How to keep cats from fighting?

[JediJohnnie]

My Mum has three cats, a mother and two of her kittens. The kittens are older now.  But the male cat always chases the mother, to the point she is too afraid to leave the two rooms she inhabits. She's tried everything to keep them from fighting. Any Cat owners with advice would be welcomed.

[Nancy5]

Are all the cats fixed?  That might be a problem.  Unfortunalty some cats, and dogs too, are only one pet pets and cannot get along with other pets.  Also sometimes the fight sounds worst then it is, as long as one does not hurt another you should let them work it out.  Does the kitten look for his mom?  If yes, then sadly you have a problem, if not that's good news and maybe they can never be good friends but will be able to tolerate each other.  Good luck and please let us know how it works out.

[JediJohnnie]

Yes,they are all fixed. He seems to actively stalk her whenever she comes out of her rooms. There was a time they could lay side by side, but he seems to want to chase her and she ends up getting afraid and fighting with him. 

[Nancy5]

Are they actually fighting (biting, scratching), or do you just hear them hissing?  I have one cat who will chase another and at times they will even roll around fighting, but the next they are in the same room quiet. 

[darkxtsuna]

My dad would just put a plate of milk out, before long they just fool around or lay down doing nothing.

[bigfoot951]

I don't know if this works with cats but with dogs I always think it is best to let them fight.  One will claim dominance and they will all know who is in charge moving forward and won't fight anymore.  I know it works with dogs...not sure about cats but I would think it is worth a try.

[stbernard1973]

We used to have 2 cats.  We had a male that passed away last summer.  He was the brother to the cat we have now.  They fought something fierce about everything.  He couldn't be in the same room while she was eating or in her litter box.  She couldn't walk near his food or water dishes.  They could not use the same litter box because they would fight over it.  There were certain places in the house they liked to lay down and they were incredibly territorial about those places.  If she got near his or he got near hers it was awful.  Growling, hissing, spitting, scratching, biting.  When the male died, I often wondered if she didn't secretly find some way to off him.  lol

I used to have a female Chow Chow and she hated the female dog I have now, Lucy.  Anytime Brandy saw Lucy it was a fight to the death.  Brandy was a lot smaller than Lucy but she was fast, fierce and determined.  They got into five or six fights and every single fight ended with someone bloodied and injured in some way.  It got to the point to where we had to keep them separated at all times so Brandy couldn't ever see Lucy.  We didn't want either girl getting hurt and it was best to prevent the fights before they started.  The hard part was breaking them up.  All the old tricks like throwing water on them, making loud noise, etc. didn't work for separating them.  I remember reading that in Buckingham Palace the Queen's Corgi's get into fights and to stop them, they drop a silver tray so it will clatter on the floor and make a loud noise.  That usually stops the Corgis.  It doesn't stop a Chow Chow.  lol  Had they been left to fight it out, one of them would have actually killed the other.  They wouldn't have stopped until one was dead and the other probably seriously injured.  The worst fight they ever had Lucy got hold of one of Brandy's ears and would not let go.  We took Brandy to the vet but the ear never did stand up like it once had.  Life was peaceful as long as those two never set eyes on one another.  They both got along beautifully with other dogs and cats.

If you haven't already, you might want to try Googling for some pet forums or discussion lists.  Specifically those that are geared toward cats.  Places cat breeders may hang out to discuss anything and everything about cats.  I know when I was heavily involved in the Saint Bernard world, I was (and still am) part of a Saint discussion list that had a lot of breeders as members.  It isn't uncommon for new Saint owners to join up and ask questions about this or that from time to time.  Sometimes, the best advice you can get comes from the folks who live day in and day out with a large number of whatever breed/animal you're looking for.  I knew one gentleman who had close to 50 Saints and you could take his advice to the bank.  He witnessed so much Saintly behavior that there rarely was a question that stumped him. 

