cat behaivor

Question
I have two cats one 7 and one 2 the 2year old is new and the 7 year old has been an only cat for the last 6 months. They fight how can I stop them from fighting or help them become more freindy to each other

Answer
Hi Brian.  Are both cats neutered?  If not, this is the first step toward a friendlier household.  The hormones associated with unneutered/unspayed cats can make a peaceful household something very difficult to achieve.  

You might want to try a product called Feliway.  I use this in my own home at all times to prevent spats.  It reduces anxiety, a root cause of many cases of aggression.  You can learn more about how it works at www.feliway.com and purchase it at pet stores, online and at some vet offices.

You may also want to purchase some tall cat furniture if you don't have some already.  Many struggles within the home are over territory, and you can help ease some of this by adding vertical space.  Cats will often be happy to claim a cat tree as their property, and leave other pets to roam the rest of the house without worry.  Once they feel they have established a territory and it's being respected, the fighting usually stops.

Be sure that the cats have separate litter boxes, food and water bowls in separate areas so that they don't have to see each other if they don't want to.  Allow them plenty of space, and if the fighting is really bad, you may need to completely separate them for a couple of weeks and reintroduce them very slowly over a few weeks' time.