How to stop a cat fight?

In a house filled with many cats, some confrontations between the felines can easily escalate into a full out fight. A proud male cat will want to proclaim himself as the boss in the house and will expect the other felines to obey his orders.  As the boss, he will seek the highest spot, demand to be fed first, and will actively mark his territory on many spots throughout the house. As you introduce other cats into your home and they grow bigger and more mature, they will in some way or other challenge the leader attempting to take over his position. The boss cat will, without hesitation, pick a fight with anyone that challenges him even if they are small kittens.

Remember, you should never intervene between two fighting cats, because your wellbeing is the last thing on their mind and you risk being scratched or bitten if you interfere. Even after the felines stop fighting, you should leave them for a couple of hours so they can cool down.

Here are some useful tips to stop cat fights:

• Spay and neuter! Spaying and neutering is a way to stop aggression.
• Have your cats’ claws trimmed.
• Be smart – don’t put too many cats in a house. Cats need some privacy, if you have many cats in the house be sure that they have places where they can be alone.
• Use a kitchen chair and gently set it between the two cats without hurting the cats.
• Stop the fighting cats by tossing a heavy blanket on them.
• Turn on the vacuum cleaner.

Most battles between cats are just play. You can distinguish between the playtime battles from real fights by learning to read their body language. Watch the tail, ears, and eyes and where their body is in relation to the ground. By understanding your cats’ body language you can distinguish whether the fights are just for fun or serious buisness.