Causes of cat fights
Cat fights can occur for a number of reasons. Most often, cats living in the same territory are prone to conflicts due to the following factors:
- temporary isolation;
- aggression provoked by fear;
- social pressure due to the large number of individuals;
- unsuccessful acquaintance with each other.
Why do cats fight?
The reason for male conflicts lies in the nature of the cat's origin. To take a place in the sun, small predators made their way to it with teeth and claws.
In most cases, cats are called to fight by the instincts of the hunter, and sexual desire also plays a big role. Therefore, fights for territory are organized by mature, uncastrated males, especially if there is a “walking” cat nearby.
Most often, fights between cats are caused by defending the territory in which they live. This applies to a greater extent to outdoor cats. The cat defends its territory, following instinct. The more land under his paws, the more satisfying he will eat. In addition, the cats living in this territory will be exclusively at his disposal.
Most often, cat fights are caused by a struggle for territory.
When we moved to a private house, we inherited a cat. He lived somewhere in a barn, walked exclusively on the roofs, and ate what we gave him there. He was absolutely unkind, I was even afraid of him. But nevertheless, all around was his territory, which he fearlessly defended from uninvited guests. We sometimes observed these fights with our own eyes, but more often we saw the consequences in the form of scratches on the brave man’s face, torn out shreds of fur. We realized later how important defending this territory was for us personally, when the cat died. The yard was filled with cats darting here and there, each of whom considered it his duty to mark the territory. All this, to put it mildly, smelled unpleasant, and we just had to get a new cat - a yard guard.
Why do cats fight?
There are frequent cases of fights between females. Of course, for a lady it’s an unworthy occupation, but you can’t escape from nature. Cats, due to genetics, are much less prone to aggression and, it would seem, they have no reason to start fights. But if cats are seen fighting, then the reason for this is the mating season. Females can compete for the attention of a cat, even if there is no one in sight.
Another reason for fighting between two cats is motherhood. This instinct gives rise to aggression not only towards its fellow tribesmen, but also towards the owner.
I have 4 cats: a mother and her three daughters. Naturally, they all grew up together. We also got pregnant at the same time. I have never seen any signs of aggression between them. They even gave birth in the same box, although a separate place was prepared for each, and together they fed their babies indiscriminately between their own and those of others. But after sterilization, fights began between them. It is not clear to me what they shared among themselves, but two cats had to leave their common house for a while. And only the coming cold brought them together again - together, apparently, it was warmer.
Why does a cat fight with a cat?
If you carefully consider the hierarchy of the cat family, it will immediately become clear that the male occupies the dominant place. A cat is always more flexible, since nature dictates that the male is stronger. But, just like in human families, cats often have discord and fights can break out.
Most often this happens if the cat strives to take a leading position. The male will not stand on ceremony with such disobedience. Fights between cat and cat rarely continue for a long period. Often they are not taken seriously.
Why are my cats fighting?
Your cats may fight for several reasons.
For example, if one cat has just come from a place that may have a distinctive smell (like the vet), it will smell unfamiliar and perhaps a little scary to your other cats.
Cats communicate with each other primarily using their sense of smell.
- If one cat comes back into an apartment with an unfamiliar smell, it may upset the other cats in the house. To try to avoid this type of fight, it may be a good idea to keep your returning cat in a separate room for a few hours or overnight when you bring them home to allow them to regain a familiar scent.
- Sometimes aggressive behavior has nothing to do with your other cat. The fight instinct can be caused by something completely different. This can damage the relationship between cats that live together, so if separating them for a period of 24-48 hours does not solve the problem, it is a good idea to contact a cat behaviorist.
How to behave as an owner during cat fights
If cats, peacefully coexisting in the same house, begin to fight, then this cannot be ignored. Sharp claws and teeth can cause irreparable harm to the health of pets:
- Initially, the animals must be separated. But you shouldn’t get into a fight with your bare hands. This is fraught with injury to the person himself. The most effective way is to spray with cold water. You can make a loud sound, pop, etc. In other words, the animals need to be switched to another stimulus.
There is no need to separate fighting animals with your hands; for a person this will end in deep scratches at best
- After a fight has been stopped, the cats should be taken to separate rooms so as not to provoke a new conflict. In a calm environment, animals should be examined for injury. If pets are wounded, they must be treated.
- If the owner wants to avoid further clashes, then the matter will not end there. It is necessary to establish what caused the conflict and, if possible, eliminate this factor.
How to find the cause of the conflict
The cause of conflict between animals is not always easy to find. The problem of aggressive behavior can be caused not only by the psychological characteristics of animals, but also by health problems. If one of the cats is sick, then the second one tends to attack him in order to defeat the weak one. Animal nature does not know compassion.
The cause of a conflict between two animals may be the bad mood of one of the pets. One cat became a victim of another only because it turned out to be weaker and turned up under the “hot paw” at the wrong time. A visit to the veterinarian or a bath can trigger a fight. If one of the animals was subjected to one or another procedure, then its smell has changed somewhat, and the second cat ceases to perceive the first as a member of its family.
The listed reasons are not a complete list of possible factors that could serve as a reason for a fight. For example, cats can start a fight because of jealousy, changes in the body at the hormonal level, because of the bad character of one of the pets, etc. The owner should analyze everything that happened in the house in the last hours before the fight. The cause of the fight must be established with maximum accuracy so that it can be eliminated and prevent future fights between pets.
