Outdoor cat turns my indoor cat vicious

[Catlover Shan]

I have 2 indoor cats that get along. There is an outdoor cat that comes to our window. One of my cats sees it and starts to growl and make wild noises. I shoo the outdoor cat away and close the curtain. Then my cat goes on the attack of her brother cat. She continues the vocalization and just jumps and scratches at him. I separate them and it takes a few hours for everyone to calm down and resume normal activity.

Any ideas why she would attack our other cat after seeing this cat at the window?
Any tips on how I can control of fix this would be greatly appreciated. It's rather traumatizing for all 3 of us!

I'm worried if it happens when I'm not here one of them will get hurt....

 

[linda2147]

cats are territorial by nature so seeing a strange cat sets them off. If its a problem get a squirt bottle and fill it with water and squirt the offending cat she won't like it and will run off sulking and when she comes back and tries to attack the other cat give her a squirt, she'll learn its not acceptable behavior and will come down. it may take a few times with the squirt bottle but she'll learn

 

[TTouch]

As Linda says cats are territorial, so the other cat is invading her territory and attacking the invader is impossible so she is 'redirecting' her aggression on the other cat which is nearby...redirected aggression is something many animals do if they can't get at what is upsetting them, some redirect towards humans, others close by animals and even toys....you need to shoo away the invader every time you see it, when out either remove your indoor cats from the room they see the invader, close curtains or separate your indoor cats into different spaces

 

[CatMom1994]

I have 2 indoor cats that get along. There is an outdoor cat that comes to our window. One of my cats sees it and starts to growl and make wild noises. I shoo the outdoor cat away and close the curtain. Then my cat goes on the attack of her brother cat. She continues the vocalization and just jumps and scratches at him. I separate them and it takes a few hours for everyone to calm down and resume normal activity.

Any ideas why she would attack our other cat after seeing this cat at the window?

Any tips on how I can control of fix this would be greatly appreciated. It's rather traumatizing for all 3 of us!

I'm worried if it happens when I'm not here one of them will get hurt.

This is a case of misdirected aggression. Despite the fact indoor cats know they can't go outside, they consider an unknown outdoor cat near the house as an intruder on their territory. Unable to attack the outdoor cat, she redirects her aggression to the cat who can be attacked. So her feline friend is not the cat she is actually mad at. Unfortunately when this happens the other indoor cat has no way of knowing why he is being attacked so it is natural he would get mad at her back. People do the same thing verbally.

To help you further, I need to know their names because you are talking about two cats in the same house.

 

[Mewcats]

The problem at hand is that one of the indoor cats becomes aggressive towards the other cat after seeing an outdoor cat outside the window. This behavior is likely caused by territorial instincts and increased stress levels. To address this issue, providing environmental enrichment to the indoor cats is a good starting point. This can include toys, scratching posts, and perches to keep the cats occupied and reduce stress levels.

Additionally, it may be helpful to redirect the aggressive cat's attention when the outdoor cat appears at the window by giving her a toy or treat. This will help to associate the outdoor cat with positive experiences and reduce the likelihood of an aggressive reaction towards the other indoor cat.

It may also be beneficial to block the view from the window or close the curtains to prevent the indoor cats from seeing the outdoor cat. This will help to eliminate the trigger for the aggressive behavior.