Helping Your Cats Get Along

Have you recently added a second or third kitty to your household? We love seeing cats go to great homes! However, your resident feline may not be quite as happy about the situation as we are. Kitties can be both jealous and resentful of each other. In this article from Westside Animal Hospital, a Savannah, GA vet discusses helping your furballs get along.

First Impressions

First impressions are very important to our feline pals. To get your kitties started out on the right paw together, keep them separated at first, and then introduce them slowly. You might see some hissing and ‘floofing’ at first, but this should steadily dissipate.

Playtime

Dual play sessions can be very helpful in soothing tension among cats. This will give your pets a chance to burn off any angst or excess energy they have, so they don’t take it out on each other. Play with your furry pals together regularly. If possible, do this at roughly the same time every night, so they have something to look forward to.

Pawsitive Thoughts

You’ll need to make your feline friends realize that good things happen when they are together. The dual play sessions mentioned above are great for this. Giving your kitties toys, treats, catnip, and attention together will also help.

Purniture

One reason that kitties often fight is that they feel they have to compete for resources. (To Fluffy, resources include things like furniture, lap space, sunbeams, treats, and toys.) Make sure that you have enough of everything. You don’t want your pets bickering over whose turn it is to use the cat tower!

Litterboxes

Cats don’t like sharing bathrooms. Crowded litterboxes can definitely cause friction. We recommend having one box per kitty, plus at least one extra.

Purrsonal Favorites

Cats all have their own purrsonalities. Some kitties may like catnip mice: others just want to bat bottlecaps around. This is also true for litter, food, and treats. Pay attention to what your furry pals like and dislike.

Charmed Life

Hopefully this goes without saying, but making your home both fun and comfortable for pets will help both of them happy. Set out lots of comfy napping spots, and give your kitties places to hide and things to investigate.

Please contact us if ever we can be of assistance. As your local Savannah, GA vet clinic, we are here to help!