A few months ago a rogue cat turned up at my house.
HISS!!!!!!
I was having none of it – no worries everyone, I’ll get rid of this intruder………
………But wait a minute……it turned out that the humans in my house had brought this scoundrel home as a “friend” for me. Urgh! No thank you.
Some people assume that cats like the company of other cats. In the most part, this is not true; in the wild, cats are self-reliant and content to live by themselves. In some circumstances, both wild and domesticated cats can live well together; however, this generally only works if they consider each other as part of the same social group (for example littermates).
Cats only work well together if there is no competition between them for resources; which is where many multi-cat households often have a problem as cats find it difficult to share (I’m not sharing my catnip with ANYONE!)
So, what if you already have more than one cat – what can you do to keep them playing nicely?
1. Get your cats neutered. It has been shown that neutered males are less likely to become solitary.
2. I have also heard that using a synthetic pheromone such as Feliway Friends can help alleviate tension and conflict between house cats.
3. Ensure your cats have enough resources in the house so that there is no competition:
• Litter trays – golden rule is one for each cat plus a spare one
• Separate food and water bowls. If using food bowls, the cats should be fed separately to avoid competition. Water bowls should be kept away from where the cats eat – offering a few bowls throughout the house means the cats are more likely to drink.
4. Provide a scratching post for each cat so they can scent mark.
5. Ensure that there are plenty of available hiding places for each cat to escape to if needed – cats that are restricted in space and have limited opportunities to escape and hide are more likely to end up fighting. If cats are being kept in at night, do not shut them in a room together.
If you still want to get more than one cat, check out these guidelines from the International Cat Care for helpful advice on the all-important introduction stage.
As for me, yes I am a little unsociable….I am not even on Twitter!
Purdy (enjoying her single cat lifestyle!)
xx