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People are naturally social and canines are identified to thrive in packs. It’s possible you’ll surprise in case your feline members of the family crave firm from different cats too. Properly, the social workings of cats can really make some multi-cat households somewhat difficult.
Pressure between our pets is all the time distressing and might be tough to handle. Studying methods to correctly introduce cats and acknowledge the warning indicators of battle will provide you with the very best likelihood for harmonious dwelling. On this article, we’ll talk about why multi-cat dwelling might be demanding for cats and how one can assist.
Two’s a Crowd: The Social Lifetime of Cats
Do all cats desire to stay alone? Each cat is exclusive however they’re all territorial to a point. Their house is essential to them and this may make group dwelling tough. Territories are sometimes shaped based mostly on meals availability and designed to keep away from battle with different cats. When a number of cats are pressured into an enclosed space, reminiscent of a house surroundings, this may result in stress and battle if area and assets should not evenly distributed.
Felidae (the organic household encompassing all cat species) are usually solitary animals, with the notable exception of lions. Nevertheless, Felis catus (the home cat) has developed to be amenable to group conditions, seemingly attributable to many generations of human domestication and their pure adaptability.
Feral cats usually kind small colonies, that are largely based mostly round feminine teams collaborating to boost their younger. Relationships inside these teams are sometimes difficult. They continue to be solitary hunters and don’t kind a traditional pack. Male cats are normally impartial of those teams.
A 2022 research highlighted the complicated nature of cat-to-cat interactions and the way an enormous number of components affect feline stress. It’s tough to discover a straight reply as to whether multi-cat households have a tendency to extend stress in cats, however cat-to-cat battle can definitely be problematic.
Secrets and techniques to Success
It’s doable for cats dwelling collectively to kind robust social bonds. MNStudio / Shutterstock
In line with Worldwide Cat Care, multi-cat households don’t have to be demanding if sure safeguards are adopted. Some essential components to think about when working with a couple of cat embrace introducing a brand new cat to an present one, organizing the home to make sure truthful useful resource availability, and minimizing battle.
Multi-Cat Introductions
The best way you introduce your new cat could make or break the success of your multi-cat family. Introductions needs to be made steadily over the course of a number of weeks. Set up a personal territory on your new cat, away from the principle areas of your resident cat, so that they every have a secure area within the house.
Begin with scent-swapping, then progress to visible contact earlier than the cats are allowed bodily entry to the identical areas. Watch rigorously for warning indicators of aggression, reminiscent of fastened staring, flattened ears, swishing tails, growling, or hissing. These all imply the cat does not wish to combat, however they may to guard themselves. Cats who’ve a profitable social bond will groom one another and sleep shut collectively.
Once I introduced house a second cat, I took introductions extraordinarily rigorously. I arrange a secure area for the brand new cat, Jazzy, far-off from my cat Pi’s favourite spots. I gave them separate feeding areas, litter bins, beds, hiding locations, and toys so that they didn’t need to compete. That they had no contact in any respect till Jazzy had spent a couple of weeks settling in.
Subsequent I spent two weeks exchanging bedding and toys between them so they’d entry to one another’s scent. Then I allowed them temporary visible contact with a child gate as a barrier to forestall bodily contact. They appeared curious somewhat than fearful, so after one other few weeks, I eliminated the newborn gate. I didn’t drive them to satisfy and so they every had entry to all they wanted with out infringing on one another’s territory. In my case, the 2 by no means shaped a detailed social bond however they stay fortunately in the identical surroundings with out battle or stress.
Sharing Assets
The success of cat colonies within the wild largely relies on the supply of key assets, reminiscent of meals and shelter. So take into consideration all of your cats’ wants: meals and water, litter field, snuggle spots, toys, and the nice bird-watching home windows. If every cat or bonded group of cats, has entry to assets in their very own territory, hostility ought to largely be averted.
Place meals and water bowls so your cats can eat and drink with out having to show their again to their environment and potential opponents. Equally, cats have to really feel secure whereas utilizing their litter field. Some cats could block entry to litter trays as a type of passive aggression. This may result in well being issues reminiscent of bladder and bowel illness in addition to anxiousness. Litter bins needs to be plentiful, positioned in quiet areas, and cleaned not less than as soon as a day.
Cats additionally want plenty of sleep and entry to snug sleeping areas the place they’ll let their guard down. Many cats desire elevated beds or perches the place they’ll relaxation and observe with out feeling threatened. Resting areas don’t have to be costly—most cats love a comfortable blanket or perhaps a cardboard field.
Feline Pheromones
Cats use scent as a serious type of communication and their intrinsic pheromones are a part of this secret messaging system. Territory marking is carried out utilizing pheromones in feces and urine. It’s additionally executed by way of the paw pads whereas scratching and thru facial and flank glands once they rub themselves in opposition to objects or folks.
Offering scratching posts not solely helps cats fulfill their pure want to sharpen and hone their claws, it additionally permits for good cat communication about their territory boundaries. Improve the possibilities of concord between your cats through the use of pheromone sprays or diffusers, reminiscent of Feliway, to encourage nice messages somewhat than tetchy disputes.
Widespread Issues
Aggression between cats could be a enormous supply of stress. Glue Promsiri / Shutterstock.com
Having a couple of cat can result in a loving, bonded social group, however there are additionally some potential pitfalls. Let’s undergo some widespread issues and methods to sort out them.
Urine Spraying
Cats, each female and male, use urine spraying as a type of communication—normally about territorial borders and disputes.
In case your cat leaves urine round the home, it may be tough to inform whether or not it was spraying or simply inappropriate toileting habits. Spraying differs from regular urination in that it includes a small quantity of strongly scented urine and is finished in opposition to a vertical floor. Except you catch them within the act, it may be tough to say for certain. A great start line is to have your cat checked by a vet to make sure there isn’t a medical trigger for home soiling.
If the urination appears behavioral, guarantee all cats have their very own secure area. Present entry to all assets with out them having to undergo one other cat’s territory. Place scratching posts in key areas to encourage communication by way of scratching somewhat than urine marking.
Cat Fights
As a veterinarian, I see cats within the clinic who’ve chunk and scratch wounds inflicted by different cats, normally attributable to territorial disputes. However usually, this isn’t widespread. Cats are solitary predators who know they should keep secure to maintain offering themselves with meals and shelter. They have an inclination to have robust self-preservation instincts and wish to keep away from fights.
Bodily battle is a final resort, so if you happen to observe indicators of aggression between cats, it’s worthwhile to intervene. Separate the offending events and guarantee they every have their very own assets. Then carry out a sluggish reintroduction—simply as you’d introduce new cats for the primary time. Artificial pheromones could assist to foster pleasant emotions.
Bullying
Though cats don’t have a pack construction to their social teams, relationships between people can develop into difficult. It’s not unusual to have a bully throughout the group. This cat tends to make the most of the others and may prohibit entry to meals and water bowls, litter bins, resting areas, and different shared areas like catios.
Cautious statement can usually establish a feline bully. There will not be overt indicators of aggression, reminiscent of combating or hissing. It’s possible you’ll witness extra passive-aggressive stances, reminiscent of mendacity in wait at feeding occasions, ready to assault after the opposite cat makes use of the litter field, or guarding a cat flap. Care needs to be taken so all people have entry to their very own wants with out affect from different cats.
