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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Wtf is happening? Cats fighting

19 replies

FuppingEll · 02/08/2023 23:15

We have had 2 very happy housecats for years. The eldest is 9 or 10(rescue so not sure), the youngest is 6. 2 females, both spayed. Since last night the youngest has been attacking the eldest. Like properly attacking. We have kept them separated but 10mins ago dd accidently let them get to each other and the youngest launched herself at the other and has left a mark on her neck. We are going to bring them both to the vet tomorrow but in the meantime has anyone any idea wtf could be the cause of this war?
Nothing has changed at home. There was no signs of anything prior to last night. I don't understand why she is suddenly being so violent towards her. Has anyone had this happen before?

OP posts:
Original poster
FuppingEll · 02/08/2023 23:22

Just to add to this, angry cat is acting very normally towards us it is just our other cat she is showing any difference in behaviour towards.

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INeedAnotherName · 02/08/2023 23:30

Redirected aggression? Has there been a new cat in the area, whether peeing in your garden to wandering near your window. Or sometimes it can be a change of smell. Has your elder been sleeping somewhere different so she smells like a stranger?

It sounds awful, hope your vets manages to work it out.

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 02/08/2023 23:34

Do they go outside?
Is there another cat in their territory?

Original poster
FuppingEll · 02/08/2023 23:45

INeedAnotherName · 02/08/2023 23:30

Redirected aggression? Has there been a new cat in the area, whether peeing in your garden to wandering near your window. Or sometimes it can be a change of smell. Has your elder been sleeping somewhere different so she smells like a stranger?

It sounds awful, hope your vets manages to work it out.

I haven't noticed any strange cats about. Everything has been the same, we have been depressingly boring lately. One sleeps with ds, one sleeps with dd just like they always have. They never go outside, one is bald(the angry cat) and the other is very stupid and timid(the rescue cat) so outside is not an option. They never look to go outside either, they have always seemed very content.

I just don't get it. They've never been besties but they play with each other on occasion and have never fought with each other ever before now. They've bumbled on well together. But she is very angry at her for whatever reason, I have never seen her like this before.

I chased her away when she was attacking her and as soon as my back was turned to her she started coming back for more. Attacked cat is in dds room now and angry cat is acting like nothing happened, looking for strokes and just generally being herself. It's just so strange after 6 years of everything being harmonious.

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Yusay · 03/08/2023 00:03

I don’t know, but once at a vets waiting room I read a cat magazine and they had a problem page where people wrote in with questions for the expert (vet? behaviourist?). Someone raised your exact question and the expert’s reply was that, just like humans, cats may fall out and suddenly hate each other and while it may just be a phase it may also be permanent.

Sorry not to have better news :(

Maybe try some Feliway plugins?!

Bouncyball23 · 03/08/2023 00:18

I've an older cat 10 and younger 3 they got on fine untill about 6 months ago suddenly just started fighting, still the same now. I have to keep them separated luckily big enough house older cat Normally chills in fs room (ds teen and practically lives in his room) or in front garden generally stays upstairs if doesnt go out, younger cat sleeps in dd room roams out the back or stays downstairs. No idea why they started fighting no changes in house or new cats in garden that I know about.

Original poster
FuppingEll · 03/08/2023 00:25

Yusay · 03/08/2023 00:03

I don’t know, but once at a vets waiting room I read a cat magazine and they had a problem page where people wrote in with questions for the expert (vet? behaviourist?). Someone raised your exact question and the expert’s reply was that, just like humans, cats may fall out and suddenly hate each other and while it may just be a phase it may also be permanent.

Sorry not to have better news :(

Maybe try some Feliway plugins?!

I was just googling and this seems a common answer. If the vet finds nothing feliway will be what we will try. Our house just isn't big enough for it to be possible to keep them separated long term. I'm so worried they won't sort this out and we will have to say goodbye to one of them. I just don't get it, everything was fine until last night. I just checked on timid attacked cat and the poor thing is cowering in dds room.

It took her 2 years to start approaching us after we took her in and now she is the most gentle, loving cat, she often just stares into my eyes and gently strokes my cheek with her paw. I'm feeling so stressed right now not knowing how I'm going to fix it.

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INeedAnotherName · 03/08/2023 00:37

You might not have been aware of a new cat (why would you, if neither goes out) but maybe they have seen one, or a fox? Is there a particular window angry cat looks out of even at night?

