7 Reasons Why Cats Fight With Their Own Siblings
Among cat lovers, surely most of us keep more than 1 cat. Whether it's keeping cats of the same sex, in pairs or keeping cats with their children.
At first we see that one cat is very close to another, but over time these cats often fight among themselves. They even fight against their own brothers or sisters.
If they fight with other cats that are not the same blood as them then this is still understandable, but if fights occur between siblings then for us this is something bad and should not happen.
It also makes us wonder why cats fight with their own brothers and sisters and if there is any way this can be prevented. What is the reason that makes cats do this? Find out the answer by reading Anggora's explanation below.
7 Reasons Why Cats Fight With Their Siblings
Fights between cats and other cats may be something that is common, but cat fights with their siblings are something that we don't think is common. Especially for those who are new to keeping cats.
For Anggora himself, fighting between brothers is a normal thing to happen and usually this is caused by several specific causes. Some of the causes include:
1. Cats Are Just Playing
Take a look at your cat first, maybe the cat is not fighting but the cat is just playing with its own sibling. Sometimes when cats are playing with their siblings, it is not uncommon for them to show an attitude as if they are fighting.
This attitude is like a cat spreading its fur while raising its tail, the cat looks angry, the cat makes a hitting or slamming motion that is too hard and the like.
We see them as if they are fighting but really they are just playing with their siblings. So when cats seem to be fighting with their siblings, try to pay attention to the cats first to determine whether they are fighting or not.
If you feel that they are not playing but are having a real fight, it's best to separate them immediately.
2. Consequences Of Play
Sometimes cat games can turn into fights between cats. Usually this occurs as a result of one cat biting, slamming, hugging or hitting another cat too hard. As a result, the other cat felt pain, so he was angry with the cat that hurt him.
This makes what used to be a fun game tense as both cats attack each other with great force. You don't worry about this, usually if one of the cats feels that he has lost, the cat will choose to remain silent or go away from the other cat's side.
3. Because Of Food
The fourth cause is food, sometimes food can cause two cats that are siblings to fight each other for food. These fights often occur when the owner gives their favorite food.
An example is fish. When you give fish to a cat, the other cat will try to grab the food that is in the hand or in the other cat's mouth. This makes the cat who has received food try to defend the food he has got.
He will scratch or get angry at the cats around him with the aim of keeping them away from him and his food. When a cat fights with its brothers and sisters because of food then you don't need to worry about this.
Usually after the cat finishes eating it will return to its usual attitude towards its brothers and sisters.
4. Consequences Of Hunted Animals
Similar to food, game often leads cats to fight with each other. When a cat gets hunted by a small animal, this cat will get angry and fight with other cats that are nearby.
If other cats don't stay away from it, the cat that gets the game will take the initiative to go away to a place that he thinks is safe while emitting his angry meow.
5. Cats May Be Sick
Your cat may be sick, that's why he always scolds any cat that approaches him, including his own brothers and sisters or his mother. Cats will also not hesitate to scratch other cats when they are sick.
To determine whether a cat is sick or not, you can see some of the characteristics shown by cats. Usually sick cats will show the following characteristics:
The cat looks unhappy
The cat looks weak
The cat looks limp and powerless
Cat lost appetite
The cat's gaze looks blank
Cats sleep more often
And others
If a cat that fights with its siblings has at least 3 of the characteristics above, it is very likely that the cat is sick.
6. Cats Are Stressed
Stress on cats can also make cats very aggressive. Cats can be aggressive not only to their brothers and sisters but they can also be very aggressive to the people around them.
That's why it's not uncommon for cats who are suffering from stress to beat their siblings who are nearby. Stress in cats can be caused by various things, such as:
Travel sickness
Changed owner
Being in a new environment
Due to illness
Cats can't mate
And several other causes.
Just like humans, stress in cats can also heal by itself when the cat has succeeded in overcoming the cause of the stress.
7. The Cat Has Grown Up
Age factor also affects this. When cats are adults, cats tend to become as if they don't know their own brothers or sisters. They will even think of cats that are their brothers and sisters as foreign cats.
This is one of the reasons why cats can attack other cats who are blood related to them or the reason why cats will marry other female cats even though the female is her own sister.
Then How Do You Keep Cats from Fighting With Their Siblings ?
Of course, you don't want your favorite cat to fight with its brothers and sisters. That's why you need to find a way to stop cats from fighting with their siblings. To stop this fight, you can try the following methods:
If cat fights happen because of games then all we can do is separate them when fighting. If we give each of them a toy then it looks as if we intend to separate them
For cats who fight for play then you can let them be because this is good for training their bodies and instincts. Besides that they will eventually stop fighting if they are tired. But also look at the type of fight they are in, if the cats are fighting while screaming, then it's best to separate them so that no one gets hurt
If the fight is only because of food, then you can give other cats food so that it calms down because it is not being disturbed by its siblings
If the fight is over game, then you should get rid of this game by throwing it where the cat can't reach it
Treat sick cats or cats that are under stress so that their temperament can change
For adult cats the only way for them not to fight is by means of sterilization, separating the two cats or keeping them away from each other
Those are some of the causes that make cats fight with their brothers and sisters and how to overcome them. Hopefully this article is useful for you.
