cat help!!!?

Question

i have 2 cats and they dont get on they always fight what should i do??

i have had 1 of them(gizmo) for 3 years and the other about a year(scruffy)and there still not getting on there both male and been done.they both have different sleeping places and eat in different rooms they both go outside 1 more often than the other. what can i do to make them stop fighting ??

there both 7 years old i think but scruffy i took in as he was a stray.

Answer 1

Most of the answers have covered most things but I will list them anyway:
1). Make sure they are neutered, male cats are more prone to fighting than females especially if they are brothers and/or oriental.
2). cats are very territorial regardless of whether they are neutered but neutering does help reduce testosterone levels so it should help
3). Felliway is good to calm them down - it is a natural good pheramone and helps cats who are stressed
4), always ensure you have one more cat litter than the amount of cats you have. So you have two cats you will need three cat litters. If you have three cats you will need four etc. This is because most cats use litter trays as a form of bullying and if you only have one then one cat may be guarding the litter and not letting the other go. plus they tend not to like going to another cats toilet, territory thing again.
5). if they are fighting over food, make sure they both get their quota of food and one isn't stealing from the other, this may mean feeding them at seperate times.
6). make sure you allocate a 20 minute play session a day with them either seperately or together.
7). check out 'the destructive cat book', you can buy it in any good book shop waterstones for example. it is an interesting read and solves most types of situations.
8). you can get your cats injected with a pheremone from the vets to help de stress them but at the end of the day if they dont like each other then not much will stop them. You may unfortunately have to think about splitting them up - I had to split my three up as they kept wee-ing over my electrics!!! Cats are naturally solitary animals.
9). some cats like to play fight - it depends what kind of fighting it is, if they still slepp together and eat together then I would suggest it is just play fighting which is quite healthy.

Answer 2

Firstly how old are they?
Have they been together from birth, or are they newly aquainted?

Your answers makes a difference to the answer really.

You should have them both neutered. It is supposed to calm the hormones. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. If they've only just come together then you have a terroritry issue going on. The best advice for that is unless they are actually killing each other, let them sort it out, and try not to intervene. It will soon become apparent who's in charge, and where each feels is their area, and where the mutual areas are.

Are you sure it is actual fighting. Some times play fighting can get a bit dramatic, and seem like each animal wants to kill the other. You're usually safe if there isn't a great deal of hissing going on.

I'd keep lots of different toys and things available. Something to keep their minds occupied.

Answer 3

Are they netuered? If not, get them neutered ASAP.

Did you just get one or both of them recently? If so, you need to separate them and reintroduce them - see this link for instructions: http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=cattocatintroductions

If they've been together for a while and have just started fighting, perhaps something has set them off - if a stray cat is coming around and they see it through the window, they could be redirecting the aggression they feel about the stray toward each other. If a stray is coming around, get some cat repellant granules or spray from the pet store and put it around the windows and doors.

Also, have they had a health checkup recently? Sometimes illness can cause strange behavior. If they haven't been to the vet, please get them checked to make sure they're OK.

Feliway is great for cats that aren't getting along, and can help in any of the above situations (except illness and not having been neutered). You can find it in pet supply stores and at vet clinics. The plug-in diffuser is easiest to use. Just buy one, plug it in, and replace it every 30 days. It helps to calm the cats down. http://www.petcomfortzone.com/czcats.htm

Answer 4

Cats don't always get on, so as long as the fighting is not getting dangerous then you may have to just keep the peace between them whilst you're there.

I had cats that didn't get on, but it was only a short spell in a cattery and moving to a new house that made them bond.

Good luck.

Answer 5

how long have u had them? if its only been a week thats not long enough most cats will in time become good friends and agree to disagree at times...it takes about a month or 2 for most new animals to settle in i had 2 males it took about amonth for the nasty fighting to stop. with spay bottles and a firm no...then they became friends sleeping on the bed together and play fighting which can sound nasty but if u watch them u realize that its play.

Answer 6

Its okay that they are not best friends but you need to stop the fighting before it gets one of them injured. Use one of those plant mister bottles, fill it with water and when they fight spray them both, it should stop them all together. They are probably just trying to establish the hierarchy so in the meanwhle don't leave them alone together in case in gets real nasty.

Answer 7

probably because the cat smells different to the other cat, try taking them both to the vets together for a regular check-up and when they come back into your house they will both smell the same so no reason for the cats to fight.

Answer 8

after having them both together for a year they should be ok by noy.
are the fights just little if so then this is normal?
but if not then there is a personality clash and maybe one will have to go?
sorry

Answer 9

Well Honey, in order to answer this with any kind of decent information, much more information is needed here. What are they? Females, males, one of each? How old are they? And, what are they doing? How long have you had them? Go back and re-do this question and re-submit and maybe some of us can help you.

Answer 10

i have similar problem see 2 cats have become intolerant and the best advice which i am following is to keep them apart as much as possible and try to gradually integrate - also swap their bedding so that their own particular scents intermingle. hope this helps