Feline aggression and cat fights are common behavioral problems.

Feline behavioral issues can come in many forms and aggression is one of the most common ones, especially in a household with multiple cats. Aggression between cats can lead to cat fights and injuries. Tension between cats can also lead to disease, with cystitis being the most common stress-related disease for cats.

Causes of Feline Aggression and Cat Fights

Most aggression between cats occurs because of territorial disputes. Cats may feel as though their rank in the home is threatened, they may feel as though another cat in the home in threatening them or they may feel threatened by cats seen outdoors through windows or doors.

Most often feline aggression occurs because of an inadequate supply of resources. Competition for resources may include feeding areas, water bowls, litter boxes, resting areas, perches or even human attention.

Signs of Aggression Between Cats

In many cases, the signs will be quite evident. The dominant cat may growl and/or hiss. The hair along the spine and on the tail may stand and the cat may assume an arched posture or may act as though he is stalking the other cat. The threatened cat will likely crouch and then run from the more dominant cat.

While many cases of feline aggression are quite dramatic, other cases may be much more subtle and the cat owner may not notice the signs as easily. In these cases, the more timid cat may hide and avoid contact with family members, especially when the more dominant cat is around. The cat which feels threatened may avoid eye contact with the more dominant cat, who may attempt to stare down his more timid counterpart. In time, the dominant cat may simply need to look at the more timid cat to chase him away from resources such as food and water.

In cases of conflict, a more confident cat may try to move toward an object perceived as a threat in an attempt to gain control over the situation. A timid cat is more likely to flee from the treat. However, there is another form of conflict known as redirected conflict in which the cat cannot confront the threatening object directly and may choose instead to create conflict with another, uninvolved party (such as another cat in the household). Redirected conflict often occurs when cats housed indoors react to cats or other animals seen outdoors. These outdoor animals are seen as a threat but are not approachable so the cat finds a substitute for his aggression. Redirected aggression may also occur when one cat in a multi-cat household is being threatened by another more dominant cat and, in turn, the threatened cat becomes aggressive toward other feline household members.

Dealing with Cat Fights and Feline Aggression

The key to dealing with this type of feline aggression is to provide adequate resources for all cats in the household.

• There may need to be numerous food and water stations as the dominant cat may guard these resources and attempt to keep other cats away.
• Litter boxes are essential resources and should be provided in adequate numbers and in easily reached areas which are quiet and free of disturbances.
• Elevated perches should be available for all cats. Cats like to sit above their environment and look down, likely because of the safety factor afforded by being off the ground.
• There should be adequate hiding spaces for each of the cats. These may be in the form of cardboard boxes, cat condos, cat beds or carriers (with the door open so that the cat can enter and exit at will). Hiding places which keep the cats involved in the conflict from being in direct visual contact with one another may be helpful.

In addition, all cats in the household should be spayed or neutered to decrease the amount of hormonal stimulation. Regular trimming of the nails may also help avert injuries.

When outdoor cats or other stray or wild animals are the cause of feline aggression, taking measures to discourage these animals from coming near the house may be warranted. Potential solutions may be motion activated sprinklers or lighting, placing bird and squirrel feeders far away from the house and using natural deterrents in the yard or garden. Keeping blinds and curtains closed may be a potential solution for these situations as well.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 1st, 2010 at 12:07 am and is filed under Cat Behavior and Training, Cat Care, Cats, Features. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.