After One Fight Or Two Fights, Start Slow Reintroduction?

[LolaKitty02]

So I've read a lot of the posts about cats fighting and reintroducing cats that have had bad spats, but I wasn't sure how premature it is to fully separate and start reintroduction again.

The other night (I think it was a full moon) out of my eyesight I heard my cats fighting. Howling, hissing and so I yelled to stop and ran over to where they were and they split up immediately. I only found one small puff of fur, nothing crazy. Our younger cat (10mo old) went to her hiding spot and the older cat (8yrs old) laid on the carpet. The younger cat came out after two minutes and was purring and looked fine, not scared and the rest of the night was normal.

Then the other night they were both sleeping on the bed, kind of close to one another (although they never cuddle) and the younger cat must've touched the older one and he went for her, leaving the younger cat howling and me waking up to this happening on me in bed. Separated them and they have been seemingly normal, play fighting during the day, eating next to each other, laying on the couch by each other etc.

The younger cat really doesn't seem afraid of our older cat at all and the younger one often instigates because she has more energy which I try to counter by playing with her. I just worry if I let these two past occurrences go that this will become a pattern. They seem fine and separating them and starting reintroduction will be difficult because I have no option other than to put one of them in a room all day when I'm at work.

Additionally, I have no idea what they do all day when I'm at work, I wouldn't know if they are fighting during the day and I'm worried about one of them getting hurt. But so far they've really been fine, coexisting and seemingly getting along. These past two fights really just threw me for a loop and I don't know what I should do. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Timmer]

You didn't say how long you have all been together but I don't think a reintroduction is necessary. That would be like adding more work and stress when it's not needed.
Cats do spat. Who knows. Someone probably laid in a spot someone else wanted to lay in...all kinds of things. This is pretty normal. I had two females and every now and then there would be a huge fight and then things would go back to normal.

 

[LolaKitty02]

They've been together now for about 6 and 1/2 months. I got our younger, female cat when she was about 4 months old. I did a full slow introduction when she first arrived and while the older cat doesn't seem to want to be her best friend, they've coexisted peacefully for the most part.

I'm just not sure that it's annoyance on the older cats end or what, but I don't want them to be fighting and unhappy so I wasn't sure when I should try a new approach. Will I know when it's getting bad?

 

[Timmer]

I think after six months of being together, it kind of "is what it is" and you can't really reintroduce them. They have already worked out who does what in the house at what time. I've noticed my cats that i have had in the past have had routines, like when they sit in what room, what windows they look out of at what time. If one of them crosses over the line they get smacked.
I'd just be patient and let them work it out. If you catch them in a fight clap your hands and sort of distract them, get their attention away from each other. You know...referee.

 

[LolaKitty02]

thank you for your response, I appreciate your insights. I will keep on my referee duties and hope nothing escalates. We are leaving for a vacation in a few weeks and I'm just hoping they don't fight they whole time we are gone and we have someone checking in on them. I feel like it would be a little excessive to separate them for the entire time we are gone

 

[Timmer]

Do the cats know who their sitter is? How often is the person checking in on them? Maybe ask him or her to take time out during the visits to play with them or hang out and watch TV for a bit.

 

[LolaKitty02]

Yes, my in-laws and they usually stay for at least a half hour each day. They might start charging me if I ask them to stay longer lol

 

[jen]

Just one more thing to add, you mention playing kitty referee, but remember cats communicate with growls and hissing. They need to do this to communicate boundaries. So just make sure you are stepping in at the right point and allowing them to "yell at each other" so they know each others boundaries and learn to coexist.

 

[RufusGizmo]

we are at about that same time frame with our cats (two older, two newer kittens) they have been coexisting peacefully for about six months. there are still hissing and moaning periods, but they coexist pretty much ok. the two younger ones fight play, but beside for the missing fur, they are ok. First, when you are gone at work all day, they are probably sleeping all the time. (my husband is retired, and he says they do nothing all day). we left them for the first time and went on a short vacation. they were fine when we got back, although I will say our "babysitter" was kind enough to actually stay there with them most of the time. I dont think you have anything to worry about, it seems like you are doing ok!

