Cats are not renowned for their social skills and getting them to agree with each other is no easy feat. A catfight is an extremely stressful situation for both the cats involved and their owners, but taking steps to make sure that they don’t happen can help everyone feel less stressed. It’s time to put those claws away!
In this blog post, we will explore the cause of these fights and how to stop them before they happen.
What is a catfight?
A catfight is a term for an aggressive confrontation between two or more cats. This can be over territory, food, or mating rights. Cats will get into these confrontations with each other and it usually ends up in some kind of swatting match where one cat may go on the attack and try to injure another pet by biting them or scratching them.
Why do cats fight?
Different cats fight for different reasons, but typically it’s over territory or food. If you’ve noticed a specific cat that is always in fights with other pets, then the problem may be territorial aggression rather than an issue of one particular pet having to go hungry on purpose because they like fighting more than eating – this could mean there’s an issue with the cat’s environment.
Some cats will choose to fight over mating rights, either because they’re trying to claim territory and resources for themselves or they may be defending their kittens from another pet that is encroaching on them too much. This can lead to some aggressive behavior between two pets as well. Either way, it’s important for cat owners to be aware of this issue and work on preventing it from happening in the future.
How do cats fight
When cats fight, they will typically swat at each other with their paws or scratch them with their claws before biting. In addition to being dangerous for both pets involved in a confrontation, these fights can cause some collateral damage that may need repair as well.
What are the consequences of catfights?
Cats may get tangled up in one of these if they are an outdoor cat. Indoor cats, unless left alone and stray visitors come inside that is a different story too. Two or more indoor cats can have their bad days as well.
Catfights can lead to injuries and fear
Catfights are a risky situation for both the cats involved. If one cat is injured and loses blood, then there’s a chance that it could potentially transmit diseases to other pets or even humans. There’s also the risk of injury that your cat might get from a fight, and this can be a really traumatic experience for your pet.
Some cats may start to have anxiety and fear-related behavior, such as hiding out more or not wanting to go outside anymore because the cat is afraid it might get in another fight with other pets they come across. This could also lead to depression that you notice from their personality changes too
Cat fights can lead to property damage
Catfights can lead to injuries as well as property damage. The claws from cats can scratch furniture and flooring that may need to be repaired. In addition, when your pet gets into a fight with another animal they might end up destroying things in the environment too such as knocking over plants or breaking knick-knacks on tables.
Cat fights between outdoor cats can lead to unwanted diseases
If you allow your cat to roam outside in the big wild outdoors, I seriously recommend you take kitty to your veternarian from a young age and start getting him vaccinated! And make sure this is done every year no questions! This is necessary if you don’t want your kitty to get infected by nasties like Feline Aids (FIV) which is transmitted through blood while fighting.
Cat fights can result in loud, shocking noise
Cats fighting outside at night time can be quite of a shock, as sometimes they can sound close to a child shreking or yelling, and it is definately the last thing you want to hear when your trying to sleep at night! My ultimate way of getting rid of cats engaged in a fight is to turn the hose on them, as noises won’t startle them hardly as they are concentrating too much on the other cat!
How to stop a fight before it starts
Spot their body language
A good tell-tale sign if a cat is frightened, the hair will stand up all over the body and when the cat threatens or is ready to attack, you will see the hair stand up in a narrow band along the spine and tail to make him look bigger, and this is also a good time to interfer!
Force a time-out
If your indoor cats are engaged in a fight, don’t get in their way as cat bites can not only hurt, but are more likely to become infected than dog bites. Use a chair and turn upside down and use the back of the chair and gently slide the chair between the cats, this will startle them and stop them from fighting.
When they are calmer, give the cats ‘time out’ by placing one in a closed room for a short period of time.
How to stop a cat fight from happening in the future
Keep your cats indoor
The benfits of keeping your cats indoor outweigh the cons. Indoor cats live longer happier lives, they are less likely to get killed in a car or attacked by wild animals that could happen on your property if you have an outdoor cat, and the risk of diseases is much lower too!
Give indoor cats enough entertainment
A way to ensure there’s not as many fights breaking out is to keep your cats entertained with interactive play. This can be as simple as playing games like ‘chase the laser pointer’ or try using a toy such as stalking feathers on fishing rod toys, which will stimulate their mind and give them something better to do than attack each other all day.
It is also important to provide a place for your cat where they can scratch, such as scratching posts or pads.
Introduce cats slowly to avoid territorial aggression
If you have a new cat, introduce them slowly by keeping the new cat in a different room for about a week. Once the cat has been introduced, this way you are less likely to have territory aggression breaking out between your cats as they know their place in the ‘pack’.
Create a safe space for the cat that gets picked on
If you have a cat that is constantly picked on, it might be best to move him away from the other cats for a while and create a safe space where he can’t get hurt. You can move them to a room with no other animals in it or an outdoor enclosure away from other cats
Takeaway
The best way to stop catfights is by understanding the cause. Whether it’s guarding territory, fighting for more attention or just playing around, a little knowledge can go a long way in preventing these types of scuffles from happening again and again. If you’re tired of having your home destroyed with scratches and furballs everywhere, then subscribe to our newsletter! We have some tips that will help modern cat parents better understand their feline friend’s behavior so they can live together peacefully.