Taming aggression in a multi-cat home

Cat fights are often turf wars over resources. So if you have a multi-cat home, follow this advice from Deborah Horwitz, veterinary behaviorist: Separate food dishes, water bowls and litterboxes in your house.

Think of your co-habitating cats like college roommates. Sometimes you have college roommates you happily share a space with. And sometimes you have college roommates you feel forced to share a space with. It depends on if you like them or not—and if you don’t, keeping the peace depends on how much you have to run into them.

Then look for the triggers—because fighting is treatable with training. Teach each cat to associate good things with the other's presence, and over time, the contentious cats may just call a truce.