Bad Neighbours - Cat Fights
My cat is fighting with a neighbour's cat, how can I help calm the situation?
Some cats are naturally timid: the PDSA PAW Report 2018 records that 13% of owners report their cat is afraid of other cats. As cat populations in neighbourhoods increase, cat owners are encountering increased problems with feline territorial disputes.
Conflicts with neighbour cats outside your home can represent a major source of stress for your cat. Signs that your cat is stressed include:
- Health problems
- Hiding away
- Over grooming
- Sleeping more than usual, inactivity or hiding in very inaccessible places (eg. inside drawers or beds)
- Urine Marking/Spraying
- Inappropriate urination or defecation in the home
- Over or under eating and therefore weight gain or loss.
- Injuries from fighting: bite marks, scratches, loss of fur
What can you do to help?
- Neuter your cat to decrease the likelihood of roaming and conflict.
- Install cat fencing around the boundary of your property to keep your cat safe within their core territory
- Create a stimulating garden for your cat by planting shrubbery they can hide in.
- Microchip your cat and purchase selective entry cat flaps to prevent neighbourhood cats from accessing your cats' core territory and food
- Provide multiple beds and litter trays around the house to offer your cat choice.
- Within your home, you can also prevent them from viewing outside cats or being observed by them by using blinds or frosted glass.
- Cats feel safer when hiding or in high places so make sure to provide hidey holes and perches for them.
- Use a FELIWAY Diffuser where they spend most of time lounging: this will reinforce their perception of your home as a safe and secure place by releasing comforting pheromones.
Want to learn more about cat conflict? Read how you can help cats to get along or our top tips on why cats fight and what you can do to help.
