Questions about introducing a new cat to the household or what to do
when two (or more) cats in the house suddenly don't like each other are
common. As you probably suspect, there is no quick, easy solution to
ensure feline harmony in the home.
There is hope though. In this 3-part interview, veterinary behaviorist
Theresa DePorter DVM DECAWBM DACVB (a veterinarian who is a
specialist,
board-certified in the US and UK in animal behavior) answers questions
about aggression between cats and how to recognize and help cats who are
not getting along.
1. How do you define aggression between cats in the same household?
Aggression between housemate cats may vary intensity and
severity. Some cats will growl, hiss or scream while others may block,
flee, or hide. This may be influenced by temperament, coping skills, and
past experiences.
Cats that are comfortable in social interactions will nose-touch,
groom each other around the head, and sleep while touching. The absence
of these affiliative interactions provides evidence for underlying,
ongoing social tension. Agonistic interactions may range from actually
biting to aloof disregard: but most are going to include daily social
tension characterized by hissing, swatting or blocking.
Cats are naturally social creatures. Cats form
the strongest bonds with those that they meet during the socialization
window (between about 5 and 12 weeks). Cats that know each other during
this period may form life-long or long-term affiliative bonds.
Cats may be aggressive when first introduced to the household while others may become aggressive following an event.
A
single traumatic interaction may result in an explosive aggressive
incident followed by months or years of ongoing disdain and mistrust.
The quality and character of their relationship before the big fight
may influence their ability to recover spontaneously. Cats inherently do
not reconcile well. Reconciliation describes the process by which one
overcomes a difficult or traumatic incident which affects the
relationship.
In contrast, dogs are highly skilled at displaying appeasement
gestures in order to alleviate concerns after a tense moment. A dog may
look away, roll on their back or lick. Sometimes people think this is
guilt. Not really guilt, but it is appeasement.
Cats are not very good at reconciliation. They don’t need to be: if
the perceive a threat they will respond by fleeing or fighting. They
generally prefer fleeing. Cats don’t require complex social interactions
to survive.
I believe cats appreciate friendly relationships that are pleasant,
predictable and rewarding but I don’t think they are socially dependent
on other cats.
2. What are the early signs of a possible "aggression problem" that cat owners should be aware of?
Hissing, piloerection (fur raised up), and arched back are
obvious signs of an aroused cat. A cat that is hissing is feeling
defensive, cornered and apprehensive. Never punish or reprimand a cat
for hissing. That is like yelling at a person who is so upset they are
crying: yelling is not going to alleviate the cause of the tears.
A cat that turns his ears sideways, dilates pupils, twitches his
tail, or looks away may be aroused too. Some cats will groom themselves
when mildly distressed: this is called a
displacement behavior.
Cats get information by assessing scents or pheromones in the environment.
They display
flehmen response
by a 'gape' demonstrated by a lifting of the lips and puffing to inhale
the scents and draw pheromones into the vomeronasal organ. The cat may
be seen bringing the tongue up to his nose and this is another sign he
is aroused, curious and reading for information encoded within the
scents.