Do you have a multi-cat household? Do your cats get along? Are you sure? 😼 I just had this discussion with a client today with his pair of kitties and thought I’d share the info. One of his cats would simply stare, unblinking, at the other until she would hiss and run away. The cats are now just becoming young adults and are also becoming much less friendly with one another lately. We discussed adding more resources to the home.
When dogs don’t like one another and aren’t getting along, it is usually pretty easy to tell. Their hair stands up, they snarl and growl and bark and sometimes even fight.
Cats often aren’t so obvious about getting along (among other things, right?). Felines who don’t really like one another usually don’t fight, at least not at first, especially if they have grown up together. Cats who aren’t getting along often will just stare at one another until one of the cats runs away. Or they will just avoid one another. Actual fighting is usually the last resort unless they are driving off a new/strange cat.
The best way to be sure your cats haven’t got reasons to not get along is to be sure that each of them has his/her own resources. Those resources include separate food/water bowls, litter pans, resting places in different places around the home. Sometimes your lap may even be considered a resource to a cat who wants to use it, and they may be jealous if another cat is on it. Sounds silly, but since when has a cat ever made any sense? 😺 When there are enough resources to go around, then even cats who may not love one another can usually at least co-exist peacefully.
You can learn more about recognizing inter-cat issues and how to help prevent/correct them at: https://catfriendly.com/why-does-my-cat/territory/