My two male kittens are fighting like crazy!

Question

At first I thought "how cute they are playing". I was wrong. They are full on fighting, growling, hissing and being forceful.

They are both males from a different litter - one is 10 weeks - the other 12 weeks.

I have tried introducing them slowly over the last day in small 'meetings'. I hate to separate them much longer as I hate locking them in a room or bathroom by themselves as this is such an imprint stage for them I don't want them to be loners, aggressive and not want human company.

What can I do to get them to like each other. I have them in my room (only separate room available) and they go under the bed and beat the p**p out of each other.

I don't want them to hate each other or worsely someone get hurt. :(

Answer 1

They are a little young to show that much behavior of dominance. I must admit that I'm surprised. Normally male will fight for dominance much later (around 1 year old). Are you sure their fight are not just play time?

There is another possibilities. If they were pull away too soon from their mother they were never thought by their mother on how to calm down during a fight. So you might notice that at the beginning they play togheter and then suddenly one of them stop playing and start a real fight. That's because he was never thought how to calm down. If it's the case, write to me I will show you how to correct that. It's not easy.

But getting them fixed will surely help but since they already got to a fight, you will have to do something you probably never thought of doing : LET THEM BE.

I know it's hard but they need to establish who's the boss. The sooner it will be establish, the better they will be. If you seperate them, things will only get worst. The stronger one knows he can dominate the other one but by seperating them you prevent him from passing his message so the next time, he will raise the bar of violence to be sure the message gets through. IF again you seperate them, he will raise the bar again. That's why you see the fights getting worst and worst. Let them be. I know cat fights are impressive but they are rarely harmfull.

AT the beginning, have them in seperate rooms during the night so that they can rest without the fear of being attacked.

IMPORTANT - Be sure to have at least 3 litters at the beginning. Be sure to put them in a room where, from inside it, they can see the entrace of the room and where they can flee if necessary. Later one you could remove one litter when things calm down but always keep two litters.

Play with them a lot with a toy they both affectionate. Learning to have fun togheter is the key. If they both play with the toy in turn (cats normally wait in turn to play with the same toy) then give them Treats. You need to associate good things with being togheter. Feed them at the same time and the same place.

That should take care of your problem. Be patient. It will take about 5 days for the fights to get better and a full 14 days for things to really calm down. You will have to endure a fight here and there for probably 3 to 5 months. Be patient and they will come around eventually. But remember. LET THEM BE!

Answer 2

Neutering them when they're old enough will help considerably.  Check with your vet to find out when you can get them neutered.  Neutering will take out the male hormones going through them which is most likely the cause of a lot of what you're seeing.  Cats are very territorial animals.  Cats will establish a "pecking order" so to speak.  Someone will most likely be dominant.  They are most likely sorting this out right now.  I wouldn't get overly concerned unless you see them really tearing at each other & you see blood or chunks of flesh coming out of one or both of them.  If this happens, it may help to borrow a large cage (sufficient room for a litter pan, bed and bowls), put it in the middle of the house (high traffic area) and take turns putting each one in there for a day or so with their own litter pan, bed and food dishes.  This will give each the opportunity to smell and see the other one without getting physical with each other, but as I said, if they're not really tearing at each other, then I would let them sort it out.  I have a brother & sister that are 8 years old and they still wrestle and I find scabs on each of them from getting too rough.  They were both neutered & spayed when they were 6 mos old but they still do this "rough-housing."  The female will holler sometimes because her brother is too rough with her, but they sort it out.  

I have had many cats in my life, strictly indoors, and the neutered males actually got along better than a neutered male and spayed female sometimes.  I've never had a problem with 2 neutered males getting along.  One day you may find they're the best of buddies and groom each other & sleep with each other.  

Hope this helps.

Answer 3

Well one of them has to be the dominant one so they might as well sort it out now. But the other responders are correct too. Neutering the little darlings will take out some of the aggression. But they still will feel the need to determine 'pecking order' to some degree.

Answer 4

yikes. well some cats just dont get along theres not much u can do but cats tend to mark territorys nto by peeing only but by rubbing their body on surfaces. so i had to wipe down surfaces ive seen the cats rub on because it sends a signal to other cats this is my territory stay out. so if the 2 cats are together in a room where everything is wiped down i dont tihnk there will be much of a competiion of who has it. if that doesnt work then try spraying them with water. and if that doesnt work then yiou just have 2 cats that dont get along

Answer 5

GET THEM FIXED! they are trying to get the other out. they are old enough to be neutered!  

Answer 6

the 'meeting' process really should take longer then that.  a week or two at least.  Though I odn't know how much that'd help now that the first impression has been made.  

They won't be loners if you lock them up for a little bit.  jsut make sure you go in there and love on both of them for a while each day.

They may jsut be trying to work out the pecking order between them...   try to keep them seperated for a few days with short meetings..  try to associates 'mmeeting time' with something good like 'play time'  or 'cuddle time'  or 'treat time!' or something good.

They'll work it out.  it sounds like they're both a bit stressed.  momma is gone, brothers and sisters are gone, the fur-less monkeies who cuddles them before are gone.. and they're that strange  OTHER cat and this other weird hairless monkey.

they'll relax in the next few days, I hope.  make sure they each have a place to hide and 'be safe'.. and make sure that they both know you love 'em...

and yes, your cats ARE old enough to be nuetered, but you shold probably wait a few months.  They're not old enough (I think) to really be getting male-grouchy about things...  

The urethra stops growing hwne you neuter them, and the length of the urethra is related to how easily they get bladder infections and other urinary problems.  My vet won't fix my boy until he is 8 months old... the girls, though, they'll do when they're 6 months.

Something to think about :)

but yes, time...  and keep in mind that cats do rough house.  My kittens regularly fight... there's generally not any growling involved, but there is sometimes hissing... not often, but sometimes.  More often, one will cry out like "UNCLE!   I GIVE UP!"

Answer 7

Get a squirt bottle and spray them with a firm no!! They are probably just board.  Give them something else to do. Like bubbles toy's and play with them.  Kitten's need alot of attention at least once a day if you would like to keep them docile. keep them together so they get used to each other.