Fighting at night

by Amy
(Seattle)

I have 3 indoor cats, and one outdoor one. The 3 indoor cats were a momma and her two babies - they were feral, in our back yard when we purchased the house. The kittens were about 4 months old and it took quite a while to rehab them to be used to people. The mom was TNR - she was too wild to tame. (I kept her in a cage for 3 days after spay; she attacked me every time I put food or water or litter in the cage.) The momma cat had a bed and place to sleep on the deck, and kept coming around. She'd nose the kittens through the screen. After 2 years, she started coming inside. She's been a completely indoor cat for the last 3 years, and gets petted on her terms. She's 90% about using the litterbox - taught me quickly not to leave clothes lying around - and is affectionate to people and to the two cats. The outdoor cat assumed the momma's position and I've been working with her. She also is a feral cat (finally managed to trap and spay her after 3 litters of kittens that we rehabbed.) She has started to come inside for a little bit over the last year and has finally allowed me to pet her some. Meanwhile, we have other visitors to the deck looking for fee cat food handouts if the food wasn't all consumed - raccoons, possums, and a few other n'hood cats. The momma has gone to the door and growled at them; no big deal. When they left, she calmed down and went about her business.

Lately, though, the momma cat has started to attack and fight her daughter at night. During the day, she grooms her and sometimes cuddles with her (she usually cuddles with the boy; her daughter is a bit more of a loner). I intervene with sprinkling water and saying NO NO NO NO. The fights are pretty serious - involve growling, claws, teeth, hissing, yowling, rolling on the ground, etc. After the fighting, the momma cat will still often come to me for pets (which is unusual). The behavior is inconsistent - it does not occur every night. Once the momma cat gets riled at her daughter, she then growls at the boy too (who puffs up but usually just stands there or walks away). Occasionally, it carries on into the morning (at which point I shut the momma cat up in the bedroom with food, water and litter and give the other two the run of the house). It doesn't seem to be instigated by seeing something (raccoon, possum, other cat) outside.

Any thoughts about what to do?



This is caused by a visitor cat outside. You may not see it or smell it, but she does. It sounds like a male, with his musk on him.


I suggest repelling the outdoor cats. Having one you feed outdoors is not a great idea, but you can put a timed feeder outside. One that provides a small meal twice a day only.


Do not encourage other outdoor cats.



~ Morgen