Aggression between cats in multi-cat households is a major welfare issue that causes chronic stress and anxiety. Understanding feline social dynamics helps owners create more harmonious environments.
Covert inter-cat aggression — where one cat subtly blocks another's access to food, litter boxes, or resting areas — is often missed by owners who see no overt fighting. Chronically stressed subordinate cats may stop using litter boxes, lose weight from reduced food access, and develop stress-related illnesses including feline idiopathic cystitis. The welfare solution involves environmental management: providing multiple feeding stations, one litter box per cat plus one, elevated resting areas, and visual barriers that allow avoidance. Reintroduction protocols for incompatible cats and in severe cases rehoming may be necessary for welfare.