Lauren asks:

"I really hope you can help me.  My cat Simba is about 2 and 1/2 and since he has been a kitten he has been pretty aggressive - scratching people (though not furniture) and biting.  He is aggressive about 10% of the time, sweet, loving, and cuddly about 30% of the time, and a normal aloof cat the rest of the time.  At about 10 months my vet recommended he be front declawed and it helped cut down the damage he did to everyone but he still bites.  When he was about a year old we got another kitten, Samara, and she started off ruling him - hissing like crazy and keeping him at bay though they were good friends within a couple of weeks.  However, after a few months of living together Simba became EXTREMELY aggressive towards her and that has become our main problem.

We recognize the signs when he is going to get aggressive - swishy tail, ears back, front paws reaching out to pull us in and we can stop or continue petting and get bit.  However, it appears to us that he attacks Samara out of nowhere and acts far rougher with her than with myself, my husband (who I started dating about 2 months after I got Simba), and our youngest cat, Stewie, who is about a year old now.  He is so rough with her that we often find clumps of her fur about the house from an attack and when one is in progress she shrieks horribly.  If we are able we immediately pick him up and put him into a separate room - usually a bathroom - for a few minutes until he calms down (and the ridge on his back and the puffy tail are gone). 

So far he hasn’t done any physical damage to her - she has never bled, never had any kind of injury we could see apart from a bit of hair loss (and though we find the clumps of hair around she doesn’t have any bald spots on her or anything).  The only other form of discipline that we use is to spray him (or any of them if they are doing something they shouldn’t be doing) with the air cans you use to clean out your keyboard - totally safe, neat, scares the heck out of them but no lasting trauma.  This keeps them all in line but doesn’t keep Simba from trying to kill Samara.  Is there anything more that I can do?"

Barbara’s Answer

First, let me say that you are not alone. Aggression in multi-cat households is the second most common complaint of feline owners - right after improper urination. It is good that your two submissive cats do not have open wounds, as cat bites can become easily infected. And, you are doing the right thing by separating the cats and giving the more aggressive one a time-out until he calms down. Although you did not mention it, I assume your male has been neutered.
 
Cats are very territorial about food, toys, and their humans. Territory-based aggression usually begins when cats are about a year or two old. If the cat is upset about perceived intrusion into his space, he may become aggressive to other household pet or people. Cats need their own, secure space. So, you can try creating secure spaces for the two cats being attacked, as well as the aggressor. You should also make available toys toward which the cat may appropriately exhibit aggression, such as a toy mouse to pounce on and scratching posts. You may bell the aggressive cat to give the others warning when he is coming.

 
You are correct in separating the cats when they are fighting. But you cannot be there every minute to act as referee. Punishment does not work in curbing aggression in cats and it may even make the problem worse. So, time out from the other cats, a safe haven for the submissive cats, and your attention are a few of your limited behavior modification choices.

Finally, your vet can prescribe amitriptylline, used to calm aggressive cat behaviors. Two anti-anxiety medications approved for cats are buspirone and valium. These medications may calm the aggressive urges. Two natural treatments that have anecdotal support from users include: Feliway Plug-in - a pheromone-based product that calms cat aggression except in maternal or hunting behaviors and Bach’s Rescue Remedy. Being patient helps, too.

Posted by Barbara.