A happy multi cat household

Many people say that one cat leads to another! However, although cats are social creatures who enjoy company they do not need to live in groups like people or dogs. Some cats will welcome another into their household and bond with the new cat, others will never really accept another feline housemate and merely tolerate their presence. In the worst instance the introduction of a new cat may cause stress related conditions in one or all cats involved.

Planning to introduce another cat
If you wish to have more than one cat at home it is best to obtain two kittens at the same time. Two from the same litter is generally considered ideal, but two from the same breeder but different litters can also work well. Many people will already have one cat at home but want to introduce another. This takes careful consideration and planning.

If you have a young cat around two years old or less they will generally accept another young cat into the household. This is because cats reach social maturity between two to three years old, so they are more likely to accept a newcomer before this age. The older the cat the less likely they are to tolerate a newcomer of any age. If you have an elderly cat at home they are unlikely to accept a newcomer, especially a young cat who will want to interact and play. However, all cats are different and it is impossible to predict how any will respond to the introduction of another.

Consider space and resources
Before introducing a new cat consider if your household can accommodate another feline. Cats need space and although there is no strict rule or magic number a basic guide is to have no more than one cat per bedroom. It is important that each cat has enough space to carry out essential natural behaviours.

This means providing adequate resources such as food and water bowls, litter trays and sleeping areas. It is advised that you have one resource per cat plus one extra. So a house with two cats should have three litter trays etc. It is also important to separate these resources, so two litter trays beside each other in the same room is not adequate. Imagine one cat wanting to use the litter tray but the only way to access it is by walking past and having an unwanted encounter with another feline member of the household – the cat may avoid this unwanted encounter by toileting somewhere else in the house! Although it takes space, spreading out the resources is necessary. This is particularly important in cats that spend most or all of their time indoors.

Managing confrontation
If you have more than one cat it is likely that you will witness an occasional aggressive confrontation, even between cats who are usually best friends. Most of these encounters will just involve a lot of bad language and will be over quickly. Do not interrupt these skirmishes; just let the cats sort it out themselves.

If a more serious fight develops you may need to separate the cats to prevent injury. Do not attempt to separate the cats by getting into the middle or trying to pick one up as you are likely to be injured yourself. Instead, interrupt the fight by throwing a blanket over them, squirting them with water or use a wooden broom to separate them. Afterwards leave both cats alone as they will remain angry for quite a while. Eating or grooming signals that they have calmed down and are safe to approach.

If these types of confrontations are happening on a regular basis then there is a reason for the conflict and you should speak to your vet for some advice. Contact us and we’ll be happy to help.

Happy cats
With time, most cats get used to each other and some will become best friends. One of the best things to witness as a cat owner is your kitties grooming each other or sleeping curled up together. This also makes for a great photo opportunity! If you introduce a new cat to the household who does not bond with any existing cats it is still possible to have a happy multi- cat environment. Some cats will never be best friends but with the right environment they can live together comfortably.