If you have two or more cats, then you’ll face the problem where one of the cats is bullying another one. You might be very worried about stopping them. Cats are reserved creatures, so you commonly have to witness them attacking each other. So, you might be searching for solutions to prevent them from bullying each other.
Cats cannot be friends with their own species. They are moody and don’t get socialized so easily. When your two or more cats live with each other, if their personalities are different, they get jealous and fight over time. It might be time for you to interfere when one of your cats attacks another. So, to stop them, you have to give them some personal space, trying to make them feel comfortable with each other.
Read the entire article to learn more about how you can stop your cat from bullying your other cat.
Why Do Cats Bully Other Cats?
Cats rarely fight with one another without reason. If they get along, they’ll begin to avoid and then grow tolerant of each other’s presence. Instead, it will gradually worsen, and you might even witness a few catfights.
Here are some causes of fights among cats living in the same home.
| Reasons | How Does It Influence The Cat? |
| Changes in hormones | When the mating season rolls around, there’s a good chance your two female cats will start fighting. If cats are neutered before they turn one year old, most of these problems can be quickly resolved. |
| Stress | Any changes to the home or surroundings may cause cats to get agitated, which may cause them to fight or bully other cats. When their litter box, feeding box, or bed is changed or moved, cats are more prone to become upset and aggressive toward other animals. It may also occur if one of your kitties passes away or moves out or you adopt a new cat. As a menace, the older cat will target the new kitten. Alternatively, if your new cat is aggressive, the older cat in your family will inevitably be bullied by the kitten. |
| Territory issues | Insufficient space causes cats to battle over territory. Cats mark their territory through rubs, patrols, and pee stains, among other methods. They might attract other cats to their territory and attack them for trespassing. Outdoor cats are more combative in their own homes, and most conflicts are won by the feline closest to the house. |
Behavior That Portrays The Bullying Of Cats
Different cats show varied behaviors when bullied. So, the following are some common behaviors your cat might portray due to bullying.
- Your cat might provoke the other one by hissing, staring, growling, and baring their teeth. When your bully cat comes in contact with the other one, it might guard its way or fall on its ears. This behavior is a sign that your cat is bullying others.
- You might also witness that when your cat approaches another, the cat stands up and crouches with their fur. Your cat might be staring at your other cat like a hunter.
- During playtime, cats might scratch, bite playfully, and swat. But if they try to injure another one by doing this, they are not playing and just bullying.
- Sometimes, your cat blocks the way of your other cat’s litter box or food bowl. They even try to stop you from spending time with the other. If your cat is doing this, know that your cat is bullying the other one.
- Your cat roughly passes the tongue over your other cat. If your cat aggressively licks your other cat to dominate the other cat, it means your cat is trying to make sure your other cat leaves to another room.
- The bullied cat will constantly be peeing, pooping, and hiding out of fear. If one of your cats frequently hides from your other cat, stops having food, eats much less, or poops and pees outside their box, it implies that your cat is bullied and scared.
How To Comprehend Your Cats’ Bullying Behavior Through Noises?
Cats communicate their sentiments and desires through noises. Producing different types of noises before bullying is one of the most common behaviors of cats. So, you can better comprehend their emotions by understanding what your cat’s chatter is trying to convey.
The meanings behind the typical cat noises that indicate bullying are given below in the table.
| Cat Noises | What Do They Mean? |
| Meowing | Although most times, the typical meow is a gesture of greeting, it can also be a way to show objection. It has a mid-length duration and a high-pitched tone, warning other cats not to mess with their territory. |
| Hissing | It typically signifies that your cat is in discomfort, agitated, or feels threatened by something, someone, or another cat. This sharp fizz sound is one of the most prominent noises of your cat’s bullying behavior. |
| Yowling | This noise demonstrates more cat-to-cat communication. Cats emit this long moaning sound to express their worry about other cats intruding on their personal space. |
| Growling | It’s a high-pitched noise beginning or ending with a yowl. Cats produce this noise primarily when angry or facing territorial threats from another cat. |
How To Control The Bullying Behavior In Cats?
If you love both of your pets, you must take equal care of them. In that matter, it is necessary to control their bullying behavior. If you have a pet at your home, you must ensure they get everything.
Being an animal, they need attention from you. They will do anything to get the same. There have been instances where you love your pets more, and they eventually get attracted to you. So, it is evident when you get another pet at your home; they will get jealous.
You must find the bullying triggers and do everything possible to stop them. Here are some effective tips for controlling this kind of cat behavior.
