Cats are a bit like people when it comes to
friendships. Cats living in a group have “preferred
associates” ("friends," if you will), and other
cats from which they actively distance themselves (definitely not
preferred). Why would this be, you might ask?
Background probably plays some role. Many species, including
cats, learn a lot about their inter- and extra-species
relationships during the so-called “sensitive period” of
their development. For cats, this is between 2 and 7 weeks of
age. Pleasurable exposure to whomever or whatever during this
period can lead to lifelong acceptance.
The corollary to this is also true: Unpleasant
experiences in early kittenhood can lead to lifelong mistrust
or even hatred. Perhaps some of cats’ preferences are imbued
during the critical period. Extreme examples of how this works
are provided by reference to the feral and orphan cat
situations. Feral cats that have not been exposed to people
during the first 7 weeks of their life will never be entirely
comfortable around people. Hand-raised orphan cats that have
not had a chance to interact with their own species will
likely never be at ease with their kind and instead often
become “over-attached’ to their human caregivers. Which
other felines a cat will tolerate is also likely shaped by
early learning, or lack thereof.
This is not to say that social learning cannot occur later, as
well. One really bad experience down the road of life can also
have profound and long-lasting negative effects on a cat’s
perception of others, and such fears can generalize.
Other reasons why cats may not get along include dominance,
sexuality, and territoriality. As with humans, such factors
seem to make the cat’s world go round and are so important
to some individuals as to border on obsession. A cat that is
extremely attached to his owner may not appreciate having to
share this valued resource with a new cat, a total stranger.
Certainly, a red-blooded male will not appreciate sharing his
quarters with another of the same persuasion (thank heavens
for neutering). Finally, a despotic leader cat that has his
house in order will often not appreciate the addition of
another cat, especially if the newcomer isn’t fully
respectful of the laws that he (or she) has layed down.
When cats are brought together under the same roof they often
squabble for a while. This squabbling often takes the form of
a few hisses, one cat charging the other, or a few
well-directed swats. Spats of aggression are likely before
(hopefully) peace breaks out. It has been shown that the
frequency of minor spats of aggression tends to decline over 4
months until it reaches baseline. However, peace is not a
guaranteed outcome, even with careful engineering of cats’
exposure to each other to prevent serious “meltdowns.”
Hostilities can and sometimes do escalate until the situation
is untenable for the owner or one of the cats. That’s when
owners call in the veterinary “fire-engine service.”
It’s preferable to avoid the development of such entrenched
negativity and the following program is designed to do just
that:
The Goals
To prevent, when possible (and within the bounds
of a particular cat's personal limitations) serious
altercations between cats when they are introduced.
To foster pleasant experiences for the cats so
that they can build some positive history together.
The Program
Bring the newcomer into a room that you have prepared as
a comprehensive living area for a cat complete with a food
bowl, water dish, cat toys, litter tray, cat bed, and
climbing frame.
Spend quality time with your new arrival, petting her,
offering food treats, and speaking softly.
Subsequently, spend some time with your resident cat
giving her the same red carpet treatment.
At set times each day, refill the food bowls on either
side of the closed door that separates the cats.
Spend alternate feeding times on different sides of the
door, observing the cats’ reactions to each other while
separated by this barrier. The first step is to ensure
that the two cats do not react aggressively toward each
other by hissing or batting under the door. Rather, they
should remain focused on the pleasurable work of eating or
playing, and should show only mild curiosity with respect
to the cat on the other side of the door.
If the cats will not come to the door at the prescribed
times, or if they display any hostility to each other, the
food bowls should be moved back to a distance at which all
cats are comfortable and able to eat without distraction.
It may sometimes be necessary to arrange to have the cats
more hungry at feeding time by feeding slightly less food
for a few days.
Change the new cat’s environment every 24 to 36 hours
so that it spends time in parts of the environment that
have recently been occupied by the other cat(s). The other
cat(s) should be confined to the area previously habited
by the newcomer. This way the cats will have a chance for
olfactory investigation of each others’ scents without
any risk of conflict. The sense of smell is very important
to cats and is one of the ways they recognize each other.
If things are going well, crack the door an inch or two
at feeding time allowing the cats to catch glimpses of
each other. Ideally they should show interest but no
aggression to each other at this level of exposure.
If there is no adverse reaction on the part of any of
the cats at the “cracked door stage,” further visual
access can be permitted by way of a screen. Sometimes it
is necessary to progress more slowly by scotch-taping
newspaper to the screen to limit the visual access to a
4-inch slot (rather than using the full screen). If
necessary, visual access can be increased incrementally.
Once the cats are acting non-chalantly across the screen
it is time to progress to the next level – having them
in the same room together.
Rather than risk losing all gains in one fell swoop,
have the cats restrained on harnesses or in see-through
crates. Position them on opposite side of the room
initially and feed them in this situation. If the cats
eat, this is a good sign.
Over hours or days the cats can be moved closer to each
other and/or can be allowed to spend more time in each
other’ presence (still with physical restraint in
place).
Then free one of the cats and note her response. A
curious but friendly interest in the other cat is good
news.
On the next feeding, free the other cat (the first one
is now restrained). Make similar observations.
Finally, free both cats simultaneously and hope for the
best (but be ready to intervene, if necessary).
If at any stage of the proceedings there is a negative
consequence, then simply return to the previous “safe”
level of exposure and hang for a while, days if necessary,
until the cats have regained their composure and can be
brought closer together once more.
Some people might consider this program to be overkill, but it
minimizes all risk of an acute behavioral meltdown and
prevents the establishment of any permanent malevolence. Also,
if the cats are slated to be friends, it is possible to move
through the program more quickly, progressing as fast as the
cats’ reaction to each other permits. True to the old maxim,
it’s better to be safe than sorry. Otherwise put: An ounce
of caution can save an awful lot of grief - and an awful lot
of behaviorist’s bills.
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