Multiple Cats

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Even though not all cat lovers set out to share their home turf with more than one cat, sometimes life just works out that way. Sometimes a family doesn't want their pet to be lonely, so somebody decides that solo cat might enjoy a playmate. That's what happened in Lanita's household. A year after she and her parents began living with Tinkerbelle, a Siamese, they acquired her year-younger brother, Yoddah. After thirteen years of feline togetherness, the cats' sibling bond persists. Tinkerbelle and Yoddah share a food dish and a litter box but must have their own water bowls.

Necessity can likewise bring several cats together under the same roof. When human partners move in together, they must consider whether his tabby will tolerate her Siamese. When introducing cats to cohabitation, proceed with caution.

When Nancy and Steve decided to share their lives, Nancy introduced her male cat, Harley, to Steve's cats, brothers Skeets and Hutch, by bringing Harley to meet them in his pet carrier. She sat on the floor with Harley in the carrier. When she eventually let him out, she kept him at her side. "I let the others take their time, come up and sniff him," she says. Meanwhile, she made "good boy" noises. Harley also sniffed and wandered. Not until nearly two hours after their arrival did Nancy feel confident enough to leave the three cats, none of whom has an aggressive personality, alone. Eighteen months later, their pal-ship continues.

Sometimes many cats just find a cat lover to keep them all. Growing up on a farm prepared Rita for her present menagerie. She currently has multiple cats and a house in the country with four built-in cat doors and lots of large window seats. "If you sit down, you'd better not plan to move for awhile. You'll have at least three or four cats joining you!" Rita laughs. "I always think there's some kind of Underground Railroad bringing cats here," she says referring to the network of secret routes that took U.S. slaves to freedom.

Rita makes sure all of her cats have been spayed, neutered and vaccinated. She has six food dishes in the kitchen and more in a bedroom, and plenty of litter boxes upstairs and down.

It's important to find litter box and filler that suits your cats' fastidiousness and your own nose and preferences for cleaning up. Tidy Cats® has a whole line of litter products, all uniquely designed to meet the challenges of multiple cat households. Everything from the design of the litter box to the choice of litter can make a difference in maintaining harmony.

Cat behavior expert, Amy Shojai, recommends the 1 + 1 rule: one litter box per cat plus one more. So if you have five cats, you need six litter boxes. A dominant cat may not let others use her box. And, some cats prefer one litter box for going #1 and another for going #2. Hey - cats are persnickety. But that's why we love them.

Before adding a cat or two to your household, consider this advice from veterinarians. Try it out. Watch not just for fighting, but for changes in your original cat or cats' litter box habits. These can be signs of frustration. Be sure your cats are happy. Then you'll be happy, too.