How Can I Stop My Cats Fighting?

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How Can I Stop My Cats Fighting?

12 Answers

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Answer 1

Cats who live together will often fight - as, when cats are in a group, they instinctively compete for dominance.

This can be difficult for cat owners, but it is important to understand that it is perfectly normal behavior.

Your cat is not being naughty or misbehaving, it is simply acting on its instincts.

My tips for preventing World War III breaking out between your cats are the following:

How to stop your cats from fighting

The first thing to remember is that fighting between cats can happen for a number of reasons. Figuring out what that reason is will help you combat the problem.

If your cats are new to each other, introduce them gradually. Keep them separated at first, and use blankets with both cats' scent on it. This will get them used to the smell of each other.
The best way to ensure that blood is not spilled, is to see to it that each cat has space. Make sure each of your cats has a separate litter tray, food bowls, and sleeping area. This will help discourage territorial violence.

My cats are fighting - how do I make them stop?

Try to establish some safe hiding places for each cat, so that they can easily avoid danger. If one cat repeatedly sits in a doorway, move it. This may look innocent but it is actually a feline aggressive pose, designed to control who comes in and out of the door.
Try to remove any causes for agitation. Keeping a calm and relaxed environment will help your cats adjust to each other. If they're always on edge or jumpy, it'll take them a lot longer to accept each other.

Finally, if your cats do end up fighting, the best way to get them to stop is by distracting them.

Making a loud noise or throwing a pillow across the room usually works, though try to make the distraction indirect - as the last thing you'll want is appear like another threat for them to be on edge about.

Answer 2

I was thinking that perhaps your cats are only play fighting which is natural behavior for them when they live together.

Mine love to stalk each other, and sometimes hiss and growl, but they never have hurt one another.
I think it's really more upsetting to us than to them.

If your living quarters are over-crowded, that is very stressful to cats as they tend to be rather solitary creatures for the most part.

I wouldn't worry about it if no-one is being hurt or acting fearful all the time.

Answer 3

I was told by a vet a long time ago that cats work things out by themselves.

When you see your cats "fighting", it may look that way but that is the way they play.

Keep your cats' claws trimmed, so they don't damage the other cat's eyes.

Answer 4

I'd put them in separate rooms or tell them "no" in a stern voice when they start to fight.

Answer 5

George Cobley answered

Try and shout at the cats and when they run away, that means it's over - or stamp one of your feet, not on the cat's tail but on the floor. I hope this helps!

Answer 6

If the cats are screaming, growling and hissing multiple times during the fight or right before the fight, it is going to be a serious fight and one of them could be harmed.

DO NOT try to separate them and DO NOT hit the cats in any way, ever.

Instead, make a loud noise, yell, pound your fist on a counter top but NEVER try to separate seriously fighting cats, and never hit them!

You can also try spraying them with water from a water bottle.

If they are just play fighting, there will not be growling or hissing or screaming involved. Just some meowing that sounds a bit aggressive.

Answer 7

We think our cats are fighting because we have put them on a limited diet. What happens is this:

They try to wake us up for food at between 5-6 a.m. We spray them with water to get them to go away and stop walking on our heads.

Their next tactic is to then begin fighting, which takes place in another room and involves a lot of growling, hissing, attacking (they are both without front claws, but have back claws), that is violent enough that we have to get out of bed to stop the fighting by, again, spraying them with water.

At this point, they have successfully gotten us out of bed and then it just seems silly not to just feed them and go back to bed to get them to stop.

We live in a studio apartment, so shutting the door and trying to ignore them is not an option.

Answer 8

I found the best way to stop my 4 cats from fighting was to separate their food bowls and litter trays and when they do look like they are starting to fight I will get a toy out or something for them to play with to try and get them to think about something else.

Then in a little while, they all calm down but you should never try and get in the middle of them when they are fighting because you will be the one who gets hurt.

Just shout as loud as you can and make a big bang. This normally works well.

If one of them is scared of another, I just spend a bit of time with the one who is scared and let her know that everything is going to be ok.

My youngest cat is blind and she gets scared a lot so the best thing to do is just talk to her like she was a kid and let her know it will be ok.

Answer 9

Hi

If you see two cats fighting all you need to do is shout very loud and piercing and they will stop. (There may be hissing but this is normal.)

This has worked many times on my cats.

If one of the cats is hiding in a corner and moaning, just give them some water, food and stroke them.

Hope this helps you

Adam (owner of three cats)

Answer 10

Anonymous answered

If one is an adult and the other is a baby, keep one outside and one in.
Keep their food apart.

Answer 11

I live in a household with 4 cats, and was recommended a plug in called Felliway for cats. It calms them down, and is also used in zoos, and has had very good results.

Some vets sell it, or you can buy from link below!

www.petremedies.co.uk

Good luck!

Answer 12

Have one person hold one cat and have another hold the other cat. Have them face to face and repeatedly do it.

Tell them be nice and when they fight, smack them on the nose and tell them 'no' like a dog.

But it has to be with in a minute or 2 of when it happens or they won't learn.