ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Multi-Cat Household

by Shojai, Amy

  · When you have more than three cats to introduce, use individual cloths or socks to collect cheek pheromones (one cloth per cat) by petting each cat’s cheek. Take a cheek-rubbed cloth from the friendliest, most laid back of your resident kitties and leave that with the new cat for her to acclimate to one feline at a time—the one least likely to cause problems. Continue the scent exchange several times a day, offering only one resident cat “smell” to the newcomer at a time, until all the cats have had opportunity to become familiar with signature odors.

  · Another way to share the scent between cats is to place a bit of the wet litter from the new cat’s box in the resident kitties’ facilities, and vice versa. Only use a tiny amount (think in terms of a pinch!) or you risk prompting box avoidance.

  · A new cat won’t want to meet anybody nose to nose until she feels secure in the surroundings. Once hissing fades, paw pats increase, or the kitties act disinterested, isolate all your resident cats in another room of the house. Then open the door to allow Sheba to wander around the rest of the house, cheek rub everywhere and “map” the location of all the good hiding places.

  · Once the new cat has explored the rest of the house, place her in a carrier or another area of the house to allow your resident felines to check out her room. Don’t force them into the new cat’s home base, simply open the door. They may investigate all at once, in shifts, or some may ignore the invitation altogether.

  · After your new cat feels comfortable navigating your house, open the door with no fanfare, and carefully (and silently) watch what happens. Remember, these initial introductions should be between the new cat and only ONE of your resident cats at a time (the friendliest first) and not the whole furry crew at once.

  · Eating distracts both cats from the scary newness of the other animal, while associating food with each other’s presence, so feed both cats during these initial meetings. Set food down in the new cat’s room and offer the resident cat a meal at the same time outside the open door.

  · Play builds confidence in shy cats, and can also associate fun times with the presence of the other feline. During initial meetings, have a second family member play with the new cat while the resident feline’s favorite person plays with him. With practice, you can learn to manipulate a fishing pole or other interactive toy in each hand, to wrangle two cats at once. ALWAYS use two toys, or the cats may compete for the single lure and develop negative associations.

  · Cats that live together and get along well create a group scent by sleeping together and grooming each other. New cats are shunned because they smell foreign and scary. Speed up introductions by making all the cats in the household smell alike. When dealing with only two cats, trade the collars they wear. For multiple resident cats, rub a towel over each cat in turn and then rub the new cat with the same towel. Alternatively, you can use a strong, pleasant scent like vanilla extract, a favorite perfume, or cologne, and dab just a tiny bit underneath the chin and at the base of the tail of each cat.

  · It’s normal for cats to approach each other, circle a bit, and each attempt to sniff the other’s flank and tail region before moving to the head. Watch for tail language. A tail-up greeting from either cat signals friendly intensions. If both do this, thank your lucky stars. Chances are the introductions will go smoothly. Hisses and growls mean you should cut the session short and send the new cat back to home base.

  · Use the pheromone product Feliway to signal cats that their environment is safe.

  · The herbal product, Bach Flower Rescue Remedy also helps ease the emotional upheavals and you’ll need to use it for two weeks to see a benefit.

  · Add to an existing routine by incorporating the new kitty. Group activities like grooming or playing with a fishing pole lure toy are particularly helpful.

  · Build confidence in all the cats by adding hiding places, scratching opportunities, and litter boxes so they don’t have to argue over the facilities. Cat tunnels work great to give shy felines “hidden” pathways across the middle of rooms or long hallways so they feel protected while traveling to dinner or the bathroom.

  · Until you’re satisfied everyone gets along, the new cat should stay in her home base whenever you can’t directly supervise. Replace the door with stacked baby gates so the cats can still interact through the mesh.

  · Once cats begin sleeping or playing together, consider introductions over the hump. Be prepared to interrupt play that gets wild before it becomes aggression.

  · Should aggression develop, start the introduction process all over again. Refer to the Cat-egorical Aggression chapter for more details.

  GREEN-EYED MONSTERS

  We can’t know for sure if cats feel jealous emotions the same as humans, but for purposes of discussion that’s how we’ll refer to the behavior. Cats also often act jealous when a new boyfriend or baby steals their thunder. Just one cat with her tail in a twist can upset the rest of the feline family and make them suspicious of the person, or act poorly with feline companions.

  The jealous cat’s behavior changes confuse the other felines and make them act out as a result. In the most serious cases, jealousy escalates to aggression when cats seek to throw the interloper out of the house. Keep the peace with proper introductions to new people in your life.

  · Cats become jealous when they think they might lose your love, so make a point of spending special time with them even when you have a new beau or baby. Either keep the old schedule the same as before, or introduce changes gradually so the cats can cling to that familiarity.

  · You are the most important territory for your cats, but they also feel proprietary about the house. Make sure your cats feel safe and relaxed in a favorite place, such as on a cat tree, so they feel in control rather than fearful or defensive during introductions to new people.

  · When your cats get along well, they can give each other confidence and friendly kitties can act as role models for the shy felines during these introductions. One-on-one introductions with the new human can be more intimidating for a single cat so initial meetings can be informal group gatherings.

