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Why are my outdoor cats fighting and hissing? Have they gone feral?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 7.2 lbs

I have 2 cats, brother & sister that are 8 years old.. they have lived outside in a 2 level enclosure for the last 5 years and have always been together. Over the last few days they have been fighting quite a bit as well as alot of hissing and growling at each other... have they gone feral because theyve been outside for so long?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 27th, 2017

If your cats have spent most of their time outdoors and now are spending time inside together then this change in environment could be causing tensions. If they are still outside all the time then it is possible that a new cat has come into the neighborhood and this has disrupted the social structure of the cats, or potentially one of the cats could be feeling unwell and therefore being more defensive, or they could feel they are having to compete for food/shelter. I would be sure both cats have equal access to food and water (they may need their own separate areas to eat/drink so they don't feel threatened) and litter boxes indoors. When indoors I would recommend the use of the Feliway Multicat diffuser https://www.amazon.com/CEVA-Animal-Health-D89410B-MultiCat/dp/B01AVHPFDS/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1503838561&sr=8-4&keywords=feliway+multicat, which is a pheremone product. I would consider an examination by your vet to look for underlying health problems as well.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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