It is common for cats who live together to exhibit some sibling rivalry. Examples of this cat behavior can be gentle ear biting, grabbing, chasing, and other mannerisms as a part of their playful activities.
These common cat behaviors are instinctual and develop when a cat is a very young kitten. It seems these cat behaviors are understood by well-socialized cats, but cats who were not well socialized may not know how to communicate with other cats. Dominant cat behavior or pushy cats can be problematic, especially in a multi-cat household.
What happens when a cat’s behavior becomes too dominant or aggressive?
Insecure and Dominant Cat Behavior
Cats thrive on feeling safe and secure. Cat behavior problems develop when their sense of security disappears. You might be surprised to learn that an insecure cat won’t necessarily hide away in a corner. In fact, most of the time insecure cats become more aggressive.
This aggressive or dominant cat behavior could be to make up for their feelings of inferiority. Some cats overcompensate for insecurity by trying to make themselves the most feared in the room. Think of it like a bully who only hurts other people, so they won’t be hurt first. A cat who’s always hissing and scratching at you might actually just really be scared.
Cats who are more dominant than other cats will display some specific cat behaviors. Dominant cat behavior can appear at a young age, but it will become more prevalent once the cat is socially mature. This is typically about two to four years of age. At this age, cats typically test their boundaries with other cats to establish a hierarchy.
Cat Hierarchy
In a technical sense, the idea of ‘alpha’ or ‘beta’ aren’t really a thing with cats. In fact, there isn’t a strict hierarchy at all. Researchers theorize that a cat’s behavior to form groups is a recent development. Almost as recent as their domestication. However, the social pattern of cat groups is actually very different than dogs or even primates. With these groups we see one of them needs to be in charge of others. That is not the case for cat behavior.
Cats have only recently (and infrequently) needed to form social groups. As such, cat behavioral patterns witnessed in clowders are too inconsistent to be deemed a true hierarchy. More social animals (such as primates and dogs) tend to have a hierarchy that is much more stable and predictable.
Dominant cat behavior can appear at a young age, but it will become more prevalent once the cat is socially mature. Click To TweetCauses of Aggressive or Dominant Cat Behavior
Aggressive behavior is defined as threatening or harmful behavior directed toward a person, another cat or other animals. Causes of aggressive cat behavior can be complex. This is true both in terms of triggers and targets; making it challenging to find strategies to eliminate aggressive cat behavior. According to some Scientific Reports, aggressive behavior in cats can largely be due to early weaning. Cats, in general, try to avoid fights as often as they can. Hormones lead male cats to experience heightened levels of aggression when a nearby female is in heat.
Consequences of Aggressive or Dominant Cat Behavior
The consequences of aggressive behavior in cats can be significant, ranging from injuries to other cats and people to the surrender of aggressive cats to shelters. A recent study reported that 27 percent of cats relinquished to shelters for behavioral reasons were surrendered for aggression. Given these high stakes, it is important that cat owners understand the cause of their pet’s aggressive behavior in order to develop a plan to successfully intervene.
Medical Reasons for Aggressive or Dominant Cat Behavior
The first step in managing an aggressive cat behavior is to ensure there is no medical reason for aggressive behavior. A medical workup is essential for cats displaying aggressive or persistently dominant cats. Diseases such as hyperthyroidism, osteoarthritis, dental disease, and central nervous system problems may cause aggression. Consult with a veterinarian before attempting to manage aggressive cats through behavioral and/or environmental modification. If a medical problem is detected, it’s crucial to work closely with your veterinarian to give your cat the best chance at improving.
Helpful Tips to Manage Aggressive and Dominant Cat Behavior
Regardless of the cause, recognizing the signs that a cat is fearful or aggressive can help prevent injury to pets and people. Pay attention to your cat’s cues. Early intervention is the best prevention. When you notice aggressive signs, try to separate the cat from the situation. Try to maintain positive reinforcement instead of punishment. Once they’re ready to be reintroduced, use calming toys or food to help take the stress off the situation.
Types of Aggressive and Dominant Cat Behavior
Most aggressive cat behavior can be labeled into a few main categories. Knowing which type of aggression your cat displays can help identify and manage the cat behavior before it escalates.
