COMMON CAUSES OF HOSTILITY AND CONFLICT BETWEEN CATS:

● THE CAT’S ANCESTRY: Because cats are still so closely related to their solitary, territorial relatives, their brains may often still be programmed to see most cats as foes.

● THE CAT’S PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES: If a cat has been well-socialised with other cats as kittens and then continues to have nice experiences with cats as they grow up, they may be much more likely to accept living with other cats as an adult.

● THEIR PERSONALITY: Just like us, the personalities of some cats can clash, meaning they just don’t get on.

● THEIR FAMILY TREE: If your cat has parents that were generally hostile and unfriendly towards other cats, this may increase the chances of your cat showing similar tendencies.

● AGE DIFFERENCES: Studies suggest that older cats could find sharing their living quarters with other cats more challenging.

● THEIR MENTAL HEALTH: If cats live in a stressful environment, when times are hard, cats will very rarely look to one another for support; most of the time they will, in fact, do the exact opposite.

● THEIR PHYSICAL HEALTH: If one of your cats is physically unwell or in pain, they may want to avoid interactions with other cats.

● THEIR HORMONES: If any of your cats aren’t neutered, they are likely to have higher levels of both sex and stress-related hormones coursing through their little furry bodies.

● THEIR ENVIRONMENT: Cats are more likely to experience conflict and competition with other cats when they are forced to be in close proximity or have to share all of their resources.

● CURRENT CAT SOCIAL DYNAMICS: Each cat will add something different to the dynamics within your multi-cat home. However, some ‘big personality’ cats might influence things more than the quiet, timid ones.