Veronica
Virginia
Senior Member
Joined: 07/04/2003
View Profile
|
We have two cats, brother and sister, who hate each other. They've spent the past couple of years hiding and ambushing each other (not playing), but now they've ramped it up to full-fledged cat fights.
They're about 5 years old and have always lived together. Any suggestions on how to make our home a little more harmonious?
'98 Suburban
'97 Flagstaff Cobra Classic 623
"You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children."
~~Madeleine L’Engle
|
Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/2004
View Profile
 Offline
|
Are you sure it's actual fighting? Damage to each cat? I ask because I had two cats who played very, very rough with each other, screaming bloody murder - but it was only play. They never actually hurt each other, just our eardrums.
Try Feliway and/or Rescue Remedy to calm the excitement. If that doesn't do the trick, try separating them and letting each claim a particular part of the house as its own turf.
Good luck.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -- Mahatma Gandhi
DOTL Spec. Alexander the Grrreat--tuxedo cat
Spot--Christmas cat
Bobbi Socks--tuxedo kitten who's missing, but we're not giving up yet
|
Big Katuna
Deland, FL
Senior Member
Joined: 12/27/2003
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
You don't mention blood or stitches so my guess is they are playing. Siblings esp can play really rough. I assume they have been spayed/nuetered? Five is still young. They will settle down soon.
My Kharma ran over my Dogma.
|
Veronica
Virginia
Senior Member
Joined: 07/04/2003
View Profile
|
They were both fixed at about 6 months. The boy had a problem with the anesthetic that has caused lasting problems, though he has shown great improvement over the past years. We suspect that his sister knows there's something wrong with him and is trying to remove him from the gene pool (she doesn't know he's been fixed).
|
romore
Canada
Senior Member
Joined: 09/18/2010
View Profile
Offline
|
LOL. Just like sealing with kids. A kitchen spray bottle filled with water aimed in their direction should discourage this behavior. Eventually they will get the idea.
|
|
|
PapPappy
Wilmington, NC
Senior Member
Joined: 12/23/2007
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Our Vet once told us, if there is no blood, then don't worry about it. Of course, that doesn't mean that it's not disruptive to your household, but it may just be that they play rougher than you are used to.
We've had dog fights in the house on occasion, and it's really just a "alpha-dog" struggle....again, no blood.
I would imagine that if you were to somehow isolate the two from each other, that they would actually miss each other, though you may also have something with your thoughts about the female trying to clean up the gene pool I've seen our dogs go after one that screams because it got some hair caught on something.....they do go after the weak!
Water bottle idea does work with our dogs, so it's a valid option
If all else fails, and you can't live with it the way it is, I'd see about trying to re-home one of them.
Good Luck.
Bill & Claudia / DD Jenn / DS Chris / GS MJ
Dogs: Sophie, Abby, Brandy, Kahlie, Annie, Maggie, Tugger & Beau
RIP: Cookie, Foxy & Gidget @ Rainbow Bridge.
2000 Winnebago "Minnie" 31C, Ford V-10
Purchased April 2008 FMCA# F407293
The Pets
|
Code2High
One hour past Nowhere, CA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/21/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Have you tried pheremones?
susan
You know, there's really quite a lot to be said for having your life turned upside down!
|
sher9570
NY/Fl
Senior Member
Joined: 07/15/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
We have a similar situation here with Jesse who's a five year old male and Kali who is about 3, a female...they hate each other too, always have since the day they met.
Kali will lay in wait for Jesse to come around a corner or walk under a table then bam, she lays right into him.
We've never been able to stop it, we have separated them but it's not practical long term. There has been blood on occasion but not in awhile.
I have Feliway plugged into two outlets but it doesn't seem to help and I have put the RR in the water...I say it doesn't help but hey it may be a whole lot worse if I unplugged them...not going to do that!
Good luck with them, maybe in time they will work it out.
Sher
Doug & Sher
2006 HR Presidential 34'
2001 Ford Excursion 7.3
Lucy-"Red Fox" Lab...8/7-'07
Bubba, Pom...4/1-2010
Zachery my best bud Pom-5/2-98 to 6/18-2011 RIP
Sofie 9/5-1996 to 9/22-2007 RIP
|
wny_pat
Western NYS
Senior Member
Joined: 08/11/2007
View Profile
Offline
|
squirt gun.
|
LastOfTheBohicans
Edmonton, Alberta, CAN
Full Member
Joined: 02/15/2005
View Profile
Offline
|
When we rescued one of our cats, we began to see a change in the household, Unfortunately, it was in the rapid downhill progress of one of our orignal crew.
IT turned out that according to our Vet, she sensed a weakness in Smudge and she would constantly harass him as he tried to eat. He went into Renal failure and we thought we were going to lose this beautiful cuddly boy to something outside of our control.
We sent him to live with his Gramma, who loved him to pieces. This was in 2006 when we were given between 6 to 24 months life expectancy for Smudge. Gramma has given Smudge his Sub-Q fluids every week since. The Renal issues are now gone, and because he has the "protective" love of Gramma in our house he no longer gets picked on.
Baci still stalks him. But then he is in the cat world a "jerk".
Maybe there is a physical reason why one cat has suddenly decided that her sibling is "weak" and her nature is trying to cull it. We have seen it and it is not malicious, but part of their wild nature.
Me, DW, Five Crazy Felines, One RB Angel
2011 Ford F350 SD, PSD 6.7, SRW, CC
2011 Komfort 3230FRK
|
|
|