Play aggression: seen in cats that have not been properly socialized
Fear aggression: caused by unfamiliar stimuli
Petting-induced aggression: may be due to overstimulation
Redirected aggression: caused by an exciting stimulus that a cat cannot directly respond to
Pain-induced aggression: seen in cats experiencing pain/discomfort
Status-induced aggression: directed toward individuals to assert social dominance
Territorial aggression: directed toward individuals to assert dominance of their space
Maternal aggression: protective behavior seen in female cats that have recently given birth
Preventing Dominant Cat Behavior
Most people aren’t able to oversee every stage of their cat’s life so it can be hard to make sure the first eight weeks of a kitten’s life won’t contribute to dominant cat behavior. There are things a cat parent can do to decrease dominant cat behavior in their kitten or adult cat.
Be sure to discourage any aggressive play and don’t allow your cat to bite or grab you. If you have multiple cats, be careful that you don’t give one cat more attention than the another. This will lead to jealous behavior. Feeding multiple cats in separate locations is also encouraged to decrease dominant behavior.
Cats are smart creatures and will tell us what they need, if we just listen. Click To TweetSocialization Helps Deter Dominant Cat Behavior
Socialization as a kitten is an important part of growing up. Kittens who don’t have an opportunity to play and interact with litter mates may exhibit more dominant behaviors because they didn’t learn limitations or develop self-control. Feral kittens, kittens who needed to fight for their food, and kittens that were allowed to play too aggressively may also grow up to be dominant cats.
Resource Guarding with the Litter Box
Bathroom habits are serious business when it comes to cat society. Dominant cats will often show their power through their bathroom behavior. Two things often happen with dominant cats.
- Some cats will sense another cat’s dominance and be reluctant to use that box without the other cat doing anything. They will try to find other places to go that aren’t already “claimed,” which can be a problematic if you don’t have other boxes in the house.
- In other situations, dominant cats will actually “guard” their litter box and attack another cat if they go near it. This causes the second cat to look for alternative places to urinate and defecate. If you have enough boxes and locations that are appealing, this other location will probably be in a different litter box. If you don’t this may be an inappropriate location such as your bed, laundry, or carpet.
Indoor cats can still have an insecurity that they need to protect resources from other cats, pets, or even humans. In the beginning, a cat may seem a little over enthusiastic about their resource, or hang around it a bit more, but if there are any signs of resource guarding, it’s important to nip it right away. Resource guarding behavior can turn aggressive, which is dangerous for people and pets. It can also lead to litter box aversion, causing cats to house soil outside of the litter box.
Maintaining litter box cleanliness is also very important, especially if they’re not burying their waste. We love using Scoop Buddy for quick and easy cleaning. Easily attaches the waste bag to litter box to make scooping more efficient! Daily sprucing is necessary to make the box appealing to avoid eliminations outside the litter box.
Reinforcing Positive Cat Behavior
Using positive reinforcement to reward good behavior is a far better approach than trying to punish your cat. If your cats are spending time together nicely be sure to give them treats and pet them to encourage the behavior you want to see. Play with them together to make sure no one feels left out and praise them when they’re getting along well. This will reinforce the type of behaviors you want to see in your cats, even if one of them is more dominant or pushy than the other.
How you Can Help Minimize Dominant Cat Behavior
If your cat is insecure, make sure to establish areas in the home where they feel safe and have more control. Try adding some vertical space where your kitty can perch. Vertical space gives your cat a way to be part of the action from a safe distance.
Height gives cats comfort and security since it provides a vantage point without feeling vulnerable. Also adding vertical space in a quieter area of the house provides a retreat where your cat can go when they need a private place to get away.
Using catnip and cat toys to give your cat a feeling of ownership in certain spaces in the house can help as well. CBD oil or calming treats are great homeopathic remedies to try and help calm some tension. These will help kitties mellow out a bit and find some Zen. These also have some other health benefits for your cat as well. Try using other calming techniques like the addition of furniture such as a calming cat bed. This may just be what your kitty needs to help promote relaxation.
Try some simple solutions to help them destress a little bit. If you’re having a particularly hard time with your cat adjusting or misbehaving, there are cat behaviorists that can help. Do your research and see what would be a right fit for you and your cat.
