The antics of two or more cats are better entertainment than television.
And what surer way is there to ease your guilt about leaving your cat
alone
during necessary absences than to know he has feline companionship?
Whether best of friends or merely resigned cohabitants, cats will at
least provide stimulation for each other, even if only in heated chase.
The joys of living with more than one cat and watching them interact
almost always outweigh the extra expense. And if you have an
indoor-only cat, a feline companion can do wonders in staving off the boredom that can result in stress or
destructive behavior.
Even if two cats never become good friends, it's rare that they don't
eventually call a truce. At least they have another living being around
for distraction when you're out — and chasing and tussling are good
forms of
exercise.
If you already have an
adult cat, a
kitten
(or another smaller adult cat) is usually easier to integrate into the
household than another full-sized adult. He'll be considered less of a
threat by your resident cat. But there are no hard and fast rules. Many
people have introduced
adult cats with great success. The chances of having the integration work are even greater if the newcomer is already
sterilized,
is already accustomed to living with other animals and has a
personality similar to your cat's. Cats of opposite sexes often get
along better, although again, there are countless exceptions to this
rule. Don't bring unneutered males together;
territorial conflicts may trigger offensive urine spraying.
Introducing Two Cats
Some cats will be completely nonplussed by a new arrival. Others will
consider the turn of events as nothing less than an encroachment on
their space and an affront to their status. When another cat enters the
scene, your first cat loses his territorial monopoly. A hierarchy will
need to be established: Being first into the home doesn't automatically
earn a feline the status of "top" cat. You can expect some conflict as
both cats adjust to the new circumstances, even if initial introduction
goes well. In time, however, most cats will come to a mutually
acceptable arrangement. Be prepared to make allowances for both cats
through the adjustment period, which can last for a week or two to many
months.
Plopping down a new cat in front of your resident feline rarely makes
for a smooth introduction. A better approach is to keep the cats apart
at first and let both acclimatize gradually, which will take some
patience on your part.
- Set up a separate room for the new cat, with food and water bowls, a
litter box, toys, a bed and places to hide. Make sure the food and
water bowls are set away from the litter box.
- Take the new arrival straight to this room, and for the first day only go in to check on his food and litter box.
- Let your resident cat smell the carrier you used to transport the new arrival so that he gets used to the stranger's odor.
- Keep the newcomer isolated long enough for him to adjust to the new
situation without the additional stress of meeting another cat. This
may take as little as a day, but sometimes more than a week; you'll know
he is ready when he comes out of hiding and shows an interest in
exploring what's on the other side of the door.
The next step is to shut your resident cat in another room and let the
new cat out to explore the house for a short period of time. If he
simply runs back into his safe room, try again later. Once he's
comfortable with the rest of the house, it's time for the cats to meet.
Experts usually recommend waiting until there has been no hissing or
growling from either side of the door for a day or two.
Clip the claws
of both cats and allow the new cat to come out of his room. Try not to
greet his presence with any fanfare. Allow the two cats to interact. An
arched back and puffed-up tail, hissing and snarling from one or both
cats on these first face-to-face meetings are normal reactions. But be
prepared to separate them should a serious battle break out. Try
distracting them with a loud noise, spraying them with cold water, or
dropping a box or laundry basket over the aggressor and placing the
other cat in a closed room. Never reach into the melee to pull fighting
cats apart; you'll be clawed or bitten for your trouble.
Even if things seem to be going smoothly, play the psychologist. Fuss
over your resident cat, but don't pay a lot attention to the new cat in
front of him. Put the new cat back in his isolation room after a short
session. Continue this routine until the cats appear to be more
comfortable with each other, letting the new cat stay out for longer
periods of time, but only when someone is around to supervise. Cats
usually work things out by themselves, although it can take from a few
days to several months. Usually the existing cat is the one that takes
longer to accept the presence of the other cat. The best thing you can
do is to leave them to it; as they grow to accept each other, you'll
need to separate them less and less often.
The final step is to start gradually moving the new cat's litter box and
food bowls closer to those of the other cat. They will probably end up
sharing litter boxes, but keep the food well separated. Cats can become
anxious when they eat too close to each other.
Territorial Behavior
After introducing the cats, establish conditions to minimize possible
friction, principally ensuring that each feels secure about his source
of food. Just as felines in the wild exercise territoriality over the
availability of prey, your cats may turn quite aggressive if at the
sound of the can opener they fear they won't get enough food to eat.
Such stress can easily lead to
behavior problems such as fights and
territory-marking contests.
Make sure each cat has access to his own resources: a feeding station,
including a water bowl, set at a comfortable distance from others and
his own safe area to retreat to in case of hostilities. One cat may seem
to be taking over, finishing his food first and nudging the other cat
away from his bowl, or consistently displacing the other cat from a
favored sleeping spot. While it may seem unfair not to intervene on
behalf of the "under" cat, it is best to let the animals work out their
own arrangement of which one rests where, as long as there is no serious
aggression. Just make sure each cat is getting enough food, attention
and
play.
Cat on Cat Aggression
Some arching of backs, hissing and spitting are to be expected. These
behaviors, along with occasional spats, are the cats' natural ways of
renegotiating their relative social positions. But if a real fight
breaks out, complete with ear-splitting screams and bodily injuries,
it's time to intervene. Also step in if one cat is reduced to a bundle
of nerves and hides all the time, overgrooms, stops eating or stops
using the litter box.
If trouble breaks out, separate the cats, giving each of them access to
all his necessities in a stress-free safe room. Once each feline returns
to normal, go through the introduction process again. Before actually
letting the cats meet face to face, you may want to add a step, allowing
them only to see and smell each other from behind a barrier — for
example, a screen door or a gate. This way, there's no risk of injury if
one cat reacts aggressively. Continue this until the cats no longer
behave antagonistically toward each other.
If one cat waylays the other en route to the food bowl or litter box, he is only mirroring the
hunting behavior
of a wild feline. A cat learns the paths of his prey, then hides in a
convenient spot for an ambush. Most household ambushes involve play, at
least on the part of the pouncer. However, if the pouncee isn't in the
mood, aggression can result. This is a common problem when a younger cat
lives with an older one. It can take a long time (perhaps even longer
than their natural life span) for one cat to accept that the other
doesn't like to play this way. The victim may become discouraged from
eating or using the litter box if the attacks continue. Place food bowls
and litter boxes in areas with clear, unobstructed views and remove any
items that provide hiding spots for the antagonist.
If all else fails, speak to your vet or a certified applied animal
behaviorist for advice on remedying the situation. Sometimes medication
can be effective in calming aggression until the cats can adjust to each
other. If all these efforts fail and you feel the quality of life of
one or both cats is being compromised, you may need to find a new home
for one of them.
