What Should I do If My Cats Are Fighting ?

What Should I do If My Cats Are Fighting ?

Fighting between cats is a common thing that you can see every day. Especially if you have more than one cat living with you, you may be familiar with cats fighting with each other, known as inter-cat aggression. Fighting between cats may be a frustrating thing for pet owners as it poses a great danger to the cats themselves, and sometimes may cause severe injuries and cause bleeding and wounds to cats. There are steps you can take to calm stress, but it's not a good idea to allow cats to 'fight'. Because this rarely settles disputes and makes matters worse.

 What Should I do If My Cats Are Fighting ?

Why do cats fight?

Cats usually deal socially with different situations and contacts that do not lead to injury, they can learn to tolerate or avoid each other. However, this will not always be the case and fights may break out. Usually fights as a result of replay aggression, play aggression or fear aggression:

• Most of the time, fighting is between unneutered cats of the same sex and gets worse during the mating season — 90 percent of cases of aggression between cats can be reduced or prevented by spaying or neutering cats before their first birthday.

• Vulnerable cats - often an older cat or a young cat - can become a target for bullies by other cats. By curling up around him, using submissive body language, hiding, etc., he invites the abuser cats to increase the aggression further.

• Cat social changes, such as adding or leaving a member, may increase confrontations.

• Environmental changes, such as moving or rearranging cat furniture or feeding and litter boxes, can cause fights.

• A change in routine can leave cats so nervous that they throw each other off.

• Cats reach social maturity at 2 to 4 years of age, which is when cats challenge each other for status.

• Lack of space makes cats prone to conflict. Cats may mark their possessions, do patrols, and mark their urine. Some other demon cats may lure into their territory and then 'seize' the other cats to encroach on them. Territorial aggression in cats is known to be difficult to correct, and marking the behavior is a hallmark of potential aggression. Cats outdoors are more aggressive than on the lawn, and the cat closest to the house usually wins the fight.

• Cats use vocal and silent communications to show strength in front of other cats. They challenge one another with gazes, forward body posture, growl, heightened behavior, painful bites, or by blocking access to food, toys, or attention. Some dominant cats use the behavior of 'power grooming' and forcefully lick another cat to get them to move away.

How to stop fighting cats?

If your home is the site of frequent cat fights, it is important that you do your best to stop this fight; Not only for your cat's health but also for your own health. Because getting rid of this behavior cannot be eliminated overnight - but changing the behavior can take months. Insist on a fight, but you also have to understand that some cats may never get along with each other.

1- Adding more territorial space can prevent cats from sharing climbing and hiding areas where fights can break out. Increasing the number of toys, cat trees, litter boxes, and feeding grounds has reduced competition for resources.

2- Consider an electronic cat door that can only be opened by the collared victim's cat. This allows the passive cat to gain access to the entire house with a safe area that the abuser cannot follow. Doors open with a magnetic 'key' inside these collars, and they can be purchased at pet stores or online.

3- Avoid rewarding bad behavior. Offering food or attention to an aggressive cat may calm anxiety in the short term, but it promotes bullying. Instead of that . Redirect her behavior with an interactive toy, such as a lamp beam, and attract her into play.

4- If the game does not work, interrupt the bad behavior. Once the aggressive cat has moved away and calmed down, reinforce her good behavior with a desirable treat, toy, or attention.

5- Back to basics. Treat aggressive cats as if they are new for the first time. Give the passive cat a choice of locations inside the house, and put the unneutered cat away.

6- Speak with a veterinary behaviorist to find out which type of treatment may be helpful. Some medications may control aggressive behavior in non-neutered cats. Although it is not a cure, medication may be a tool that allows more training to work more effectively.

7- Use some tools to keep the cats away from each other. Cat carriers or a harness and leash used in the hallway or in a large room can be helpful.

8- Feeding the cats delicious foods and engaging in play makes the cats bond with each other through play, fun, and fun rewards.

9- Try pheromones to relieve stress. Pet stores sell products that mimic the natural scent of cats (humans can't smell them) which can significantly reduce stress.

10- Create at least one feeding spot and a litter box location for each cat. If you have the means, it is best to add an extra set.

If all attempts to prevent two cats from fighting fail, one cat may need to be housed in a new home or permanently separated from the other. Don't see this as giving up. But this behavior makes life better for your cat and ensures that they are happy no matter where they live.

How can the fight between cats be resolved?

When cats are aggressive towards each other, it is likely that a fight will break out at some point. To avoid escalating the melee, resist this fight to physically break him up. You will only end up scratching and may lose the confidence of one of the cats (or both).

Distraction of cats is the best way to stop a quarrel between them. Loud noises can do the trick, but just be out of sight so as not to be seen as a third aggressor in combat. Try clapping or banging on a bowl, or throwing large, soft objects like a pillow near the cats. If this distraction is scary and distracting enough, you are very likely to see cats trying to hide.