If you’re here, my guess is you’ve come across this article because you were looking for a solution to a problem you already have or one you’re expecting to have in the upcoming months. Maybe you’ve taken in multiple cats and at least one doesn’t get along with another. Or you’ve just adopted a second cat. Or you’re hoping to adopt kitty #2 and are trying to troubleshoot before issues even crop up.
No matter the situation you’re in, this article should definitely help. I honestly believe that even if you’ve been living in a household where two or more of your cats haven’t gotten along for years, some combination of the tips I’ll be presenting should work to relieve the tension. You may not get perfect peace and harmony at home, but you should see some results, at least in most situations. But you do have to be a little patient because, in my experience, these tips take time to have proper effect. Have time on your hands? I certainly believe you can make it work!
Our journey to adopt a second cat was a long one, delayed by various circumstances. Initially, the move to the UK, which we thought would be permanent, halted our plans. Then, our living situation in a studio for two years was not conducive to introducing a sibling to Avery. However, when we moved to Portugal and found a larger home, fate had another surprise for us. An amicable neighborhood cat, Bjorn, who had no home, joined our family.
I anticipated challenges in integrating two adult male cats, especially since Avery was not used to living with another cat. Typically, introducing two cats of the same gender can be problematic. But we couldn’t turn Bjorn away; we had to make it work. I began experimenting with various methods, and after months of effort, I’m happy to say that I’ve achieved significant success.
The Amazon Basics Large Cat Activity Tree was one of the tools I used.
My primary goal was not for the cats to like each other but for them to coexist peacefully. They don’t fight anymore, and while they may not be best friends, they get along well. They even eat together, which took time but is a significant milestone.I believe there’s still potential for their relationship to grow. If they do become best friends, I’ll update this post. For those who just want their cats to get along without conflict, I have plenty of advice based on my experiences.
Is it possible to apply these techniques to more than two cats? Yes, but it might be more challenging. My methods involve sectioning off cats, so you might need as many rooms as you have cats to help them all get along. However, I believe it’s feasible, even if it takes longer.
If you have control over the situation, I advise adopting a new cat only after the existing ones have learned to coexist peacefully.
This way, only the newcomer needs to adjust to the group, simplifying the integration process.Now, let’s delve into the details of how I managed to integrate Bjorn into our family. (Edit 2024-01-26: I wrote a follow-up article that you might find interesting).
The key to understanding how I got my two male, adult cats to get along lies in recognizing the primary cause of their initial conflict: stress.
Create as many happy or neutral moments when cats are finally allowed together in the same space. Always separate the cats by placing one in a safe room when stressful situations may occur, like when hunger strikes. Eliminate stress for individual cats as much as possible. This includes ensuring plentiful resources such as places to scratch, drink, use the litter, sleep, and play. Also, intuit issues your aggressor has with the environment and try to make up for them by increasing playtime and frequency. These three steps can bring peace to your group of cats.
The Particulars: How I Reduced My Aggressive Cat’s Stress in Specific Ways. In stress reduction, Avery was the cat I focused on as the aggressor. Bjorn was never bothered by Avery. Avery’s stress came from a few sources. Your cat may have different sources of anxiety. Having trouble finding solutions? Some examples include loud construction, a neighbourhood cat visit, or moving to a new house. Let me know in the comments if you need help brainstorming. Problem 1: Energy bursts (converted to aggression) at odd hours of the day. Avery is not a very playful cat and is probably the laziest. This didn’t lead to a positive attitude toward his new furry sibling. He has pent up energy like most cats and gets hyperactive late at night after his final meal. Being stubborn and not liking to play makes it hard to release his energy.Avery, notorious for ignoring toys and showing aggression, was successfully trained with the help of specific cat toys and playtime sessions.
**Increased Playtime and Variety of Toys**: To engage Avery more frequently, I introduced more toys and extended playtime sessions. The kicker toy, specifically the KONG Kickeroo, became his favorite and an effective exercise tool.
**Managing Predatory Behavior**: To manage Avery’s prey drive, I aimed to exhaust him before his usual zoomies turned aggressive. The frequency of play varies per cat, but increasing both frequency and duration can help. High-energy toys like feather wands and self-play toys are recommended for releasing energy quickly.
**Self-Play Toys for Independence**: Investing in self-play toys allows cats to entertain themselves, especially when owners are not available. These toys cater to their prey drive independently.
**Addressing Hunger-Induced Aggression**: Recognizing Avery’s aggression stemmed from hunger, I separated the cats before meals and used an automatic feeder set to dispense food every 4 hours. This approach helped reduce hunger-related stress and aggression.