Male vs female
Most often, owners are misled by the cat's behavior towards the cat. She seems to accept his dominance and fulfills his every whim. However, this is not the case. The cunning of females knows no bounds, and they successfully use it, “powdering the brains” of both the cat and the owner. This tactic of behavior allows the cat to achieve what it wants without open conflict, and fights between animals of different sexes are rather nonsense.
Yes, the male can afford to hiss at his girlfriend or lightly touch her with his paw, but this is not a full-fledged fight, but only a reminder of who is boss in the house. Serious fights between a cat and a cat break out extremely rarely, and only if the female ceases to obey and shows leadership qualities. Usually cats go crazy because of this behavior of cats and find no other way out than to give the presumptuous “madame” a beating. In this case, short fights can break out out of nowhere; they proceed loudly, but not for long.
It is worth noting that the war between a cat and a cat is a fight to the last drop of blood. As soon as one of the pets obeys, peace and grace sets in in the cat kingdom.
What to do to avoid provoking clashes between cats
After eliminating the cause of the conflict, an important step in the peaceful coexistence of cats in the same house is the prevention of such incidents. We must use all possible means to achieve, if not complete unity, then at least a long-term truce.
Personal hygiene items
Each pet should have its own items that only it uses. These include bowls, combs, trays, scratching posts:
- this will help avoid fights over food or going to the toilet;
- This approach creates more hygienic living conditions for pets.
When the owner observes open clashes between animals, bowls with food and water should be placed as far from each other as possible, for example, in different rooms. The same goes for trays.
It is better if each cat in the house has its own bowl.
Each animal must be provided with its own toys. It is important not to confuse them in the future, otherwise the offense may spread from the furry neighbor to the owner. Cats are very sensitive and, if they catch someone else's scent on a toy, they can easily react in a negative way.
Individual games
The owner of several pets must learn one simple rule: give each pet at least 30 minutes a day for play. This allows you to create harmony in relationships with each representative. In addition, cats will see that they are equally important to their owner.
During the game, the cat will throw out excess energy, along with which aggression will go away.
If the owner is not alone, then several people can play with the cats at the same time, and then change places. With such a setup, it is important that during the game the cats do not intersect and cannot interfere with each other. An interactive puzzle toy can be an excellent option to keep your pet occupied. You can order it online or buy it at a pet store.
A puzzle game can keep your pet occupied by separating it from another animal in a separate room.
How to make furry bullies friends
In order to make warring cats friends, associations of a positive attitude can be useful. The owner of the animals must achieve a situation in which the animals have only positive perceptions of each other. To do this, treats and affection are used. For example, pet cats only at the same time. Treat them to “goodies” in the presence of each other, etc. Here you need to be careful and behave in such a way as not to single out one animal from the whole group, otherwise a new conflict cannot be avoided.
So we became friends with each other, not only the cats, who began to conflict with each other, but also the cats and the dog. sexpromo Now, for example, my animals do not perceive each other as enemies: the dog does not touch the cats, they have stopped hissing and rushing at her. So the method works is to simultaneously stroke the animals and speak kind words to them.
Two cats (cats) in the house: pros and cons
So, there are now two cats living in your house. What are the pros and cons of such a situation? First, let's talk about the disadvantages:
- if your pets remain full-fledged cats, then during the mating season you will be threatened with “fights” of local significance, in addition, the animals will actively mark their territory;
- The consumption of cat food and litter doubles.
And the positive points:
- despite prejudices, cats are emotional animals, and having a friend or girlfriend will make their life much more active and fun;
- your home will receive twice as much fluffy happiness!
If you are mentally and financially ready to have another pet in your home, then do not be afraid of possible problems. Your patience, consistency and perseverance will certainly yield results, and the animals will become friends. And after a while, they will give you many funny and warm stories together.
Friendship
The most favorable development of the situation, except in the case where animals grow up together from a very young age, is the immediate sympathy that arises between them. This happens when a kitten appears in a house with an adult cat. And then the owners do not have to think about how to make friends between a cat and a kitten, since thanks to maternal instinct, a cat is extremely rarely aggressive towards the baby. On the contrary, she, as a rule, takes him under her wing. But if a kitten is purchased for a home with an adult cat, then there is a chance that at first the old-timer will ignore the newcomer. But later, a warm and strong friendship can also begin between them.
When training turns into war
If cats living in the same territory quickly change their anger to mercy, it means that all the fights were “make-believe.” Sometimes one of the murkas may show an emotional outburst, suddenly jumping away with a hiss or using its clawed paw. But this is only a counter move. The animal probably felt psychologically disadvantaged or experienced short-term pain. A slight demonstration of aggression does not mean that the friendly relationship is broken, and the cats will seriously fight in the future.
Enmity. However, relationships between pets can become tense, developing into a long-term feud. Signs of real aggression are:
- battle cry in the form of low howling cries;
- angry hissing and growling;
- static tense poses;
- ears pressed to the head;
- point-blank gaze;
- clawed feet;
- raised hair on the withers and back;
- fluffy tail, raised up or nervously whipping at the sides.
