Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 2, 1994 TAG: 9410220006
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: KAREN DAVIS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But just how many cats is too many?
Although most felines adapt well to social living, the more cats you confine in a limited space, the greater the incidence of behavior problems. Signs of stress from overcrowding include hiding, fighting, housesoiling and excessive grooming.
What people perceive as a behavior ``problem'' in the home, however, is often quite normal for cats in the wild. For instance, cats are naturally territorial, and they will establish and defend areas where they spend most of their time.
When living in social groups, cats tend to claim less territory, and boundaries become more flexible. Individuals that become bonded as friends even will share space, often sleeping together and grooming each other.
Cats mark their territorial boundaries with their scent by scratching and rubbing against objects or by spraying them with urine. Spaying or neutering reduces the likelihood that a cat will spray. Providing one litter box per cat and placing boxes in different rooms also helps discourage inappropriate toilet habits that may arise over boundary disputes.
Similarly, if cats become aggressive at mealtimes, provide extra food bowls or feed them in different areas of the house. Remember not to put food dishes too close to the litter boxes.
In general, the bigger your house, the fewer territorial problems your cats are likely to develop indoors. But if you have only so much room, consider expanding the cats' available territory from floor to ceiling by installing vertical cat climbing trees and kitty condos. The carpeted catwalks and perches also will spare your furniture by serving as suitable scratching posts.
Unlike dogs, cats do not live in rigid social packs where rank is all-important. Instead, they form fluid hierarchies that change over time, and seem just as capable and content to live alone when conditions demand. Although an aggressive cat sometimes may emerge as the despot in a given group, more often, felines seem to view each other as equals and govern themselves accordingly.
Cats probably recognize fellow group members primarily by scent. That's why it is important to let a newcomer acquire the ``house smell'' before introducing it to the cats in residence.
How well a newcomer is accepted can depend as much on the individual personalities involved as on the way you introduce the stranger to the group. The trick is to take things slowly.
For the first few days, keep the new arrival away from the others and in a separate room. This will allow time for the house smell to settle on the newcomer, too. After the first day or two, remove the new cat from its separate quarters for awhile and let the resident cats go in and sniff the new scent and leave behind their own marks. When the time seems right, allow the cats to see each other only when you can be on hand to supervise the action. Gradually increase the exposure until they all seem to get along peaceably.
While living with more than one cat can be quite pleasurable and can teach you much about another species, a good rule of thumb to follow when deciding how many is too many is this:
Never keep more than you can afford to feed, clean up after and take to the veterinarian for regular check-ups.
by CNB