In pursuit of progress, I invested in an automatic pet feeder, the PetSafe Healthy Pet Simply Feed, which is difficult for my feral kitty to tamper with for extra kibble.
I scheduled the feeder to dispense food every 4 hours, releasing kibble into my Mogoko Cat Catch Interactive Feeder, a slow feed cat bowl previously used for Bjorn. My intention is to connect it to the Catit Design Senses Food Maze, which I consider the best feeder toy, but this requires elevating the timed feeder and bracing it to a chair or similar structure. (Edit 2020/07/07: I have already done this using a stool – a perfect solution! You can see the details in my feeder review here.) Without a feeder toy, Bjorn would consume all kibble in seconds due to his aggressive eating habits. With the Mogoko, Avery can participate, but not as much as desired. The Catit, with its three levels, is more challenging and takes longer for the kibble to be released, ensuring each cat gets their share and reducing the speed at which they eat, which is crucial for training Bjorn not to be as food obsessed as Avery has been over the years. Since implementing the automatic, timed feeder, there has been a noticeable reduction in fights between the two, especially during the day. I plan to run the feeder all day soon, which I believe will further reduce anxiety and make fights extremely rare. Bjorn’s occasional feisty behavior bothers Avery, who is a more low-key cat. Bjorn can be overly energetic and lacks understanding of personal space. To address this, I trained Bjorn to be calmer around food and fed the cats snacks separately. I also trained Avery and Bjorn to ‘sit’ together, which helped calm Bjorn down and showed Avery he could improve his attitude. Combined with the use of slow feeder toys and the timed feeder, this has made Avery a happier cat as he no longer has to deal with Bjorn’s wilder side as often.If your cat is hyperactive and another cat is aggressive, it’s crucial to determine how to calm the hyperactive one down or separate them during playtime and feeding until they develop a healthier relationship.
Here are some tips that may help you in managing their behavior: Ensure you provide adequate attention to your cats. If one requires more and the other doesn’t seem jealous, cater to the one that needs it more. The amount of attention given doesn’t need to be equal; it’s the perceived lack that causes tension. Invest in numerous sleeping, scratching, and litter areas for your cats to prevent competition. Consider purchasing small cat trees like the AmazonBasics Cat Scratching Post and Hammock or cardboard scratchers like the Necoichi Cat-Headed Cardboard Cat Scratcher Bed. These often combine scratch posts or pads with cat beds, offering two functions in one, which is cost-effective if you need more beds and scratch spots. Identify the aggressor and address their anxiety. Observe when they are anxious and when they bully another cat. Engage them in play or move them to a new sleeping or scratching spot to understand what’s causing their behavior. Be proactive in reducing the chances of aggression. Play with your cat more or increase the number of sleeping and scratching spots. If there’s a popular spot, consider getting duplicates to reduce tension and anxiety. Changes in a cat’s life can lead to stress and aggression. Cats dislike change, and the aggression often stems from the aggressor’s stress levels rather than the target cat. Providing stress-free days can help reduce anxiety and ‘snapping’. Cater to your cat’s preferences, such as specific napping spots, foods, treats, cuddles in sunny areas, and scratching under their chin. Spoiling your cat in these ways can significantly reduce anxiety levels. Always strive to ensure that a cat’s experiences with the other cat are positive.If you think something bad might happen and stress levels might be high, keep the cats apart until the anxiety or threat passes. This includes separating them if they get moody before meals, if going out for long periods stresses them out, or if noisy construction bothers them. Don’t let your cat associate fear or anxiety with another cat. Do your best to ensure a cat’s experience with another cat is positive or neutral.
Spoil your cats in the presence of the one they’re aggressive toward. Let them feel happy and carefree in the presence of the other cat so they start to associate happy emotions with it. Give your cats time. Training cats takes a long time, whether it’s to be comfortable in a car or to get along with another cat. If possible, keep cats separate unless you’re present. If they’re already together, give one a room if it’s okay with having its own space. Taking breaks from each other helps all parties. It ensures safety and no one is picked on in your absence. It also helps spot anxiety sources in the aggressor cat. Finally, it guarantees interactions are positive or neutral when controlled by you. Your Turn: Advice for Encouraging Cats to Get Along? Now I’d like to take to the comments and leave tips and advice for pet parents whose cats are not getting along. Has this ever happened to you before? Did your cats ever get along? What did you try? What do you wish you tried? Please share your story. Any thoughts on this topic – please leave down below! You would be helping many pet parents if they stumble across your comment.
