Two Of My Cats Absolutely Hate Each Other. Any Advice?

[I_Wuv_Kitties]

Bruce and Mandy, two of my foster kitties, hate each other. Mandy wants everyone to leave her alone and Bruce is very dominant. He likes to push her buttons. She will growl, he will growl, then one of them smacks the other. This just happened.


Any advice or is it just a personality thing? I've tried to play with them both but despite the fact that they both love to play, they will get irritated when they get close each other. Mandy will hop within 6 inches of Bruce chasing a toy, then she'll freeze and they'll both growl at each other.

Right now I have Bruce in my spare bedroom with food water and a box. He's crying and it breaks my heart because he's very sweet, I wake up and he's almost always cuddled next to me, and he LOVES attention, just not to Mandy.

 

[susanm9006]

Which cat is which?

 

[I_Wuv_Kitties]

Which cat is which?

Bruce is the big one who went after Mandy the little one

 

[jen]

That looks like completely normal cat play to me. If they truely hated each other there would be bloodshed.

 

[jen]

It even looks like the cat that was laying on the circular thing with her tail swishing was initiating play.

 

[susanm9006]

Bruce is the black and white cat? It looked like the little one made a “let’s play”kind of gesture before running up on the chair. Then he jumps up and someone growled or hissed. But hard to tell whether he was jumping up to play and she objected or he jumped up to take a whack at her and she got scared.

 

[susanm9006]

Boy, I watched this a couple more times and it looks like two cats playing, even with the noise. She isn’t running away and is instead slapping him back but not looking terrified. Might be her way of playing?

 

[jen]

Cats can make all kinds of noises while they play. Even my two old cats who usually get along will walk too close together and one will snarl and slap the other, then the other will pounce and hiss back, then they both go on their way. Cats can get vocal.

Your cat on the floor is teasing the cat sitting in front of her and then asking to be chased by leaping by him and onto the chair. He takes the invitation and chases after her. They are both in hyper play mode. I wouldn't seperate them, they seem to be having fun.

 

[jen]

She even looks back at him from up on the chair, swishes her tail, which he goes after. She is teasing him to play.

 

[I_Wuv_Kitties]

That wasn’t a good example. Here is a better example

 

[jen]

I know you are thinking its worse but I just don't see it. If Mandy went to cower in fear after and refused to play and Bruce didn't stop and kept going after her, then I would be worried. But this is all just normal cat interaction to me. They are both being playful, I am sure when he chased after her (which looked to be a playful not an aggressive chase) she was startled and thats why there was hissing, I couldn't tell which one hissed upon rewatching it, but if she turned and hissed or if she suprised him when she turned and HE hissed, its the same either way really. But this isn't bad, this is how cats communicate. They got over it and went about their ways.

 

[jen]

Plus cats will have to assert their dominance at some point and you may see them growl and hiss at each other to do this from time to time, it is best not to interfere as this is something cats need to do.

 

[susanm9006]

I am with jen . Seems like pretty normal behavior between cats who aren’t yet best friends. Your girl has no issue standing up for herself so it is best to let her do it and not intervene. The size difference isn’t so great that she can’t defend herself if need be.

 

[I_Wuv_Kitties]

So I'm really at a loss with Mandy and Bruce (my two fosters) whether they're playing or Mandy is getting attacked. The thing is, it's loud but she keeps coming back for more and instigating. What do you all think?

In chronological order for the past hour:

Bruce wants to play. Mandy screams

A few minutes later

Then a few minutes ago, Mandy flirtatiously says "let's play!"

Runs and waits around the corner in my bedroom. Where she ambushes Bruce.

 

[danteshuman]

I vote playing with maybe a slight bit of dominance? Maybe Bruce is playing to rough for her taste? I have seen bullying *eyeing my punk* but this doesn't seem to be it at all. I would let them sort it out. They get along well enough that I would leave them without supervision. If it escalates then whichever cat was there first gets the house and the other one gets the room when you are not home? Mandy is stepping into Bruce's space. She is starting it and doesn't seem to be afraid.

Also because I have a toy hog punk when I play with them they know their spots. I say "Ready, ready Dante" or "Salem ready, ready?" So I call the cat's name who will be getting the toy. I also throw one toy, wave a wand with the other hand. Or sometimes I have a feather wand in each hand. Just be sure to alternate toys during the play session so each cat gets a turn with both toys If it sounds like preschool, well sometimes it can be a lot like that

 

[jen]

It is all play. The first video Bruce persisted a bit too much and Mandy let him know, may be a little bit of dominence there as previously mentioned but nothing they can't sort out on their own. I literally see nothing concerning at all in the other 3 videos. Nothing even really happened.

 

[Timmer]

I think Bruce is pretty dominant but also wonder if maybe he doesn't know how to play with another cat, or at times he seems left out. I also noticed in the very first video that Mandy's tail was swishing pretty hard, indicating she was aggravated he was around so she got off that toy and hopped onto the chair. I don't think it is all that bad and seems to be something they can work out. I've been in situations where the fighting was so bad I had to separate them with a broom handle.

 

[jen]

Yeah he might be more dominant and she may be a little irritated with him at times but they work it out. They are vocal, they let each other know to back off and the other one does. This is how it should happen. Its all working out fine.