[Kaylore]

Hey everybody. I was looking for a board full of cat lovers to get advice from & looks like I found it. Our house is a circus at the moment. My 2 older cat's (brothers), Stripe & Fiesty, never really liked any other cats but each other. We always have to keep them seperated somehow from others. They've had their brief spats over the years amongst themselves but last night they had a horrible fight. It took me, mom, & eventually the broom (we didn't hit/hurt them...mom put it between to seperate them) to stop it. I mean a fur flying, claws out, tumbling across the floor, Stripe drew blood from Fiesty's ear, fight. It was scarey. Since then the whole house has been tensed up. We're watching them constantly. They're both nervous & trying to avoid each other. Not to mention tired from the antics...they're going on 11 years old! Anyone have any clue what might have caused this sudden outburst of anger? Or what to do about it? It's not possible to keep them seperated 24/7. And giving 1 away is not even close to an option. I do know that Stripe was 1 who started the fray. He's always been a nervous cat, his entire life & I've seem him go after other cats like this, as I said they neither care for other cats. But never have I seen him go after his brother like that.

[Advert]

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[Mist]

Are the boys desexed?

Is there a chance that one of them could have seen a cat outside (assuming they're indoors only) and is taking the aggression from that out on the other one?

You could try Rescue Remedy (available from chemists or health food stores) - 5 drops in their drinking water and a little rubbed behind their ears. Wouldn't hurt for you and your mum to have some either! A Feliway diffuser is another idea to try and calm them down a little...

[Heather Sharada]

It is likely to be misplaced aggression - another cat triggered it off??

I would seperate them totally for the moment - one in a bedroom or whatever and the other out and swap them over. They need to calm down before you even try short period of time where they share the same space.....i would say their confidence in each other is disturbed.

If you can get some Bach flower Remedy - it is an essence - usually found at Health shops or Pharmacies...a few drops in the water of both and a drop or two rubbed into the back of the ears....and also get a Feliway diffuser plug in to help calm things down - that will probably help some but the main thing is that they don't have another fight.

Treat them both equally. You might try to bamboozle them a little by a sprinkle of talc on both coats....make them smell alike.

Just take your time trying to re-introduce them.

[Kaylore]

Thank you both for the advice. Fingers crossed they seem to be ok right now. They avoided each other till today & while still not acting totally back to normal they (so far) have ate together, passed each other while going about the house, etc. They even took a nap on the same couch even. On seperate ends but still...And to answer your Q's, Mist, no they've not been desexed. Since they've always been house cat's with no females around we just never had it done. Heather...I don't think it was another cat. They were in the kitchen, not near any windows or anything to have been able to see any of the outsider's. One more Q for too...and hopefully this doesn't sound dumb...the remedies you mentioned, are they safe for dogs, too? I ask because we have a min pin who lives with us as well.

[Heather Sharada]

Well there is your answer - two entire males will fight from time to time and can be very very viscious....that testosterone will set them off for no reason. Perhaps as they are entire males it was a dominance fight as they get older to see who is top cat. I know they are older cats but I would be speaking to a vet about whether they should be de-sexed pronto.....even at 11 years of age. They could live on for a few years more yet.

Have they never sprayed in the house?

The remedies are quite safe for dogs.

[burmeselover]

They need to be desexed.

[Trifon]

Definitely need to be desexed. It is very common for entire boys to fight with other entire boys not to mention that entire boys often spray and that is why they are usually housed in an outside stud pen because of the stink.

At least you know why they were fighting and what you can do to fix the problem.

[Kaylore]

The 1 has occaisionally sprayed yes.

[CoralD]

The 1 has occaisionally sprayed yes.

Please don't think I am being judgemental...I am just trying to understand why you would keep 2 male cats for 11 years without neutering them?

[Kaylore]

I'm sure we should have. But since they never gave much trouble I suppose we just hated to subject them to surgery. Silly sounding I suppose....

[Beama's Slave]

I seen a similar posting on another cat group recently. responses were...
- concerns about a stray cat hanging around. The cat may be territorial and as he's unale to get at the stray, he's taking his aggression out on the nearest thing who in turn has no idea why he's being attacked and now thinks cat #1 is his enemy. Try moth balls around the outside of your home and keep all blinds closed.
- an experience that may have traumatised the cat/s such as one of them having a vase blow off a table onto his head and being hurt and associating the pain/shock with the other cat innocently standing beside him.
Suggestions were to keep them separated for at least a week.


Hope you can find a solution, I'm very interested to know how it goes - I only have one 8mo kitten now and am getting his full sister in 4 more weeks when she's ready to leave her Mummy :-)
I hope they never fight! My own two 2-legged daughters have never had a fight - touch wood.