  · Cats do best when allowed to approach new people themselves. Ask guests to avoid eye contact and ignore the cat. That does more to spark kitty curiosity and an urge to investigate. If she check-rubs his pant leg, that’s very positive.

  · Cats identify friends and family members by their scent. Use a bit of your favorite perfume, cologne, or vanilla extract, or spray Feliway on guests’ pant cuffs or ankles, to make new people smell like you, somebody your cats already love. Also dab a bit of the perfume or cologne on the back of the cats’ necks and at the base of their tails so they smell like the “scary stranger” and won’t be so fearful.

  · The person who controls the resources garners trust and respect, so a new girlfriend, stepchild or spouse makes lots of points with cats by feeding them. Let your girlfriend fill the cats’ bowls, but then leave so her presence doesn’t keep the cats from eating.

  · Play therapy can be a powerful bonding tool between humans and cats. New people can use fishing pole style toys and flashlights which are feline favorites because they can play from a safe distance.

  · Banishing cats from the room or ignoring them in favor of the new person tells them they must compete for your attention. Instead, give cats EXTRA attention whenever the new person is nearby.

  Cat-to-Baby Introductions

  The old wives’ tale that cats "suck the breath" of infants has no merit, and cats and babies can become great friends. They also have the potential to terrorize and/or injure each other. In order to have the best possible relationship, proper introductions matter. When you are expecting a new baby (or grandchild or visiting infant), prepare your cats in advance to help ensure the encounter goes smoothly.

  Cats that get their tails in a twist over newcomers to the family can take out their angst on each other, you, or the furniture (with claws and urine, for example). Knowing what to expect and how to manage it can prevent
the worst problems. It’s much easier to prevent than to try and eliminate existing behaviors.

  Most cats feel curious about infants, and may seek out that warm body and try to use Baby as a warm bed. A baby's milky breath smells good and tempts many kitties to take a sniff. Although a confident cat may tolerate infants, toddlers often scare cats when they chase, pull tails, and make weird high-pitched noises. Don’t expect every cat to react the same way. Some may love being loved by the visiting toddler while others dive under the bed for the duration.

  Consider your cats’ feelings, especially if she has never before been around children. Compared to adults, babies and toddlers are Martians and particularly daunting because they don’t yet understand and take direction as well as older children. Kids smell different than adults, have high-pitched funny voices, move in unpredictable ways, and appear threatening. Babies that crawl may mimic prey behavior in their sounds and actions. Wary cats may switch into stranger-danger mode and either become frightened and hide, or defensive and try to drive away the scary creature. Neither option is good.

  Before Baby Comes Home

  · Prepare for the nine months before the infant comes home. Cats love the status quo so make any changes gradually.

  · Let Them Explore. Allow your cats to investigate the redecorated nursery they won’t feel left out. This is especially true if the cats have previously had free access to the room—banning them may cause behavior issues when they act out from the stress. Before the baby arrives is a good time to learn how your cats react to new furniture. For example, many cats think the new baby bed or basinet is just for them, and consider the butterfly mobile a fun cat toy.

  · Manage Access. Install a baby gate in the doorway so your cats can see into the room and be a part of the joy but are kept out when you can’t supervise their action. Placing a plastic carpet protector, nub side up, on the mattress will shoo most cats away.

  · Practice Crying. Fussy babies sound similar to kitten distress cries or even prey so it can be upsetting for cats to hear this. Record infant cries and play back to your cats to acclimate them to the sounds. Cats may ignore the sound or curious, and reward either behavior with calm praise.

  · Offer Positive Associations. Should your cats act upset with a hiss, growl or hiding, associate the baby noises with something they like. For instance, play a game of feather tag or offer a treat before you switch on the noise so your cats are already in a happy frame of mind. Play the sound for five seconds at a time, and slowly increase the time frame as long as the cats stay calm.

  · Dab On Baby Smells. Begin wearing baby powder or lotion weeks in advance so your cats associate the aromas with a beloved and safe human they already know.

  · Adjust Your Schedule. A new baby throws your old routine out the window. Prepare your cats in advance so they aren’t totally thrown when you attend the baby first thing in the morning instead of running to fill their food bowl. Be sure to include CAT TIME in the schedule so they don’t feel totally neglected. While you’re understandably happy, excited (and exhausted!) with a new baby in the house, excluding your cat friends from your joy only confuses them at best. At worst, upset cats act out when stressed with aggression toward each other or other stress-reducing behaviors like urinating inappropriately.

  · Give Cats An Advance Sniff. When the baby finally arrives bring home something scented with the infant so that your cat has an advance introduction. Since cats identify “friends” as smelling familiar and similar to them, it will be helpful to offer sniffing opportunities ahead of introductions. Bring home a tee shirt or baby blanket.

  · “Sock” Your Cats. No, I don’t mean to hit them—simply take a pair of baby socks and pet your cats’ cheeks so the footwear contains the feline “safe” pheromones that keep cats calm about their territory. Then have the baby wear the socks, and voila! Your baby now smells like part of the cats’ family group with the communal scent, and your pets will more readily recognize the infant as safe and acceptable member of the household.

