Cats fighting

[Willow4987]

Hi! I’m after some advice - it’s going to be a long one but I don’t want to drip feed

I have 2 male ragamuffins (4 & 3 years old) - both neutered and not related but from the same breeder

They’ve been getting along fine (had both since they were kittens), playing, eating together, sleeping together with the occasional play fight

However in the last few weeks the 3 year old has been attacking the 4 year old (who is the alpha). It started off as one really big fight. Like nothing we’d ever seen from them or heard (it was horrific). We separated them etc and took both to the vets after it happened to see if anything physical was wrong with one of them (the sometimes pick on each other if they’re feeling unwell)

The local Vets said nothing was wrong apart from the 3 year old had a trapped nerve in his back which he had meds for

Went back to see our long standing vet when we could who said the back pain had gone and prescribed what is effectively cat Prozac to calm him down, let things settle and hope that normal behaviour resumed. She suggested that he seemed on edge and not himself. Now he’s on this, I agree and it had been such a slow decline over about a year we hadn’t noticed that he’d become anxious

So he’s on these meds for about 2 weeks (and will be on them until the new year), it’s been great and he’s gone back to his normal self

Except just now he’s gone for the 4 year old again. My DH was playing with the 4 year old and the 3 year old just came out of no where attacking him. Again it was horrific. Like nothing we’ve seen before.

They’re separated again now to calm down

But has anyone seen this before? I have read something online about when a cat hits maturity they can start trying to assert dominance and I’m worried that’s what he’s doing to the older cat.

We’re ringing the vet again tomorrow to update them and see what they say but I was wondering if anyone else had any ideas

Thanks for reading if you’re got to the end

Do they go out or see into the garden/see other cats out of the window? I'm wondering about redirected aggression if there is a new cat around, especially an unneutered tom possibly?

Or has anything else changed in the home environment or about you or your partner?

If it's about dominance and their hierarchy, have you made sure there are enough resources for both and space for them to stay out of each other's way? At least 2, ideally 3, litter boxes; separate feeding areas; separate cat trees/high up perches if they like that; enough play time and fuss for both etc.

Do they have plenty of space and time apart? Are they indoors or outdoors cats?

What about resources? Are there several litter trays and food/water bowls around so they don't feel like they have to share or fight over them?

Do they both get plenty of time to play and burn off any energy?

There’s several litter trays, time apart, lots of space to separate...all of the usual things to help avoid this behaviour

They’re both indoor cats and get lots of playing from us

I put a cat flap on back door and now they can go in and out they are both far happier. Inside there is only so much to keep them occupied outside they explore garden, climb trees and in summer sun bathe. My 2 boys are happier and hardly ever fight. The younger of my cats is now the alpha male and I do feel sorry for older one who used to be alpha male. The alpha goes out more leaving older cat in with me more.

@Willow4987

There’s several litter trays, time apart, lots of space to separate...all of the usual things to help avoid this behaviour

They’re both indoor cats and get lots of playing from us

I wonder if that's the problem. Not all cats are suited to living their lives indoors.