They’ve always gotten along for the most part, like they will both sleep on the bed with me at night and would play together now and then. This leads to a bad reaction and cause fighting when there was none before., former Admin hospital Check out our daily routine of swapping the cats out below! My Tips for Dealing with Fighting Cats. Give them separate and defined territories. … Two of my three cats suddenly started not being able to stand being in the same room together after living together for four years with no problems. When can you start brushing a cat’s teeth? Why Do Cats Fight? If your cats suddenly start fighting when they previously lived together without altercations, the first step is to take them both to your veterinarian for medical evaluation. Cat Behavior, If it seems that each are curious and seem relaxed, try having them mingle without barriers. Again, until recently. I had never heard them hiss at one another, let alone growl. The frightened cat will associate that scare with the cat he/she was with. I was at a loss. Sibling puppies may also be prone to picking up fights when they are bored or tired. Separate sisal cat trees so there's no fighting over the sunny window. Put their food on each side of a door and leave the door slightly ajar. When it comes to adult cats, many still enjoy engaging in playtime with their companions. Some of us may even have family that drive us crazy. Sibling cats suddenly fighting after vet. All rights reserved. There are several reasons that cats might not get along. It’s a good idea to spay maternally aggressive cats to prevent future litters and future aggression problems.Play AggressionIt’s common for kittens and young cats to engage in rough, ac… What are some tips on how to get my cat to lose weight. One of the first suggestions Dr. Koski made was pheromones to help keep our cats chill. Please do not ask emergency or other specific medical questions about your pets in the blog comments. Around 3:45 in the morning, I was startled by a heavyweight fight, followed by what sounded like two rhinos running up and down the stairs of our house. Nobody likes a cat fight -- the hissing, the yowling, the potential for real harm to one or both cats. Their tails get puffy and the hissing, screeching and growling is very disturbing. Close • Posted by 6 minutes ago. While some cats are friendlier than others and do seek companionship and attention of other cats, most prefer being the only cat of the house. Please share your experiences and stories, your opinions and feedback about this blog, or what you've learned that you'd like to share with others. Check out a little bit of their reunion below. when we had to take the time to separate the cats. I have two sister cats (litter mates). If you have a larger home, I recommend the starter set from Comfort Zone Multi-Cat. When you have sibling cats suddenly fighting, I would first look at considering if they are resource guarding – they should have their own separate food bowls, a multitude of toys, and you should have at least 3 litterboxes in the house. Rough play. It seems like 1 cat is instigating but I’m not entirely sure. Why would they do this after 5 years of loving each other. Cat Aggression, This can’t be true!” Apparently, it’s not that uncommon for felines, who have been familiar with one another, to have some traumatic event reshape the way they look at one another. - Mel. Intact males are much more likely to fight in this way than are neutered males. Once medical issues are ruled out, you can implement behavior modification strategies to see results. Sometimes if another cat or kitten is playing too rough with them, they may hiss as a way of saying “hey, stop that”. I have since changed their diet primarily to wet food, which our veterinarian recommended to help avoid future mineral crystals forming and the potential of an actual urethral obstruction. Cats are also at an increased risk of urethral obstruction during times of stress. I suggest bringing both into a room and hold or leash the cat that’s the aggressor (only if they’re harness trained), to have a little more control. The usual cause of conflict is competition for resources such as food bowls, water bowls, litter trays and scratching posts. So, cats that are familiar can also find a reason to hate one another. What Started My Cats Fighting. Suddenly they are hissing and growling and I'm very upset! However, we had to ditch the gate plan, because our kids are younger and not very reliable to keep them shut. Or in their case it’s literally a family feud. Cats usually display social standing with posturing and "bluffing" communication that doesn't result in injuries. Maternal AggressionA female cat with a litter of kittens may hiss, growl, chase, swat or try to bite another cat who approaches, even one with whom she was formerly friendly. I don't believe that boredom lead to their misunderstanding, but I do think getting them new toys helped stimulate their physical and mental muscles and created a safe space for them to interact. First, we had to separate the cats into two different rooms, because we didn’t want to risk injury to either cat. Usually this problem begins “by mistake” or by accident. My sister cats have been together since the womb. A thorough physical exam, patient history, and an established veterinary-patient-client relationship is required to provide specific medical advice. That being said, I had never personally watched my own cats getting in – well – a “cat fight." Second, swap the cats out occasionally from each space. Anytime something happens for the first time in your life, you naturally believe you’re the only one to ever have the experience. They're 3 years old and have always been together, they've always got on except for the odd bit of bickering. Thomas: Other things that can cause stress and the resultant redirected aggression include loud noises, the smell of another cat on your clothes, being in an unfamiliar environment, or an owner actively trying to break up a cat fight. Why Do Cats Fight? They're housecats and are always indoors. When you have sibling cats suddenly fighting, I would first look at considering if they are resource guarding – they should have their own separate food bowls, a multitude of toys, and you should have at least 3 litterboxes in the house. If you’re like me, I was asking, “What? Specifically, I had recently put gel packs in our closets to absorb any moisture and started to question whether he had consumed the toxic packets. It’s also gotten to the point that Zsa Zsa has urinated out of fear. For some cat parents though, their cats' playtime may look as if it's crossed over into aggression. You can take them to cat training … , which our veterinarian recommended to help avoid future mineral crystals forming and the potential of an actual urethral obstruction. I have two cats and sometimes they will start play fighting and it frequently ends up sounding bad, I even had to break them up a few times because fur was starting to get pulled off. A couple of days ago one of them (Maggie) fell out of the kitchen window into the yard. In our case (as previously shared) it's been more than a month and a half. environmental enrichment for cats, We also had them separated in the house and switched them out twice a day (video above), so that they would experience the other's scent. The first step to take when you notice a behavior change in your cat is to visit your veterinarian. It can be fairly unpredictable and it can change suddenly without our having any idea why the change occurred. My sibling cats (m/f, 8 yrs old) are suddenly not getting along? Any ideas how to make them stop? In fact, originally the two were adopted along with a third sibling, but due to a. , we had to put him down shortly after the adoption. Trust me, they won't get through and it's tough to jump over (I used it in our garage). As an online informational resource, Preventive Vet is unable to and does not provide specific medical advice or counseling. happy cat behavior, Thank you! What’s good about this separation is that you can monitor if your cat is not eating, how much water they are consuming and any bathroom habits. So we had our veterinarian do a urinalysis on both and while Rajah's tests came back clean, Zsa Zsa had formed some urine crystals and was put on antibiotics for a suspected urinary tract infection. 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