My Pet World: Out of sight, out of mind best for pets who don’t get along

Cathy M. Rosenthal, Tribune Content Agency on Jul 21, 2021

If all else fails, you may have to use baby gates to keep him out of the room permanently. If he is not sterilized, getting him fixed may help.

Dear Cathy,

I have two littermates, males who are two-years-old. One is very friendly; the other is more reserved and larger. The more reserved feline has started bullying the friendlier one especially in the litter box area. I have four boxes around the house. When my smaller cat uses them, I have to hold back the larger one. He does not hurt him, just bullies him. I have a Feliway multicat diffuser in the room with the litter boxes, but it only helps so much. How can I stop this? – Carrie, Tucson, Arizona

Dear Carrie,

First, get a clean bill of health from the vet for both cats. New behaviors can be the result of one cat not feeling well or sensing the other cat is not well.

Second, if they are both healthy, get pheromone collars for them to wear. Then, play with both cats individually at least three times a day. Cats can get aggressive if they have too much energy and not enough mental or physical stimulation.

Cats also are territorial and may guard litterboxes, food and toys. So, make sure the litter boxes are scattered throughout the home, and on every floor. They shouldn’t be in close proximity to each other. In fact, I would set up one more for the time being to see if it helps.

Finally, give your cats plenty of escape routes. If you set up cat trees, window perches and shelves around the house, your smaller cat will be able to escape to higher ground. This may help reduce any tensions in their overall relationship.

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(Cathy M. Rosenthal is a longtime animal advocate, author, columnist and pet expert who has more than 25 years in the animal welfare field. Send your pet questions, stories and tips to cathy@petpundit.com. Please include your name, city, and state. You can follow her @cathymrosenthal.)