Otherwise try the new cats introduction, seperate rooms but transfer smell by rubbing a towel on one and leaving it with other, exchange their beds etc. Plenty of good videos for that, especially Jackson Galaxy.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/08/2023 01:17

Mine did this when another cat was in their garden. My remaining cat has a tear in her ear from her sister. They were not r best buddies but there was never usually any fighting. The noise they made when another cat was around and they couldn't get to it was like a soul in torment! , and they'd go for each other.

caringcarer · 03/08/2023 02:28

I'd get a Feliway plug is asap. Also if they look out windows close blinds for a while so they can't look out. Poor older cat. Please don't make it leave.

Florissante · 03/08/2023 07:25

Poor rescue cat. I have no advice so all that I can offer is hope that the situation is peacefully resolved.

Original poster
FuppingEll · 03/08/2023 10:11

So they are a little bit more chilled this morning. I have let them both free and am monitoring them. There has been some hissing from angry cat but she hasn't made a move towards rescue cat.

I've ordered feliway friends I think it's called, unfortunately I'm in the sticks so there is no where I can buy it in person and its not due to come until Saturday but hopefully it will help.

If anyone has to go it will be angry cat. She is the type of cat that so long as you treat her like a queen she doesn't mind who you are but rescue cat wouldn't cope at all with new owners. She is very timid and poos on the floor beside her litter tray so I wouldn't trust that they wouldn't get fed up of her and put her out and she'd never survive the big bad world. I'm hopeful it is just a glitch and it won't come to that.

They are booked into the vets this afternoon, rescue cat to get her neck looked at and angry cat to check she isn't sick.

OP posts:
Original poster
FuppingEll · 03/08/2023 10:16

I spoke too soon. Angry cat just went in with the boxing gloves but I was right there so no one got hurt. Back to separate rooms for a little while.

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Florissante · 03/08/2023 10:38

I'm sorry to hear that things aren't better.

INeedAnotherName · 03/08/2023 20:07

What did the vet say?

cinnamonfrenchtoast · 03/08/2023 20:11

I think you need to separate them for a good long period of time - several days if possible. Let things cool off completely before trying some really, really slow introductions - pretend as though you're introducing a brand new cat to the house again.

Olivia199 · 03/08/2023 20:17

So sorry to hear you're going through this. I had something similar with mine. I have three cats who've grown up together and always been very close. But one night one of them suddenly went crazy and attacked the two others. I separated them for the night but the next day they were still fuming at the two others (who seemed wildly confused at the situation).

Feliway friends really helped but what eventually worked for us is that I had to keep them separated for a little wild. A good 48-72 hours, to try and let angry cat chill a bit and essentially be less angry.

The issue with continuing to let them come across eachother when there is obviously an issue, is that they end up cementing that issue in.

After the 72 hours I treated them like new cats. Swapped their scents, fed them either sides of a door. Slowly let them see eachother.. all over a few days each time. Any hissing and we settled back down. Eventually they had supervised time together only (god forbid they have a fight when you're not there). Then once they could be trusted, it was opened again.

All three currently asleep as one big pile of cat. Absolutely fine with no issues. But then whole time I was rushing it and letting them run into eachother, it just got worse.

How did the vet go?

MouseKeys · 03/08/2023 20:20

This happened to my cats too, they were brother and sister and got along absolutely fine until one night when the male just went nuts and tried to kill his sister. He was completely crazy, attacking her and my then boyfriend, the only person he would tolerate was me. I lived in a one bedroom flat so ended up taking a week off work to stay home with them and make sure he couldn't get to her and by the end of the week they were almost back to normal although she never really trusted him again afterwards (unsurprisingly).

I had him checked by the vet who was also a cat behavioural specialist and she thought he had perhaps had a stroke or a bleed which lead to his insane behaviour. It happened one more time a few years later, exact same scenario and then never again and they lived together till the end but it was extremely stressful while it was going on, I hope you manage to find a solution @FuppingEll !

Original poster
FuppingEll · 04/08/2023 13:01

Thanks for the replies. The vet gave the victim cat antibiotics for her neck and checked over angry cat and can't find anything obvious. She was her usual charming self at the vets, loving the attention 🙄They are still separated now while we await the Feliway friends delivery tomorrow. The vet said we should just take it slow with reintroducing them and I have the teenagers warned to be extra careful about not letting them slip out of their respective spaces. I'm hoping that the Feliway will help and by the end of next week, we can start some kind of reintroduction.

We are still non the wiser as to what has started this off, I had no idea before now that cats could just start holding some kind of grudge against each for other for some kind of perceived wrongdoing! Hopefully time will help her settle down again and poor rescue cat can stop treading on eggshells.

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