Have Your Cats Started Fighting More? 4 Potential Causes And What To Do Next
As an owner of multiple cats, it can be fun watching them play and interact, but it can be less so when your cats have suddenly begun fighting more often. If you notice that your cats are hissing, scratching, or biting each other past a point of gentle playing, it should be a warning to you that something is wrong. If you're unsure of what could be bothering your cats, consider some of the following common causes and what to do next to stop this behavior.
Change in Your Home, Residents, or Layout
If you recently moved into a new home or have done some remodeling work of some kind, your cat could be feeling stressed out. Another change that can cause your cat to feel stressed out is if there are any new people that are living with you. These changes can be enough to spark feelings of uncertainty and anxiety in your cats, leading to increased aggression towards each other.
To calm them down, consider using pheromone sprays or herbal supplements to help your cats feel at ease at home.
Neighboring Cats or Other Animals
Your cats could notice other animals outside, either visibly through the windows or by scent. Even if your cats are spayed or neutered, they could still be uncomfortable with seeing nearby animals.
Limit your cats' view of the outside until you can address the problem, and consider making some changes to the landscaping to prevent animals from getting too close to your home.
Age of Your Cats Leading to a Change in Behavior
If any of your cats are recently reaching adulthood, it could be reason enough for them to get aggressive with each other due to puberty.
While there is not much you can do prevent increased energy in a cat that is reaching adulthood, as long as they are spayed or neutered already, you can increase the length of playtimes to help divert their attention off the other cat.
Potential Health Problems with One or Both Cats
In some cases, your cats could be increasingly aggressive due to some kind of underlying health problem. Even fleas or ticks could cause enough discomfort that may be leading to your cats getting aggressive with one another, making it a good idea to visit a vet to check if there are any health issues that need to be treated.
Keeping your cats healthy and happy has a lot to do with making sure that they are getting along. With the above causes in mind, you can contact an animal hospital for any help that may be needed at getting them relaxed and enjoying each other's company again.