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Cats/cats fighting

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Expert: - 9/9/2009


Question
I have two norweigen forest cats, female 2 years old and a male 1year old. Eddie male cat is always jumping, biting and fighting with Argenta ( female )cat. Argenta was very playful before we got Eddie, but now she is very quiet, reserved and is always looking around to see where Eddie is. We have tried to keep them apart, but that only seems to make matter worse.
I love them both and want them to get on well and play together. Argenta is very motherly and Eddie is very playful and hyper active. Please help. What can we do?

Answer
Sandy,

You did not mention if the Argenta and Eddie are spayed and neutered!  This could make all the difference in the world.  My feeling about such situations, assuming they are both fixed is that they have to come to terms on their own with no human interference. Also, we have a tendency to ascribe human emotions and motives to cats.  They do not think like we do and we often misinterpret their actions.  Cats play extremely roughly, so, often what seeems like fighting is often very, very rough play. Do not forget, cats have very, very tough skin and so the biting/scratching behaviors between cats is not nearly as nasty as it looks to be. Add the mandatory sound effects and rough play can look and sound like World War III.  

So, my one question is:  Have either of them drawn blood?  If not, then it is rough play!  

So, my bottom line, is you need to let them sort out their relationship with each other and abide by whatever it turns out to be.

Best regards... Norm.  

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Norman Auspitz

Expertise

I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.

Experience

I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.


Organizations
Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.

Publications
Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook

Education/Credentials
I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.

Awards and Honors
We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.

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