Living with multiple cats can be a rewarding experience, filled with purrs and playful antics. However, it also brings unique challenges, particularly if two or more cats don't get along. Recognising and managing this tension is crucial for maintaining a harmonious multi-cat household. The American Association of Feline Practitioners has just released their Intercat Tension Guidelines and we've summarised them here to provide comprehensive strategies to help you create a peaceful environment for your feline friends.
If you are looking for information on how to introduce a new cat into your household please go to this blog post.
Recognising Intercat Tension
Intercat tension often manifests subtly before escalating into more overt signs. Here’s what to look out for:
1. Subtle Signs:
Staring: Cats may fixate on each other without blinking.
Blocking: One cat may prevent another from accessing resources like food, litter boxes, or favourite resting spots.
Hiding: A cat may seek refuge in secluded areas to avoid another cat.
Changes in Routine: Altered eating, sleeping, or elimination habits can indicate underlying tension or health issues.
2. Overt Signs:
Growling, Hissing, Swatting: These are clear indicators of conflict.
Chasing and Physical Fights: Escalated tension often leads to more aggressive behaviours.
3. Behavioural Changes:
Feeding Behaviours: Increased swatting or staring before meals, gulping food quickly, or avoiding the feeding area can signal tension.
Elimination Issues: Reluctance to use the litter box or urine marking outside the box may indicate social stress.
Common Myths About Feline Behaviour
Understanding feline behaviour helps in managing multi-cat households effectively. The guidelines dispel several myths that can negatively impact your cats' welfare:
Myth 1: Cats are solitary creatures. While they can be independent, cats are socially flexible and can form close bonds.
Myth 2: Cats' social organisation is based on hierarchy and dominance. Social structures in cats are fluid and based on familiarity and affiliations.
Myth 3: Cats cannot be trained. Cats can be trained using reward-based methods.
Myth 4: Cats have not been domesticated. While not as genetically distant as dogs from their wolf ancestors, domestic cats have undergone significant changes compared to their wild ancestors with regards to social structure.
Myth 5: Cats do not benefit from social interaction or form bonds. Many cats enjoy and benefit from social interactions with humans and other cats.
Creating a Healthy Multi-Cat Environment
A healthy environment is key to preventing or minimising intercat tension. The guidelines modify the five pillars of a healthy feline environment for multi-cat households:
Providing Safe Places: Ensure each cat has access to safe, secluded areas where they can retreat and feel secure.
Providing Multiple and Separated Resources: Distribute food, water, litter boxes, and resting areas to prevent competition.
Providing Opportunities for Play and Predatory Behaviour: Engage each cat in interactive play to channel their energy positively.
Providing Positive, Consistent, and Predictable Human-Cat Interaction: Understand each cat's social preferences and interact with them accordingly.
Respecting the Cat’s Sense of Smell and Other Senses: Use synthetic feline pheromones (for example, Feliway Friends) to create a calming environment and avoid stressful stimuli.
Managing Intercat Tension
Even with precautions, tension may arise. Here are some detailed strategies to manage and reduce it:
Environmental Enrichment:
Vertical Spaces: Increase vertical spaces like cat trees, shelves, and perches. These provide cats with more territory and help them feel in control.
Safe Hiding Spots: Provide enclosed hiding spots with multiple escape routes to prevent one cat from trapping another.
Behavioural Modification:
Reward-Based Training: Use treats, petting, and play to encourage positive interactions. Training sessions should be short and end on a positive note.
Interactive Play: Engage cats in interactive play sessions, ideally with wand toys. This can be done individually or with multiple cats, depending on their preferences.
Segregation:
Temporary Separation: Separate cats displaying overt tension, ensuring each has access to essential resources. Gradually reintroduce them once they are calm.
Bell Collars: Fit the cat demonstrating aggressive behaviours with a bell collar. This alerts other cats to their presence, giving them time to avoid potential conflicts.
Defusing Tense Situations:
Interrupt Tension: Use a solid object like a pillow or piece of cardboard to gently interrupt eye contact and separate the cats. Avoid physical interaction during high-tension moments to prevent injury.
Daily Play Sessions: Regular play sessions can help reduce stress and build positive associations among cats. Include all cats or separate play sessions based on their comfort levels.
Observing and Adjusting:
Monitor Interactions: Keep a close watch on cat interactions and make adjustments as needed. Identifying and addressing subtle signs of tension early can prevent escalation.
Veterinary Support and Client Education
If your cats are having ongoing personality clashes, please reach out to us. We can provide tailored advice and in some cases medications to help ease the stress., We will ensure that you are well-informed about the signs of tension and best practices for maintaining the peace in your particular household.
Conclusion
Managing a multi-cat household requires understanding to address the complexities of feline social behaviour. By recognising signs of tension early, creating a supportive environment, and following a systematic approach to managing conflicts, you can foster a harmonious home.
Comments