DO YOUR CATS

FIGHT?

HOW TO HELP STOP CATS FIGHTING WITH EACH OTHER

Tips To StopCats Fighting

  1. Use FELIWAY Optimum to help restore harmony between cats

    • Releases “serenity messages” to help cats get along
    • Scientifically proven: reduces fighting or signs of tension
    • Helps even if the cats have been fighting for years
    • Plug the diffuser in the area where your cats spend most of their time
  2. Follow living together “golden rules”

    • Number of resources: each cat should have their own food bowl, water bowl, litter tray, scratching post etc
    • Separate resources: spread resources around your house, so 'dining rooms' are away from 'bathrooms'. Make sure each of your cats has their own space
  3. Conflict management

    • Do not punish your cats when you see signs of conflict
    • This would increase their stress and therefore aggravate the conflicts.
    • This would increase their stress and could lead to more conflict
    • Manage your cats' resources (see above)
    • Ensure there are different options for your cat to escape to safety
    • Provide plenty of opportunities for your cat to hide and to be in elevated places (try and make sure they can access these without being in contact with another cat)

We recommend:

FELIWAY Optimum Starter Kit
The most advanced FELIWAY solution to help solve the common signs of stress in cats: Scratching, Urine spraying, Tension and Conflict between cats, Hiding, Reactions to changes.
FELIWAY Friends Diffuser
FELIWAY Friends is an easy to use solution to help reduce signs of conflict between your cats: Fighting Chasing Blocking Staring   FELIWAY Friends helps your cats to get along better at home. When used continuously it maintains harmony between...
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TESTIMONIALS

iscover how FELIWAY helped these cats to stop fighting and get along better:

Khaleesi & Snow Belle
Conflict Urine Spraying

Khaleesi & Snow Belle

Khaleesi, has already had 2 owners. The one from whom we adopted her informed us that his cat was bullying her. As a result, we encountered a few problems...
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FELIWAY Optimum Starter Kit
Jip & Lizzy
Conflict

Jip & Lizzy

We have two cats: Jip and Lizzy. They are an integral part of our family. The problem is that Jip kept attacking Lizzy.They were both really looking for...
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FELIWAY Friends Diffuser
Mandy & Jade

Mandy & Jade

The cats Mandy and Jade started fighting, Jennifer looked for solutions and nothing really worked until she tried FELIWAY Friends. Now that they can live happily together in...
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FELIWAY Friends Diffuser
Zira & Dewey
Conflict

Zira & Dewey

Zira and Dewey are our two cats. When Dewey arrived, Zira was growling and hitting him. It was very stressful. We saw the FELIWAY Friends diffuser online and...
Read more
FELIWAY Friends Diffuser

WHY DO MY CATS FIGHT?

First of all, make sure you understand your cats' body language. Fighting and playing can be hard to tell apart!

When your cats are just having fun, they don't make any noise, with gentle biting, retracted claws and they both chase each other. If you notice your cats biting each other seriously, with their claws out, you hear screams or one cat only is chasing the other, then these two are not best friends!

Cats are naturally solitary hunters but they can live with friends, especially if they have grown up together from kittens. However, cats living together often actually just tolerate each other and signs of conflict can be very subtle, such as staring at each other, blocking the pathway of other cats and hiding away.

The usual cause of conflict is competition for access to resources, such as the water bowl, food bowl, litter tray, scratching post, etc. To make it easier for your cats to live together, it's best to provide each of them with a set of resources. Place them in separate areas to avoid tension caused by competition. This can sometimes be achieved by placing the bowls at different levels, e.g. one on the ground and one higher up out of sight.

The rapid introduction of a new feline is also likely to cause tension as they need time to adjust to a new cat.

When there are signs of conflict or tension, it will not get better with time. After a fight, they do not make up. On the contrary, the tension persists and signs can worsen. Cats find it difficult to forgive and forget!

Using FELIWAY Optimum will help your cats to live together in harmony. If your cats spend most of their time in different rooms, use several diffusers

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CATS ARE FIGHTING?

Cats living in the same house are not always in perfect harmony. However, even if they don't get along, the situation is not always irreparable, and there are solutions you can try to put in place to make it easier for your felines to live together. You should start by understanding the source of the conflict. Then you will be able to consider the measures needed to reduce the tension between your companions. Read our advice for restoring harmony between your cats.

YOU'VE JUST ADOPTED A KITTEN AND YOUR CAT ISN'T ACCEPTING THEM

It's often not easy to get a resident cat in the household to accept a new kitten. The arrival of a new kitten in their territory is a big change, which can create stress, and consequently tension between your companions. A few precautions should be taken to avoid conflict, and to ensure that your newcomer settles well into the household. Consider each cat's resources and their distribution in your home. Each cat must have easy access to them at all times, so it is best to have one of each resource per cat with one extra. Secondly, gradually introduce the cats to each other. It is important to go at the pace that works for each cat.All the steps are detailed in our article on introducing a kitten to a cat.

INTRODUCING CATS TO EACH OTHER

All cats have their own character. While some are very sociable, others are more shy and prefer to keep to themselves. When you introduce a new adult cat into another cat's territory, it is important to follow some introduction steps to start their relationship positively. Time is needed for bonds to form and develop. However, there is a risk that they will never get along if their introduction is too quick or their environment is not right.Read our tips to help your cat get along.