Expert: Dear Tabbi - 10/11/2008

Question
I have had two cats for 5 years. They have always gotten along, nap together, play, basically are attatched at the hip. This past thurs.they got into a fight. I wasn't there but when I came home they were literally tearing each other apart. The tabby cat is 4 and neutered. He is constantly growling at the spayed female cat. He hasn't eaten or drank in almost two days. This isn't like him to be this way to her. They always get along and now I can't keep them in the same room. How should I integrate them back together w/out having them tear each other up?

Answer
Tabitha,

Pain can cause aggression, it is very important for a cat with an aggression problem to be closely examined by the family veterinarian.  This is especially important for adult cats that suddenly become aggressive.  Ear infections, arthritis, abscessed teeth, etc. can cause a cat to become aggressive.

I would have the cat checked by a vet to rule out a medical issue causing his behavior before dealing with it as a behavioral problem.

He may also have what is called Redirected Aggression. That happens when a cat sees a strange cat outside and  becomes territorial, but can't get to the strange cat to defend his territory. The cat then turns on the closest animal member of the family and fights with them as if they were the other cat. They have been known to attack people if no other animals are in the house. You may not see the animal that the cat sees.

The first thing you need to do is block the window past the cat's eye level of the window he can see another cat out of (out of sight, out of mind). If it is allowed to go on your cat may develop a permanent personality change. Also put the cat in a room by itself for at least 4 hours to calm down when he behaves like that.

There is a very popular cat calming spray and plug-in you can use called Feliway. It is available at pet stores or on-line. It copies relaxing pheromones that cats produce from rubbing their faces on things.

There is also a calming product that you can add to the cat's food or water that reduces anxiety called Bach's Rescue Remedy. It is available on-line and in health food stores. Here is a link about it: (copy and paste, or type the whole links into your address bar) http://www.bachflower.com/Pets.htm

If your cat is still being very stressed the vet can put him on "kitty Prozac" for a short term (usually 2 weeks) until he calms down. You may want to speak to the vet about it.

I am including links to 2 good articles on Redirected Aggression that may be helpful to you:

http://www.sniksnak.com/cathealth/aggression3.html

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=redirectedagr...

I hope this helps answer your question.

Tabbi