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Why are my Cats fighting after the death of another family cat?
We recently had our 10-year old male cat die from health issues and the two surviving family cats (a 8-year old female long hair and a 5-year old male American Bobtail) have started fighting. The female is hiding, except to use the litter box and to eat. Any other time the if the Bobtail sees her, they are fighting. They got alogn well before the male died, I'm sure the bobtail is griefing, but I don't understand the fighting. Any ideas on how to handle the problem?
Asked by
MonsterCat Baron von Spotzenst
on Feb 9th 2012
in Behavior & Training
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cats who live together closely form a bond. The cat that died was probably the the no1 cat. Cats do grieve, but not quite in the same way we do. Anything as serious as losing a member espectially the top cat causes disruption in the way they live. You will probably be told by a behavourist, that there is now a power struggle going on between the two members. The obvious next in line should be the other male. Sometimes you do get females who consider themselves no 1,but the male cat is making sure she knows her place. This is usually what the fighting is about. A power struggle in a cats life is a big thing. Its about who eats first who gets cuddles first as so on. In the wild it could be the difference between life and death. Dont forget cats do not give up that wild strain even when domesticated. I hope this helps. If it were my problem i would see a behavourist, as it could cost you a fortune in vets bills if it gets out of hand. Wish you luck
Member 902788
answered on 2/11/12.
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Cats have a social pecking order. It sounds like the loss of your third cat has left a position open. Keep litter and food close at hand for them both. Believe it or not a new cat or kitten could provide the distraction needed to help them get over their loss and realize how close they really are to each other.
Member 1090019
answered on 2/17/12.
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