Littermates who've suddenly stopped getting along. Any advice?

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Hi everyone,

I’ll tell you the whole story so you can see how complicated it is. Please be kind—I'll try to make it as engaging as I can:

My two little kittens were born in March 2016, and we brought them home in May that year. One is called DIKKI; he’s quite big and proud—a lovely lad, really gentle, but he won’t let himself be pushed around.

The other one is PETIT CHAT. He’s had loads of names, but we always ended up calling him PETIT CHAT, so it just stuck. He’s a bit of a live wire, bouncing all over the place, but he’s ever so cuddly. They’re both incredibly skittish; if we even stand up from the sofa—BAM!—they’re off to the other side of the room.

My two (both ginger males) have been inseparable from day one. They sleep together, eat together, and I’ve even caught them using the litter trays at the same time (we’ve got two, obviously). We live in a house on the edge of a small town, but at the time, money was a bit tight (first place together, young couple), so the cats aren’t neutered, microchipped, or vaccinated (I know, I know—it's not ideal, but bear with me). Because of that, they’ve never been outside. We have a little courtyard they love where there's no way for them to escape, and they seem perfectly happy with that.

So, they spent over a year in this house, with just the house and the yard as their whole little world.

A month ago, we made that inevitable mistake we'd managed to avoid until then: we left a downstairs window slightly open and hadn't put the cats in the yard. Well, they did a runner. I don’t know how long they were actually out for, but it couldn't have been more than a few hours!

When we found them, PETIT CHAT was covered in black marks like engine oil, while the other looked completely normal. However, they were fighting viciously and hissing at each other (making some really weird noises, too); it was nothing like their usual play-fighting and they'd never done it before. DIKKI was trying his best to get close to his brother but was getting rejected every time. Shortly after, we noticed PETIT CHAT had a nasty injury on his back leg, so he went to the vet for the first time in his life. One day and about £90 later, he was stitched up and had a lovely blue bandage. But the main thing was that he was getting on with his brother again. Such a relief! They’re so cute when they’re together!

****More in the comments!****

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6 answers
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    As for the first point, I actually think PETIT CHAT was just defending himself because he was in pain, and DIKKI was trying to approach him because he could sense his brother was hurting :)

    Ah, I see. I thought Dikki was pushing Petit Chat away, which is why they were scrapping.

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Regarding that first fight, when Petit chat was covered in grease, I reckon it was the smell that confused Dikki – he just didn't recognise him anymore. As for the more recent issue, I think the female was in season and that's what's causing the fighting. In this case, I think getting them both neutered would be the solution. Regarding the first one, I actually think PETIT CHAT was lashing out because he was in pain and DIKKI was trying to approach him because he could sense his brother was hurting :)
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, I’ve read through everything before replying, but the fact is: Two unneutered males fighting because a female passes by... That should ring a few alarm bells, shouldn't it? By the way: since they aren’t microchipped, if they escape again and get picked up by the council, they could be at risk of being put down as strays. They’ve been out twice, they're unvaccinated, and they might have fought with other cats—which means there's a real risk of them catching a disease. So, get them neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. You can always talk to a vet about a payment plan, and in the worst-case scenario, there are organisations (like Cats Protection) that offer very low rates. As a last resort, you could check with a local rescue charity to see if they can help. Well yes, I haven’t lost my marbles, I’d figured that much out. But I didn’t think it would carry on like this... I thought they’d just grow out of it. Yes, we knew perfectly well we’d have to do it sooner or later. We just kept putting it off! It’s actually worked out well as my partner has found a job, so I’m going to get my fur babies sorted so they can stay the best of buds!!
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    As for that first scrap, when Petit Chat was covered in engine grease, I think it was the smell that confused Dikki; he just didn’t recognise him anymore. Regarding the more recent issue, I reckon the female was in heat, which is causing the fights, and in that case, I think getting them both neutered would be the solution.
    Translated from French
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    Hi there, I’ve read through everything before replying, but the fact is: Two unneutered males fighting because a female passes by... that should really ring a bell, shouldn’t it? Just a heads-up: since they aren't microchipped, if they escape again and get picked up by the pound, they risk being put down as strays. They’ve been out twice now, unvaccinated, and might have fought with other cats, meaning there’s a real risk of them catching a disease. So, please get them neutered, vaccinated, and microchipped. You can usually talk to a vet about setting up a payment plan, and in the worst-case scenario, there are organisations (like Cats Protection) that offer very low rates. As a last resort, you could see if a local animal rescue can help you out.
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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    The thing is, a friend who's crashing with us at the moment made the same silly mistake yesterday morning. He found the cats on the windowsill, and when he went over, DIKKI came back inside but PETIT CHAT bolted... He managed to get him back in the house after a lot of "psst-ing" and clapping his hands (he’s a feisty one, that’s for sure—good luck trying to catch him!). Dead proud of himself, he let the cats stay in the house with him. The neighbour’s cat walked past the window and even sat on the ledge; my two young lads sat on the other side of the glass and started "talking", according to our friend ("it really sounded like a cat telling a story!" he said). Then, all of a sudden, they apparently started fighting—badly enough that our friend felt he had to break them up and wait for us to get home. Since yesterday, I’ve really noticed that PETIT CHAT won't let DIKKI get anywhere near him. I’ve checked him over thoroughly and there are no obvious injuries; I’ve felt all over and he doesn't react at all (it doesn't seem like I'm hurting him). He was definitely a bit grubby, though, so I gave him a brush. The night has passed and still nothing’s changed. They’re fighting. DIKKI approaches cautiously every time, meows sweetly, and gets snapped at immediately with just as much aggression (it breaks my heart to see him keep trying only to be rejected every single time). I’m terrified I’ll end up having to rehome one of them... I’m a bit of a softie and I’d be absolutely devastated if I had to let one go, especially since I’d have to choose between the two of them, and that’s just not an option!!! Does anyone have any advice for a distraught owner?
    Translated from French

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