Cats suddenly started fighting

[oneeyedfrog]

Hi, we have 5 cats . The two males are nearly three, fixed and have been together since they were kittens. They have always got on well.

In the last few weeks one has started attacking the other and spraying around the house.

Any ideas on why and how to stop this. Thanks.

[Ashzbetta]

are your femakes fixed aswell?

[Jennifer]

Go to: http://askdryin.com/ and enter 'feline aggression' or 'feline elimination disorder' into the search field. Dr. Sophia Yin is one of the foremost veterinary behaviourists in the world and her techniques are not only effective but they are low stress on both the animal and the humans involved. Well worth a look.

[LYNDYLOO]

Good Luck with this :-?

I have 4 Cats, 3 Males and 1 Female, 2 of the Males and the Female were into the spraying in the house regularly, all because a Stray Tom Cat had come through their Cat Door and sprayed on a couple of trays of eggs I had sitting on the Bench, ever since then my Cats have felt threatened by this, which in turn makes them want to remark their territory to let the Stray Tom Cat know this is their territory not his.

I've had all of my Cats on Colmicalm an Anti depressant, in conjunction with using Feliway Spray, this is a Pheromone Spray, along with using a dry flannel, wiping this over their faces the rubbing it on the Furniture basically to mark it with their scent.

None of these things worked for my Cats.

I ended up taking them all to a Cat Pshycologist at Massey in Palmy. Her opinion was basically to keep doing what I was doing, along with feeding every cat seperately, making sure they had different play things everyday, their own sleeping quarters etc...

After all my time and effort, not to mention the amount of $$$$$ it cost me, nothing fixed the problem.

We have now sold the house that we were in at the time, we had 13 cats between 4 neighbours, so that didn't help either.

We have built a new house on a Lifestyle Block now and the Cats have their own purpose built Cattery outside, they love it, I have 5 cats now, I inherited another boy when my nan passed away last year, the Cats are all put away into the cattery at night, they all have their own sleeping quarters and feeding stations, and private toilet area. We let them out in the mornings, at times we open the gate to the cattery and they just sit there chillin out in the sun or I will find them in the Cattery during the Day just chilling out.

I'm hoping your situation wont be as frustrating as mine, and you find a far less expensive option to fixing this behaviour.

The Vet always comments on what a great setup the cattery is when he comes out to do their yearly checkups.

Lynda

[BikBok]

Hi, we have 5 cats . The two males are nearly three, fixed and have been together since they were kittens. They have always got on well.

In the last few weeks one has started attacking the other and spraying around the house.

Any ideas on why and how to stop this. Thanks.

first step would be to get a health check. Cat may be unwell and unhappy.

[oneeyedfrog]

Thanks for your help guys. Lyndyloo - wow you have really tried. I was wondering whether those vet meds may help. Doesnt sound hopeful.

Reading up on it - one snipet was that small changes can upset them ie re- arranging furniture. A few weeks ago I moved all the tanks from DD2 room to the lounge.

I moved the dogs couch and chair to the other end of the lounge to make room for the tanks. The cat that is being beaten up used to sleep with the dogs and the aggressive cat slept at end of the lounge where I have moved the couch to. So maybe I've upset their territories.

I'm off to AK for a few days so might have to try rearranging again when I get back then I'll try a trip to the vet.

[LYNDYLOO]

You most certainly will have upset their territories, I would either change it back to how it was or get a dry flannel, wipe over the said cats face and place this in the bed where he sleeps, the flannel will then be covered in his pheromones, which he will be able to smell which will make him feel alot more secure.

Give the meds ago, they did help for awhile, then seem to not be as effective once the cat was slowly taken off them, not something you want your cats on all the time.

Another thing to try is, include the 2 cats in games together, and praise them when they play nicely, this will make the more timid one become more confident over time.

These are all things that the Cat Physcologist recommended to me, when I had trouble with my Cats.

Good Luck

Lynda