I don't know what to do

[lv4dogs]

As some may know Meko & Tiki had some issues getting along. For a little over a month there was a lot of hissing, swatting & growling but nothing real serious. Then for about a week things were great, no hissing, swatting or growling. Well all of a sudden last week it all started again, but way worse. Worse than they have ever been.

Not only is there growling, swatting & hissing again but more of it & louder. They are starting to attack each other which is waht is scary. Luckily I have been keeping them seperated when I am not home (one stays out & the other one inside or they are both outside) & when I am home I can break it up. They have actually scratched each other a couple times but luckily not bad at all. I and many of my friends & family have been watching their behavior & honest to god truth we can not tell who is starting the fights, it's really like they both are but I can say that I see Meko running from Tiki more often than Tiki running from Meko. Meko is the one who originally started to hiss (months ago), all Tiki wanted was to play. He still does want to play more than Meko does but he's also starting to fight, so maybe Meko is more dominant?? But as far as I can tell neither is dominant (I am) nor does either even show any interest in being dominant, it's like they fight just to bug each other. They start up at the exact same time, its like they are telepathic. It's getting so bad that I am really afraid someone is going to get hurt soon.

This is the very weird part they get along GREAT when they are outside. They sit side by side no growling hissing or swatting. They even kiss each others noses & the such. AS SOON as they come inside is when it all starts. They can be all lovey to each other on the outside of my door & as soon as they enter, they don't even make it all the way in & they are at each other.

The good news is Tiki is no longer mean to me, he's a great cat.

My house is pretty small and because of the other pets I have & the way my house is set up there really is no way to keep them seperated when both of them are inside. I can for short term (its a real pain but I can). But I have already done that & nothing worked anyways.

Nothing has changed in my house or with my schedule

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what may be causing the fights or what I can do?

[jenluckenbach]

Are you 100% sure they are not play fighting? Some cats are just louder than others. I have 2 new kitten fosters and they wrestle to the "death" and they scream, but they are loving every minute of it.

Is it like sibling rivalry? Are there at least 2 litter boxes, 2 separate food and water dishes? so they need not share if they didn't want to.

Are they both neutered?

You could always try the feliway plugins. They are meant to bring calm to the cat's area.

[catmandu]

WHEN CATS FIGHT,IT IS GENERALLY TERRITORIAL,FIGHTING OVER YOUR ATTENTION,AND WHO,IS THE ALPHA CAT,IN THE HOUSE.JEN,IS RIGHT,AS THE FOUND CATS,WILL LOOK,AS THOUGH,THEY ARE FIGHTING,BUT IF THERE IS SERIOUS SCARTCHING,AND BITING,I WOULD BE CONCERNED.

IS BLOOD DRAWN,OR IS IT MOSTLY SMACKING,AND YELLING,TO MAKE A POINT.

I HOPE,THAT YOU CAN GET THE MEEZERS,TO CALL A TRUCE,ITS NO FUN,WHEN CATS,ARE FIGHTING,AND YOWWLING.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v621/catmandu/catphotos449.jpg

[JenBKR]

Originally posted by jenluckenbach
Are you 100% sure they are not play fighting? Some cats are just louder than others. I have 2 new kitten fosters and they wrestle to the "death" and they scream, but they are loving every minute of it.


I was thinking the same thing. My two wrestle around the house (although they never hiss) and chase each other. They can also be very sweet and loving to each other. I think they like to play. A few times they have wrestled at the top of the stairs and taken a tumble down the stairs together! Sometimes they get a little rough, and some of the sounds that they make sound pretty bad.

[lv4dogs]

No it's not play fighting, they actually hiss & growl so loud & mean that you'd swear I had a tiger or lion in my house. Sometimes the growls are so bad you'd swear to god it came from a nasty dog. They NEVER have played with each other yet. Sitting next to each other outside is as close to play as they have come. I have yet to hear them scream or anything and have NEVER seen them play and it certainly sounds like a real bad cat fight. They NEVER sleep together or groom each other yet they do with the dogs & vice-versa.

I notice that some of them time it is Tiki that starts some of the spats. But all Tiki wants to do is play, but he does play rough. He'll jump up on Meko then jump right off, Meko goes nuts hissing, growling, swatting.
BUT a lot of the time, they will both just be sitting there in the living room (or where ever). They will be about 5-20 feet from each other & all one has to do is move one inch & they both get into a star down, moving closer to each other. Sometimes thats as far as it goes, but more frequently they will continue to move closer to each other & start fighting.
Both will start fights, that doesn't matter & I don't see one cat starting them more than the other. But Meko is usually the one who runs away first. And after the fight is started Tiki is usually the one who doesn't want to let it go, he'll follow Meko trying to get it started again.

It has been like this since day one just getting worse.
I have 2 cats, 5 litter boxes in 3 different rooms, 3 water bowls in different rooms, 4 food bowls in 3 different rooms, many beds & hidey holes and litterally about a hundred toys. Besides they don't even have to use or eat anything or even be near anything to start a fight.
I swear they do it just to irk each other, I guess like sibling rivalry.

Mako is spayed, was spayed right at 6 months of age. She is almost 2 now. And she has gotten along with EVERY other cat she has met, just not Tiki.

Tiki is a little over 4 months of age, and to be neutered in 1.5 weeks. My friend who rescued him had 9 other cats not including his siblings but he got along great with all of them and since he has been to my house he has met 2 other cats & got along great with them.

They both get along great with all of my other animals & with all humans.

Pretty soon I'm going to get some of that feliway plugins but I'd like to try to resolve this problem instead of just covering it. I won't buy feliway for the rest of their lives.

I understand that may never be best of pals & I'm not asking for that, I just want them to be able to live in the same house with no fighting.

[barncat]

As many have said, the cats may not be taking it as seriously as you are (especially if they are civil outside the house.) It is awful to have cats fighting, but some hiss and "swear" very easily. You mentioned the young male is not yet "fixed" That might be a contributing factor. Even though he is young, he might be smelling hormonal to the other cat or be perceived as making advances to her.

I was very young when I rescued my cat from a male I thought was attacking her only to have her turn and hiss at me and run adter him calling for more....

If the cats were seriously intent on hurting each other, I am betting the dogs you mention as grooming them would get involved. In my household at least, when one cat loses its cool for real the other animals intervene.

[lv4dogs]

Originally posted by barncat
If the cats were seriously intent on hurting each other, I am betting the dogs you mention as grooming them would get involved. In my household at least, when one cat loses its cool for real the other animals intervene.

Thats what I was thinking but I am also there at ALL times when they are both inside and I break up the fight RIGHT AWAY. Should I let it go just a little bit further? This way I will be able to tell if it is infact a real serious fight and it may even help them work things out. I know in dogs sometimes it's best to just let them duke it out, providing no one is getting injured. And after all I swear my cats are very much like dogs, seriously. They act & are trained just like dogs, live with dogs & I treat them like dogs. lol

[barncat]

I would not intervene unless it looks like real damage is being done. It very well may be rude play or a squabble for 1st place. Of course if one is getting hurt stop the fight (a glass of water on them both works well). But if the dogs aren't upset, I bet it isn't serious from their point of view.