Reasons and Solutions
Observe your cats, are they getting along well with the other cats? There are lots of reasons why cats are fighting. Cats are quiet and low profile creature and they all have unique personalities. Most of them are aggressive and bold some are shy, or laid-back and cheerful. If you have more than one cat and they possess different personalities, make sure that you know what to do when they clash with each other.
There are reasons why your cats are not getting along. You need to find out the reasons, so you can provide the best solution for the problem. This post will discuss the reasons why and how to help your cat get along with others.
How to Determine if Cats are Playing or Fighting
You sometimes see your cats rolling and scratching each other that look like they are fighting but actually they are just playing. It is very common for kittens, but it may happen even in older cats. They chase each other, rolling on the floor like wrestlers and tackle each other. The situation sometimes gets very intense, but as long as they are night hurt, there is no need for you to stop them from what they are doing. They are just having fun or just trying to establish their position in the house.
If you have a new cat in the house and they are still at the stage of getting to know each other, you probably see them doing the same fighting like scene. You don’t have to worry they are just introducing themselves to each other.
In an actual catfight, you will see teeth, claws, and hear growling, hissing and crying. If you want to stop the fight, do not get in the middle of it. Never try to pull them away, you might get scratched. The best thing to do is to stomp your feet on the floor or clap loudly to scare the cats. Some people spray cats with water. Hitting them is not a good idea, it will definitely not solve the problem and your cat will distrust you.
Tips on How to Help Your Cats Get Along
One reason why your cat is not getting along with the other cat is that he is not comfortable having a new cat in the household. If this is the case, here are some tips on how to introduce them to each other without getting into a fight.
- Getting them together in one place right away is not a good idea. It is best that you give them their own safe room.
- Place the new cat or kitten somewhere, maybe in the laundry room or in any room with a door where the new cat is distant away from your other cat.
- At first, their only connection is the space at the bottom of the door using their paws to reach each other.
- Give your two cats a clean towel. After the cats slept on the towels and absorbed their scent, switch towels so they can adjust on each other’s scents. You can do this twice a day.
- When one of your cats is not in his room, you can let the other cat enters the room. This is one way to make your other cat get familiar with the scent of the new cat.
- After one week of familiarization, you can put them in the same room but in the separate carrier and place them a few feet away, facing each other. You can hear some growling or hissing but it is normal. As they become more used to each other move the carriers closer together. You can do this twice a day for a couple of days.
- After doing the carrier technique for a week, you can now let them meet each other. Make sure that there is always someone in the room, to stop them in case they clash again. If this technique does not work, you can repeat the process.
Other Things That You Can Do If Your Cats Are Not Getting Along
- Do not give the cats catnip. It can augment aggression in some cats.
- Give them their favorite cat toys around to keep them distracted from getting into a fight.
- Make time to spend with your cats together. Encourage fun activity like playing with them and give them each one a treat.
- Find a huge cardboard box, cut both ends open and place it on the floor so they can crawl on it and play. Most cats love to play with cardboard boxes.
- Give equal attention to each cat. The time you spend with the other cat should be the same amount of time you spend with the other.
- If you leave your home, make sure that there is someone who can watch over your cats. If you are confident that they can go along with each other well then you can leave them alone.
- You can buy some Feliway. It is an item that increases a pheromone that can help calm the cats on time of stress or fight. It is available in an electric diffuser and as a spray. It is available at several pet stores and online.
Getting Professional Help
If you have done everything you can, do not hesitate to ask for professional help. You can call a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist or any licensed veterinary for help and guidance. They can check on your cat and evaluate what might be causing the problem and give you bits of advice on how to manage or solve the conflict between your cats. There are some species of cats that could be hard to manage that requires the assistance of an expert, so do not hesitate to call them if needed.
There are cats that cannot live together harmoniously. Since stress and tension are not healthy for your cats, instead of forcing them to get along together, it is best to give them their own space in the house. If in time you see some improvements, you can try associating them together again.
