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Cats not getting along

post #1 of 4
Thread Starter 
Hello. I have 2 cats. Both male neutered indoor one 8 one 6. I have had them since they were both kittens, so they have been together 6 years. They have always had their temper tantrums with eachother, nothing to serious, just cats being cats. The younger cat has always been the most dominant of the 2. About a year and a half ago I had to move back home, so the cats came with me. This was not a new place to them, since they had lived there before. About 9 months after moving back they started really fighting. I wasn't home alot (but they were never alone) and I thought this might be why. My older cat would hiss and growl at the younger one everytime he came into the room. All I can assume is that they got into a horrible fight at some point. I was finally able to move out 2 months ago. I was hoping by doing this and bringing them into a new place they might have forgotten what happened and get along again. Well this did not happen. My older cat is now horrified of my younger cat. He is starting to urinate around the house because the younger cat just won't let him near the litter boxes. The younger cat is always kicking him out of where ever he is sitting/laying, for no apparent reason. My older cat can't go anywhere in the house without being scared. I don't know what to do and I am scared that I will have to get rid of my younger cat. I DO NOT want to have to do that!! He is a great cat otherwise. Any advice? Tips? Tricks? I will try anything! Thanks so much!!!
post #2 of 4
I am so sorry you and your kitties are going through this! It seems to be a difficult situation, I would try reintroducing them first - like they were two complete strangers. Good tips for introducing new cats are on this page. Just please take time, it's better to take things slowly, even if it takes months it's better than doing it too fast and it not working.

Btw - has your elder cat had senior blood panel done? It's a long shot, but cats will sometimes attack cats they previously got along with if they get sick - it changes their smell so other cats start perceiving them as strangers.
post #3 of 4
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the advice! I will give it a try and see how it goes. My older cat has an appt coming up soon so I will be getting that done! Thanks again!!
post #4 of 4
Welcome to TCS, Scorpio!

As well as re-introducing the two cats and getting the elder kitty checked out, as Def Kitty suggested (don't forget to check for urinary tract-related issues!), I think it would do no harm to get the younger cat checked out as well. Some cats get pretty aggressive when they're in pain, and don't show their discomfort any other way.

Feliway is another step I'd take - it almost always has a markedly positive affect on cat behavior. You'll need one plug-in per average-sized room (amazon.com often has great prices on multi-packs).

Feeding at least three times a day helps reduce or completely eliminates hunger-related spats. And how many litter boxes do you have? The recommendation is one for every cat, plus one more.

"Cat Vs. Cat: Keeping Peace When You Have More Than One Cat" by Pam Johnson-Bennett is a great book about feline relationships and how to improve them.

Good luck!

AC
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