Sudden Aggression Between Our Cats

[D_H]

Hey everyone,

I'm seeking some guidance regarding a concerning situation, where one of them has started hissing at the other seemingly out of nowhere.

The incidents occurred today, when one cat is resting on the couch, seemingly relaxed, and the other approaches and initiates hissing.

The strange part is that during these altercations, when we intervene, they seem to quickly return to normal behavior.

They sleep together, play, and even engage in grooming sessions afterward.Their playtime, feeding routine, and general behavior seem unaffected, yet these hissing episodes keep happening, particularly on the sofa but in different spots. It's puzzling and a bit worrying, especially considering their otherwise great relationship

We're at a loss trying to understand what might be triggering these sudden outbursts. Any insights or advice on how to address this behavior would be greatly appreciated. We want our feline companions to be happy and comfortable around each other again.

Any advise would be appreciated!

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. With what appears to be a bit of a random issue, it usually means the aggression is coming from the area where it is occurring - or, there is some outside source happening at those times, but likely in the general area. The sofa area should be a focus, for one. Anything new or changed - new cushions, or the sofa being cleaned? One of them has peed on it and you haven't found that out yet? Look for those types of issues. The outside source matter really amounts to one of your cats possibly being bothered by a roaming cat or other critter that they can sense from that general area.

Either of these could be considered re-directed or non-recognition aggression whereby one cat directs their aggression on a buddy.
Re-Directed Aggression In Cats [Insight And Solutions] - TheCatSite
How To Deal With Non-recognition Aggression In Cats - TheCatSite

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Just going to repeat what FeebysOwner said. This is not "out of nowhere." With cats, it never is, but figuring out what the "somewhere" is can be challenging. My best guess is an interloper, a stray or feral, who is entering the yard. Your cats will be VERY aware of this, even if you are not.

 

[D_H]

Thanks a lot for your responses!

Well, it seems whatever it was, it's done now.
They spent the night sleeping in different places - as they usually do - and this morning, it's like nothing ever happened.

We're too familiar with non-recognition aggression, and yeah, I figured it might be re-directed aggression, I just don't know what caused the aggression.

I know that there's always a reason, but this time, it felt so out of the blue, it threw me off completely.
Nothing has changed inside the house, and there's nothing outside. We're living in an apartment on the 2nd floor.

(The "funny" thing is, I just remembered the same thing happened about a year back, and by the night, everything settled down just fine).

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I can tell you that when I lived on the second floor, my girl was VERY aware of cats on the ground, and would, if someone new showed up, throw a hissy fit.