Help for cats not getting along

Category: Cats

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Help for cats not getting along

Updated Dec 8, 2024

Dear Cathy,
Last year, I adopted two male cats who were not previously paired. Fred is about 10-years-old, is mellow, and sleeps all day. Casanova is two-years-old, a sweet and affectionate cat, but also a stinker towards Fred. When Fred is sleeping, Casanova suddenly pounces on him. Currently, Fred is missing some fur on his side. I don’t know how to stop this behavior. There are separate areas for food as well as two litter boxes. Any help would be appreciated. — Leslie, Chicago Illinois

Dear Leslie,
It doesn’t sound like the cats are fighting, only mildly not getting along. That usually works out in time, but since it’s been a year, let’s try a few other things.

First, play more with Casanova. He may have some youthful pent-up energy that needs an outlet. You will be doing Fred a big favor.

Second, the missing fur probably isn’t from fighting, but stress licking by either one of them. Plug-in some feline pheromone diffusers in the rooms where they spend most of their time or get each of them a pheromone collar. Pheromones can help reduce stress behaviors and may set a better tone for them to get along.

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Cathy Rosenthal (aka The Pet Pundit), CHES, CFE

Animal Welfare Communications Strategist, Writer & Educator

Cathy M. Rosenthal is an award-winning humane educator and author, animal welfare strategist, pet columnist, and speaker who has spent more than 38 years working in animal welfare with local and national humane organizations. She helps people better understand and care for animals through her nationally syndicated My Pet World column and has been the longtime pet columnist for the San Antonio Express-News since 2003.

In addition to her writing, Cathy develops humane education, leadership, customer service, and compassion fatigue training programs for animal welfare organizations nationwide, and has helped raise millions of dollars through grant writing, strategic communications, and program development.

Cathy is the editor and curator of Humane Perspectives: Leadership in Animal Welfare and is the author of several books, including Grant Writing Boot Camp for Animal Advocates, The Lucky Tale of Two Dogs, and The Happy Tale of Two Cats, which was the 2026 winner of the Association of Professional Humane Educators’ (APHE) "Educator’s Choice Award" for Best Humane Education Book for Young Children. She also received the 2026 APHE Nathania Gartman Heroes Award for Impact in Humane Education. Her humane education programs in Texas have reached more than 45,000 elementary school children since 2019.

She resides in Texas with her husband, their cat Sterling, and a former community cat, Maddie, who successfully negotiated an indoor living arrangement but still considers human affection highly negotiable.