Take whatever advice you get and evaluate it for your situation because you will get a mix of good and bad (and insane) advice even from seasoned breeders who always claim to want what is best for their animals.  I had a male Saint that had seizures.  When he started having them, I asked for advice on the Saint list I'm on and one of the breeders that I knew well and respected (at the time) because of her history and how many dogs she had raised in her career told me the only option I should even consider was to put him down.  I did not like nor take that advice.  I told my vet about it and she didn't like it either.  She told me that there was no reason to murder (her word) a young and otherwise perfectly healthy dog just because he was epileptic.  I agreed with that completely.  Once we found the right dosage of meds, my Max lived another 4 1/2 years and had a very healthy, happy and playful life.  He lived past the normal life expectancy for a Saint Bernard, actually.

I wish your mum and her kitties a lot of luck!  What she's going through is not an easy situation to deal with and I sure do hope you're able to find something to help her out!   

[BOSSLADYNELLY]

In order to ensure that there are no injuries and that all introductions are positive a desensitization and counter-conditioning program is the best way to ease a new cat into a household. Begin by confining the new cat to a room or portion of the home with its own litter and water. Allow the existing cat to continue to have access to the rest of the home. This arrangement provides a separate territory within the home for each cat, and allows both cats an opportunity to adapt to the smell and sounds of each other, without the possibility of direct contact or physical confrontation. If the new cat is housed in a screened-in porch or a room with a glass door, it may also be possible to allow the cats to see each other through a safe partition. When the cats show no fear, anxiety, or threat toward each other, then progress to controlled exposure exercises. Training should occur when the cats can be occupied in a highly "rewarding" activity such as feeding, play, or treats. Provided both cats are far enough apart to minimize the possibility of aggression, and the reward is sufficiently appealing, the cats will focus on the rewards rather than each other. In addition, if the rewards are saved exclusively for these introduction times, the cats will quickly learn to expect "good things to happen" in the presence of each other. In addition to ensuring that the cats are at a safe enough distance to minimize fear, both cats (or at least the one that is likely to be the aggressor) can be confined to an open wire mesh cage or a body harness and leash. This will ensure that the cats can neither escape nor injure each other. It is safest to begin the first few introductions, not only at sufficient distance to reduce fear, but also with one or both cats in cages or on body harness and leash, so that they can neither retreat, or injure the other cat. If the cats have been in cages during the first training session, they can be placed in each other’s cages at the next session (so that the cats are exposed to the other cat’s odor). The cages can be moved progressively closer, provided the cats show no fear or anxiety and remain interested in the food. Once the cats will eat and accept exposure in either cage when close together, keep one cat in the cage and the other out during feeding. The situation is then reversed at the next session. As a final step the distance between cats can be increased again, with both cats out of their cages. A body harness and leash can be used to ensure additional safety. Over time the cats are fed closer together until a point where the cats can eat, or take treats, in each other’s presence.

[natashaspy]

have they been fixed? sometimes that helps to calm the male cats down greatly

[BlackSheepNY]

I don't know if you've ever heard of "Jackson Galaxy," but this guy knows ALL about CATS.  He's got an article here about "cat aggression" you might want to read.  At one point in the article, he does state that if the aggression is between 2 cats, the best way to solve it is to separate them completely and reintroduce them slowly, as if they never even knew each other.  You may want to check out his website while you're there.  Here's the site:

http://jacksongalaxy.com/2014/08/21/aggression-in-cats/

[cathy37]

My daughter has two cats and I have one.  The male cat that my daughter has is always picking on the female cat she has.  My cat is also a female.  When I go visit I take my cat and all three are slapping and growling at each other.  Also my daughter's male cat, who by the way use to love to lay in my lap, also growls and hisses at me.  Sorry I don't have any advice for you.  I guess it is just natural.

[JediJohnnie]

Much thanks for all the advice! I will pass it along and further investigate the situation! 

[Nancy5]

Good luck and let us know hiw your mom makes out.

[talboojm]

How Can I Get My Two Cats To Stop Fighting?

http://rockinthecatspaw.blogspot.com/2015/02/how-can-i-get-my-two-cats-to-stop.html

[tfw6693]

  My advice would be to give the aggressive one away.