how common is real fighting with cats

I'll try to make this as short and to the point as possible.

I have 3 cats: Odessa 4, Norah 11, Quinne just passed 1 year in January.

Quinne will not stop trying to play or fight or whatever she's doing with Odessa. Prior to getting Quinne I read that getting a younger cat will be better for your older cat because 2nd cat will cow tow to what 1st wants.

Quinne isn't getting the message that Odessa just wants to be left alone. I think Quinne is just trying to play but Odessa doesn't like playing with other animals. In the last week I've noticed scratches on Quinne back of her neck. Odessa doesn't have one mark on her by the way. Quinne has another one today and her hair is missing in those spots. I really hope you guys aren't going to re-home Quinne because thats the reason I got her in the first place (an acquaintance  was fostering her, no one wanted her). Also her and Norah are such great friends.

In all of my introducing new cats/old cats guides I've read, they always state how uncommon it is for actual fights to happen. Cats even if they hate one another usually find a way to co-exist. Why isn't that happening and what can I do to make it happen? Also in the meantime, what do I do with these cuts/scrapes/etc-- should I just leave the be or should I try to clean them with something?

How long did you take introducing them. You could try separating them and going through the introductions again, there are threads on doing this. It lets them get used to each others scents. One of my cats always hisses and swats at the other one when he comes back from the vet. I have to separate them for a few days when he has been to the vets. I would clean the scratches with soap and water. If it's just scratches there shouldn't be a problem but if there are any bites they get infected and turn into an abscess quite often. It sounds like the swatting has turned into something serious enough to break skin so I would separate them for awhile.

when i first got Quinne i kept them separated for WEEKS then small supervised visits. then all common ground.

ill try to keep them separated during the day (at night when we're in bed Quinne and Norah sleep in our bedroom so that gives Odessa a bit of a break too).

since Quinne just turned one, do you think she may eventually calm down enough to take a hint?  She was left in an abandoned apartment so although ive never had kittens before, id say that she seems semi-ferral.

Denice said:

How long did you take introducing them. You could try separating them and going through the introductions again, there are threads on doing this. It lets them get used to each others scents. One of my cats always hisses and swats at the other one when he comes back from the vet. I have to separate them for a few days when he has been to the vets. I would clean the scratches with soap and water. If it's just scratches there shouldn't be a problem but if there are any bites they get infected and turn into an abscess quite often. It sounds like the swatting has turned into something serious enough to break skin so I would separate them for awhile.

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question-- when i separate them during day, i only have two rooms to choose from. The bedroom and living room. During the day im mostly in the living room (if im home at all). When i've kept Odessa in my bedroom during the day she sleeps on my bed and literally doesn't move. She mostly sleeps all day without much movement when she sleeps on couch during day too (about a month ago she started sleeping under the couch during the day and while Quinne is out). But i dont know if her lack of movement is because she hates my bedroom (which she does) and not being in her usual spot, or if its because thats what she be doing in the living room. The reason i wonder that is because when she's in the bedroom, she doesn't have to hide from other cats, she could move and walk around, but she doesn't.

there are some toys in the bedroom for Quinne and Norah at night, while there are toys in the living room too. So my question is-- who gets put in the bedroom all day? Which one am i suppose to be spending time with-- Quinne or Odessa?