Intercat aggression in households is common, causes significant stress, and requires systematic management to prevent chronic welfare compromise for affected cats.
Intercat aggression causes significant chronic welfare compromise for both aggressor and victim. The victim experiences ongoing fear and stress from resource blocking, proximity threat, and periodic attacks. The aggressor may experience frustration from territorial stress. The human household experiences significant distress and practical management challenges. Early intervention before conflict becomes entrenched produces better outcomes than attempting to resolve chronic serious aggression. The most welfare-positive outcome may be permanent separation within the household with separate territories for cats who are genuinely incompatible rather than forcing cohabitation that causes ongoing suffering for both animals. Rehoming one cat, while difficult, may be the most welfare-positive outcome for seriously incompatible pairs.