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As humans, we tend to want to see things in groups or families. We often feel that our singleton cats are lonely or would benefit from a “friend” when they’re alone. While this may be true of many species, such as rabbits, unfortunately, cats tend to be solitary animals.
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We are certainly not insinuating that you shouldn’t add a second or third cat to your home, especially since we strongly advocate adoption and providing a forever home to cats who would otherwise be euthanized. What we are recommending, is that you carefully consider the age and gender of the existing cat in the home and the proposed adoptee, as well as vaccination status, living space, temperament, and existing special needs such as diet or medication.
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The bottom line is that is can be troublesome to introduce new cats to an existing household and a slow “introduction period” should be considered to reduce the likelihood of aggression, inappropriate urination and defecation and other behavioral problems. It should also be noted that even with slow introductions, some cats may never, peacefully co-exist.
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Make an appointment to speak with us about ways to minimize multi-cat home problems and how to recognize aggressive or fearful behavior in your cats. You may also find useful information on The Indoor Pet Initiative website, provided by The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Call or send us an email at [email protected]