If All Else Fails
If your cats are fighting, of course don’t allow the fights to continue. Cats are so territorial and since they do not have firm dominance hierarchies, they won’t be able to work things out as dogs sometimes do. The more frequent cats fight, the worse the problem is likely to become.
To stop a fight in progress, try startling them by making a loud noise, such clapping your hands, or even squirting the cats with water. As a last resort, you can try throwing something soft at them to break up the fight. Do NOT try to pull them apart.
Prevent Future Fights to Minimize Dominant Cat Behavior
Preventing future fights is very important to minimize dominant cat behavior. This may mean keeping the cats totally separated from one another while you’re working on the problem. Preventing contact between them in situations likely to trigger a fight is also helpful. Make sure to supervise them closely when they are together to pick up on cues and help them manage their behavior. Understanding your cat’s body language is essential for cat parents. This is what tells us how they’re feelings for us to step in and guide the behavior we want to see. Cats are smart creatures and will tell us what they need, if we just listen.
Do you have an insecure or aggressive cat at home? What has helped you? Let us know in the comments below!
For more information or help with your cat’s behavior please check out some of our favorite resources Cat Savant Cares
Hello, we have Fred, an older large 20lb male who was king of the neighborhood and kicked all other cat butt before we brought him in. He can be scary, but he is a good boy who is a love bug and has gone through the acceptance of our female kitten a couple years ago with only about a week of stress.
Last month, we found Ollie, a 1-2 year old orange male, living under our old pick up. He was skin and bones, just a sweet as can be. We got him checked and verified he was already neutered and after a couple weeks, the cats all seemed to be integrating. However, in the past week, Ollie has been becoming more aggressive and Fred is actually starting to display signs of stress and fear. He doesn’t do this with our little girl who just looks at him wrong and he backs down. It’s just Fred. Part of me wants to let them hash it out as they are not causing any real damage to each other when they tussle, but I would love some advice on what to do with Ollie. At this point, we have to put one in a bedroom at night to ensure peace in the house while we sleep which makes me sad. My husband is talking about getting rid of him, but that breaks the kids hearts. He’s a good boy, he’s just really stupid when it comes to Fred for some reason. We have 3 litter boxes, they have separate areas where they eat and they don’t always fight, they are fine most of the time. It’s just certain moments where Ollie decides Fred needs to be dominated. We also started to Feliway diffusers yesterday.
Hi Birdy–
Thanks for reaching out! Those kitties sure are lucky to have you! Sounds like Ollie is trying to find his place in the family dynamic. I would encourage one on one playtime with him daily for 10-15 minute intervals to build his confidence and make him feel more secure. Most times we see dominant behaviors from cats who feel insecure. I would also recommend one more litter box than the number of cats in the home if possible. If that’s not an option, making sure to keep the litter box as clean and tidy as possible. We’ve developed Scoop Buddy to make cleaning easier! Check it out here: https://catsavant.com/product/scoop-buddy/
Thanks for the tips! A few weeks ago I adopted a 4-month-old kitten “Jinx” who was raised as a bottle baby. He apparently got along with the foster’s resident cats and dogs. I noticed right away how aggressive he was attacking my hands/arms. When I make a gentle hissing sound he backs off. However, this hasn’t reduced the attacks. I thought he needed a playmate and adopted an estimated 2-year-old male, Wally. Wally was said to get along with other cats. I did the slow introduction over 2 weeks and still keep them in separate rooms most of the time. They now eat together and touch noses. But Jinx desperately wants to chase and jump on Wally. I try to prevent the attacks such as distracting with a chaser toy, gently picking him up and placing him in a time-out room or clapping my hands. This usually helps in the moment, but he goes right back to chasing and jumping on Wally. When he is able to reach Wally, Wally sometimes retreats/hides and sometimes hisses and gives Jinx a warning swat. Again, Jinx has not learned to respect Wally’s boundaries. I think both of them want to be friends but Jinx doesn’t have the social skills necessary. Wally is probably older than estimated and just wants to chill. Any advice?
