cats fighting

Hi Lisa,

Cats hate to share anything, so keeping separate food bowls and litter trays for them is likely to make them more tolerant of each other not less. For this reason I would not advise feeding them together at all, as it is only likely to increase the tension.

If Leah feels safe in your bedroom and prefers to be hidden then why not place food and a tray in here for her, so she doesn´t need to venture out and ´run a gauntlet´ every time she needs them. If you are happy with her in the bed then thats fine, otherwise you could consider a covered cat bed for her to shelter in.

You clearly have two cats with different levels of energy and ´play tolerance´. I would concentrate more on giving India games to play on her own, maybe using a treat puzzle toy or using a toy on a string for her to chase, so she can expend her energies without bothering Leah. Also, and I know it is difficult in some houses or flats, but you should consider letting them have outdoor access as well.

Cat

hi, thanks for your advice.
I have tried all of these things, nothing seems to be working, i even fed them prawns together but leah was so cautious and ran out the room after a couple of minute. Leah now hides under my covers when she knows india is around, as soon as india sees her, she stares, i spay her but she comes back and as soon as leah escapes, india chases her and hurts her.
It is now becoming very sad, as leah use to tolerate her. They have always been indoor cats too.

Is there anything else i can do? I have separate litter trays and feeding areas but surely they will become enemies if they are separated long term?

Hi Lisa,

Moving house for cats (and people!) can be a very stressful experience and the change in your cats behaviour may well be reflecting this. Cats are territorial creatures and so to arrive in a whole new territory will mean they need to find their feet and establish themselves, which may well lead to conflict but hopefully it will be temporary.

The first thing I would suggest would be a Feliway plug-in. Feliway is a synthetic pheromone which mimics the pheromone cats spread when they buff up against things and helps to create a feeling of calm and security in the cats environment. Ideally you would have had the plug-in running in your previous home for a couple of weeks and then have moved it to the new house and although it is clearly to late for that now, it could still be very helpful in chilling your cats out.

The second thing I would do is ensure there is absolutely no competition between the cats for any of the resources they need. This includes food bowls, water bowls, litter trays and resting spaces. You will need at least two of each and they should be spread out; both each resource from each other (so the food bowls should be at either end of the kitchen, not just two together on a mat) and between them (so the trays must be away from the food, as should the water).

Finally, obviously it is important to keep the cats indoors for about a month after moving house to ensure they are settled and will come back once let out, but this can mean cats who previously had the freedom to roam find themselves very restricted and a little frustrated and hyperactive. So, it might be a good idea to buy some new toys for them to play with. With cats, again because of their territorial natures, they will play madly with a new toy for a day or so while they really check it out and then will ignore it because they know it is not a threat. So, rather than buying a few expensive toys, get a large number of cheap ones and rotate them regularly so they always have something new to investigate.

I hope this helps, you should also have a look at a couple of blogs I have written on this subject, the links are below.

Cat

http://www.petstreet.co.uk/Blog/461426.Phenomenal%20Pheromones!
http://www.petstreet.co.uk/Blog/467996.Is%20your%20home%20_Feline%20Friendly__