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People are naturally social and canines are identified to thrive in packs. You could surprise in case your feline relations crave firm from different cats too. Effectively, the social workings of cats can truly make some multi-cat households somewhat sophisticated.
Pressure between our pets is at all times distressing and might be tough to handle. Studying correctly introduce cats and acknowledge the warning indicators of battle offers you the perfect likelihood for harmonious residing. On this article, we’ll focus on why multi-cat residing might be disturbing for cats and how one can assist.
Two’s a Crowd: The Social Lifetime of Cats
Do all cats choose to stay alone? Each cat is exclusive however they’re all territorial to a point. Their dwelling is essential to them and this will make group residing tough. Territories are sometimes fashioned 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, resembling a house setting, this will result in stress and battle if area and sources are usually 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 advanced to be amenable to group conditions, possible on account of many generations of human domestication and their pure adaptability.
Feral cats usually kind small colonies, that are principally based mostly round feminine teams collaborating to boost their younger. Relationships inside these teams are sometimes sophisticated. They continue to be solitary hunters and don’t kind a basic 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 attainable for cats residing collectively to kind sturdy social bonds. MNStudio / Shutterstock
In response to Worldwide Cat Care, multi-cat households don’t have to be disturbing if sure safeguards are adopted. Some necessary components to think about when working with a couple of cat embody introducing a brand new cat to an current one, organizing the home to make sure honest 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 ought to be made step by step over the course of a number of weeks. Set up a non-public territory to your new cat, away from the primary areas of your resident cat, so that they every have a protected area within the dwelling.
Begin with scent-swapping, then progress to visible contact earlier than the cats are allowed bodily entry to the identical areas. Watch fastidiously for warning indicators of aggression, resembling mounted staring, flattened ears, swishing tails, growling, or hissing. These all imply the cat does not need to battle, however they are going to to guard themselves. Cats who’ve a profitable social bond will groom one another and sleep shut collectively.
Once I introduced dwelling a second cat, I took introductions extraordinarily fastidiously. I arrange a protected area for the brand new cat, Jazzy, far-off from my cat Pi’s favourite spots. I gave them separate feeding areas, litter containers, beds, hiding locations, and toys so that they didn’t should 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 transient visible contact with a child gate as a barrier to forestall bodily contact. They appeared curious fairly than fearful, so after one other few weeks, I eliminated the infant gate. I didn’t pressure 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 fashioned an in depth social bond however they stay fortunately in the identical setting with out battle or stress.
Sharing Assets
The success of cat colonies within the wild principally will depend on the supply of key sources, resembling meals and shelter. So take into consideration all of your cats’ wants: meals and water, litter field, snuggle spots, toys, and the great bird-watching home windows. If every cat or bonded group of cats, has entry to sources in their very own territory, hostility ought to principally be prevented.
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 must really feel protected whereas utilizing their litter field. Some cats could block entry to litter trays as a type of passive aggression. This will result in well being issues resembling bladder and bowel illness in addition to nervousness. Litter containers ought to be plentiful, positioned in quiet areas, and cleaned not less than as soon as a day.
Cats additionally want numerous sleep and entry to snug sleeping areas the place they’ll let their guard down. Many cats choose 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 comfy 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 performed 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, resembling Feliway, to encourage nice messages fairly than tetchy disputes.
Frequent Issues
Aggression between cats generally is a large 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 frequent issues and deal with 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 completed in opposition to a vertical floor. Until you catch them within the act, it may be tough to say for certain. An excellent place to begin is to have your cat checked by a vet to make sure there isn’t any medical trigger for home soiling.
If the urination appears behavioral, guarantee all cats have their very own protected area. Present entry to all sources with out them having to undergo one other cat’s territory. Place scratching posts in key areas to encourage communication by way of scratching fairly 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 on account of territorial disputes. However basically, this isn’t frequent. Cats are solitary predators who know they should keep protected to maintain offering themselves with meals and shelter. They have a tendency to have sturdy self-preservation instincts and need to keep away from fights.
Bodily battle is a final resort, so when you observe indicators of aggression between cats, you must intervene. Separate the offending events and guarantee they every have their very own sources. 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 turn out to be sophisticated. It isn’t unusual to have a bully throughout the group. This cat tends to reap the benefits of the others and may limit entry to meals and water bowls, litter containers, resting areas, and different shared areas like catios.
Cautious statement can usually determine a feline bully. There might not be overt indicators of aggression, resembling preventing or hissing. You could witness extra passive-aggressive stances, resembling 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 ought to be taken so all people have entry to their very own wants with out affect from different cats.
