4

Okay, so I have four cats in my household now. About a month ago, two started fighting. Neither were neutered, and one was the offspring of the other. I don't feel like typing out their names, so let's go by initials. The oldest male cat is called B, and the child is named W.

W has just now grown into a full grown male cat, and has tried to breed with the two other female cats. B then attacked him, and every time they saw each other, they would fight until W has secluded himself in small rooms and corners, and hisses when B comes near him. My family and I decided it was due to them not being neutered, so we had that done a couple days ago. Now, B still attacks W and W still hides. He also refuses to use the litter tray, and is generally terrified of B.

Will this change, or will we have to do more?

Improve this question
3
  • 1
    It sounds like a territorial or dominance issue to me, regarding the females. Also, how old are the males? You say that 'W' is now a fully grown male, which theoretically, is only 1 yr old, for an 'adult'. However, a fully grown adult may take up to 2-4 years to reach maximum size.
    – Sean
    Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 14:37
  • When I say fully grown male, I mean like how an 18year old human would be considered adult. Just about 1 year old, I think.
    – William Hildegue
    Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 15:47
  • 1
    It will take more than "a couple of days" for the cats' hormone levels to drop, and longer than that for them to decide whether they still dislike each other or can tolerate having the other around. Meanwhile make sure there are two litterboxes placed so one cat can't block access to both. Also, it can take several days for the vet scents to wear off and for even friendly cats to stop hissing at each other; Harry was in for dental work two days ago, and Hazel just now finally stopped being suspicious and is sharing a grooming session with him.
    – keshlam
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 0:33

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

Lots of factors can cause disputes between cats, but here are a few general suggestions that may help:

  1. Litter boxes. The way you described the issue, the problem doesn't sound like it's specifically a litter-box dispute, but your question implied there is only a single litter tray in your home. This may be making a bad problem even worse. The general rule is "number of cats, plus 1 more", so if at all possible, you should have 5 litter boxes in your home. Try to spread out the locations of the litter boxes and avoid areas that could cause 'W' to become cornered while using them.
  2. As others mentioned in comments, give the cats more time. You need to be prepared for weeks, not days, of adjustment.
  3. Depending on how long the drama was going on, the cats may have become conditioned to be hostile towards one another. If you can, you might want to consider separating them for a while and gradually re-introducing them under favorable conditions such as during feeding time, after lots of exercise to ensure they're both calmer. Even if you can't separate them, it is definitely a good idea to try feeding them at the same time in the same room to strengthen the association between each other's presence and "good things" (food) happening.
Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.