Why Is My Cat Suddenly Afraid of His Litter Mate?

Cats are typically very territorial animals. Most disputes between cats that were friendly as litter mates can be traced back to something that has disrupted their normal boundaries. Marking, hormones and territory are ground zero in this ongoing negotiation between kittens as they mature. With some patience and love, you can help your two cats work out their differences and share a peaceful sandbox.

  1. Accidents

    • Disputes and aggression between cats can begin with an innocent misunderstanding that mushrooms into redirected aggression, just as they can with people. One cat might disturb the other by mistake, or both cats might become agitated by a disturbance such as a loud noise. When both cats take a defensive posture, they will both react defensively, and this has a cyclical effect. Unless this behavior is corrected by physically separating the two cats for a certain length of time, this hostility can extend to areas like the water dish and the litter box.

    Maturity

    • Territory and hormones have yet to break up this friendly kitten litter.

      Cats that share a litter box when they are kittens can grow more territorial as they mature. These changes often take place when the kittens reach 8 months of age, but they can happen up to age 2 years. A male tom will defend his territory, and a female in heat can agitate and annoy other cats with aggressive behavior. Often, spaying and neutering these animals, or separating them permanently from cats that are immature or already have been fixed, will remedy these problems.

    Multicat Households

    • Aggression between cats is more common where many cats share the same space.

      Cat conflicts are more common in homes with many cats, where the aggressor will often single out one victim. The hostile behavior will develop over time, becoming apparent when the victim refuses to share a litter box with the aggressor. This problem can become so severe that cat owners find alternative homes for the cats involved rather than go through a long and tedious process of separation and reintegration.

    Health-Related Issues

    • A cat with health-related issues might be fearful his litter mates, or shunned by them. If a kitten has to spend a long time away from the household because of illness or injury, his litter mates might behave as if they don`t know him when he returns. In this case the victim must slowly be integrated with his litter mates as he recovers. It helps to give him a separate and private eating area, sleeping quarters and litter box during this process.