Fighting Cats! Any advice? D:

Hello! I'm new to the forum, but have had cats all my life.. Having three or one at a time.. Here's the problem..

Okay. I have a cat. We've had her for a year or two.. Orignally, she was a stray in our garage who happened to be declawed and spayed. We searched for an owner but didn't find anyone, so around Christmas time, we took her in.

Sophie is a fairly mean cat. She doesn't bite or anything, but she hates to be pet or held. She also meows all the time.

Yesterday for my Birthday, I got a new cat from my local Humane Society. A Three year old, netured male. He's really affectionate and I thought I struck gold. Right?

Wrong. I know they need to adjust.. Bu... Bud would go close to her, and Sophie would howl and hiss like a three year old. Eventually, he started hissing back.

Last night, they started fighting badly when I broke them up (Bad idea, I know.. But he has claws and she doesn't) Then Bud sort of attacked my dad's thigh..Another lesson not to mess with a fighting cat. Not too badly though. I think he was just caught up in the moment.

Anyways.. Is there anything I can do to help the situation?

Do you think they will get over eachother? I mean, he only got here yesterday.

Last night after the fight, I went to sleep with Bud in my room. My sister came home late and wanted to show him to her friend. A couple minutes later she tossed him back into my room, saying he made a beeline for Soaphie.

Since it wasn't too long ago, I thought it was sort of normal.

However, this morning Sophie was outside and Bud was in the living room. They saw eachother through a screened window and Soaphie just meowed.. I let her in and put her on the counter, trying to give her some canned Friskies.

I heard a hiss and Bud was walking towords her. He made a run and I grabbed her and went into another corner of the kitchen.. He started, um, climbing my leg trying to get at her until I put her and myself into the laundry room

I don't know if they can get along. If in the next week it doesn't stop, my parents say he's going back to the Humane Society.

They have met through doors several times.. But when I open it, Bud tries to get at her so I have to be really careful leaving a room. Even though Bud is a nicer cat, my family has decided if it comes down to it, Bud will have to go back to the Humane Society if the behavior doesn't shape up.

It looks as if you introduced the two cats way too soon. Please click here to read about how to introduce a new cat to a current cat. If you follow these directions you are much much less likely to have aggression problems like the ones you have seen.

IF they're not injuring each other then I would just let them duke it out (after a claw-trimming for Bud). My kitties did that a lot at first and it used to really concern me. But, when I interfered it just made things worse. I did keep them separated at night though, when I wasn't able to watch them, just to be safe.

It gets better, after they determine who is the alpha.

Although slightly different...

I got my kitten at the same time 2 brothers - I was only going to get one but you couldnt split them - they spent 7 months sleeping with each othger following each other around etc the first time they were apart when ronnie went missing reggie was pining all night.

Anyway about 2 months ago they started to fight (I have never seen a cat fight before) and it scared the life out of me. There was no cuts or anything but was still horrible - I am new to cats. Although now i know it was wrong i kept splitting them up. They would hiss at each other and scream - I ended up going to the vet (he must think I am a hypercondriac for cats!!) and asked him about it.

He told me that when known cats fight you have to leave them too it as one needs to determine himself as boss so to speak. So although it was so hard to stay away whilst I heard the screaming, hissing etc I did and now they are happy as larry reggie is boss and ronnie accepts it.

Originally Posted by Cheese Love

If in the next week it doesn't stop, my parents say he's going back to the Humane Society.

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You (and your parents) need to be prepared to give it more than a week. It's perfectly normal for newly introduced cats to growl, hiss and even fight. So long as they're not actually hurting each other and neither is showing signs of being too stessed in general (ie when they're not actually in combat!) I'd leave them to sort it out. You might want to separate them part of the time, eg when you go out or at night. Alternatively you can take a step back and separate them then re-introduce them more slowly (exchanging scents first etc.). Either way, it can take weeks or even months before they will be happy with each other. They may never be best buddies but most cats will learn to tolerate another cat provided there is enough space for them to be apart if that's what they want. I'd give it a few months before you decide it's not going to work out.

Originally Posted by urbantigers

You (and your parents) need to be prepared to give it more than a week. It's perfectly normal for newly introduced cats to growl, hiss and even fight. So long as they're not actually hurting each other and neither is showing signs of being too stessed in general (ie when they're not actually in combat!) I'd leave them to sort it out. You might want to separate them part of the time, eg when you go out or at night. Alternatively you can take a step back and separate them then re-introduce them more slowly (exchanging scents first etc.). Either way, it can take weeks or even months before they will be happy with each other. They may never be best buddies but most cats will learn to tolerate another cat provided there is enough space for them to be apart if that's what they want. I'd give it a few months before you decide it's not going to work out.

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I read the articles and admit they met too soon.. But sometimes he just got out of the room. I also know very well that it takes much longer than a week. I'm just worried that he'll never snap out of it. They've been mostly isolated from eachother for about two days now, only meeting through doors and windows.

Originally Posted by lotsocats

It looks as if you introduced the two cats way too soon. Please click here to read about how to introduce a new cat to a current cat. If you follow these directions you are much much less likely to have aggression problems like the ones you have seen.

Click to expand...

Quite right! I shouldn't have rushed it. At the moment, Bud is in my room with his own food and litter. The only time he can leave is when Sophie is outside where they've been meeting through a screen and glass door. They both sleep on the other side of the door.. Any ideas as to when I can reintroduce them?