 

[LolaKitty02]

Thanks I appreciate the advice. I love my cats but it's strange because my older cat seems so unpredictable sometimes, he's definitely scratched and bit my husband and I before which I attribute his behavior from being taken away from his mother and siblings too young before he could learn kitty manners. Most of the time he's very sweet and a lap cat.

Lately, there have been a lot of strays around our home so I worry it's also redirected aggression, all this morning he was just staring at my female cat and at one point when her back was turned he grabbed her and pinned her down. I split it up before anything happened.

I should also note that I've sprayed feliway and have one plug in. I'm wondering about other types of calming treatments that might help.

 

[Curlynn]

Thanks I appreciate the advice. I love my cats but it's strange because my older cat seems so unpredictable sometimes, he's definitely scratched and bit my husband and I before which I attribute his behavior from being taken away from his mother and siblings too young before he could learn kitty manners. Most of the time he's very sweet and a lap cat.

Lately, there have been a lot of strays around our home so I worry it's also redirected aggression, all this morning he was just staring at my female cat and at one point when her back was turned he grabbed her and pinned her down. I split it up before anything happened.

I should also note that I've sprayed feliway and have one plug in. I'm wondering about other types of calming treatments that might help.

Im currently dealing with redirected aggression because of an outside cat and can tell you calming treats that I got from the vet do work, but im afraid the aggressor now growls and stuff to get the treats. So be mindful of that.
My cats have lived together for 5 years and just now are having problems because of that outside cat. We currently have to keep them separated because the fighting got so bad. Im waiting to reintroduce them because we got the aggressor spayed. She has to heal first

 

[RufusGizmo]

i'm curious from curlynn, do your cats go outside, or did they just see this cat like through a window? I'm somewhat concerned about this because my four cats are just starting to get along, but we have a sunroom we have just started opening, and while i have not seen cats in our yard, i definately see come cats walking around outside early in the morning when i go to the gym. lolakitty, i did not mean to highjack your thread, if i did I apolgize. i too have used calming treats but not sure if they have any effect or not on my cats.

 

[Curlynn]

i'm curious from curlynn, do your cats go outside, or did they just see this cat like through a window? I'm somewhat concerned about this because my four cats are just starting to get along, but we have a sunroom we have just started opening, and while i have not seen cats in our yard, i definately see come cats walking around outside early in the morning when i go to the gym. lolakitty, i did not mean to highjack your thread, if i did I apolgize. i too have used calming treats but not sure if they have any effect or not on my cats.

My cats stay inside always. Its redirected aggression because of an outside cat. I live in an apartment and two doors down my neighbors got a cat that they let outside. Its a female that is not spayed so I think she is spraying on my porch and its making my one cat freak out because at the time she attacked her sister, she was not spayed as well. She is now healing after being spayed so hopefully that mellows her out in a few months. I have to wait the 7-10 days before I can reintroduce them which is hard keeping them separated because they both want to roam around.

 

[RufusGizmo]

good luck. that scares me because my cats are in that room all the time and after all this time and work, i just cant go through reintroductions. the cats i see outside seem to be out there at night, i think i'm not going to open the windows in the sunroom until it gets a little later, and not at 5 a.m. when i usually do. thanks.

 

[Timmer]

@ RufusGizmo
I had a problem with strays coming up on my front porch and someone told me about this sonic cat deterrent. I got it and it worked. You can google it because I can't remember the name of it. I had to get a 9 volt battery for it and I put it in a flower pot on the front porch facing the steps where they came up. I know it worked because I tested it on my cat when she was in the house. I pointed it at her and she cried out and ran. I still feel guilty about doing that.

 

[Timmer]

My cats stay inside always. Its redirected aggression because of an outside cat. I live in an apartment and two doors down my neighbors got a cat that they let outside. Its a female that is not spayed so I think she is spraying on my porch and its making my one cat freak out because at the time she attacked her sister, she was not spayed as well. She is now healing after being spayed so hopefully that mellows her out in a few months. I have to wait the 7-10 days before I can reintroduce them which is hard keeping them separated because they both want to roam around.

Curlynn, I just responded to Gizmo. I had got a sonic cat deterrent and put it on my porch in a flower pot. I never had strays around again. I can't remember the name of it, so maybe google sonic cat deterrent.

 

[RufusGizmo]

thanks! i'm going to google it now.