Why are my senior brother cats suddenly fighting? How to stop aggression?

Sudden behavioral changes are always concerning, and checking first for an underlying health issue is best. Cats can suddenly become aggressive if they're feeling unwell or are experiencing pain. If both cats check out healthy, looking for any changes that may be stressing them out such as new objects, new pets, new people, etc may help narrow down the causes of aggression. Making sure that both cats have access to their own food, water, litter, bedding, perches, etc can also help. A pheromone diffuser can also be placed in common/shared rooms to help decrease tensions and inter cat aggression.

A sudden behavioral change in cats that previously got along with no other changes to the environment can sometimes indicate issues such as underlying pain or illness. Bringing the cats in for an exam is a good first step to rule out any health issues that could be causing the aggression. If they check out healthy, adding in some pheromone diffusers can help with inter-cat stress. Making sure each cat has their own access to food, water, litter, places to hide, etc can also help decrease tensions.

It may be due to illness or injury. It can also be redirected (or displaced) aggression. This is when one cat is unable to directly respond to a perceived threat and "vents" on whoever is closest. This is usually an owner or another pet. Never handle or grab your cat if she is displaying aggressive tendencies. This can lead to a serious bite or scratch. Schedule an exam with your vet to rule out medical causes. If they are indoor cats, provide a ' cool down' period by separating them. Keep stray or strange cats away from windows or doors and out of your yard. Control what your cat sees by closing doors or drawing the blinds. Consider using pheromone products to decrease anxiety/stress level in the house. Search www.pet360.com for pheromone products.

Stress and illness can be two factors in sudden behavior changes in cats, so getting Kosinus checked out by your vet is a good first step. Cats that are in pain or sick may suddenly lash out at friends or other pets when they were normally friends. If Kosinus checks out healthy, then looking for stress factors is the next step. Do the two cats have to share one food or water bowl? One litter box? One bed or perch? These can be things that may become contested, and if one cat is pushing the other out may lead to aggressive behavior. Making sure there are multiple litter boxes, beds, and food and water dishes may help. Pheromone diffusers that can be plugged into walls of shared rooms or used as a collar can also be useful for decreasing stress and aggression among cats, and may help Kosinus calm down some and get along again.

If only pets could talk! Cats can be very reactive and can also get frustrated easily. It’s possible they saw another cat out the window and are reacting. You may try to separate them for a few hours. Keep the environment calm and check on them frequently to make sure they are not agitated. You want want to close the blinds to block out any views of the other cat. If the behavior continues, have them examined by the veterinarian. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Poor cats! It's possible there is stress being caused over dispute of territory, especially if you have quite a few cats in a small home or apartment. A good first step is making sure each cat has their own access to food, water, litter, and perches they can get away from each other so that the cats can establish their areas without having to compete for resources. A good second step is to add in a pheromone collar or diffuser, which can help reduce inter-cat aggression and make things less stressful. In some cases, a younger cat may bully an older cat if there is an underlying health problem going on. A vet visit to rule out any pain or illness that could be making Mr. Winkle the target of this attention may help reduce the problem as well. If the changes to the home don't help, speaking with a veterinary behaviorist in your area may also be a good option: https://www.dacvb.org/page/about

Have him examined by your veterinarian to diagnose illness or injury. Either are common culprits of a sudden behavioral change. Being an intact male may also be playing a role in the behavior. Consider having him neutered. In the meantime, provide additional food/water bowls, beds, toys and litterboxes to prevent food aggression or resource protection. Consider a pheromone product, such as Feliway Spray or plug in diffusers, to decrease any anxiety or aggression in the home.