Hi Heidi
Thanks for reaching out! Sounds like you’re doing all the right things! It does seem like Jinx is just an energetic kitty! Try redirecting this energy by adding some extra stimulation like treat puzzles or interactive toys he can access independently, such as the butterfly toy. I would also add in 10-15 minutes of intense, energetic playtime to get out some of that energy with a string or feather wand. The good thing is as he gets older, kittens tend to mellow out a bit and Wally and Jinx will find their rhythm.
My daughter has moved back home bringing with her a one year old unaltered female cat, Beans, who is extremely submissive and hides a lot. I have two 3 year old cats (altered females) and a 4 month old altered female. The oldest of my cats, Piper, who is outgoing, has been very aggressive towards Beans. She won’t let her eat and she blocks the litter box to the point where Beans has been peeing under the bed. Currently we have put Beans in a room by herself with her own litter box and food and water. Several times a day the kitten I go in and play with her and do all of her upkeep, but I feel horrible for keeping her isolated. What can I do to help make it better for both cats and stop all the aggression? I didn’t know if it would help, but I do have an appointment made to get Beans spayed.
Hi Kellie–
Definitely seems like you’re on the right track! Keeping them isolated and slowly transitioning them is the way to go! It definitely takes a lot of time, commitment, and patience to make it a cohesive household. Have you tried scent swapping with blankets or bedding and opening the door slightly (but still blocked) for the other cats and her to get close without feeling threatened. Hope the appointment went well and spaying is definitely something that could help with behavior. Also, making sure the litter box is clean and tidy daily may help her to share the litter box with other cats. We developed Scoop Buddy to help with that! https://catsavant.com/product/scoop-buddy/
Hi, I adopted a younger male cat (at about 1 years of age). He was in a hoarding situation with at least 25 other cats. At the shelter, he was in a free-roam room with 5 other cats. I thought he would get along well with our resident cat who is a 3 year old male. However, the new cat has lots of aggression. We started introducing them very slowly. It’s been about 5 weeks now. They are great to eat together. They even lick the same wet food lick-pad we use as the new cat gobbles his food down. But when there is no food involved, the new cat will lunge, growl, and sometimes hiss at the resident cat. The resident cat is very docile and not aggressive. We are worried he’ll get bullied, however, the resident cat expressed interest in wanting to be friends with the new cat. We don’t know what to do anymore. The new cat also started peeing to mark with territory in his private room. My last resort is to take him to the vet to check if he has a underlying condition. He does have very bad breath which leads me to believe he may have a dental problem. Maybe a prescription of anti anxiety medication would help him get along with the resident cat?
Hi There
Good for you for taking the chance to give this kitty a loving start. Seems like he has had an eventful life in such a short time. Adjusting to this new normal takes time. He needs to understand he is safe and secure in his environment. I’m glad you took the time to transition the cats slowly. It is such an important step when introducing new animals. There are a lot of positives, you mentioned how they can eat together and even bathe or lick one another. Those are all great signs for a good outcome. The territory marking seems to me he may still be adjusting to this environment and feeling out of control; or thinking he still needs to fight to survive his situation. Through consistent routine and affection hopefully he’ll understand his new home isn’t like that anymore. Try slowing down the transition process and maybe do a reset. Keep them separated and try doing scent swaps with blankets to get him used to the other cat. It definitely takes time and patience. If you do feel there may be an underlying condition causing this, then certainly visit your vet. Here are some other resources to check out as well: https://catsavant.com/get-involved/
I adopted two kittens together from the same shelter about 3 years ago, they were estimated to be approx 8 weeks old each at the time. One is a tuxedo cat, and the other is a white long hair cat, with a brown smudge on his nose, black ears and black tail. (Not sure if this is any particular breed or not.) When I first got them, the tuxedo cat appeared to be the dominate one, although not really being too aggressive to the other, just white one would groom him, most of the time, not the other way around, Tuxedo would try to shove other away from food, although both have their own dishes, etc. recently, ( couple of weeks ago), the white one now appears to being taking over the dominate role. He is aggressive to the Tuxedo, but usually only at night. White now goes after Tuxedo’s food, and will jump on him and bite him aggressively. When Tuxedo tries to get away, the white on will chase him. Of course I dont let this go on. Just wondering why the change. White one is eating normally, drinking, using litter box in normal way, etc. Any it only appears to be happening mainly at night.
