Hello Guys and HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[naughty girls]

Hello everyone, i really need some help, i have two cats both female, both spayed and both are sister even though there is a age gap of a year between them. The problem i am having isCody who is the older one who is nearly three and the bigger cat of the two, keeps attacking the younger one(Kit) who is nearly two and smaller. However it is a horrible thing to see and hear happen as kit really screams and wets herself, its the thrid time its happened now and i dont know what to do! Most of the time they get on fine, they have the occasional play fight, but the sleep together and wash each other so i don't understand PLEASE SOMEONE HELP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm at a lost end!!!!!!!!!!!

[kado]

Firstly welcome to Catsey. I am having the same problem with 2 of my cats at the minute if its not one its the other. Mine have the same age gap as well. Others on here will sure to advise you and what you can do.

jane Kado, Guinness, Simon and Kay

[Donna]

My two female cats (age 3, unrelated) do not get on that much either.

Hope someone can give you some good advice as for the last three years I have just had to put up with their "disagreements".

[dandysmom]

Two of my females, adult 14 years, and younger adult, 1/12 years, unrelated, didn't get along, but it never rose to the type of serious aggression you're describing. just hissing, spitting and the occasional raised paw. Have you considered getting a Feliway diffuser to calm them; might be worth a try...? Hope someone will have better suggestions......

[Grete]

Welcome to Catsey

When I still had my old cat Squeak, she and Bubbles (who was very young in comparison) used to go at it hammer and tongs sometimes. I think it was a dominance issue - Squeak was used to being top cat and when Bubbles arrived, her nose was very much put out of joint. For the most part they tolerated each other.

It's horrible to listen to and you worry about one of them getting injured but I found it best just to leave them to sort it out. I did break it up if it was turning really nasty by clapping my hands and a sharp shout (sent them fleeing in different directions). The fights got less over time and they became an occasional thing.

I suspect now Kit is a bit older, Cody is feeling threatened as Top cat and she attacks to put Kit in her place. You can try removing Cody from the room when she attacks or is acting like a bully towards Kit it might help give her the message it's not OK.

The feliway Dandysmom suggested is worth a try too - I've not used it myself but I've heard it can really help.

Not much advice I'm afraid but I do understand

[Elaine]

Things such as Feliway and rescue remedy may help but may not resolve the underlying cause of such attacks. There may be some sort of trigger, something that has happend in which one cat has had a fright or something and the first thing they saw was the other cat and have redirected any aggression onto the other cat.
Have they always been like this or is this a more recent thing?
This link may help you try to understand whats going on and I am sure Wizz would be happy to help if you want to contact her.
http://wizz-catz.co.uk/aggression.html

[sarahd]

It seems for some reason that Cody is feeling the need to express the hiarachy order to Kit but is going a little over the top with things.

Obviously you cannot allow this behaviour to go on as it is distressing for you and for the cats. The last thing you need is Kit to get really hurt.

Try the feliway and someone suggested and also trying to remove Cody from the situation when it arises so she knows its not acceptable.

sorry don't know what else to suggest.

Good luck
sarah

[naughty girls]

Thank you guys for all your help I did tell cody off and she knew she had done wrong cause after about an hour when things had calmed down Cody came and jumped on my lap asking to be loved, so i gave her a stoke but that was it, i think she knew she had done wrong. This is not an ongoing thing, its only started in the past 2 months, it first happened about a 2 month ago kit was off exploring some where and cody was in the garden, when suddenly kit screamed and come flighing over our fence from the next door neighbours (we think that the neighbours did something to her as she was bleeding ) and cody jumped on her as she came over the fence, i dont know if she thought kit was an intruder or something? Then it went all quite till last monday when it happened again, but it seems to only happen when they go outside when there indoors together they are perfectly fine so i'm puzzled if it happens again i will try putting cody in another room for a bit and seen if it makes a difference. AND BIG THANK YOU GUYS for all your help.

[sarahd]

Maybe she heard Kit squeal but as you say when Kit flew back over the fence Cody could have thought that she was kits attacker and was defending her. Its just a thought.

Sounds like wonderful neighbours that could do something to harm a little kitty like that

Sarah
x

[Elaine]

When cats get scared they lash out, its their instinct. Cody obviously got a fright when she heard the comotion as Kit was the first thing she saw to attack, thats exactly what she did. Now the association has been made in Cody's mind of Kit coming over the fence and Cody gets into attack mode. They get trapped in a cycle which they dont know how to break, they dont even know that what they do is wrong.
Rather than verbally punnishing one or the other is there any way you could go out side with them for a while, watch for any signs that Cody is about to attack and distract her to take her focus off Kit?
Just a thought, I know these things are not always easy and I wish you lots of luck at breaking the cycle.