Dos And Don’ts To Dealing With Cat Behavior Problems Between Cats
When cats attack each other and can’t seem to get along, there are many causes and ways to handle this aggressive cat behavior or problem.
Whether the cat behavior problem is caused by territorial assertions, or defensive maneuvers, or a male cat establishing his dominance, there are certain things that are useful to do. Other things – even things you might think would be smart to do – are not a good idea and one is wise to avoid.
Good Ways To Deal With Cat Behavior Aggression Problems
First, the disclaimer: If you cat changes its behavior, you might want to have it checked by the veterinarian. Changes in behavior can be caused by health symptoms.
Animals behave better when they are spayed or neutered. The changes in hormone levels after the surgery will positively affect all the animals in the home – so it is important that all are surgically altered.
If you will be introducing a new cat or kitten into your home – where you already have a cat who “knows” the territory is its own – you should do the process slowly and carefully. There are animal behavior specials that can help with this process if you want more information.
If there are still serious issues, consider asking your veterinarian for help. Your veterinarian can prescribe medication for your cat that can help it during the behavior modification time period. Since animals respond differently to drugs than humans, be sure to not try to medicate your pet yourself – it takes a professional.
Don’t Do These!
If the cats are fighting, the worst thing to do is to try to pull the two of them apart. If you try, you are likely to end up with scratches and maybe a bite or two. Instead, make a loud noise like a whistle, or squirt them with water. You can also try throwing something soft at them to distract them. These will help break their habit of fighting.
If you think they will eventually “work things out” if you allow them to fight as much as they want, you’re mistaken. Cat behavior problems like fighting with other cats won’t resolve themselves like dogs can. Instead, the cats will fight more often and the cat behavior problem will become worse over time.
Look into ways to prevent fights. Maybe you can keep the cats totally separated while you’re figuring out how to solve the cat behavior problem. If not, then perhaps you can find a way to keep them separate at a time when they are likely to have a fight. Consider putting them in different rooms when no one is home to watch them.
