing this sad and extremelly frustrating and stressing situation. My cats eho have been living together for 4 years are having this epusode now. Your article is heaven for these unfortunate situations. Be blessed!
I’m so sorry to hear about your struggles with inter-cat aggression. I’ve worked with quite a few cat guardians in similar situations, and have been through it myself, so I understand what you’re going through. I really hope the info in this article proves helpful, and if you feel that you need more specialized help please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, or schedule a free intro call.
My cats had a bad fight about 6 months ago, previously best brother buddies. I’ve done the reintroduction a few times, because of another fight. The last one was at the beginning of January and I had made sooo much progress. Leaving them together whenever I’m home, but separated when I’m working. All was well until tonight when they had another bad fight. I’m so sad and disappointed, because I had planned to try full time together during my spring break in 2 wks. Now I’m back to square one. Any tips? I just love them both so much.
Hi Brianna! Thanks so much for your comment! I’m so sorry about what you’re going through. A lot of my clients go through something very similar before we start working together. The problem that I typically see is that there are important components missing from the reintroduction plan.
The process that I go over in this blog post works a good amount of the time, but the problem is it’s very general. And what I often find is that the cats need a plan that is a bit more in-depth in order to lay a foundation for a successful reintroduction. This may include specific training, adjusting the environment, building confidence first, etc.
I actually just made a short video on this topic and some tips on what to do about it in my free Facebook group. Here’s the link to check it out:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/theconfidentcatguardian
You’ll have access to more information in the group, and I’ll be able to answer more of your questions. I hope to see you in there!
I have a multi cat household. Tonight my 3 legged kitty decided to get tangled up on my Xbox/tv cords, that have been in same area for 2 years. She some how manged to get hung upside down by her one back leg. Freaked out. I tried to help her, and in turn got a massive claw cut across my shoulder blade and another cat bit the back of my calf because they thought I was the one hurting her. After I got her free, a majority of my cats started fighting each other.
Why do they do this? How do you stop the attacks after the initial distressed cat is “saved”?
Since the cut and bite, and putting my 3 legger by herself to calm down from the fear of getting caught upside down, some of my cats have come up to me all exceptionally loving like they are apologizing for their behavior. Part of me wonders if one of them is the one that bit me… And they know they shouldn’t have but jumped the gun and thought I was to blame for their buddy getting hurt.
Hi! My name is Lauren and I have 2 kittens. (1 year) they came from the same litter and they’re extremely bonded. Sleep together snuggle eat together litter together everything. Today, my girl cat Zara ( vocal, dominate) saw a cat outside and lashed out at my other boy cat Nacho (sweet shy) and they started hissing and growling at each other. I thought it was just a one time thing so I left them go upstairs until Zara lashed out again. Then I separated them for a little bit and let nacho feel safe he was hiding under the table. It seemed to be going okay we let her up once and he hissed at her but then let her go near him etc. they even shared a bowl of kibble. Then I took nacho downstairs to let him come back into the bedroom – then I let Zara down. They fought again hissing running etc. so then I put Zara in a spare bedroom and nacho in my bedroom. After that Nacho then came out from under the bed and purred up next to me etc.
i don’t know what to do next about coming back together.
please help.
Thank you for this article. Our cats are 18 months old, litter mates, always got on well until last weekend when all of a sudden they had a fight, a proper one. My suspiscion is there was a cat outside, both our cats are indoor cats. First we did not know what to do so we waited a bit and went back to bed, unfortunately another fight hapoen shortly after. We separated them and tried to follow the guidance with swapping places, got another litter tray, separate bowls, lots of play etc.
It has been stressful and upsetting and quite difficult to keep them separate. They seemed to get comfortable enough to sniff the door with the other cat on the other side, they could not see each other though. Unfortunately, one managed to get into the room, we all panicked and shouted…the cats ended up in another fight. It looks like we are starting all over again, I am just so upset ans stresed that it will never work out as I can see we will always be on edge if they are in a room together, especially at night 🙁
So I have 3 cats and am so stressed and worried. My adult neutered male cat I have had 5 years. We adopted a female cat in February, turns out she was pregnant and we didn’t know. She only had one baby, a boy. He is 9 weeks old. She went into heat a week after giving birth. Once the baby was weaned we had her spayed (15 days ago) there have been 2 cat fights between the two adults today. After the first one I separated them for a few hours, then reintroduced them and everything seemed fin, until all hell broke lose. We separated them and my male seemed calm, the female seemed ok, but still meowing a lot. The baby was terrified and just trying to hide. I have no idea what caused it. When I tried to bring them together again, she was still very aggressive and he started to hiss. We thankfully have the room in our house to have her in one bedroom and the male in another and the baby in ours, but how do I fix the problem if I don’t know what caused the fight?