Keeping The Peace Between Cats

Do you have more than one cat? Have you recently adopted a second, third, or even fourth kitty? While our feline friends often get along just fine with roommates, this isn’t always the case. A local Sandstone, MN vet offers a few tips on helping your little buddies get along in this article.

Make Introductions Slowly

First impressions are very important to cats. It can take a long time to undo the damage done by a bad initial meeting. Introduce kitties slowly, and in stages. Ask your vet for specific advice on this.

Provide Ample Resources

If your pets have to compete for food, water, litterbox space, or other resources, then the odds of friction between them will rise drastically. Make sure that there is plenty of everything to go around.

Don’t Play Favorites

Cats can be quite possessive of their humans, and often get very jealous of one another. If you adopt a kitten, it can be very, very easy to lavish attention on your adorable new arrival, and leave your resident cat feeling ignored. Offer equal attention.

Form Positive Impressions

Cats sometimes take a long time to size each other up. You can actually make this work to your advantage. If you play with your kitties at the same time, and give them treats together, it can help them begin to form positive impressions about one another. They’ll eventually realize that good things happen when they’re together.

Offer Custom Care

Our feline pals are all unique individuals, and they all have their own tastes. One kitty may like catnip mice, while another may be immune to the effects of catnip. Offer a variety of toys. You may also find that your pets have different nutritional needs. Separate feeding can be tricky, but modern products do make this a bit easier. You can get feeders that only open for a specific microchip, which will help ensure that each furball gets the correct meal.

Avoid Overcrowded Facilities

It may seem logical to have your pets share a litterbox, but this isn’t always a great idea. Many cats prefer to have their own private facilities. We’d recommend getting one box per kitty, plus at least one extra. If you do only have one litterbox, get a large one and be diligent about keeping it clean.

Please reach out with questions or concerns about your cat’s health or care. As your local Sandstone, MN pet hospital, we are always here for you!