1. Create Good Positive Vibes
Cat pheromones may contribute to a calmer atmosphere in the home. Commercial cat pheromones imitate the pheromones released by a mother cat and aid in the safety and security of kittens. To help your cats unwind a little, use these hormones around them. Consider using a diffuser like the Comfort Zone Cat Calming Diffuser Kit. It comes with 1 refill and 1 diffuser to spread calming pheromones for almost a month.
Additionally, you must give each of your cats ample attention to ensure that none feels left out. Playing with your cats daily can go a long way toward making them feel secure and content in their surroundings.
2. Give Them Some Privacy
You should make as many cat-friendly rooms as possible in your house because cats want their own space. Depending on how many cat trees, condos, or shelves you decide to add to your home, your cats may forget how much they despise one another because they will have so much room to roam. Since cats tend to be somewhat possessive of their litter boxes, you might also like to have many of them throughout the house, preferably one for each cat.
3. Stop Physical Fights Quickly
It’s crucial to break up any physical altercations between your two felines if you see them taking place so that they don’t develop into a habit. So, keep a catfight from continuing. It merely involves engaging in the behavior repeatedly until it becomes ingrained. If your cats are fighting rigorously, break up the battle by covering the combatants with a towel or blanket. Having something to bite and claw offers them something to do without hurting you.
4. Schedule Playtime Each Day In The Appropriate Manner
Even in a home with multiple cats, playing is not as silly as it might sound. In essence, you’re assisting cats in connecting with their assertive predator side rather than their timid prey side. In essence, playtime serves as a stand-in for hunting time. Play develops confidence and lowers stress levels while giving an outlet to those predatory instincts. Since they won’t worry they are being preyed on as they hunt, it might enable even the most retiring cat to come out of its shell.
5. Bring Back Kitties That Need To Be Separated
While separating felines is not a long-term solution, it is crucial in the short term if they risk hurting one another physically. A cat is in danger if there is hair on the ground if it is yelling, or if there is blood, pee, or excrement present. You must separate these cats if this occurs every time you see them together. The cats must now be reintroduced as though they had never met before. If the target has no other knowledge than that of his prey, the attacker will always behave like the predator.
6. Provide Separate Resources
If you notice that one cat withholds resources from the other, ensure that you give them their own resources if one cat intimidates the other. For instance, providing food to each cat in its own bowl prevents fighting over it by giving them their own. Having more than one litter box can prevent bullying and give each cat a spot to leave its distinctive fragrance. According to the usual cat norm, there should be one litter box for every cat you own, plus an additional one. By adhering to this rule, you should help your cats utilize their own litter box and discourage them from using other litter boxes.
7. Distract Your Cats
For whatever reason, there may be isolated instances of aggression. But it’s crucial to avoid punishing your cats for acting in a way that comes easily to them. Instead, throw a toy at them to divert their attention. You have the surprise element and the cat’s interest in anything novel. It’s critical to avoid becoming involved in the altercation and find another means to apply the breaks before someone is wounded.
8. Don’t Promote Improper Behavior
Even roughhousing can instantly escalate into a full-fledged battle. Keep an eye out for indications of inappropriate play, including staring, tail-slapping, and other aggressive behaviors. Before things get worse, create a distraction or throw a toy about.
What Doesn’t Work To Stop Cat Bullying?
Never attempt to spank or penalize your cat for misbehaving. Aggression will only increase as a result of this behavior. Spray bottles and other methods frequently produce similar outcomes. Cats aren’t stupid, either. When you’re not looking, your cat can start bullying the other cat out of resentment for the water spritz.
You’ll probably discover that positive reinforcement functions better in its place. You might succeed better by setting up a few supervised play sessions with both cats and rewarding their excellent behavior with food.
Aside from that, you shouldn’t ignore the bully while consoling the victimized cat. It could make the issue worse by fostering greater hatred and jealousy. Punishing the “bully” this way won’t make the point that they’ve done something wrong because they don’t understand what they’ve done wrong.
Cats Can Get Along With Each Other After How Long?
Cats can start getting along for up to 8 months. Usually, this depends on the specific animals and the circumstances, but planning on this takes some time.
While living with multiple cats can be challenging until this time, it’s crucial to keep in mind that you must be patient with them. These animals find change upsetting, and they require time to acclimatize. It might take them less time to come to terms with one another, but it might take them much longer to become “friendly.”
Final Thoughts
Bullying between two cats can be severe, particularly if one cat is hurt. Hopefully, we have given you adequate information on fixing the issue if your cats are bullying one another.
So, as a pet owner, you must follow the suggestions in this article and encourage your cats to live together more calmly and view one another as a friend rather than a threat.
