Two male cats no longer get on

[Catproblems]

Two males. Both neutered. Were fine for years now one gets very worked up when he sees the other. Scent marking everywhere. I can barely cope anymore. Sofa, both beds, arm chair, etc.

Please let me know anything I can do? I have tried keeping them apart for weeks. Hasn’t worked.

Have a room without furnishing (space, a window, etc). Could add cat trees and litter trays. Would it work to confine them both here for a few weeks? Would give them lots of attention and treats.

Help!

Have you tried any of those relaxing cat plug ins? you just plug them into the wall and they release calming pheromones. Make sure they have a litter tray each, lots of toys and activities to keep them occupied and to take their energy out on. It may be worth taking the cat which is getting worked up for a checkup at the vets, just to make sure there's nothing else going on, and also they can often advise on these situations.

i've had this in the past and i know how horrible it can be, but my cats eventually grew out of it once we moved from a flat to a house, so i think in their case they needed more space x

Thank you. They got better for a week or so with a plug in.

The stressed cat has had a check and is physically well. They have plenty of space and one goes out. There is no obvious trigger.

Has the non-stressed cat had a check up too? The stressed one could be sensing that something is wrong.

Thanks @biscuitsandbooks That is a good point. I will check if it goes on past the weekend. He is young and was at the vet a few weeks ago for vaccinations. Had a brief checkover then. Both in good condition- shiny coats, haven’t lost weight, bright eyes, eating well, etc.

I wonder if something has spooked them and they redirected onto each other.

We once had a strange cat come into the garden and try to fight ours - they redirected onto each other and fought - ignoring the intruder! It took a few days for them to settle down again properly.

I just wonder if it could be something external if one goes outside.

@biscuitsandbooks I suspect this is at the root of it. There are a few cats locally and they sometimes fight a bit.

Keeping both of our cats together seems to be working so far. Far less hissing and they sometimes sleep next to each other.

Oh that's good @Catproblems - they do generally sort themselves out from my experience. We have three boys and they have the odd spat but it never seems to last.

I have swapped the litter trays for stainless steel versions. Hopefully this will remove all odors.