Multiple Cat Households
Cats, though they seem very independent, are very sociable animals. Sometimes they will become lonely and bored if owners don’t spend enough time with them. To minimize the chance of your cat feeling this way, you may want to consider getting another cat. And to minimize the chance of that cat getting lonely, you may want to get yet another cat…and the cycle continues. Here are some tips you might find useful for multiple cat households.
Consider your current cat’s personality before getting another cat. An energetic and active cat is more likely to accept a new kitten while a quiet, more reclusive cat may prefer an adult cat. Be sure to neuter or spay your kitten as soon as they reach the age suggested by your veterinarian. We prefer to spay or neuter young pets at four months of age. This helps reduce hormonal aggression and territorial marking.
If your cats exhibit personality conflicts, you can reduce the tension between family felines by making sure each cat has enough personal space and their own toys to fulfill their needs. Make sure you have at least one litter box per cat plus one extra, and that they are easy to get to. To avoid conflicts between cats, consider placing litter boxes in different locations throughout the house to avoid the exclusion of one cat from another cat’s territory.
Be sure to keep plenty of clean, fresh water available for your cats at all times. Keeping bowls in multiple locations throughout the house might be a good idea. Keep scratching posts and beds in several locations to accommodate all the cats in your household.
We also recommend a product called Feliway. It uses calming pheromones to reduce instinctive urges to mark and scratch. Pheromones are naturally secreted when cats rub objects with the side of their face. These pheromones are later recognized by the cat and produce feelings of familiarity and comfort. Feliway spray entices your cat to rub his face on treated objects, depositing his own facial pheromones on the object so that it becomes a place he is unlikely to urine mark.
