Cats Living Together
Cat behaviour can be very subtle and just because cats are not fighting or hissing at each other, it does not necessarily mean that they are friends. It can be helpful to watch them carefully to assess whether they get along and consider where their resources are placed, to ensure your cats are all happily cohabiting.
Domestic cats are similar to the African wildcat in that they still have an inherent desire to be solitary hunters and maintain a territory. However, they can live well together in circumstances when:
- they perceive each other to be in the same social group and
- there are sufficient resources provided for them to avoid competition
While some cats can form very strong social bonds, sometimes cats living in the same household do not perceive each other to be in the same social group, although under stress they will tolerate the presence of others – especially for a particularly valued resource such as food, a fuss from the owner, or the sunniest spot in the house. This is more likely to happen if they were introduced as adults, were forced to interact too quickly and given insufficient resources.
A few signs of aggression and conflict:
- Some cats will ‘block’ access to food, water or litter trays from other cats that they live with. This is done very subtly so owners often do not notice and it can be very stressful for the affected cat – sometimes even leading to behavioural problems.
- Some cats operate a more tolerant ‘time share’ system where one cat may use a particular area in the morning and the other cat will then use that area in the afternoon, for example.
- Others may live separately in a particular area of the house. For example, one cat may live upstairs, while the other cat lives downstairs.
- Sometimes other events may precipitate signs of conflict – such as illness in one of the cats in a household. For example, a cat which develops a disease which increases its fluid intake – such as diabetes, or renal disease – may start to urinate on a carpet away from the litter tray. There may not be anything wrong with the cat’s ability to use a litter tray, instead it may be that the tray is blocked at certain times by other cats in the household and the cat is unable to access the tray when it needs to.
Signs of aggression and conflict are not the only way to tell that cats are in different social groups. Because the signs can be subtle, so you need to look for the positive signs of social interaction.
Positive signs of social interaction:
- Cats are in the same social group if they sleep touching each other
- Spend time rubbing and grooming each other, sharing and reinforcing their common scent.
- Cuddling up with one another
Cohabiting Tips:
Separate room
When introducing two cats to each other for the first time, it is best to give each cat a separate room. In each room provide each cat with:
- Food and water. Cats like to drink away from where they eat, so place the food and water bowls in separate areas sited away from the litter tray
- Somewhere to hide. It is very important for cats to have somewhere to hide. eg a cardboard box on its side, or under the bed – particularly when adapting to a new environment.
- A viewing platform. Cats love to view their surroundings from a height. You could offer access to high spots eg shelves or the top of a wardrobe window sills. Ensure easy access by placing a stool nearby.
- Somewhere to sleep – igloo beds, cardboard box, blankets in elevated places.
- Toys. Take note that a cat may not want to play while they are settling in.
- A scratching post. Try placing this near to where the cat sleeps as they often like to stretch and scratch after they wake up
- Litter tray but placed away from food and water bowls.
Resource placement
Provide separate food, water and litter trays if your cats are in a different social group. Place them in a variety of different places in the home to avoid conflict and competition.
Swap scents
Before introducing the cats physically, introduce them to each other’s scent by:
- Stroking each cat with a separate clean, soft cloth and dabbing it around your home and furniture or leaving the cloth in the cat’s environment to sniff when the cat is ready to investigate.
- Keep swapping the scents until the cats show no reaction to the smell
- If the cats avoid the scent cloth, then the scent swapping stage is going to take longer
You can progress to allowing them to see each other, but not letting them touch or meet one another. Try placing a glass or mesh door between the cats, and allow each cat to approach or hide as they choose. Do not progress to a face-to-face introduction until the cats either ignore each other or show positive feline social behaviour – such as attempting to groom each other or rub heads on each other through the divider.
When it is time to introduce your cats face to face, it helps to:
- Ensure easy escape routes are available for both cats, as well as easy access to places higher up, such as furniture or shelves
- Start in a fairly large room where they can stay at a distance from each other
- Supervise the cats when they are together
- Work at a pace that the cats are comfortable with and go back a step if necessary
- Only introduce for short periods of time during feeding time to help form positive associations with each other, before returning the cats to separate rooms
- Gradually start to fuss or play with the cats for a short time, so their attention is on you, before putting the food down If this is tolerated, gradually increase the time they spend together.
It can take anything from a day to many weeks for cats to tolerate each other, so don’t give up if there is some hissing and spitting initially, just go back a step. They are unlikely to fight, but have a blanket ready just in case, so you can separate them. Take care to avoid being bitten or scratched as the cats may be quite excited. Don’t chase or shout at them as this will only lead to them associating each other with bad things.
Another tip: Many cats prefer to eat separately to other cats – even those cats in the same social group, as a throwback to their evolutionary past when they would hunt – and eat – separately. Cats can feel vulnerable when they are eating, so place food and water bowls slightly away from the wall, so the cat has space to sit with its back to the wall and is able to survey the room while eating or drinking.
A self reminder: Even despite careful introductions, some cats will never become friends or part of the same social group. Differences in characteristics play a great part in all social interactions and cats are certainly no exception to this rule. Whatever the results, don’t blame yourself. You have done your best. :)