Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: February 1, 2023 by Crystal Uys
I frequently get questions about behavior problems with cats who live in multi-cat households. Whether it’s cat to cat introductions, litter box problems, or aggression, these types of issues can be extremely challenging for cat guardians, and sadly, they often result in cats being relinquished to shelters.
Amy Shojai, a certified animal behavior consultant and award winning author of more than twp dozen pet care books, put together a comprehensive guide for cat guardians facing these challenges. ComPetability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Multi-Cat Household helps cat parents understand why cats do the things they do, and how to create a peaceful multi-cat household.
This comprehensive guide covers how to
• Recognize and diffuse cat-to-cat aggression
• Settle disputes over territory, potty problems and mealtime woes
• Choose an appropriate furry friend that resident cats welcome with open “paws”
• Introduce the new arrival (including babies and kids) to the current cats
• Solve common pet peeves: meowing, clawing, countertop cruising, door dashing and more!
• Understand weird behaviors: phone attraction, mirror fear, “elevator butt” and toilet pests
Packed with solid information and easy to follow, practical advice, this guide is a valuable resource with step-by-step instructions to help cat guardians evaluate their cats’ personalities, find a good match if adding new cats to the family, and make their home a fun and safe place for all members of the family, both feline and human.
This book is available for Kindle, but if you don’t have a Kindle, don’t worry. You can download a free reading app to read this and other Kindle books on your PC, Mac, iPad, Android tablet and smartphone.
For more information about Amy Shojai and her other books, please visit AmyShojai.com.
About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
Hi Ingrid- I have 7 cats of different ages, all with clean bills of health (as of this past February). I’m having trouble with seemingly random fights between 3 of mine: my 10-year old male is always involved, and one of two of my younger torties (3yrs and 2yrs). The strange thing is that they ignore each other most of the time, so it’s not that they fight every time they see each other. I never see the start of the fights, so I don’t know what’s triggering them. This also seems to have started while I was away from home for a couple of days early this year. Until then, there were rarely fights, and the few that happened were between the 10-yr old and a different one.
I’m not sure if I should do a complete reintroduction, which I’ve seen recommended for cats that fight whenever they see each other. That would be stressful for the one who had to be isolated, so I don’t want to do it unless it’s necessary.
I’ve been reading about cat behavior and watching Jackson Galaxy, but I haven’t come across recommendations for cats who only fight sometimes. Do you have any recommendations yourself, or could you point me to any resources about this?
Thanks!
Athena
These situations are always challenging, Athena, especially since you don’t know the trigger of the aggression. I know they got a clean bill of health, but any time you see a sudden behavior change, a veterinary exam is always the first step. Reintroduction may help, but if it causes additional stress, it may not be the right answer. I wish I had better answers for you. I would recommend working with a feline behaviorist. If you can’t find anyone local to you, I can recommend Marilyn Krieger http://thecatcoach.com/ and Pam Johnson-Bennett http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com/ Both offer remote consultations.
Ok, thanks
Hi Ingrid,
That sounds like an excellent cat behavior book. Looks like it covers quite a bit.
I’ve been through quite a few of the issues you’ve mentioned and they can really leave a person feeling at a loss as to how to understand it and what to do about it.
Some times the cause is anxiety over introducing a new cat, medical issues, the sofa or the litter box was moved, or just about anything new. Newness or change involved fear of the unknown or loss of the familiar. That can be very upsetting to cats (and to humans).
I’ve seen cats that are normally calm and polite act in unexpected ways when change comes about or when they end up with a medical issue.
“counter cruising” and “elevator butt” = too funny 😀
Sounds like an ebook worth looking into at a great price.
=^-^= Hairless Cat Girl =^-^=
I guess my human will check it because Milou is always hissing at me, even when I’m not trying to play with him.
(he’s a little grumpy)
Purrs
Thank you