Why Do House Cats Fight?

There are many reasons why house cats fight. Cats are much more territorial than dogs are, and fights between the ranks are bound to break out from time to time.

  1. Territory

    • Territorial aggression often occurs when a cat within the household intrudes into another cat's territory. He then feels as if his personal space has been invaded and instinctively protects it, leading to a fight.

    Social Ranking

    • In cat societies, there is always an alpha male who runs the show. Another cat may want to challenge him and try to steal his role; this ensures a fight. The two will usually go a few rounds of howling, growling, and swatting before the challenger walks away.

    Redirected Aggression

    • Redirected aggression is common among house cats. Your cat may want to attack a cat on the other side of the window, and unable to get to the other cat, he will take his aggression out on one of his housemates.

    Nonrecognition Aggression

    • Fighting occurs between many cats within one household by not being able to recognize one another. This most often occurs when a cat has been absent from the household, such as for a trip to the groomer or veterinarian. The cat returns with various outsider smells and sometimes behaves differently than normal. Other cats in the home see this cat as an outsider and do not recognize him as being their housemate, so they start a fight.

    Kitten Protection

    • A mother cat will fight another in the household when she has a litter of kittens. In the wild, male cats instinctively kill kittens in order to bring the female back into heat, so it's the mother's job to protect them even if it means fighting.