Cats are intelligent, curious, affectionate and adorable animals. But also sometimes you may notice that a very frequent behavior is that cats fight with other cats. If you have ever wondered the reason for this behavior, the answer may lie in cat nature itself.
In general, cats fight with each other for various reasons. In general, these reasons are usually related to their instinctive nature and territorial behavior. Let’s look at some reasons why cats fight with other cats.
Causes of cats fighting with other cats
The most frequent causes of cat fights are the following:
- Hierarchy: Cats are territorial animals and establish a hierarchy within a group. When there are several cats in an area, they may fight to establish or maintain their dominant position in the hierarchy.
- Territory: Cats are very protective of their territory and may fight to defend it from invaders. This may include other cats that approach your area or even cats that belong in the same household but try to invade a specific space, such as a bed or scratching post.
- For food, water and other resources: Cats may fight for limited resources, such as food, water, resting places or toys. If they feel that another cat is threatening or encroaching on their resources, they may resort to fighting to protect them.
- Disputes: When two cats meet on neutral territory or dispute ownership of a particular area, they may engage in a fight to determine who is in control.
- Boundary setting: Cats use physical communication, such as rough play and mock fights, to set boundaries and communicate with each other. These fights are usually part of natural cat behavior and do not necessarily indicate real aggression or serious conflict.
It should be noted that if there is more than one cat in the house, they may fight to demonstrate their dominance over territory and resources.
What to do
Another reason cats fight with other cats is stress. A stressed cat may fight with other cats, reacting aggressively. Changes in the environment such as moving house, the arrival of a baby or a new cat or dog in the family can be stressful for your cat.
Stress also often causes your cat to feel threatened and react aggressively towards other cats.
To solve the problem, try to keep the cat’s routines as normal as possible. In addition, if more than one cat lives at home, each cat should have its own play and resting areas. In this way you could be eliminating the cause that refers to competing with each other for resources.
Another important aspect is that your cat should receive veterinary control in case of behavioral changes. This will help ensure that your cat is in good health.
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