Cats in Groups

We don't have to be afraid of getting more cats.

Cat conflicts arise when we add cats "the wrong way." But when we do it the right way, we have a happy clowder of cats. Most cats enjoy having others of their own species around.

As seen here, my three year old Reverend Jim (far left, in back) enjoys treats on the cat tree with two year old Olwyn (on right, in foreground) and nine month old Tristan (top shelf.)

There's actually a lot of advantages to having more than one!

They don't get lonely. While cats are more than capable of being solitary, they do enjoy having playmates, minions, or mentors. Our latest kitten, Tristan, gets motherly supervision from Olwyn and big brother play from Reverend Jim. All things the humans in the house don't have to provide as much.

If we are leaving our cats alone all day, they might be perfectly content. Or, they might not.

Here's how to tell if our cat wants a companion.

They don't get bored. A misbehaving cat can be a bored cat. They like to chase and wrestle with each other. If we can't provide enough of this, they will seek it elsewhere.

While we can love playing with our cat, we just aren't as suited to rowdy play as another cat or kitten is. Just as we humans find many activities more fun when they are shared, so our cat can enjoy their day to day routines, more, if they have someone else to do them with.

Here's how to tell if our cat is bored.

They don't get isolated. We might not realize how much our cats adjust their behavior and their world view so they can live in our world.

We do not speak their language as well as another cat does, and we do not share the same interests so well. Looking out of the window is one thing; looking out of the window with another cat is much more fun.

To find out more, see all my posts on Cat Civilization.