Expert: Ali - 2/8/2009

Question
My female neutered cat was nearly 6 years old when i got a male kitten( it wasn't planned or by choice i acquired it from a neighbours relative that was going to harm it..i intended to rehome it but the  kitten was so cute i fell in love with it). I did everything you are suppose to do when introducing them to each other and things were fine but  now the male kitten is  6 months old and has been neutered himself. My problem is they just wont get along anymore, they are constantly fighting and my older cat seems really unhappy with the kitten. The female older cat seems to start the fighting and the male usually backs down and runs away, but just lately as he is now getting older and bigger he has started to fight back, the fighting is getting worse with a lot of growling and hissing and today the even some fur was pulled out. i know the kindest thing would be to find the kitten a new home but he is adorable and we are very attached to him but at the same time i love my older cat and she has been a joy to have over the last 6 years. is there anything i can try to do to make them get along. they seem to fight every time they go near each other just lately, but strangely sometimes they will sleep very near each other on a sofa or bed etc. thanks

Answer
Debi,

You could try separating the cats from one another again, but I'm not entirely sure that would work. It sounds as if these kitties really love each other and don't quite know how to show it. I think that it might be worth seeking the help of a professional animal behaviorist who specializes in cat behavior as I'm unable to see the situation for myself. I suspect that what's going on here is that the cats are discussing who is at the top of the household hierarchy and unfortunately there is constant debate at this point. You could try a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of flower essences designed to calm and reassure. You can usually find Rescue Remedy in health food stores, naturopathic pharmacies, some mainstream pharmacies in the section with nutritional supplements and I believe that this remedy can also be purchased online. I would say that adding 5-7 drops of Rescue Remedy to a fresh bowl of water each morning would help to calm things down a little. You could try providing more entertainment for the cats and making sure that you have one litter box and feeding station per cat plus one, just be sure that the feeding stations and litter boxes aren't kept close to one another as this can create problems with inappropriate elimination. Things like interactive play, toys for independant play and even adding a bird feeder to your property outside of a window that the cats both occupy fairly frequently would provide some additional stimulation that might help to stop the fighting.