Whenever you hear the term “cat fight,” you might think of the famous “Seinfeld” episode or “Mean Girls.” As silly as pop culture makes the human versions seem, if you’ve ever seen a real cat fight between felines, you know it’s no joke. Raised hackles, hissing and stand-offs just start the process. Once the yowling and physical confrontation starts, it’s terrifying to hear and witness.
Cats Fight Both Friends and Foes
One of our cats, Wolf, fought on a regular basis. He didn’t like any other cat entering our yard. Though he was small and weighed no more than six pounds, he took on any cat around. Marilyn Krieger, a certified cat behavior consultant also known as “The Cat Coach,” says “Whole males will typically fight over queens and territory.”
We took in an older female rescue cat named Renn who hissed and growled at everyone and everything. We had her before Wolf. “New cats should always be introduced gradually to the resident cats,” says Krieger. Quick introductions can be a cause for cat fights. Wolf was a kitten and Renn accepted him, except when he wouldn’t leave her alone (sounds like your kids, doesn’t it?).
He was playful and learning his place. As close as they became, they still fought occasionally as he grew. Krieger says even siblings will fight. “Adolescents sometimes squabble. They are figuring out where they fit in their changing hierarchy,” she says. In our case, the cats eventually found their balance with one another and only fought neighbor cats.
It’s All About Territory
Our current cat, Artemis, stays indoors. She guards her territory, but from the windows, hissing and lunging at any cats outside. One day she darted past me and ran outside. By the time I caught up to her — I found her by the terrible sounds she was making — she had two neighbor cats cornered. Billie Reynolds, a cat behavior specialist and a certified trainer at Good Kitty Behavior Consulting and Training, says cats primarily fight over territory.
“Regardless of the relationship, the nature of cats is they are territorial. Territory is everything a cat needs to survive (food, water, shelter and space), and they protect or keep their territory by using pheromones, visual markers and physical threats,” says Reynolds. According to Reynolds, if your cats are fighting, then from their perspective, there’s not enough territory. Basically, they feel insecure about their needs being met.
Cats Fight for Other Reasons
“Redirected aggression is another common reason that cats fight. This occurs when another animal, such as a cat viewed from a window, is upsetting the resident cat,” says Reynolds. “The resident cat, unable to reach the outsider, sometimes vents his frustration on the nearest animal, who may be another cat.” Scents and stress might also cause cat fights.
A cat that has been to the veterinarian or even just outside will pick up different smells (maybe from a dog or another animal). The smell could trigger aggression in a housemate. Cats often hide when they feel ill or have an injury, but it could also be a reason for an increase in bickering among cats. Not even your cat likes being sick.
What Can You Do?
Recognizing the signs of aggression helps you defuse the situation before it becomes an all-out brawl. “Direct stares, piloerection (hair raised), pupils dilated, ears flattened sideways or turned back, tails swishing quickly back and forth, stalking (not in play), growling and other vocalizations,” indicate an impending fight, according to Krieger. Intervene at the early signs of a fight.
Krieger suggests using cardboard to block the cats’ views of each other and then herding one out of the room. Avoid using your hands or picking one up. Reynolds recommends that you observe your cats to try to figure out which component of their territory they may be feeling is not enough for them to feel they can share.
Both cat behavior experts agree that supplying each cat with resources, including food bowls, water, litter boxes, beds, toys, climber and scratching posts can help curb territorial fighting. If your cats won’t stop fighting, you might have to separate them or speak to a cat behavior expert to analyze the problems. Once your determine the problem, you cats may finally give peace a chance.
And check out A Guide to Cat Training.
Kit Arbuckle works as a freelance writer covering parenting, education, health and pet care topics.
