Hello, a friend recommended you to me. I have two boy cats, they're 5 and 6 and met each other when the oldest was 1 1/2, so they're close age wise. Both of them are neutered, they eat from different plates and have each their own toilet. From time to time they fight very hard, the older one (Alfred) chases the other one (Bruce) under the bed and then they hiss and growl at each others until Bruce slaps Alfred. What can I do to make them get along better?
These kinds of situations can be difficult to figure out just from a few asks, there’s... so many factors at play, nothing is too small of a thing to have an impact.
It can’t hurt to add a third litterbox, the general rules is 1 box per cat + 1. Even if you’re not directly seeing any tension at the litterboxes, stress from lack of resources can manifest in other ways. Make sure the boxes are in different spaces, you don’t want one cat to be able to guard them. Avoid covered boxes, so no cat can be cornered.
They eat from separate dishes, but are they fed in separate areas or are the dishes just placed beside on another? What do your other resources look like - beds, scratching posts, etc? Amount, location, etc. Do you have strays or ferals outside, that could be antagonizing your cats?
Try to keep an eye on what’s going on just before these fights occur, see if there’s something you can identify as a trigger. Is it in a certain area of the house? Is it at a certain time of day? Is it after a certain event, such as after or before they eat? What signs do they show leading up to the altercation? How do you respond when they start up?
Here’s some general links on maintaining a multicat household which you may find helpful.
4 Ways to Keep Your First Cat Happy When You Adopt a Kitten
Cat Fights: What to do When Your Cats Turn on Each Other
How to Get Cats to Get Along - Smart Behaviorists Share Insight
Multicat Households: Keeping the Peace
Why Your Cats May Not Be Getting Along
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