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🐈 🐈 Any 2-cat owners here?


As many folks here know, I adopted two 6-month-old kittens last December just before Christmas. I've learned since then that taking care of cats is a lot more work than I thought, but that's fine. Things have gone along quite well...until late last Friday afternoon.

That's when my cats began fighting violently. I mean literally clumps of fur flying and even drawing blood (not a lot, thankfully). I have no idea what started this behavior. I only became aware when I heard the cats growling, hissing, and screaming as they came galloping up from the basement and tearing through the house. Owen was chasing Abby, but she was fighting back when she couldn't escape him. It was so violent that spraying them with the water bottle didn't faze them. Even dousing them with a cup of water didn't end it.

I was able to separate them and gave them time to cool down - a couple of hours. But as soon as they see each other, the fighting starts all over again. I realized that they would have to be separated overnight. In the middle of the night they began fighting through the door! As soon as Owen sensed Abby was by the door, the hissing and screaming would start. Later, at one point it sounded like Owen was throwing himself against the door. Naturally, as soon as Abby heard that, she had to go investigate, meaning another hissing-screaming match.

So all weekend I've had to keep them separated. One in the spare bedroom that I call the cat room (cat tree, toys, etc.), the other allowed to roam a bit. I switch them every once in a while. That involves closing one cat in my room so I can "release" the other one. Then the cat in my room goes into the cat room.

Yes, I will be calling the vet first thing Monday morning to find out how soon he can examine Owen to rule out a medical issue. I'm starting with him because he appears to be the aggressor in this mess.

Has anyone ever experienced something like this? Owen has always been a mellow fellow so this is totally unexpected.

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Watch this video from [i]My Cat From Hell[/url]. Jackson Galaxy gives excellent advice for this problem.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACmfUVUOBRY&ab_channel=AnimalPlanet

If you need more help, check Youtube for more of these videos.

😎 😺 😺

PS I have two cats, but one is an indoor cat, and the other is an outdoor cat.

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That is very distressing to hear! I love cats, but have never owned one on my own. I Googled 'cats suddenly become enemies' and it appears you are not alone!

Best of luck!

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Thanks. Apparently it's not unheard of for cats to decide they hate each other. And now that I've read up on it a little bit, it can be caused by an outside cat approaching a home where indoor cats live. The indoor cats' instinct is to go after the interloper, but if they can't do that, they may take out their aggression on their "buddy." I don't think that's what happened here, but I could be wrong.

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I've had two cats for years, and the only time I ever saw two get in a fight was during the brief period when I had two males.

Ever since then I've been sure to have cats of opposite sex, and they've all gotten along very well.

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I wondered about something like this, although my cats are opposite genders. I also wonder if it's something to do with sibling rivalry. πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ

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I'm no expert, but a close friend had male-female litter-mate cats, and they did a lot of fighting and making up. The sibling bond proved stronger than their disagreements, whatever those were about.

The female of that pair, BTW, had a life-long feud with the female cat next door, and that's where I learned where the word "catty" came from.

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I CURRENTLY HAVE SIX FORMERLY FERAL MALE CATS...THEY ARE AMAZING...BUT TOOK TIME TO GET USED TO EACH OTHER...IN THE PAST I HAD A MAL/FEMALE PAIR...THEY FOUGHT AND HISSED AND ACTED LIKE ENEMIES...PEOPLE FREAKED OUT AND INSISTED THEY SHOULD BE SEPERATED...LONG STORY SHORT...AFTER A WHILE THEY MELLOWED TOGETHER AND BECAME BEST PALS FOR LIFE.

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have they been spayed/neutered?

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That was the first question that sprung to mind for me too.

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Sorry to hear about the problems you're having. I've also had several cats but never had an ISSUE as bad as you're having. Here's a website (with links to other sites) that may be of help:

https://blog.feliway.com/us/why-cats-fight?%20

Why Cats Fight?

Just like humans, cats each have their own unique personalities! As all cat owners know, our cats are individuals with their own preferences and personality traits. Some cats are extremely friendly and sociable, whereas some are more independent - we all know a kitty who needs their alone time!

As a cat parent, you may notice that your cat doesn’t want to snuggle up to or sleep near your other kitties. But in other cases you may see a kitty friendship developing quickly and easily! It can take cats eight months to a year to develop a feline friendship. Yet while some cats will grow to love each other, some just never become friends - and it’s important not to force them!

There are many reasons why your cats might not want to be purrrfect pals;

Reasons Why Cats Fight?
1. Territory,
Cats are territorial so they may fight over space.

2. Resources,
Cats like to have their own resources often private from other cats. This can include even your attention.

3. Threats,
They may also get their claws out if they feel threatened or uncomfortable!

Are You Sure You Have Cat Conflict?
If you are not sure if cats are friends, in conflict or play fighting, see our interactive app FRIENDS or foes which shows different interactions between cats and advises the things to look out for.

How Can You Reduce Cat Conflict?
So what can you do to help your kitties get along? Luckily there are a few steps you can take to give them the best chance of a blossoming friendship. See our short guide how to stop cats fighting or more detailed article 7 step guide on how to get cats to get along.

How To Prevent Cat Conflict?
Most importantly is the first introduction between cats, this must go well. To ensure it goes well read our 7 tips on introducing cats together.

This link says they need their own litter box, water and food bowls, and scratching posts because cats also hold a grudge with each other:

https://www.feliway.com/us/Why-Use-Feliway/how-to-stop-cats-fighting

when there are signs of conflict or tension between your cats, it will not resolve with time.

You need to act now as cats do not reconcile after conflict. Essentially cats find it hard to forgive and forget.


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not personally, but i know someone who had to give her older cat away after introducing two younger ones, because the old male was brutal towards the kittens.

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I had two cats. The first a female was an incredible animal. She was very doglike and affectionate. A year later we decided to get her a friend from the same person. This one was total opposite. Completely independent, feed me then leave me alone was his motto. But the female assumed the alpha role. He was completely subservient to her even when he eventually got much larger and stronger than her. Never had an issue with them fighting.

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