younger cat attacking older cat after 3 years

by jeanna imbesi
(aston, pa.)

I have a 9 year old tabby and a 3 year old tabby. yesterday after living together peacefully for 3 years. the younger cat started chasing older cat and attacking her, both hissing and growling, tails getting very large. older cat is afraid of younger cat now. they had a war the entire night with out stopping .

we had to lock up our older cat to protect her/
what should we do??? we need help

Answer by Kate
Hi
don't worry this is a common problem is cause trauma aggression. it is rather odd behavior as basically something has scared one of your cats and they are transferring that fear onto the other cat. Sort of blaming them for it.

You need to go through a period of reintroduction for the two cats. It does take little time and patience but allows the cats time and space to calm down and then to get to know each other agin in a safe environment. this page will tell you how to go about it.

reintroducing cats

best wishes kate

Comments for younger cat attacking older cat after 3 years

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cat next door
by: Anonymous

people moved in next door with a tabby and after that my cats got fiesty with each other - the new cat was a male and he would get in my back yard - i think this is what set them off - my older cat looks like the tabby male - he is now gone but i guess memory lingers on
cats were friends before
by: Anonymous

the siamese mixed cat that is attacking older cat i got as tiny kitten and the older cat mothered it when it was a kitten - the older cat is a dark tabby and the cat i lost 2 years ago was a maine coon tabby and big and i think she kept the other cat inline - now she is gone and i dont know whether cat is associating the older cat with that cat or not - they all have been together for over 10 years - have a male maine coon that jumps in when the siamese attacks and attacks older cat too - had him for 12 years and he was kitten when i found him and older cat knew him as a kitten - just weird
young cat wants to be boss
by: Anonymous

my older cat had companion that passed away 2 years ago - when she was alive the other cat never attacked either of the two of them but now that she is gone, she goes out of her way to attack the one remaining older cat - she is siamese and i think when other cat was alive she was the boss - now siamese wants to be boss - older cat is terrifed of her
Thank GOD for posting this!
by: Liz

Last night my two cats got into it and they have been fine together for 3 months. They play and eat together are share goodies. Then last night my neutered male ran under my foot and I stepped on him HARD, I just couldn't stop myself in time! I checked him out (I was a vet tech many years ago) but this has led to constant and severe fighting between the two of them. They weren't this aggressive toward each other when I introduced them! Now I know that he associates my stepping on him with her and she is responding to the sudden change in behavior of her friend. I just have to give them time! Just hearing that there is a name for it makes me feel much better. I was afraid I would have to send out for kitty sedatives!

Comment from Kate
Give the re introduction process a try this can often help the situation here
https://www.our-happy-cat.com/introducing-cats.html

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