Have you gotten a new cat and your existing cat does not approve? Maybe you have cats that have lived together for a long time, and may even be siblings, but suddenly you find your cats fighting!
To understand the reasons behind the catfights, we have to take a peek into the evolution of cats.
Did you know that cats have not changed very much from their original wild ancestors? Just take a look at the African wildcat, and you can see that physically, they look very similar to our pets! It is a bit more than just appearance; our domestic cats retain the instincts of their wild ancestors, as well! We can use this knowledge to guide us in solving the problems they face in the home.
In this blog post, I’m going to talk about how to help you understand your cats so that you can help them resolve their issues
Cats Fighting: The Reasons
Instinctually Solitary
Cats are solitary by nature; this is due to their evolution. Historically they felt the need to guard their territory to protect their resources. Our pet cats may have all the Fancy Feast they can eat, but their instincts still tell them to protect their resources and avoid each other.
Resource Guarding
Whether it’s litter boxes, food, water, perches, or even your attention, your cats need to feel that they do not need to compete with each other to get what they want.
Food
Cats will feel the need to protect their resources. I have one cat who likes to eat- he will eat his quickly, and then go take his sister’s food. Cats can feel uncomfortable if they have to look at each other while eating. I recommend placing food bowls a few feet apart or feeding them separately so that each cat doesn’t feel the closeness of its housemate as a threat.
Water
Cats will feel protective over their water sources. Provide multiple water sources throughout the home. I like for one source to be a cat fountain because some cats do not have a thirst drive. Running water can be more enticing for a cat. Here is a link to the fountain I use. I’m not an affiliate, but I really do like this fountain.
Litter Boxes
The general recommendation is for you to provide one litter box for each cat + one extra. So, if you have 3 cats, the guideline is to have 4 litter boxes. It may seem excessive, but your cats will tell you if they are unhappy by choosing not to use the litter box! Also, cats are not as likely to use them if they are placed right next to each other. Space them out a bit or put them in different rooms. Cats like their privacy!
Perches
Each cat should feel that it can escape to higher ground when needed. This may mean that you need more than one cat tree in the home if you have multiple cats, or provide another source for them to climb on. Mine have a cat tree, but they also love a big, free-standing wardrobe that I let them sleep on.
Cat Communication Styles
Cats have evolved to rely on scent for communication. This is so inherent that any change to the scent of one member of the cat family can cause the other cats to not recognize them. Familiar scents make cats feel safe, so any change can cause conflict.
Vet Visits:
Have you ever taken one cat to the vet and left the other at home only to find the two cats fighting when they get home? It’s like they don’t even know each other! Cats recognize each other through a mix of pheromones and the scents of the shared territory. The scent of the vet’s office can throw the balance off. If you have to take one to the vet, it’s often beneficial to take the other along just to keep it in the cat carrier so that they both smell the same.
New Friends:
If you adopt a new cat, you should bring something with him from his old home to help him feel safe and recognize a familiar scent- a blanket or towel is perfect. When introducing them to each other, I like to rub a towel on each cat and share the scent with the other cat while they are separated. Keeping the new cat in a room alone for a day or two can help it decompress and get used to the smells of the home.
House cleaning
If you go on a big spring-cleaning spree, it is possible to change the scents enough to upset your cats. You see? Cleaning your home is bad for your cats, so just don’t do it! Ok, it would help if you cleaned your home, but always leave something familiar to your cats untouched. They don’t need all their bedding washed at the same time. Ever notice new cats hiding in a litter box? Same reason- their litter smells like them- it’s familiar. It may seem gross to us, but they know their own scent! I’m glad humans don’t do that….
Are Cats Domesticated?
Compared to dogs, cats are not truly domesticated. The fact that they retain all of their instincts can make life in the human world sometimes challenging for our cats. Here are some considerations:
- Kittens have a socialization window; if they are not introduced to other cats during this time, it can take them quite a bit longer for them to learn to accept new cats. Patience is key when introducing a new feline to your family of existing cats. Most adult cats do not need another cat as a companion cat and will be fine as an only cat.
- Cats need to feel that they have their own territory. Cats who are forced to live closely together may never feel that they have their own space. This can cause a cat to run away from home to find a territory of its own. Provide enough space in your home so that each cat feels it has a place of its own.
- Cats that are allowed outdoors can have territory battles with neighbors’ cats. If your homes are close together, your cat may feel threatened by the neighboring cat. They don’t understand property boundaries. If you have a problem with a neighbor’s cat coming into your yard, you. can use sprinklers to help wash away any markings by the neighbor’s cat.
In this post, we talked about the most common reasons that your cats may fight.
If you want to read more about cat behavior, this post is about the reasons that cats scratch: https://toebeansandtales.com/cat-is-scratching/
Related Articles
Ottoni, C., et al. (2017). The palaeogenetics of cat dispersal in the ancient world. Nature Ecology & Evolution, 1(7). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0139
Smith, C. (2021, May 3). Cats domesticated themselves, ancient DNA shows. Science. Retrieved January 1, 2023, from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/domesticated-cats-dna-genetics-pets-science