Just added information, both are male cats and been neutered since they were kittens
Hi Dawn–
Thanks for your comment. It’s interesting how their personalities can shift as they approach adulthood. Since it’s happening mostly at night, there may be some pent-up energy that needs to be let out before bedtime. Have you tried establishing a play time routine before everyone is off to bed? It could also be taking full advantage of no grown up to intervene. I know my kitties take advantage of that while we’re sleeping and save their angst until 2am it seems! Try redirecting them by offering play time (separately if needed) or even a treat puzzle to keep them focused and stimulated. If resource guarding becomes an issue, definitely feed them separately. Hopefully they’ll fall back into a more relaxed routine after this rough patch!
Hi there!
I have two male cats who are brothers. They are about 9/10 years old and I’ve had them since they were 9 months, at first they loved sleeping together and what not. My life has been a little hectic and most likely stressed them out at times which caused one of them to become more dominant and display bullying behavior. Over the years things have calmed down a LITTLE bit but the dominant cat still just bullies his brother. I’ve tried everything like feeding them farther away from another, not showing one more love and attention than the other, and rewarding positive behavior (which rarely happens). What can I do? Or are they stuck in their ways? I’ve recently wanted to look into adopting another cat, as there are so many that need homes but I’m well aware that it could go horribly wrong, or it could go great!? I feel My submissive cat would enjoy a friendly cat in the house but I can see the dominant one causing even more trouble… any thoughts? Thank you so much
Hi Amanda–
Sounds like you’re doing all the right things. It definitely takes time to re-adjust especially if you’ve gone through major life changes. We have 2 nine-year-old kitties (brother and sister) in our house and a lot of what you described sounds like behaviors I see with my kitties. The behaviors definitely come and go, and I notice it more when there are stressors added.
What are some of the bullying behaviors you notice? Seems like feeding time may be challenging, I would separate them and monitor feedings. We had a spell of guarding the water dishes too, so I set them up in different locations of the house so there was no chance of blocking the other from getting water.
I recently posted some other resources of two cat behaviorists we love. Check them out if you feel like you need additional support, they’re both phenomenal. https://catsavant.com/get-involved/
My son moved back home with his cat and he is pissing on everything that is not my sons…mine and my wife’s shoes and all over the house. We have 5 little dogs 3 miniature shnousers and two small mugs. He chases the two muts because they run from him every time. Two of the schnauzer’s fight back the third is blind and he doesn’t mess with her. Would getting him neutered fix this problem?
Thanks so much for your comment! That seems like a big transition for everyone! Less is more in the beginning! Try keeping the cat in a smaller, quieter space like maybe your son’s room with as many essentials as possible (like food and water), so there is limited reason for the cat to leave the safe space. As the cat becomes more comfortable this can certainly change but the beginning transition is the trickiest part.
Seems like it’s a dog dominated household, so the cat definitely is making his presence known. I would recommend a cat tower or tree so he has the ability to escape the dogs with vertical space. Lastly, the placement of the litter box is key! Using the litter box is the most vulnerable time for your cat so if he is worried about the dogs, he may not feel comfortable using it. I hope this helps and good luck during this transition!
We’ve had two siblings, neutered/spayed, male and female cats living for almost 15 years together in our barn. Recently an unneutered younger male showed up. He’s become accustomed to us feeding our two barn cats and waits and eats ravenously. I think he and our male barncat may have had contests in the past resulting early on with our older male sustaining a good head wound. Our female has been able to keep the newcomer at bay, but recently I feel she’s resigned herself to his being around, and worse, her brother who’s shared everything with her, food, bedding, has taken himself out of the picture. He’s sleeping alone in an old playhouse and won’t eat. I brought him back to the barn where his sister was, but the newcomer showed up just then. Our boy walked out seemingly dejected and went back to the playhouse, not even using the communal litter box after stepping into it. So Sad! Is he heartbroken or sick or…?
Hi Vicki–
Thanks for your comment! It seems your older male cat just doesn’t have the energy to deal with this newcomer and his dominance. If you’re unable to deter this young newcomer from coming in, perhaps try and separate them as much as possible. Could there be a different area you leave food for this other male that’s further away from their established barn space. I would start there and see if the behavior continues. Seems like he’s making it known that he’s not happy with this new arrangement and definitely feels inferior.