Much like their wildcat ancestors, many of today’s cats enjoy their own company. Your cat may love being with you, but when they meet other cats, things can get tense. Cats are territorial animals and occasionally this can lead to fighting, even with cats who have lived together for many years!
In this guide, we’ll help you understand the difference between cats fighting and playing, what it means when cats fight outside and how to avoid brother and sister cats fighting.
Watch this video for tips on identifying whether your cats are friends or foes.
Cats like their own space and don’t usually need a companion to be happy. They can live harmoniously with other cats if they believe themselves to be part of the same social group. It’s also helpful if they don’t feel they have to compete for resources such as food, water and comfortable places.
Signs of happy bonded cats include grooming, rubbing against each other, and sleeping touching together. If you notice your cats displaying these behaviours towards each other, you can safely assume they are in a shared social group.
Even when cats seem to tolerate each other there can be underlying tension that can be hard for owners to spot. Cats are territorial and with more than one cat in your home, they might find it stressful to share this territory.
Constant tension between cats can lead to stress related health issues such as cystitis or overgrooming and behavioural problems such as toileting in the house. How comfortable your cats are together should not only be decided on if they fight or not as many cats living together can be stressed, without ever engaging in conflict.
It can be quite difficult to tell the difference between cats fighting and playing, as many of these behaviours can look similar, particularly as cats like to ‘hunt’ each other when playing, which involves running around your home! Bonded cats in particular love to play fight.
The best way to distinguish between cats playing and a genuine fight is to pay close attention to your cat’s body language. If your cat feels threatened or annoyed, you may notice signals such as their ears being flat and a swishing tail.
If your cats are playing, you may notice the interaction is:
In the event of a cat fight, you should try to separate your cats to avoid injury. Don’t be aggressive or heavy-handed when interrupting a fight and try to avoid physically separating them with your hands as in the heat of the moment, you might get hurt.
Try distracting them with a toy or by making a loud noise, this will get their attention and pause the fight. Give your cats time to cool off before you stroke them or pick them up.
Cats like to avoid conflict wherever possible, and fighting is always a last resort. There are lots of reasons why your previously happy cats may be fighting.
It can be especially tough when you have indoor cats fighting, as it may be difficult for your cats to get away from each other. The best thing you can do is make sure you have enough resources to go around. Remember to have plenty of safe places to hide so they can feel safe and secure as they cool off.
If your cats continue to fight despite your efforts, it’s best to separate them and contact a behaviourist from the APBC or ABTC as soon as possible.
While family bonds among people tend to be strong, it’s very different for cats. Just because they came from the same litter does not guarantee they’ll be best friends for life.
Brother and sister cats fighting is not uncommon. In fact, feline siblings can sometimes drift apart as they reach social maturity around the age of 18 months, even if they were bonded before.
It’s also normal for siblings to play rough; kittens and young cats tend to engage in quite rough play. If it is play fighting and you are worried that it is too intense, increase human-directed play and enrichment feeding to give an alternative outlet for their energy.
Introducing a new cat into your home is both a wonderful moment and a potential source of anxiety for many owners, if you already have a cat. There’s a chance your cat will see this lovely new ball of fluff as a threat to their territory and resources. Cats are often brought to us because they haven’t got along with cats at home.
First impressions count, so take your time when introducing new cats. If you do it slowly and pay attention to your cat’s behaviour, you’ll give them a good chance of living together peacefully. Here’s a few things you should do to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Once your cats are comfortable looking at each other and don’t show any sign of aggression, you can let them meet face to face. It’s important to let them do this in their own time, and that you give them space to leave and hide if they feel the need to. If they fight, separate them again and repeat these steps slower.
Find out how to introduce cats to other catsIt’s not uncommon for owners to tell us ‘my cat is being bullied by another cat’. When your cat is out and about in the world, they might run into other cats.
If your cat has established their territory, they can find it very stressful dealing with an intruder.
Usually when two strange cats come face to face, they will give each other space to avoid conflict. But occasionally, some cats are confrontational and will stand their ground.
Signs that your cat is stressed because of a neighbourhood cat are things like spending time staring out of the window or through their cat flap, and problem behaviours such as going to the toilet in inappropriate places. They may also be reluctant to go outside in case they run into the other cat.
Cats fighting outside can be a problem, as it’s more likely they’ll be injured by these encounters. We’ve got lots of tips to help keep your cat safe outside, one of the most important being protecting them from potential danger. Here’s a few things you can do to stop cats fighting outside: