Escalating fighting... advice?

rubsluts'mommy

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I've had both JoJo and Jack for over three years now and things have been okay. playing and the typical light fighting is expected. But in the last few weeks I've noticed the fighting getting worse. The only way I can break it up is to spray the water bottle into the air, then point it at them. I rarely ever spay at them anymore. they know what that bottle means. If I do spray them, I only get their backside. (I know many here disapprove of using the water bottle... but it literally is the only thing that works here)

My concern is that the fighting is getting worse. They NEVER were like this before. I have a feeling that's because Jack was sick for a long time... now he's much better and gaining weight. But he's also getting more aggressive. Possibly trying to exert dominance over her... but she's Alpha Cat and always has been.

She's hissing and growling rather loudly, and he would if he could... he's always been an extremely quiet cat. This aggresiveness is getting to nearly every day.

I may go back to getting the Feliway plugin... but I have no idea how much good it'll do anymore. Any other ideas?

Frustrated...
Amanda
 

pami

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Is the fighting blood drawing fighting? You may have to separate them for a while and then slowly reintroduce them again.
 
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rubsluts'mommy

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no blood as far as I can tell. Normally when they're playing, there's a little hissing, but it's minimal and not loud.

These two have never been REALLY close. Jack has occasionally groomed JoJo, but not much. The play togheter, but don't sleep next to each other... maybe within pawing distance, but not next to each other. JoJo has always been the Alpha... but now that Jack is healthy, I think he's asserting dominance. They're both fixed... so it's not a hormonal thing... (intact males are more aggressive, but he was snipped at 7 months... when the rescue got him)

It's entirely possible that the scarring JoJo gets around her neck and such are from fighting... It was explained away by their Chicago vet as Feline Acne (Kitty Zits, as I call them). If they are scabs/scars, it means they are drawing blood.

I'll pick up some Feliway on my way home from Acupuncture today. Maybe it'll help.

Sheesh, they're both around 4 years old... shouldn't they be calming down about now?

Amanda
 

pami

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Two of my boys, Ducky and Tino, who are actually litter mates, are in the re introduction phase from a very bad fight they had. They are 3.5 years old. The feliaway should help. Some people advise that they will work it out between themselves. I have taken a more cautious approach myself (but blood was drawn in their fight) .....I totally separated mine.
Just over the weekend, I placed a babygate at one of the door entrances and just duct taped cardboard boxes over the rest of the opening LOL ....they had a 10 minute big eye stare down, but daily I go in there to play with them and let them play with each other through the baby gate. So far they seem to be calming down with each other. Im not ready for them to be totally in the same room yet.
Before mine got into the "big fight" .... I noticed hissing between them. I never noticed any growling, tho.
Really its something you will just have to judge for yourself. The way cats work out their "places" in a home to humans can seem very violent sometimes. Even play between cats can seem pretty violent.... Im sure the best case scenario would be to let them work it out, it has to be done for them to co-exist, but just as long as blood is not drawn.
If you notice blood being drawn separate immediately and start with re introducing them...if not..... get the feliaway and see if they will work it out between them .....
 
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rubsluts'mommy

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I picked up some stuff at Petco today that I add to the water to help calm them down... despite JoJo's crazies about a half hour ago, they seem to be a little calmer... the only reason I didn't pick up the Feliway right then was because it was too d*** expensive. I'll give this water additive a day or two and see what it does... then if I still catch them going at it, I'll print out the Petsmart page with the refill at under $20 and go back into one of the stores... I know PS will honor their own website prices... dunno about PC.

On a side note: I talked to my acupuncturist about the stresses I've been under...I had the usual suspects (job hunting, money, etc) and added the cats fighting... she said it may not entirely be JUST my cats... her dogs have been going zonkers the last few days, and so have her mothers' animals. Having grown up in earthquake country, that's one of THOSE signs... but I don't want to worry anyone. It may just simply be deep, smaller quakes or some other off-kilter activity. Animals can sense things much more than we can. maybe I can ask my brother... he's the geologist in the family.

Off to sleep... being stuck with needles can make one sleepy.
Amanda
 

larke

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At the risk of sounding like a ditz, it's been a full moon (now waning) and my bunch, like clockwork, routinely go nuts every month, not just play chasing, but becoming pretty savage about it, and we have to keep rescuing our old girl (from the two guys), and sometimes one of them from each other. This isn't 'new age' stuff, but very real, and existed long before any of that - about 3 days every month, and then it settles down.
 
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