Intercat aggression: a retrospective study examining types of aggression, sexes of fighting pairs, and effectiveness of treatment

Abstract

Aggression among cats in the same household is a common behavioral problem. To determine how best to resolve this problem, 48 cases of intercat aggression were examined retrospectively. Clients were contacted by telephone so that the outcome of the treatment program could be determined. Thirty cases were considered cured, and 18 were not cured. Male cats initiated aggression in more cases than did female cats; the aggression was equally likely to be directed toward a same sex or opposite sex victim. There was no significant difference in the number of cures for any one pair of sexes. No one treatment modality resulted in a significantly greater number of cures than any other treatment. The use of buspirone was associated with a significant decrease in likelihood of cure. We concluded that treatment protocols for cases of intercat aggression must be tailored to the individual cats involved. Clients seeking to adopt a second cat may be advised that successful integration may be related to features, in particular the gender, of an individual cat.