You are here:

Cats/my young cat is agrassive to my older cat

Advertisement

Expert: - 4/22/2009


Question
i have a  cat who is 1 and he plays with me older cat who is 3. it stars insolently then ends up with my young cat out on the back porche which is screened in. there are 4 cats in the house i live 3 are mine. Cricket the 1 year old Yoda the 3 year old  and Neka who is 3 or 4. and powder is like 14. Cricket and Yoda are the ones i have trouble with. i have had Yoda for 3 years and cricket for about a year. when Cricket was little he and Yoda got along fine. Cricket is about 15lbs and is a very large cat Yoda is about 10lbs and is long and slender. as time goes Cricket has been getting worse i am scared i will have to put him outside due to his behavior. squirt bodels don't work trying to scare him doesn't work when i get the cats apart Cricket will turn around and go back after Yoda. Yoda get so upset that he goes after Neka. Cricket is nice to all the other cats and my 2year old son.the fights are getting worse Yoda has a bad scrape on his lip.

Answer
Kristen,

Aggression between cats can happen for a number of reasons. Some of the most common causes are not having your cats spayed/neutered at an early age, some medical issues can cause behavioral changes including aggression, territorial disputes between the cats, re-directed aggression and petting/play aggression. I would actually need to know more details about the way things start out, what leads up to the attacks, how long these discussions last if you don't intervene and it's also helpful for me to know how long this has been going on, whether or not you've sought a vet's opinion and what you've done so far in an attempt to get things settled down between these cats. Obviously it's not a good idea to put any part of your body in between two cats that are fighting, that can result in serious injuries for you because the cats may strike out without realizing that they're going to hurt you. Cat bites often require medical attention because they have a tendency to get infected. There are many options for treating this issue, however I need to have more details in order to be able to give you the best possible information.

Cats

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.