  When Baby Comes Home

  When you bring home the baby, treat the event in a matter-of-fact manner, and don't make a big deal of the introduction (even though it's momentous, of course!). You want the kitty to understand this is a normal, expected part of his life.

  · Act Normal. Don't force the introduction. But if the cat acts interested, allow him to sniff the baby's foot, perhaps (with that scented sock). By allowing your cat to actually look at, smell, and touch that creature that's so very different, he'll understand there's nothing to fear.

  · Reward Calm Cat Confidence. Praise cats when they act well, and ignore shy or fearful behavior.

  · Associate Good Things. Cats quickly learn to associate the baby with what’s important to them—if they get ignored or yelled at when the infant is near, the baby will acquire negative associations. Figure out what your cats love and link it to the baby’s presence. Maybe you can toss treats or play with the laser toy when the baby naps on your lap, for instance.

  Cats to Kid/Toddler Introductions

  Once babies start walking they can become more interesting—and challenging—for your cats. Many of the same cat-to-baby introductions apply, but in addition, refer to these tips for toddlers and older children.

  · Offer Elevated Perches. As long as your cats have second-story territory like cat trees and chair backs out of the child’s reach, they generally can stay above the fray. Cats often enjoy the show from on high once they know crawling babies and high-energy kids can’t catch them.

  · Provide A Safe Retreat. Be sure your cats have a kitty sanctuary that’s off limits to kids. Even pets that adore children need private time and a place to go that they know they won’t be pestered.

  · Teach Kids Limits. Ask toddlers to practice petting a stuffed toy or the child’s own arm or head. Young kids take time to learn that cats can be hurt and lash out from pulled tails or ears.

  · Practice Purr-Speak. High pitched screams could potentially prompt the cats to aggress toward each other or the child. Challenge children to talk to cats in a whis-PURR voice that entices cats to come near for pets. You can explain that just like children can get frightened of scary sounds, cats can be fraidy-cats and it takes very talented kids to know how to be cat-friendly.

  · Ignore The Cats. Staring is a challenge that can hiss off cats. But when ignored, felines typically can’t resist investigating on their own. So challenge your toddler or older child to an “ignore the cat” game, and see how long they can pretend the kitty isn’t there. In most cases, a confident feline will eventually approach.

  · Seat The Kids. Cats hate being chased, and toddlers love running after them. So make it a cat rule that kids must sit before they can touch. Once seated, the child can lure and entice the cats’ interest and interaction with a feather toy or ribbon. Sitting in place and engaging with long-distance interactive toys tells cats they’re safe—they won’t be grabbed or chased—so they come closer and have fun. Playing builds a positive cat-child relationship that can grow into love.

  · Offer Cat Treats. When cats still act reluctant to approach, find a smelly, tasty treat the cat loves but ONLY gets from the child. While sitting on the floor, the child should gently toss the treat to (not AT) the cat.

  · Make A Point. Ask the child to try “pointing” a finger to the cats. This often seems to invite a feline nose-touch greeting.

  Chapter 9: CAT-TO-DOG INTRODUCTIONS

  Why do I include a section about introducing dogs? You’re a cat lover, devoted to your clowder and they to you, right? Never say never, though. You may meet the love-of-your-life who GASP! already has a dog, and then what? You wouldn’t want somebody to ask you to give up your beloved felines, nor should you expect someone to give up dog companions. Just in case, you’ll find some tips for smoothing interspecies relationships. After all, cats are not dogs—and dogs are not cats—and introducing them takes a slightly different approach.

  Most cats and dogs can get
along famously, especially if properly socialized during puppy- or kittenhood. But it will take longer to introduce them if either or both have never had positive experiences with the other species. Your rate of success also depends on the pet personalities involved.

  Some dog breeds tend to be more dangerous to cats simply because of their heritage. Terriers and sight hounds, for example, were bred to chase down prey, and the scurrying cat can trigger predatory aggression to chase, catch or even kill. A great disparity in size also has inherent risk even if the much bigger dog never intends harm. A St. Bernard might sit on and squash a tiny kitten by accident.

  THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF PET DYNAMICS

  1. Introductions go much more smoothly when at least the resident pet already knows the rules of the house. At a minimum, they should understand “no” and dogs should be leash trained.

  2. Cats and dogs properly socialized as youngsters to each other will be most likely to accept new pets as friends. When the mother dog accepts cats or the mother cat accepts dogs as friends, their offspring learns more readily to accept the other species as “family.”

  3. Resident adult pets more willingly accept babies, because they’re less of a challenge to the adult’s social status. Kittens more readily integrate into a dog home, and resident adult cats feel less threatened by puppy-size newcomers.

  4. All pets need space to claim as their own. If you don’t have enough rooms to accommodate them, enrich the environment by adding vertical space for the cats and a safe enclosed outdoor area for dogs.

  5. Newcomer cats must be familiar with the new environment before willing to meet resident dogs.

  6. Choosing complementary pet personalities promotes better relationships. An outgoing cat can build confidence in your shy dog.