How to Break Up a Cat Fight

By Julia Williams

If you have more than one feline in your household, there may come a time when your ears are assaulted with the awful screeching noise of two cats fighting. Most of the time, these are merely playful tussles that sound a lot worse than they actually are. The noise fighting cats make can seem like they are in a fight to the death, even if they’re really just engaged in a mock battle or trying to assert their place as Top Cat in your household. As a responsible pet owner, it’s important to be able to distinguish between a real cat fight and a “play” fight. Play fights don’t require human intervention, but all-out cat brawls do, lest one or both of your cats get injured in the fight. Learn about the body language of cats and the signals that indicate a fight is for real.

The best way to break up a cat fight is to not let one get started in the first place, and understanding a cat’s body language is a great help. The problem is that with some cats, there is a bit of a “gray area” between play and fighting. Generally speaking, growling, hissing, arched backs, flattened ears, puffed up fur and big fat tails are not good signs. Subtleties aside, if you really take the time to observe your cats’ posturing and sounds, you can usually distinguish between the mock battles and a serious fight.


Ways to Break up Cat Fights

First of all, let me tell you what not to do to break up a cat fight. Never step between two fighting cats or try to separate them with your bare hands, because you will likely get bitten or scratched. No matter how docile your Fluffy normally is, a fighting cat is focused on the fight not on you, and their stress pheromones are very high. Do not yell at the cats either, as this only increases their stress levels and adds fuel to the fire. Stay as calm as possible while employing one of the following methods.

Using Objects to Break Up Cat Fights

* Throw a laundry basket over one of the cats to separate them.

* Toss a blanket, sheet or large towel on top of the fighting cats. It surprises them and redirects their focus from fighting to getting out from underneath the covering.

* Get out the vacuum cleaner. Most cats run and hide at the mere sight of the “monster that makes loud noises,” and you may not even have to turn on the vacuum to get your cats focused on something other than their fight.

* Clapping your hands loudly and rapidly may be startling enough to break up a cat fight.

* Placing a small piece of furniture (such as a kitchen chair or an end table) between the fighting cats may startle them enough that one or both of them will retreat and disengage from the battle. 

* Use a long-handled mop or broom to separate the fighting cats and steer one into another room. Leave the cat alone in the room for at least an hour, then go in to check on them. If he seems calm, and the other cat has also settled down, you can open the door and let him out. Be sure to watch both cats carefully to make sure they aren’t going to pick up where they left off.

* If your cats are fighting outside near a garden hose, spraying them with water is a good way to break up a cat fight. Indoors, squirting them with a spray bottle of water may be enough to deter some cats, particularly if the fight is not overly aggressive. 

Breaking up a cat fight can be scary, but if the battle is a serious one, it’s important to separate the cats to keep them from injuring themselves. The best solution is to prevent a cat fight before it starts, by paying close attention to body language. When a skirmish does erupt, using one or more of these solutions should help to break up the cat fight.

Read more articles by Julia Williams