fighting toms

Question
I have 2 tom cats that have grown up with each other they were born March 28, 2008. A dog ran into the house and the toms have been fighting since. They will be neutered next tuesday what can I do beside seperation that may get them back to be loving like they were before the dog?

Answer
Barbara,

Your toms may be exhibiting re-directed aggression which could explain their change in behavior. Essentially when the dog came into your house they became frightened, the dog was too threatening to become aggressive with so they settled on directing their aggression towards each other. You may want to try a homeopathic remedy called Bach's Rescue Remedy which is a blend of five flower essences designed to calm and reassure. You can find this remedy in most health food stores or you can purchase it online. I would suggest that you take time with each tom and rub 3-5 drops of the remedy into his ear flaps and the skin that's relatively fur free (in comparison to the rest of their body) in front of the ear a few times daily until you see a change in their attitude and behavior. It's very important to try and avoid getting the remedy into their ears because the flower remedies are preserved in a grape alcohol solution which can sting if it gets into the ears. My recommendation would be to keep the toms separate for a day or two while the remedy starts working for them then see what they do when you open their doors (just a little so that they can push their way out when they're ready) and allow them to greet each other on their own in their own time. If that remedy doesn't work you may want to consider contacting a holistic or homeopathic vet in your area for further guidance. Getting the guys neutered will also help to decrease the testosterone (and therefore the aggression) over a period of several weeks, in the worst case scenario you may have to keep the cats separated and reintroduce them as though you were doing a new cat introduction with two cats that had never met in a few weeks when their hormone levels have dropped some after their neuter. If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me again - I will gladly do my absolute best to help you out if at all possible.