2 cats one elderly one just a couple of years old cannot get along. Tried everything. It is heartbreaking. I need help.

This is Dr. Cynthia. Thank you for contacting us. I will try to help with your concerns on here. The system will automatically offer an option for a phone call. Just ignore the offer or decline. I cannot do phone calls. I will answer your question with the information provided then check back periodically to follow up.

I will often go back and pick up questions that have been left on the list for some time. I have no information about when the question was posted so I apologize in advance if it has been a while. This may cause the information that you provided to be no longer current or valid, but I will try to answer as best I can. Hopefully, the issue has been resolved.

Please understand that this is a consulting site only. Without a proper physical examination we cannot by law issue a prescription for medication or make a definitive diagnosis for your pet. Based on the information that you provide we can evaluate your situation and advise you on home care and treatment or determine if it would be best to see your local veterinarian.

From what you describe it would be best for the older cat if you kept them separated.

Territorial aggression in cats can be space or security related. In nature the female cat will define a “territory” as her own in which to have and rear her young. Any intruder(s) to this space other than for mating will be run off else the resources of the space will be depleted. In our pets there is usually abundant resources (food), and usually no young to rear, but the boundary instinct is still very strong in all cats, especially in females. Cats by nature are solitary animals. Cats do not have an instinctive need to live in groups like pack and herd animals. Cats forced to live in closed groups usually will define a small “territory” in the area as its own. The group is harmonious as long as those spaces are respected.

The younger cat is also looking for entertainment which for an older cats that does not want to play can be very stressful.

Often the solution is to provide your cat a “safe space” with all their needs. This can be a small room, or easier and more controllable, a crate (cage). Putting your cat in a crate (cage) is not cruel. Anybody who knows cats knows that they seek out small remote places to hide, even boxes and paper bags. This is because a small enclosed area gives them a sense of security. Providing food, water, litter box, hidey box, and bed in a crate makes it easier for the cat to feel in control of its surroundings. They have very nice cages on Amazon and Chewy with hammocks and perches.

I hope this helps, we try to answer your questions and concerns as best we can on this site without the benefit of a proper physical examination. Please appreciate that it is always advisable to seek local veterinary care if possible. Let me know if there is anything further I can help you with. Thanks so much, and kind regards!