Common Behavior Problems

Cats Who Don't Get Along with Other Cats

You may have acquired a second cat with the best of intentions. Many loving cat owners feel guilty leaving their cats home alone all day and decide to obtain another cat to keep their resident cat company.

Cats can be very sensitive about who they like to associate with. Some cats are not very social and are clearly happier as single cats. Cats also have personality clashes just like people do. They may get along with certain other cats, but not others.

Initial introductions are vitally important in helping family pets develop good relationships. You must micro-manage these introductions down to the last detail. You never want to just put the cats together and see what happens. An introduction that goes badly can set the stage for a difficult relationship for months to come, sometimes permanently.

A sudden onset of relationship problems between cats who have a history of getting along is often triggered by redirected aggression. One cat is provoked by an outside event – such as seeing a cat outside – and redirects her aggression onto the other family cat. For an overview of why cats don't get along and how to help, purchase our CD, Helping Cats Co-Exist: Creating Feline Friendships.

Because cats are very territorial, if you allow yours to go outside of your yard unsupervised, there’s a good chance he’ll get in a fight with another cat in the neighborhood. Although cat fights often sound worse than they really are, abscesses from bites can be very nasty. Cats can also transmit contagious diseases to one another, some of which are life threatening.

The easiest way to prevent these fights is to not allow your cat outside unsupervised. You can also schedule an individual consultation.