Sudden Bad Fighting - What is this?

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Meghan - 06 Sep 2005 04:09 GMT

Our home consists of 5 cats right now:

Calvin - 8 year old neutered male
Hobbes - 8 year old neutered male (biological brothers)
Bailey - 3 year old neutered male
Samantha - 3 year old spayed female (biological brother/sister)
Gray - 2.5 year old neutered male manx

All of our cats come from shelters and are very well-behaved, indoor-only,
healthy, loved cats. We have the usual "spat" now and then, some chasing,
but it never gets serious. EVER. Our last addition was "Gray" two years
ago.

Over the past 3-4 days I have noticed Calvin (our most dominant cat) who
never had anything to do with Gray before, chasing him, humping him and
getting downright mean. I break it up when I see it. Tonight, it started
again, so I separated the two. About 5-10 minutes after Calvin was removed,
Hobbes (Calvin's biological brother and #2 dominant) attacked Gray. I mean
a true cat fight, with fur EVERYWHERE and un-Godly noises. I have never,
ever seen this behavior from them before.

Of course I separated them immediately, and I tended to Gray while my
husband took care of Hobbes. There was no blood drawn, but both cats were
seemingly terrified as though an intruder had attacked them.

After about 30 minutes we let them all together again, and they peacefully
stood around eating food and carefully avoiding each other.

WHAT IS THIS? Why all of a sudden? I am assuming it is a dominance thing,
but why now after two years? There are no changes in the home, nothing new
is going on. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Meghan

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Juls - 06 Sep 2005 04:33 GMT

Was one of them at the vet or groomer? I've heard of weird behavior on
occasion after a vet trip.

> Our home consists of 5 cats right now:
>
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
>
> Meghan

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Katy - 06 Sep 2005 04:40 GMT

> WHAT IS THIS? Why all of a sudden? I am assuming it is a dominance

thing, but why now after two years? There are no changes in the home,
nothing new

> is going on. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Have there been any big changes like new people in the house or maybe new
animals in the yard that they can see from the windows? Look up "misplaced
aggression" on the Internet.

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Meghan - 06 Sep 2005 14:58 GMT

> > WHAT IS THIS? Why all of a sudden? I am assuming it is a dominance
> thing, but why now after two years? There are no changes in the home,
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> animals in the yard that they can see from the windows? Look up "misplaced
> aggression" on the Internet.

Juls - no vets, no groomers. None of them has been out of the house (even
by accident) for months.
Katy - no new people or new animals. We live in the rural north, and we've
had bear on our deck, rabbits, raccoons, skunks and squirrels everywhere and
nothing ever affected them.

The *only* thing I can possibly think of that's new is we are expecting a
baby. No changes have been made to the house, no new furniture has come
in - nothing yet. Just maybe that they "sense" it? That seems like a SUPER
stretch but it's the only thing I can come up with.

Meghan

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Wendy - 06 Sep 2005 15:24 GMT

>> > WHAT IS THIS? Why all of a sudden? I am assuming it is a dominance
>> thing, but why now after two years? There are no changes in the home,
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Meghan

Congratulations!

Just a thought, but you might smell different to them (hormone changes etc.)
Talk about 'misplaced' aggression.

You could try a feliway diffuser - available much cheaper online.

W

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Juls - 06 Sep 2005 17:23 GMT

> > > WHAT IS THIS? Why all of a sudden? I am assuming it is a dominance
> > thing, but why now after two years? There are no changes in the home,
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
> Meghan

Congrats on the new baby! But it might be they sense a change in you.
Did you used to change their litter, and now someone else does it? Cats
can be hyper sensitive to things that seem trivial to us.

Or it could just be an emotional change in you, that you haven't
noticed but they have.

I would start by doubling up on the praise and affection, with each
cat. They may sense that someone new is going to be joining the
household and be fearful you'll toss them aside. Reassure them that
they're the kings/queens of the house.

Juls

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Alison - 07 Sep 2005 01:29 GMT

> "> > Juls - no vets, no groomers. None of them has been out of the

house (even

> by accident) for months.
> Katy - no new people or new animals. We live in the rural north, and we've
> had bear on our deck, rabbits, raccoons, skunks and squirrels everywhere and
> nothing ever affected them.>>>

Is it possible a cat , stray or otherwise passed through your yard.
A cat passing through just once would be enough to make a cat attack
another.
Does Grays anal sacs need emptying , anything that would make him
smell different could cause calvin to attack.

> The *only* thing I can possibly think of that's new is we are expecting a
> baby. No changes have been made to the house, no new furniture has come
> in - nothing yet. Just maybe that they "sense" it? That seems like a SUPER
> stretch but it's the only thing I can come up with.>>>

Congratulations:)
Alison

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Meghan - 07 Sep 2005 03:31 GMT

> > "> > Juls - no vets, no groomers. None of them has been out of the
> house (even
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
> Congratulations:)
> Alison

Alison,

The one thing I thought of is that Gray is constantly on me, CONSTANTLY and
sleeps with his whole body up against me all night long. He is a true Manx
in the respect that he wants to be held constantly. Maybe Calvin and Hobbes
are picking up a strange scent from him, from me? I don't know! I'm going
crazy trying to figure it out. I don't even know what anal sacks are?! I
went looking for stray cats around the yard today but I saw no evidence.

Meghan

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