🐈 🐈 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.