Purrfect your client’s feline knowledge! E-newsletters are a proven way to increase and improve communication with your clients. With that in mind, we have created some content you can use or edit as needed. You can also use it as a guide or template to create your own. We recommend focusing on quick facts and tips about cats and your practice.
September 2024
Do You Have a Multi-cat Household?
We know that having more than one cat to love is wonderful, but you do need to make sure they get along so every cat is happy and healthy. Intercat tension can sometimes be subtle, showing up as changes in behavior, prolonged staring, or keeping their distance from each other. In more obvious cases, you might notice chasing, swatting, or even fighting. It is important to recognize and manage this tension to keep a peaceful household. According to a recent survey, between 62.2% and 87.7% of multi-cat households experience intercat tension, and 73.3% of these cases begin with the introduction of a new cat into the home.
Recognizing Signs of Intercat Tension
It is essential for cat caregivers to be able to notice positive interactions among cats from signs of intercat tension so you can help your cats be comfortable together.
Here are some signs that cats like each other:
- Mutual Grooming: They frequently groom each other.
- Sleeping Together: They often sleep in close contact and may face each other or touch.
- Friendly Approaches: When they approach each other, their tails are up, and they often touch noses or rub heads or sides.
- Balanced Play: Play is mutual, with each cat taking turns chasing the other. If only one cat does the chasing, it is not play.
- Initiating Interaction: Either cat may start an interaction.
Alternately, here are some signs of possible tension between cats:
- Prolonged Staring: Especially when the other cat is moving.
- Guarding or Blocking Resources: Such as food, water, sleeping spots, litter boxes, or toys.
- Avoidance: Staying far apart and/or away from each other, or hiding.
- Vocalizations: Low growls or hisses.
- Refusal to Enter Rooms: One cat may refuse to enter a room if the other cat is present. This is a great concern if that room contains any of a cat’s key resources, such as food, water, litter box, bed, safe space to rest or hide, etc.
- Change in Normal Behaviors: This can range from not eating, inactivity, disturbed sleep, overgrooming, scratching, urine marking, or not using the litter box.
- Cornering or Chasing: One cat corners, chases, or stalks the other.
- Physical Contact: Biting, swatting, or scratching.
- Vocalization: Loud growls, yowls, or hisses.
- Fighting: Including hissing, growling, chasing, swatting, and pinning.
- Body Positions: Arched back, raised hair, crouched body, fixated stare, flattened ears, and swishing or a puffed tail.
If you notice any of these signs, please contact us right away.
Managing and Preventing Intercat Tension
Creating a positive multi-cat household involves understanding and meeting your cats’ needs:
- Environmental Enrichment: Ensure each cat has access to safe places, multiple and separated resources (food, water, litter boxes, resting places), and opportunities for play and predatory behavior.
- Gradual Introductions: When introducing a new cat, use this step-by-step approach to allow for a smooth transition.
- Positive Reinforcement: Reward good behaviors to encourage positive interactions between cats. Behavior modification techniques may help your cats to become tolerant of one another.
- Advanced Professional Support: If tension persists, we may recommend seeking specialized support from a board-certified veterinary behaviorist.
Understanding and addressing intercat tension is key to ensuring a peaceful and happy multi-cat household. By recognizing the signs and taking proactive steps to manage and prevent tension, you can help your cats live more harmoniously together.