Bully cats

meepmeep

I have 2 cats (brothers, got them when they were tiny) and they always got along fine. The odd fight, but nothing major......Now they're about 2 years old and they are fighting non stop.

One of them is terrified of the other, and now spends all day hidden underneath the couch, and will only come out to eat. There's cuts all over their faces and their legs, and the scared one won't let me near him.......Also, its the smaller one that is bullying the much bigger one, so its not about size (i don't think). Any ideas on how to calm them down, and get the bullied one to come back out? He used to be really sweet and friendly.......

Nala

If they're not castrated, try getting either the dominant one or both of them done, as hormones may well be the problem here. I'm not sure of the cost though. However I can tell you that it's a very minor operation and the cat will be fine within a day or so.

Rabies

Get a water pistol. Ever time he steps out of line, soak him

chizzle dizzle

If one of them is male and the other is female, I'd reckon that she is in mating season and they are having fights over all that hormonal thing as nala has said.
I have two cats also and they have fights aswell but not really fights where they shed blood. I'd say if they are not nutered, get them the operation but other than that I'm not really sure whats going on

meepmeep

Nala wrote:

If they're not castrated, try getting either the dominant one or both of them done, as hormones may well be the problem here. I'm not sure of the cost though. However I can tell you that it's a very minor operation and the cat will be fine within a day or so.

Yeah I was thinking that might be what it is - i was planning on getting them neutered after christmas but i can't leave them like that for much longer, so i'd say they'll both be goin in for the snip before santa comes!

Also, neither of them like leaving the house so do you think that being in a relatively small space could be why they fight? They have the run of the house (and its pretty big) but i don't suppose that compares with the freedom of outdoors..........Of course I could be talking a load of nonsense

Thanks for the replies so far...

also, they're both boys

FranknFurter

if they r both boys as u say, then thats your problem right there.

unneutered toms will fight to the death with each other.

get them both neutered before u end up with huge vet bills from injury an infection.

if u do, u will have a quiet xmas

tribble

I'd go with the water pistol idea.
I don't know if it's work but it would certainly be more fun for both you and the cats (can't imagine getting ones nadgers loped off is that much fun, see?)

tribble

Nala

The water pistol idea is good but doesn't cater for when Meepmeep isn't there.

FranknFurter

tribble wrote:

I'd go with the water pistol idea.
I don't know if it's work but it would certainly be more fun for both you and the cats (can't imagine getting ones nadgers loped off is that much fun, see?)

tribble

tbh, neither is seeing your brother as a sexual threath to be disposed of.....or ftc (feline testicular cancer), and you just wait till they start spraying cat urine on your walls (thats how unneutered male cats mark their territory).

luckat

Don't use a water pistol on a cat in its own home. You'll put it under stress, and the result will be a cat that's spraying and pissing on the stove and generally "acting out", and then eventually that ends up being put down.

If the two cats are fighting, then get a Feliway plug (God, it's like I'm an agent for this company - someone tell them to give me some money). This is a pheremone scent, unsmellable to humans, which calms cats. Separate them when you're out - keep one cat in one room and the other in another room.

Get them neutered immediately anyway - unless you're going to breed from them, all you're doing is producing kittens to starve to death in the cold cold world if they're not neutered.

Try using positive reinforcement if you're there a lot - feed them a little less, and when they're nice to each other, say "ch-ch" as if calling a dog, and toss them a treat each. (Feeding them less is to make room for the treats - make sure you make up their normal food amount in treats.)

If they just can't get on, then give the bully away to a good home. Talk to your vet, who'll undoubtedly be able to find a good home; don't give the cat anywhere that you haven't seen yourself.

---

Ecclesiastes 3:19
For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity.

helpdogscat

agree with the snip idea, toms + balls = bad news !!

CyberGhost

how can you castrate an animal?

it's crime against nature!

meepmeep

ok found out what the problem is - one of the "boys" is actually a girl. We had her a year and a half and we always thought she was a boy When they had their jabs when they were young, the vet said they were both boys...

Anyway, the (new) vet said the fighting was because the fella wanted to mate, and she wasn't ready for it so they were getting vicious with each other.........they are both in today having the ops. So hopefully we will have a quiet christmas!

(poor wee things....)

thanks for the help guys!

Nasty_Girl

meepmeep wrote:

Anyway, the (new) vet said the fighting was because the fella wanted to mate, and she wasn't ready for it so they were getting vicious with each other.........they are both in today having the ops. So hopefully we will have a quiet christmas!

(poor wee things....)

thanks for the help guys!

Wow that's weird! It's usually the girl cat that matures first!

meepmeep

Yeah thats what I was thinkin!

But they've had their ops now and all seems to be well in the meepmeep household! (so far).....