Maine Coon Mix fighting with other cats in the house

I have a 3 year old Maine Coon Mix that I have had since she was 5 or 6 weeks old (foster kitty that never left). She was the last one into our home of 8 cats in Sept. of 2007. In the last 6 months she has started fighting more and more with our other cats to the point that we have had to put her in a bedroom by herself. She wants/needs more attention than she is getting in the bedroom. We have tried letting her out for short amounts of time when we are there and it always gets nasty with one or two of the other cats. She has been to the vet and all seems fine. The second she sees another cat the hissing starts. Any thoughts on why this would start after 3 years? I hate the thought of getting rid of her, but that seems like the way to go with 7 other cats in the house.

RESPONSE:

She hs reached full maturity and is attempting to establish her place. She may also simply be bored or just doesn't like sharing her home with other cats. Playing with her more will help to redirect her energies and tire her out so going after another cat will be less fun for her. Whe you see her starting to stalk another cat, pull out a toy, toss a ball, etc to redirect her attention. Offer treats when she is in the same room with the others and behaving. Be sure there are enough high up places and cubbies so they can get away from each other when they want to. Feed her in a seperate area so she does not perceive any competition for food. We find this sort of behavior starts around 3 years of age but by the time the cat is around 5, they are much more tolerent and there is less hissing and chasing. As long as they are not outright fighting and injuring each other, we usually let them work out their relationships themselves. But we still do the play and treat techniques to minimize the confrontations. So try it and see if it helps redirect her energies.

Donna - House Full Cats Mom